By Teresa Tobat

Buckhead Business Association Hosts Signature Luncheon

If you’ve always wanted to hear one of the heads of Coca-Cola speak, here’s your chance. On Thursday, the Buckhead Business Association’s annual luncheon will feature keynote speaker John Brock, chairman and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Enterprises. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., attendees will have opportunities to network, learn about what’s going on in the Buckhead area and listen to Brock at private-dining destination 103 West.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit buckheadbusiness.org.

Davio’s Dishes Out Discounted Pasta for Runners

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse is inviting the AJC Peachtree Road Race 10K participants to load up on its pasta dishes one day before the race. From 5 to 10 p.m. on July 3, runners with a valid AJC Peachtree Road Race number will receive 25 percent off any pasta entrée. With deals like this, running a race will have never seemed so tasty.

3500 Peachtree Road Northeast  
Atlanta, GA 30326
404/844-4810
davios.com/atl

Firefly Will Begin Serving Brunch

Firefly will be cooking up brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 1. Diners should expect dishes such as gigantic pancakes, applewood-smoked bacon, Firefly eggs Benedict and be prepared to sip on traditional brunch drinks like mimosas and Bloody Marys.

3070 Windward Plaza, Suite P
Alpharetta, GA 30005
770/807-3100
http://fireflyrestaurant.net

It's strawberry season in Georgia, and now is the time when the berries are bright red and juicy. Here are a few delicious, creative dishes that incorporate strawberries into their ingredients’ list. Strawberry season ends in August, so be sure to get your fix while they’re still fresh.

By Teresa Tobat

By Teresa Tobat

Dunwoody Restaurant Week Kicks Off

Atlanta’s Dunwoody neighborhood is rife with fine dining options and includes a wide variety of local favorites and national chains. And from June 23 to 30, you can enjoy some of Dunwoody’s best cuisine from 16 of its finest restaurants for less. Prix-fixe menus at some of the area’s dining hot spots will feature $10 lunch and/or $25 dinner menus.

For a complete list of participating locations and more detailed information, please visit CVBDunwoody.com/RestaurantWeek.

Local Ice Cream Company Takes Home Top Honors
 
High Road Craft Ice Cream & Sorbet was selected as the grand champion of the 2012 Flavor of Georgia contest conducted by the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development. Flavor of Georgia food entries are all made in Georgia and judged based on flavor, best use of Georgian ingredients, Georgia theme, unique or innovative qualities, commercial appeal and originality.
 
In addition to being crowned grand champion, High Road Craft Ice Cream took home first place in the competition's dairy category with its caffeine and cacao flavor ice cream. This company’s small-batch ice creams can be found at Whole Foods Markets throughout the Southeast and in Fresh Market stores nationwide. One of Co-owners of High Road Craft Ice Cream Keith Schroeder’s original recipes (featuring his scrumptious ice cream) appears on the summer issue of Flavors, which is currently available at select locations. For more information, visit highroadcraft.com. 

Ray’s Restaurants Serving Prized Salmon

Ray’s three locations (Ray’s on the River, Ray’s in the City and Ray’s at Killer Creek) are currently carrying Copper River salmon, a highly valued and often difficult to find fish. The Copper River traces 300-miles of Alaskan wilderness and provides the setting for one of the longest and most challenging salmon migrations in the world. As a result, Copper River King salmon, the most sought after of all Pacific salmon species, carry extra stores of fat to protect them from the icy waters and ensure they finish the trek. The fishes’ naturally high Omega-3 oil content, brilliant color and firm texture makes for a flavorful and texture-rich meal. Copper River King salmon season runs through the end of June, so get yours while they’re fresh.

Two other types of salmon captured from Copper River will be available seasonally, with one going out of season at the end of July and the other being available only in August and September. For more information, please visit raysrestaurants.com.

By Jennifer Bradley Franklin

Though I was never a finicky eater, growing up the only figs I was aware existed where the kind that came in a yellow package with the name "Newtons" emblazoned on the front. As I've gotten older, my tastes have grown up as well (thank goodness!), and the advent of the season that brings with it fresh figs gives me a little thrill each year. For Father's Day, the Franklin clan gathered at my sister-in-law's home in a northern suburb of Atlanta and, as luck would have it, my brother-in-law has a green thumb and a fig tree in the backyard. I whipped up this simple, crowd-pleasing appetizer in just about five minutes and thought it was too good not to share. Enjoy!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Blue Cheese & Honey

Ingredients: 
8 ripe figs (Mission or Alma figs work well)
1/4 lb. prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/6 lb. smooth blue cheese (I used creamy Humboldt Fog Blue, which has a texture almost like a brie)
Honey, to drizzle

Method: 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Trim the stems off of the figs, but leave the skin on. For very small figs, cut them in half, lengthwise. For large figs, quarter them (as shown at right). 
Slice the blue cheese into small chunks and place one bit of cheese on top of each fig slice. 
Take a small piece of prosciutto and wrap it around the fig and cheese. 
Place all of the wrapped figs on a cookie sheet and drizzle liberally with honey. 
Bake the figs for approximately 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the prosciutto is slightly crisp. 
If desired, spear the fig with a toothpick for easy serving. Serve warm (though they still taste good once they've cooled down). 

Father’s Day is this Sunday, and our friends have got you covered—from ideal gift ideas to restaurants to take your father for a nice meal—they’ve got something in store to make Sunday a memorable day. We’ve also got one event geared toward the ladies featuring a high-end British fashion line and specialty drinks.

By Teresa Tobat

Give Dad Sterling Silver From Beverly Bremer Silver Shop 

To commemorate your dad this Sunday, why not consider buying him a priceless sterling silver piece? Beverly Bremer sells picture frames, cuff links, letter openers and more. For additional information, please visit http://beverlybremer.com.

3164 Peachtree Road N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30305
800/270-4009

The Cook’s Warehouse is Selling Fitting Gifts for Dads

From grills to hot sauces and thermometers, the Cook’s Warehouse is selling great gifts for dads. A few select items are on sale, so get your gifts for dad before they’re gone!

To see the Cook’s Warehouse’s gift ideas for dad, click here or call 866/890-5962.

Davio’s Celebrates High Fashion With Specialty Cocktails 

On June 14, Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse will be serving up three specialty cocktails, each named after a luxury fashion house L.K. Bennett London shoe, for $7. Enjoy top-shelf High Ultra Premium Vodka drink specials and half-priced appetizers at the bar from 7 to 8 p.m. during the “A Perfect Pairing Event.” One of the night’s signature libations includes "The Sliver"—a Cosmo featuring the High Ultra Premium Vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, cranberry juice and a twist of lime.

You also can participate in the on-site raffle for a chance to win a pair of L.K. Bennett Sledge pumps (heels worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton). Ticket sales will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

3500 Peachtree Road Northeast  
Atlanta, GA 30326
404/844-4810
http://davios.com/atl/index.php

Vinny’s on Windward Serving Premium Steaks Sunday

Dads can enjoy an 18-ounce, hand-cut Creekstone black angus ribeye with fingerling potatoes, asparagus, roasted tomatoes and rosemary-demi glaze on Father’s Day. A draft beer is included with the purchase of this plate.

Vinny’s will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. on Sunday.  Call 770/772-4644 for reservations.

5355 Windward Parkway 
Alpharetta, GA 30004
sedgwickrestaurantgroup.com/vinnys.html

A guest post by Bob Sandage, Owner & Brewmaster at the Wrecking Bar Brewpub

Father’s Day is special for me, as I have two boys (Colin who is 8 and Nathan who is 6), and I opened the Wrecking Bar Brewpub on Father’s Day 2011.  Since I’ve been brewing beer for 20 years now, it may not be surprising that my boys know more about beer than a good chunk of the general population.  I developed signature beers for each of them before they were even born by trying to guess their personality in-utero.  This probably sounds like behavior of the ultimate beer geek, but to this day their personality is a great match to their “birth beers.”

I like to ask three questions in determining what style of beer someone will want to drink, keeping in mind the mood, weather and other factors can drive a person to make different choices at any time.

1. Do you want a light-bodied or full-bodied beer?  This quality of beer is probably most overlooked when making recommendations.  Wine connoisseurs have been describing their libations for years, e.g., “a full-bodied red” or “crisp and dry white.”  Before the American “craft beer renaissance” of the last 20 years, many Americans had little choice but to swill light-bodied and often watery beer, but now most bars serve a plethora of creative and flavorful beers.  One may be surprised to know that, although roasty and dark, Guinness is actually one of the lighter-bodied beers available (notice how it floats on top of a Black & Tan?).  If it is warm out, you plan on drinking several beers, or you don’t want the “full stomach” feeling, a lighter-bodied beer is best.  If it is cool or you are looking for a nice sipping beer to go with dessert, a full-bodied beer may be in order.
2. Do you like hop bitterness and/or hop aroma or not?  Many beer drinkers do not know what hops smell like.  American hops can give a citrusy or grassy aroma and European hops are often floral or earthy in character.  But, only hops added late in the boil/brewing process give aromatics and relatively few beer styles have significant flavor or aromatic hops added.  Most people know hops from the bittering quality that they add to the beer.  An India Pale Ale (IPA) uses high amounts of bittering hops early in the boil, thus giving many IPAs a puckering or even long lasting bitter feeling on the tongue.  Enjoyable to some, others not so much.

1. Do you like your beer complex or simple?  Complexity comes through most in the flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel.  Most lighter colored Belgian beers are simple in the malts (grains) used, however, the Belgian yeasts often add characters of fruit, spice, or bread to the aromas and flavors; resulting in very complex beers.  A basic pale ale or light lager uses very few malts and the yeast is very neutral, resulting in a clean and crisp character.  On the upper end of complexity, beers such as Russian Imperial Stouts, Belgian Dark Strong Ales, and Barleywines may use 10 or more different grains and yeasts with a great deal of complexity.

The table below gives a quick guide that may help you choose a special beer that dad will remember.  Obviously, a “medium” level for each attribute could be given to further refine possible beer choices.  In each case, the highest rated beer (available in Georgia and on RateBeer.com) and the Wrecking Bar beer have been listed.

We would love to see you celebrate Dad’s special day and our first anniversary at the Wrecking Bar Brewpub located at 292 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30307.  We will have 20 unique beers on tap starting Friday, June 15, so we are sure have a beer that will satisfy every father!

Happy Father's Day to all dads out there, and here's to finding your perfect brew! 

"Jersey Boys” Ends its Fox Theatre Run in June

Don’t miss your chance to see 2006’s Tony Award-winning musical, “Jersey Boys.” This musical tells the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of pop music’s greatest acts: The Four Seasons. You’ll have the chance to hear the band’s hit songs “Sherry,” “Oh What a Night,” "Walk Like a Man" and many more, live. 

This show is one that you'll want to stand up and sing along with, no matter when you were born. The New York Times said, "The crowd goes wild!" and crowds all across the country have gone wild for the story of Frankie Vallie and his then-revolutionary style of music. 

This show’s last performance at the Fox is June 10; so get your tickets soon. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit foxtheatre.org.

660 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
404/881-2100

Taste High Road Craft Ice Cream’s Newest Flavor at Seed 

In the mood to try a new ice cream flavor? Then consider visiting Seed Kitchen & Bar’s patio on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. to try Thai Tea ice cream. Chef Doug Turbush of Seed and High Road Craft Ice Cream, a company that serves what USA Today called "the South’s best artisan ice cream," collaborated to create this innovative flavor. Eventually, this flavor will be sold in Whole Foods throughout the Southeast, but come try it out before it hits store shelves. 

Join the party and enjoy Tamarind Thai Tea Cocktails, light hors d'oeuvres from Chef Turbush and, of course, Thai Tea Ice Cream Floats! 


Seed Kitchen & Bar
1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 504
Marietta, GA 30068
eatatseed.com