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Manuel's Turns 53!

Years ago, on August 6th, 1956, a man called Manuel Maloof opened a tavern in town that would become host to hundreds (maybe even thousands) of good times and many a brilliant mind throughout the years.

Now, Manuel's Tavern is popping open a cold one to celebrate its 53rd birthday on August 6th. Head over to the tavern that day around 6 pm to toast to the Tavern's success with a glass of beer from the cask of Terrapin Rye Pale Ale with whiskey and dark oak brewed especially for the occasion.

If you can't make it on the 6th you'll have to miss out on the one-night-only beer offering, but you can still take part in the festivities by taking advantage of drink and food specials that will be running all weekend.

Whole Foods Named #1 in Humane Food Survey

The World Society for the Protection of Animals has unveiled the results of its 2009 Humane Food Survey, revealing that Whole Foods Market has been named #1. Whole Foods is the nation's largest organic and natural grocery store and, according to the survey, offers twice as many humanely labeled products per store as the supermarkets underneath it on the list. Consumers can shop at Whole Foods in good conscience!

News You Can Eat Blog Change This Friday!

When we launch our new website on July 31, our blogs will be incorporated into our new site at www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com. We will still be updating News You Can Eat on a regular basis with special events, new restaurant openings, menu specials, chef news and much more. Our new website will be a daily one-stop to find out what's happening in the community, tips and information on living green, updates from the real estate community, links to all the stories that appear in our monthly print edition and you can follow our Twitter feed from there, too. Bookmark www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com now and get ready for a whole new experience coming Friday!

WaterHaven's New Drink Specials

WaterHaven is complimenting its farm-to-table menu with nightly happy hour drink specials. Stop by after work for Happy Hour offers of half-price appetizers in the bar on weeknights from 4 until 7 pm. In addition, Waterhaven is proud to offer Mojito Mondays, with $4 mojitos and a featured flavor mojito for $5, Tuesday and Thursday Vine Days with $5 glasses of the evening's chosen wine, Absolut Hump Day on Wednesdays with $5 Absolut martinis, and Fifth Street Fridays with $4 Fifth Street Fizz.

WaterHaven is located at 75 Fifth Street, Suite 170. For reservations, call (404) 214.6740.

Morton's The Steakhouse Beer Dinners

Morton's The Steakhouse will highlight Belgian Style Ales at its beer dinner on Tuesday, July 28th at 6:30 pm.

For $75, patrons will be served a five-course meal featuring some of Morton's signature dishes paired with fine Belgian-style ales. The event includes a 6:30 pm reception followed by dinner at 7 pm.

Morton's The Steakhouse-Buckhead is located in the Peachtree Lenox Building, 3379 Peachtree Road. To reserve your place, contact Sarah Foss at sarah_foss@mortons.com or (404) 816-6545.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens Welcomes Aqua Blue to Cocktails in the Garden

Atlanta Botanical Gardens' Cocktails in the Garden Thursday night events have grown in popularity over the years, with monthly themes that delight attendees. In accordance with this month's theme, "Passion Vine and Pina Coladas", the gardens will welcome special guest restaurant Aqua Blue on July 23rd. Aqua Blue will provide complimentary appetizers to accompany the pina coladas being served.

Admission is $15 for nonmembers and free for Garden members. Full cash bar.

Taste Tour of Cheshire Bridge

The community along Cheshire Bridge Road is giving visitors a unique opportunity to take a trolley tour of the street, stopping in for tastings at some of Atlanta's most renowned restaurants and shopping at numerous specialty stores. The first Taste Tour of Cheshire will take place from 6 - 10 pm, July 21-23 and will feature tastings from more than 30 restaurants and businesses as well as raffles and silent auctions at the stores along the road.

Tickets can be purchased at Antiques and beyond, ChocoLate Coffee, Flora Dora, Las Margaritas, New Baby Products, Nino's Italian Restaurant, Rich Vision, and Topaz Salon, all located on Cheshire Bridge Road. $15 will get you a one-night ride, while $30 will gain you access to all three nights aboard the trolley. Children seven and under are admitted free of charge! All proceeds will go to benefit project Open Hand, a non-profit organization providing nutrition for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homebound and critically ill, and seniors.

Alon's Now Offers Summer Picnic Boxes!

To make use of those warm summer nights, Alon's Bakery and Market now offers picnic baskets that they will put together with plastic and papergoods, as well as a freshly baked baguette. Customers can choose from three pricing options, each with a variety of entrees, sides, and desserts to choose from.

Group A
Choose one of the following entrées for $16.99:
· Salmon Cakes: Two perfectly seasoned cakes served with spicy remoulade
· Chicken Breast: Grilled, tender chicken served with tarragon mayonnaise

Group B
Choose one of the following entrées for $18.99:
· Salmon: Grilled salmon filet served with lemon aioli
· Shrimp: Grilled shrimp skewer served with spicy remoulade
· Lamb: Handmade lamb skewers served with yogurt mint sauce and a miniature goat cheese sandwich
· Chicken: Bamboo skewers of marinated grilled chicken served with peanut sauce

Group C
Choose one of the following entrées for $22.99:
· Beef Tenderloin: Herb-crusted, medium rare tenderloin served with brandied mushrooms
· Crab: Two crab cakes on pain de mie buns with lettuce, tomato and spicy remoulade
· Tuna: Seared sliced tuna served with sesame soy sauce and marinated mushrooms

Each group includes a choice of two sides and a dessert
Choose two of the following side dishes:
· Fingerling Potato Salad
· Green Apple Coleslaw
· Fresh Fruit Salad
· Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad
· Black Bean and Corn Salad
· Israeli Cous Cous Salad
· Chickpea and Feta Salad

Choose one of the following desserts:
· Heathbar-Crusted Brownie
· Shortbread Fruit Bar
· Chocolate Chunk Pecan Bites
· Double Chocolate Chunk Bites
· Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bites
· Krakovski Bites
· Chocolate Sable Cookies

Orders must be placed online or by phone 48 hours in advance for pickup the day of your picnic or event.

Aqua Blue Summer Menu and Offers!

Aqua Blue has made some significant changes to its menu to accomodate those hot summer nights. The new menu features nineteen taste plates and salads priced $3-$15. Sushi is done well at Roswell's port for fresh seafood, with sixteen varieties of handmade rolls available, starting at $6 each. In addition, if you can't choose between succulent seafood or delicious meat, Aqua Blue offers a personalized surf and turf option!

Wednesday night is Ladies Night at Aqua Blue! That's right - the restaurant now offers special deals for ladies like $5 appetizers and drinks on Wednesday nights!

Aqua Blue is located at 1564 Holcolm Bridge Road. For reservations, call (770) 643.8886.

LIT Kitchen is now 433 Bishop

LIT Kitchen has officially changed its name to 433 Bishop. The name change comes as the result of a new partnership and in recognition of some of the other changes that the restaurant is undergoing.

433 Bishop's catering division will be headed up by Chef Sheri Davis of Dish. In addition, the folks at 433 Bishop have added a garden patio for outdoor celebrations. Everything that you love about LIT Kitchen will remain the same, with some aesthetic improvements made to transform it into 433 Bishop.

Concentrics Restaurant Week!

Concentrics Restaurant Week is an annual event that gives Atlantans the opportunity to experience 3-course meals at some of Atlanta's top restaurants for a fixed price of $25 at all participating restaurants.

This year, Concentrics Restaurant Week is scheduled to begin on Saturday, August 22 and to last all week until Friday, August 28. Participating restaurants include: ONE.midtown kitchen, TWO urban licks, Trois, Tap, Parish, Murphy's, Lobby at Twelve, ROOM at Twelve, STATS, 30 Tables, and Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria (which will offer its 3-course menu at a special price of only $15!).

For more information on Restaurant Week or Concentrics Restaurants, visit www.ConcentricsRestaurants.com.

Changes Coming to News You Can Eat

When we launch our new website on July 31, our blogs will be incorporated into our new site at www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com. We will still be updating News You Can Eat on a regular basis with special events, new restaurant openings, menu specials, chef news and much more. Our new website will be a daily one-stop to find out what's happening in the community, tips and information on living green, updates from the real estate community, links to all the stories that appear in our monthly print edition and you can follow our Twitter feed from there, too. Bookmark www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com now and get ready for a whole new experience coming soon!

Buckhead Chef Brings the Restaurant Home for Seniors

Chef Bob Brinson of Gourmet Innovations, Inc. is helping aging Atlanta residents by delivering fresh, personalized meals to their homes.

For seniors who choose to age in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes, nutritional meals can be difficult to come by.  The demand for companies that provide prepared meals that can be tailored to the medical needs of seniors (e.g. diabetic, low sodium diets) and offer home delivery is growing.  

A key aspect of Chef Brinson's success are those concerned children who do not want to place their elderly parents or relatives in assisted living facilities but cannot always be at home to help them in the kitchen.  These children can rest easy knowing that their parents are receiving nutritious and tasty meals.

Smoothie King Sponsors 11th Annual Metro Atlanta Project

Smoothie King has announced that it will donate 300 smoothies to the 11th Annual Metro Atlanta Project (M.A.P.), a nonprofit group organized by Northside United Methodist Church that encourages teens to reach out to low-income senior citizens by repairing the rooftops of their homes, on July 12th to provide refreshments for volunteers.

For one week each summer, M.A.P. organizes teams of volunteers to help re-roof the homes of Atlanta seniors who are sick and whose homes are at risk of being condemned. This year, from July 10th through 16th, M.A.P. has plans to repair 16 homes.  Since the organization relies completely on donations, the contribution of nutritional smoothies from the Smoothie King store located at 1000 Northside Drive is a major help.  In addition to their donations, Smoothie King will offer coupons and special offers to participants.

Atlanta Wine School Classes

The Atlanta Wine School, the largest wine education institution in the Southeast, is offering new classes for July.

The classes include:

• Monday, 7/20-Wednesday, 7/22: Spanish Wine Certification Program, 7 pm. A three class series presented by the Wine Academy of Spain. The cost is $465 per person and includes tastings of over 50 wines. Use promo code "atlanta20" for 20% off.
  For More Information About This Class:
  WEB: http://www.spainwines.es/en/registration.php?id=64
  PHONE: 770-668-0435 (Atlanta Wine School)
  EMAIL: Info@AtlantaWineSchool.com
  
  
• Wednesday, 7/22: American Wines, 7 pm. A tasting of 10 wines from 10 states. The cost is $50 per person.
  For More Information About This Class:
  WEB: http://www.atlantawineschool.com/courses/usawine.php
  PHONE: 770-668-0435 (Atlanta Wine School)
  EMAIL: Info@AtlantaWineSchool.com

The Atlanta Wine School is located at The Wine Room, 1570 Holcolm Bridge Road in Roswell. For more information, please visit: www.AtlantaWineSchool.com. To see a course guide and instructor biographies, click here.

Christmas In July at the Georgian Terrace

The Georgian Terrace Hotel will celebrate Christmas in July on July 23rd from 4 to 7 pm in the Grand Ballroom to demonstrate how suitable the venue is for holiday celebrations.

The hotel's Mitchell Ballroom accomodates up to 80 for a truly intimate affair, while the newly renovated Grand Ballroom holds a seated dinner for up to 225 and the Piedmont Ballroom accomodates a seated dinner for up to 200 for larger gatherings.

The holiday experience will feature a DJ, holiday decorations, pictures with Santa, and holiday cuisine by the restaurant's famed Chef Mennie. Stop by for some Christmas fun in the summer sun!

The Sun Dial Has New Summer Offerings

Alanta's famous Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar, and View is adapting its menu for the summer months with new fresh, farm-to-table ingredients for seasonal dishes.

The lunch menu will now feature Crispy Crawfish Tails, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Shrimp and Crab Cocktail. Executive Chef Christian Messier has also added a slew of refreshing soups and salads, including Chilled Tomato Consomme, Sweet Corn Bisque, and an Heirloom Tomato Salad. New sandwiches and entrees include a Vidalia Burger, Blackened Prime Rib, Lime and Garlic Grilled Shrim, and Grilled Shrimp Ceasar.

Changes to the dinner menu include a Crawfish and Grits appetizer, a cheese course with three American Farmstead cheeses, a light Crab Bisque, Country Ham Melon and Fig Salad, and Carmelized Georgia Peach and Goat Cheese Salad. Ashley Farms Peacn Smoked Chicken, an Australian Lamb Half rack, and Bacon and Horseradish Salmon are just a few of the new entrees available for evening diners.

For reservations or for information about dining hours, call (404) 589.7506 or visit www.SunDialRestaurant.com.

National Tequila Day at Uncle Julio's!

On Friday, July 24th, Uncle Julio's Casa Grande will pull out all the stops for National Tequila Day. The much-loved beverage is one of Uncle Julio's most popular ingredients, featured in a variety of margaritas and other drinks as well as in many recipes. Uncle Julio's even sends its managers to "tequila training" at Patron's production facility in Guadalajara, Mexico each fall.

Uncle Julio's has released these tips for enjoying tequila straight:

• Take your time. Sip, don't shoot.
• Before you taste, notice the color and aroma.
• Taste, notice the body and the finish.
• If you are comparing different tequilas, save some time to compare.
• Sip water between tequilas to refresh the palate.
• Licking lime or salt is not necessary before or after the salt, especially with better tequilas, because these things will mask the drink's flavor.

Uncle Julio's Casa Grande is located at 1860 Peachtree Road NW. For more information about Uncle Julio's and its tequila offerings, visit www.UncleJulios.com.

Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week Exends Deals

Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week, an event which gives Atlantans the opportunity to experience some of the city's finest dining at a special, fixed price, will run even longer this year to accomodate more diners. The event is scheduled for July 27 - August 9 and will feature more than twenty restaurants.

$25 at each restaurants gets you a three-course meal including an appetizer, entree, and dessert. The participating restaurants this year are: 0 Tables, Atlanta Grill, Avanzare Steakhouse, Cafe Circa, Django Gypsy Saloon, Durango Steakhouse, French American Brasserie, Hard Rock Cade, Il Mulino, Legal Sea Foods, Max Lager's American Grill and Brewery, Morton's The Steakhouse, No Mas! Cantina, Pacific Rim Bistro, Peasant Bistro, Ray's in the City, Rise Sushi Lounge, Room, Sear,Stats, Terrace on Peachtree, Thrive, and Trader Vic's. No tickets are needed, but reservations are suggested. The fixed price does not include beverages, tax, and gratuities.

For more information, or to view the restaurants' menus, visit www.AtlantaDowntown.com/HavingFun_RestaurantWeek.asp.