Chef Shaun Doty Hosts Holiday Beer Dinner

Chef Shaun Doty invites you to celebrate the holiday season with friends and family at his namesake Inman Park restaurant. Shaun's will host a Holiday Beer Dinner on Thursday, December 18 featuring seasonally inspired beer selections paired with Doty's four-course holiday spread for $65. The same menu is also available without beer pairings for $45.

The first course will feature Benton's 16 Month Prosciutto, Local Spaghetti Squash Salad, Pecans and Honey paired with Weinstephan Fest. Doty's second course will include Heirloom Lentil Soup, Guanciale and Marjoram with Sweetwater Festive Ale. The third course will comprise Duck Choucroute, Homemade Pretzel, Sauerkraut, Endive and Apples accompanied by Anchor Christmas Ale. Finally, Chef Doty will top off the meal with the perfect dessert, Fried Organic Sweet Potato Pie Chestnut Honey, Vanilla bean ice cream, paired with Harpoon Winter Warmer.

Shaun's is located in the heart of historic Inman Park, 1029 Edgewood Avenue NE, Atlanta.

Shaun's serves dinner Wednesday and Thursday from 5 -­ 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 5 ­ -11 p.m.; Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. ­ - 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 ­ - 9 p.m. For more information please call (404) 577-4358 or visit www.shaunsrestaurant.com.

Original El Taco Opens October 21

The latest restaurant venture from Fifth Group Restaurants Partners Robby Kukler, Steve Simon and Kris Reinhard, The Original El Taco, will open on Tuesday, October 21 at 1186 North Highland Avenue, NE in Virginia-Highland. El Taco is operated by the same company that has already brought Atlantans a bevy of the city's dining options including Ecco, South City Kitchen Midtown, South City Kitchen Vinings, La Tavola Trattoria and Bold American Events & Catering.

"We're keeping it simple at The Original El Taco," says Kukler. "With a menu of mainstays created by Chef Shaun Doty and a fun, casual beverage list, our goal is for this restaurant to become a place where patrons return often for what they know and love."

Open for dinner nightly, this new neighborhood Mexican joint serves up a menu designed by Chef Shaun Doty of Shaun's Restaurant in Inman Park and executed by Chef de Cuisine Craig Sauls, who previously worked at Alon's and South City Kitchen Midtown, that features all naturally raised meats and hormone-free dairy products, in addition to local produce whenever possible. The starters include both standard options like lime-salted corn chips with house salsa, "just crushed avocado guacamole and queso dip, in addition to more unique appetizers such as pork green chili soup, chili Caesar salad, bacon and cheese flautas, sopes, shrimp ceviche, wood-grilled beef skewers and Durango "truck stop" sliders with spicy BBQ chicken, chipotle mayo and banana pepper pickles.

El Taco's entrée options are divided into Mexican pizzas (tlayudas, a Oaxacan specialty), tacos and Tex-Mex dishes. Tacos ($2.95 to $3.95 apiece) are served individually and come with the following eight choices for fillings: fried tilapia with salsa habanera, avocado and sunflower sprouts; pork carnitas with tomatillo pico and grilled sweet onion on El Milagros corn tortilla; rellenos a cheese and bean stuffed poblano chili with garlic crema on El Milagros corn tortilla; grilled bbq chicken thighs with creamy chipotle mole, grilled sweet onion and pickled Serrano peppers; crispy pork belly with pickled cabbage, mint and New Mexico chili; red chile flat iron steak with crispy onions and tomatillo-lime salsa; fried chicken with Mexico City grilled corn, lime mayo and crumbled Mexican cheese; and Mexican chorizo with grilled peppers and onions, sliced radish and Jack cheese.

The Mexican pizzas ($10.75 to $13), which are giant masa flatbreads with vegetarian refried black beans, shaved lettuce, cilantro, tomato, onion, avocado, radish, two Mexican cheeses, hot peppers and sunflower sprouts, can be topped with wood-grilled chicken in a smoky pepper sauce, carnitas (slow braised, all natural pork), grilled Mexican chorizo or other vegetables.

The Tex-Mex items ($9 to $15.50) include wood grilled fajitas and a fajita salad, both with a variety of options for meat and fish toppings; green chili chicken enchiladas; chili cheese enchiladas; "El Burger," a double stack of griddled Meyer angus beef with sweet onions, chili-tomato fondue and Jack cheese on a toasted roll with Mexican fries; and "El Short Stack," open-faced corn tortillas with red and green chili, refried beans, Mexican cheese and a sunny-side-up egg.

Simple sweets ($5) such as fried apple pie with dolce de leche and cinnamon ice cream; flan with vanilla-bean poached pineapple; and a Mexican Coke float with vanilla ice cream complete the menu. Near the kitchen, guests can help themselves to a self-serve, well-stocked salsa bar that is also stocked with the appropriate fresh garnishes such as sliced radishes, chopped fresh cilantro, fresh lime wedges, chopped raw onion and Cholula Hot Sauce-marinated cabbage with lime to enhance the diner's experience.

"El Liquid Kitchen" offers sangria, frozen mojitos and margaritas, caipirinhas and five house specialty margaritas served on the rocks including the much loved Key West Margarita from the space's former occupant Sala-Sabor de Mexico, and a new favorite known as Frida's Favorite Margarita. Additionally, El Taco's bar menu features 12 Mexican and domestic beers by the bottle, three red and three white wines available by both the glass and the bottle, and 42 different tequilas. Another exciting and interactive element of the neighborhood restaurant is the taco wheel. 

When guests are seated, they will receive a poker chip with a number on it. The number corresponds to a prize on the taco wheel. The restaurant will spin the prize wheel every 30 minutes during regular dinner hours, and prizes will include such things as free queso or guacamole; a free order of Durango "truck stop" sliders; El Taco t-shirts; free dessert; and $25 Fifth Group Restaurants dining cards.

El Taco will be open for dinner nightly and is located at 1186 North Highland Avenue NE. Operating hours are Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. The bar opens at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations will only be accepted for parties of six or more. Otherwise, the restaurant will offer a call-ahead preferred seating program. The restaurant makes it easier than ever to retrieve to-go orders with two designated parking spaces and a specific pick-up window on the patio just steps from the parking lot. 

For more information, call (404) 873-4656 or visit www.fifthgroup.com.

Shaun's Names New Sous Chef

Chef Derek Van Cleve's career has taken him from amateur gardener in Morton, Wash. to owning his own landscaping business in New Orleans, La. and eventually to culinary school at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu. After graduation, he worked as a pastry chef and quickly advanced to Shaun's Sous Chef where he works under Chef Shaun Doty's watchful eye creating ingredient-driven, seasonal and creative American cuisine.

Chef Van Cleve grew up in Washington state, amidst views of the beautiful Mt. St. Helens where he cultivated a love for the outdoors and garden-to-table cooking. As a child, he often worked with his grandparents in their gardens and used fresh produce to create delicious home-cooked meals. He put his adoration for cooking with organic ingredients on hold as
an adult when he moved to New Orleans, La.

In New Orleans, he embraced his interest in gardening and started a successful landscaping business. It was a dream come true to be paid to create something beautiful with nature. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and destroyed his home and business. Van Cleve escaped the storm by coming to Atlanta where he was immediately greeted with a warm southern welcome. Inspired by the southern hospitality he experienced, he decided to make Atlanta his new home.

He had fulfilled his love for nature and the outdoors with his landscaping business in New Orleans and wanted a fresh start in Atlanta. Re-familiarizing himself with his love of cooking, Van Cleve enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta, and enjoyed meshing natural ingredients and working with his hands to create culinary works of art.

Upon graduation, Van Cleve worked at Alon's Bakery in the pastry department and then Luckie Food Lounge as an assistant pastry chef. Now at Shaun's, he has quickly advanced from head pastry chef to sous chef and is enjoying his first love of cooking with organic ingredients to create comfortable food in a relaxing environment.

 www.shaunsrestaurant.com .

Shaun's Hosts Celiac Dinner, Sept. 14

Chef Shaun Doty's special dining series catering to those with celiac disease will continue on Sunday, September 14. This monthly tradition features a prix fixe, gluten-free and wheat-free menu for $45 and $65 with gluten-free beer pairings. The nightly varying á la carte menu will also be available.

The appetizer will feature 16 Month Aged Proscuitto Di Parma with an Asian Pear Salad, paired with Mistral Mimosa, which includes Prosecco, Lavender, Lemon and Honey. The intermezzo will include Heirloom Tomato Eggplant Soup with Basil Pesto and paired with Green's Tripel Ale. The featured entrée is a Scottish Salmon with Cardamom Honey with Spaghetti Squash, coupled with Green's Dubbel Ale. Dessert will be Homemade Muscadine Sorbet paired with the Redd Foxx, which includes MuddledFresh Muscadines, Courvoisier Vs, Honey and Lambrusco Bianco.

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate the gluten protein, found in wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products, such as stamp and envelope adhesive, medicines and vitamins. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine.

Chef Shaun Doty opened his highly anticipated eponymous restaurant Shaun's in the fall of 2006 to rave reviews. In 2007, Shaun's won Esquire magazine's prestigious Best New Restaurants Award. Chef Doty's career has taken him around the world and put him at the helm of some of Atlanta's most celebrated restaurants. Shaun's restaurant takes him back to his roots, serving ingredient-driven, creative American cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting. Shaun's is located in the heart of Inman Park, 1029 Edgewood Avenue NE, Atlanta.

Shaun's serves dinner Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.; Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. For more information please call (404) 577-4358 or visit www.shaunsrestaurant.com.

El Taco Takes Over Former Sala Space

The owners of Fifth Group Restaurants have joined forces with Executive Chef Shaun Doty, owner of Shaun’s, to create The Original El Taco in the former Sala space in Virginia-Highland. The new restaurant will open in mid-October. Doty is developing recipes for creative Mexican fare like tacos, tortas and salsas, and the Fifth Group Restaurants team is working with William Peace, Peace Design, to change the look and feel of the restaurant.

“The Original El Taco will be lively, bright, open, and - most of all - fun,” said Robby Kukler, co-owner of Fifth Group Restaurants. “We have known Shaun for years and when we found out he had been thinking about doing Mexican too, we knew it was a great partnership.”

“I love Mexican food and have wanted to do a restaurant like this for a while,” said Doty. “To have this opportunity to work with the pros at Fifth Group Restaurants is great.”

“We are going to create an easy, approachable destination for great Mexican food,” added Kukler.

Doty will work with a chef de cuisine at El Taco when the restaurant opens, while remaining executive chef at Shaun’s. The Original El Taco is located at 1186 North Highland Avenue N.E. (formerly Sala) and will be open for dinner nightly. Fifth Group Restaurants sold Sala in mid-2007 and reacquired it in July 2008.

For more information, call (678) 302-3251 or visit www.fifthgroup.com.

Shaun's Hosts Wine & Cheese Tasting, Aug. 20

Shaun's Restaurant in Inman Park will partner with Alon’s Bakery and Quality Wine Distributors to feature a Wine and Cheese Tasting Menu highlighting five regions of Europe and the United States on Wednesday, August 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. The menu will be $18 without wine and $38 with the wine pairings. The nightly à la carte menu will also be available.

Wine and Cheese Tasting Menu:

· Charouce Rouzaine, France, served with Homemade Muscadine Jam and paired with a Gruet Blanc de Noir

· Hoja Santa, Texas, served with Corn Cakes and Mesquite Honey and paired with Ch. Peyruchet Bordeaux Blanc

· Meadow Creek Grayson, Virginia, with Date and Pecan Salad and paired with Dom. Wachau Gruner Veltliner

· Rolf Beeler Hochybrig, Switzerland, with a Vidalia Onion Marmalade and paired with Ch. Romfort Cotes de Bourg Merlot

· Neil’s Yard Shropshire Blue, England, served with Eccles Cake and paired with Quinta do Infantado 10-Year Tawny

Reservations are recommended by calling Shaun’s at (404) 577-4358. www.shaunsrestaurant.com.

Celiac Dinner @ Shaun's On Sunday

Chef Shaun Doty continues his special monthly dinner series catering to those with celiac disease on the second Sunday of every month. The next dinner will be held Sunday (July 13) and will feature a prix fixe, gluten-free and wheat-free menu for $45 and $65 with gluten-free beer pairings. A gift bag provided by Whole Foods Briarcliff with an array of gluten-free products will also be given to diners. Shaun’s and Whole Foods Briarcliff are partnering to bring awareness about the disease and to showcase the array of delicious food items available to those with celiac disease or those who prefer a healthier, gluten-free diet.

The appetizer will feature Eggplant Salad with Poached Shrimp and Spicy Vinaigrette. The intermezzo will include Fig Tempura with Sweet Potato, Vanilla and Tahini. The entrée will be Vegan Zucchini Lasagna with Heirloom Tomatoes and Pinenut Ricotta. Dessert will consist of a Black Rice Pudding and Coconut Sorbet.

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate the gluten protein, found in wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods, but may also be found in everyday products such as stamp and envelope adhesive, medicines and vitamins. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine.

For more information please call (404)577-4358 or visit www.shaunsrestaurant.com.

Shaun's To Host Terrapin Beer Dinner, June 29

Shaun's in Inman Park will feature a special four-course prix fixe menu featuring Terrapin Beers on Sunday, June 29.  Terrapin co-founder and Brewmaster Brian “Spike” Buckowski will be the host for the event.  Continuing Chef Shaun Doty’s focus on fine, neighborhood dining at an attainable price, the special menu will be priced at $60 with beer pairings and $45 without the beer pairings.  The nightly à la carte menu will also be available. 

The first course will be comprised of Salmon Pastrami, Bacon Lardons, Frisée, Poached Pheasant Egg and Brown Bread with Terrapin’s Rye-Squared Imperial Ale. The second course will be Berkshire Pork Shoulder with Carolina Gold Rice and Beer Battered Sage Leaves paired with Terrapin’s Big Hoppy Monster.  The third course will be Vidalia Onion Encrusted Veal Loin with Fresh Field Peas and Ham Hock Broth with Terrapin’s Rye Pale Ale. The fourth and final course will be Parsnip Cake with Miso Ice Cream and Spiced Cherries paired with Wake and Bake Imperial Stout.  The a la carte menu will also be available to diners.  

Terrapin Beer company was founded in 2002 in Athens, GA.  They produce six different flavours of beer as well as seasonal varieties.  More information about the beers and brewery can be found on their website at www.terrapinbeer.com .

Shaun’s is located in the heart of historic Inman Park, 1029 Edgewood Ave. For more information call (404) 577-4358 or visit www.shaunsrestaurant.com.