La Tavola Trattoria Turns 10!

To celebrate 10 years of business, Fifth Group Restaurants' La Tavola Trattoria is offering a special prix fixe menu from Friday, June 17 through Saturday, June 27. $29 per person will unlock a collection of old favorites and some new classics. The menu will also be available à la carte.

The special menu includes such items as seared scallops with polenta and spinach, sage and ricotta ravioli, fregola and little neck clams with Calabrian chiles, and warm apple bread pudding with rum raisins, caramel, and vanilla semifredo. It will be offered in addition to the regular menu during dinner hours (Monday-Thursday and Sunday, 5:30-10 pm; Friday and Saturday, 5:30-11 pm.)

La Tavola Trattoria is located at 992 Virginia Avenue. Make reservations by calling 404.873.5430 or by visiting www.fifthgroup.com.

Fifth Group Restaurant Specials

Despite the soft economy, Fifth Group Restaurants knows its guests still love to dine out. That's why it has announced a series of nightly specials at several of its locations that are high on flavor, low on price and big on comfort.

TGIS AT ECCO
Every Sunday night at Ecco, guests can choose a plate of pasta or a wood-fire pizza and a glass of wine or bottle of beer for only $15 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Special is available at the bar or in the dining room. Reservations are recommended but not required.

TUESDAYS IN SPAIN AT ECCO
In Spain, it has long been a tradition to gather with friends and family each Tuesday to enjoy a glass of fine wine and cocido, a hearty Spanish stew. Ecco now brings this charming custom to Midtown for only $24/person (plus tax and gratuity). Special is available at the bar or in the dining room.

MOLTO MONDAYS AT LA TAVOLA
Every Monday night at La Tavola, guests can choose a plate of pasta and a glass of red or white wine for only $15/person (plus tax and gratuity). Special is available at the bar or in the dining room.

BEER & BBQ AT SOUTH CITY KITCHEN Midtown & SOUTH CITY KITCHEN Vinings
Join us at South City Kitchen in Midtown and Vinings every Sunday night for a celebration of traditional BBQ. From slow-smoked-all-night-long brisket and pork to tender dry-rubbed ribs to delicious days-gone-by sides and fresh biscuits and cornbread with every order. Plus, locally brewed Sweetwater beers are only $3 all day Sunday, too.

For more information about these restaurants, or to make a reservation visit, www.fifthgroup.com

El Taco hosts Atlanta Community Food Bank's Supper Club, Feb. 10

Atlanta’s latest take on Tex-Mex, The Original El Taco, is sure to please. Touted as both eco and family friendly, this new endeavor of The Fifth Group will host the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Supper Club dining event on Tuesday, February 10. Supper Club allows diners the convenience to enjoy meals at some of Atlanta’s hottest restaurants while supporting their community. Each month, a different restaurant serves as host, and 20 percent of the evening’s proceeds benefit Atlanta’s Table, the prepared food rescue project of the Food Bank.

With a menu inspired by bold Tex-Mex flavors, and created by Executive Chef Shaun Doty, The Original El Taco offers a creative twist on Mexican cuisine. Start off your meal with “Just-Crushed” Avocado Guacamole or Shrimp Ceviche. If you’re in the mood for something uniquely different, try a Mexican Pizza on giant masa flatbread with vegetarian refried black beans, shaved lettuce, cilantro, tomato, onion, avocado, radish, two Mexican cheeses, hot peppers and sunflower sprouts.

Can’t make up your mind? You can get a variety of tacos which are served individually giving you an excuse to try them all. For the true Tex-Mex palate, try the Wood-Grilled Fajitas with salsa crudo, pickled cabbage, charred jalapeno, crema and hot flour tortillas and your choice of four toppings. Don’t forget to save room for the Mexican Coke float!

The Original El Taco is open seven days a week starting at 5 p.m. The restaurant is located at 1186 North Highland Ave, NE, Atlanta 30306. For more information, or to make reservations for Supper Club, call (404) 873-4656 or visit www.fifthgroup.com.

Original El Taco Opening This Month

Partners Robby Kukler, Steve Simon and Kris Reinhard, owners of Ecco, South City Kitchen Midtown, South City Kitchen Vinings, La Tavola Trattoria and Bold American Events & Catering, are pleased to announce their latest restaurant venture, The Original El Taco, which is slated to open later this month in Virginia-Highland. 

The most notable décor element is the mixed media mural covering one of the restaurant's walls, which was created by two students from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) : Gerardo Rios and Zachary Goodson, who earned the privilege by submitting sketches in response to an ad that Fifth Group Restaurants posted on Craigslist.

Goodson is a 20-year-old student from Texas who is an animation major but is also interested in drawing. Rios, a 21-year old student from Illinois, is a painting major who specializes in portraits and has spent a great deal of time in Mexico where his family originated. The mural is a collage of paint, wood, paper and metal that features images of Mexican parodies, Frida Kahlo's face and lucha libre-like characters mixed with one-of-a-kind drawings and other reclaimed items, and took these talented art students two long weekends to complete.

More eccentric touches such as multiple old doorknobs on each door, a cast aluminum bull's head with horns that span 72 inches wide and an old submarine door placed on the restaurant's front entrance add to the funky atmosphere.

In the tradition of Sala-Sabor de Mexico, the restaurant that formerly occupied the space that was known as the Holy Grail of margaritas, guests will have their choice of many high-quality margaritas made from 100% agave tequila and fresh juices in addition to frozen margaritas and frozen mojitos. The bar will also serve three red wines, three white wines, sangria, 12 Mexican and domestic beers, approximately 25 tequila selections and other premium liquors.

Near the kitchen, guests can help themselves to a self-serve salsa bar which will contain 8 to 10 different condiments including salsas, pickled vegetables and other fun add-ons to enhance the cuisine created by Executive Chef Shaun Doty and Chef de Cuisine Craig Sauls.

To-go will be made easier than ever with two designated parking spaces and a specific pick-up window on the patio just steps from the parking lot.

Less visibly apparent but most significant are El Taco's environmentally conscious qualities. The restaurant's owners utilize energy-saving bulbs that are four times more energy efficient than traditional bulbs whenever possible and have also purchased wind energy credits to help support this initiative. All of the wood used in the re-design of the space has been re purposed from the past restaurant or from other local buildings that had already been razed.

The cooking oil used at Fifth Group Restaurants, including El Taco, is recycled and turned into biodiesel by Rob Del Bueno of Refuel Biodiesel (www.vegenergy.com) , which is a program of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) and the only one of its kind in Georgia that is certified for this process. Refuel collects used cooking oil produced by Atlanta-area restaurants and kitchens to aid in local waste management and significantly decreases the energy costs associated with feedstock and fuel transportation. After the oil is converted into biodiesel, Refuel provides the fuel to the Atlanta market, making the vertically integrated operation entirely local from start to finish. All proceeds from the Refuel program are used to promote responsible energy solutions in the Southeast.

Additionally, the restaurant's carryout containers are made from 100% recycled paper, compostable in municipal and commercial composting systems and certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute. El Taco's drink cups are manufactured from corn-based Natureworks biopolymer.

El Taco will be open for dinner nightly and is located at 1186 North Highland Ave. Reservations will only be accepted for parties of six or more. Otherwise, the restaurant will offer a call-ahead preferred seating program. For more information, call (404) 873-4656 or visit www.fifthgroup.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.

Fifth Group Christens Studio 887

 Food Studio, a Fifth Group Restaurant formerly known as one of Atlanta’s most architecturally dramatic dining spots since opening in 1996, has been converted into the perfect space for special events and holiday parties and will now be called Studio 887.  The new name, while paying homage to the former restaurant, reinforces the event space’s location in King Plow Arts Center at 887 West Marietta Street.  The area, managed by the company’s award-winning catering division, Bold American (no longer known as Bold American Catering), is located in the historic King Plow Arts Center and is newly available for corporate and social events. 

The 3,500-square-foot space will be able to accommodate up to 175 people for a range of events.  King Plow’s décor includes handmade brick, heart pine and oak timbers, huge rooftop windows and antiquated farm equipment that mingle gracefully with contemporary art, rich colors and modern light fixtures.  The space opens through a tunnel-like entrance, an understated indication of the hip ambience to come.  A wide staircase leads to a mezzanine that provides a great view of the hustle and bustle downstairs as well as a private loft area suitable for a smaller number of guests or more intimate function.

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

Tomatofest Kicks Off July 30

Atlantans seeking fresh, quality tomatoes don’t have to look any further than La Tavola Trattoria, which will host its sixth annual “Tomatofest” on Wednesday, July 30. This 11-day fete lasts through Saturday, Aug. 9, and features seasonally-inspired Italian dishes created by Executive Chef Craig Richards using locally grown heirloom tomato varieties from Georgia’s own Dillwood Farms.

“Tomatofest has become a local tradition, and I think it’s a great way to get guests excited about local products that have been grown by farmers we know in Loganville, Georgia,” says Fifth Group Restaurants Partner Robby Kukler. “Our diners are increasingly becoming more informed about fresh, heirloom produce and are actively seeking it out,” he adds.

Tomatofest offers a specially crafted menu that is available à la carte or for the prix fixe cost of $39 per person (a wine flight is also available for an additional $16). Prices on the Tomatofest menu range from $6 to $21.

Appetizers include an heirloom tomato tasting with Sicilian sea salt and Affiorato extra virgin olive oil; tomato, peach and fennel salad with mint vinaigrette; octopus carpaccio with tomato, basil and pickled red onion salad; and bruschetta with charred tomatoes, cannellini beans and speck.

The Tomatofest pasta selection presents Malloreddus pasta with tomatoes, housemade fennel sausage and ricotta salata; spaghetti alla chitarra with tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies; and ravioli of tomato conserva and ricotta with almonds and marjoram.

Entrée options include grilled flatiron steak with roasted plum tomatoes, sunchokes and green beans; crispy bone-in pork chop with marinated tomatoes and soft polenta; braised rabbit with tomatoes, rosemary, Taggiasca olives and new potatoes; and roasted hake with eggplant, zucchini, capers, basil, Brandywine tomato vinaigrette.

For dessert, sweet tomato zuppa with basil granita and crisp almond biscotti provides a sweet finale to the tomato tasting menu.

La Tavola Trattoria is located at 992 Virginia Ave. and serves dinner nightly and brunch on Sunday. This special menu will be offered during regular dinner hours (Monday - Thursday, 5:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.; Sunday, 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.). Reservations can be made by calling (404) 873-5430 or by visiting www.fifthgroup.com.

A New Chapter for Food Studio

 From marriage proposals to wedding anniversaries, birthday celebrations to holiday parties, first dates to Mother’s Day, Food Studio has been one of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants and top choices for celebrating special occasions for more than 12 years. But, as times change, so do the needs of Fifth Group Restaurants’ guests. That is why Fifth Group Restaurant Partners Robby Kukler, Steve Simon and Kris Reinhard are announcing that as of Saturday, July 19, Food Studio will convert to a full-time event space managed by the company’s award-winning catering division, Bold American Catering.

“We’ve truly enjoyed operating Food Studio for the past twelve years, as it has been one of Atlanta’s most beloved restaurants, but I feel by closing the restaurant’s doors we are in turn opening many others” says Kukler. “Our patrons have always been passionate about Food Studio’s unique space and will still be able to appreciate the restaurant’s atmosphere in this new capacity,” he adds.

Although it will no longer function as a traditional restaurant, this stunning space in the historic King Plow Arts Center will be available for corporate and social events such as parties, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions and business meetings, and will feature customized chef-driven menus from Bold American Catering Executive Chef Todd Annis, flexible seating options and one of the most unique dining rooms in the city. Those interested in booking the space for an upcoming event can get additional details by calling (404) 815-1178.

Ecco Named One of World's Best Restaurants

Mediterranean restaurant Ecco has been named the second best new restaurant in the world (Glen Etive in New Zealand was first) by the International Restaurant and Hotel Awards (IRHA).

“Our original goal when opening Ecco was to create a neighborhood dining option for guests looking for something new and fresh,” says Fifth Group Restaurants Partner Robby Kukler.  “The restaurant’s progressive menu and unique wine list are innovative yet still comfortable for diners, and I think these are the qualities that stood out to the IRHA and are what we feel very proud to have been honored for by such an esteemed organization.”

The IRHA recognizes the best value, moderate and luxury travel establishments that go above and beyond industry standards.  These three rates are based on the average price of dinner, drink and gratuity for one; value restaurants being $29 or less.  IRHA received over 1,000 submissions from 50+ countries around the world, and treviewed submissions from bed & breakfasts, top restaurants, chains, six-star luxury hotels, boutique hotels and independent restaurants and hotels.  

Ecco is located at 40 7th Street at the corner of Cypress Stree. www.fifthgroup.com.