Food Bank Fundraiser Tonight @ Leon's

It hasn’t taken long for Decatur residents and food lovers across metro Atlanta to embrace Leon’s Full Service, the latest eatery to open in Decatur’s thriving restaurant scene. Perhaps diners are drawn to the sense of community at Leon’s as much as they are to the great pub fare you can find there. A self-described “community-driven restaurant and bar,” Leon’s will stand by that motto when it hosts the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Supper Club on Tuesday, April 14.

Supper Club is a monthly event that allows diners the convenience of enjoying a meal 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.

Leon’s serves up its Belgian-inspired pub fare in a former gas station on the corner of Church Street and East Ponce de Leon in Downtown Decatur, hence the name Leon’s Full Service. The menu features such Belgian favorites as pub frites with a variety of dipping sauces and “leige” waffles, along with a variety of other starters and snacks including: crispy rabbit tenders with lemon caper relish, and currywurst and grilled local beef frankfurter with madras curry catsup.

If you’re in the mood for a light meal, combine a sandwich or salad with a side or enjoy the full dining experience by choosing from a variety of mains including: niman ranch pork osso bucco with roasted butternut squash, braising greens and Gordon DIPA jus; oven fried all natural Ashley farms ½ chicken with stone ground grits and brown ale-mushroom jus or p.e.i. mussels in witbier and lemongrass broth among other delicious options.

Like its counterpart The Brick Store Pub, Leon’s has a full bar featuring a number of European beers to pair with your meal or enjoy all on their own. Specialty cocktails and a variety of wines are also available.

Leon’s is located at 131 E. Ponce de Leon, Decatur 30030. Open for dinner Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. – 1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. – 2 a.m. For more information, call 404.687.0500 or visit www.leonsfullservice.com.

Supper Club was created in the late 1990s to celebrate the partnership between Atlanta’s Table and Atlanta’s hospitality community. Atlanta’s Table, a project of the Food Bank, provides approximately 40,000 pounds of prepared food for Atlanta’s hungry each month. With sponsorship from Ethic Inc., Jezebel magazine, TrendCRM and 92.9 dave fm, Atlanta’s Table Supper Club generates funds to ensure continued operations of the project. For more information about Supper Club, visit www.ACFB.org , or contact Daphne Hill at 678.553.5996

JCT Kitchen to Host Supper Club

A classic European bistro with a Southern twist, JCT. Kitchen & Bar is a neighborhood restaurant where family and friends come to enjoy tasty "Southern Farmstead Cooking." Don't miss your chance to try it for yourself when the popular Westside eatery hosts the Atlanta Community Food Bank's Supper Club dining event on Tuesday, March 10.

Supper Club allows diners the convenience of enjoying a meal 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.

JCT. Kitchen & Bar offers an upscale, yet casual dining experience where acclaimed Chef Ford Fry melds his passion for food. The menu is reminiscent of traditional family favorites based on seasonal ingredients freshly harvested from the fields straight to the kitchen and hand-crafted into traditional Southern fare.

JCT. Kitchen & Bar is located at 1198 Howell Mill Road, Suite 18, Atlanta 30318. Lunch is served Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. ­ 2:30 p.m.; dinner is Monday through Thursday, 5 ­ 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 ­ 11 p.m. and Sunday 5 ­ 9 p.m. For more information, or to make reservations for Supper Club, call (404) 355-2252 or visit www.jctkitchen.com.

Supper Club was created in the late 1990s to celebrate the partnership between Atlanta's Table and Atlanta's hospitality community. Atlanta's Table, a project of the Food Bank, provides approximately 40,000 pounds of prepared food to Atlanta's hungry each month. With sponsorship from Ethic Inc., Jezebel magazine, TrendCRM and 92.9 dave fm, Atlanta's Table Supper Club generates funds to ensure continued operations of the project.

For more information about Supper Club, visit www.ACFB.org

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.

Altanta Legends to be Honored by a Roast

For the first time ever, four Atlanta restaurateurs Pano Karatassos, Bob Amick, Tom Catherall and George McKerrow will be roasted and toasted at 4 Legends of Atlanta Hospitality Roast on Monday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. They are all sure to feel the heat, but they know it's for a tremendous cause to support the hungry and the work of the Atlanta Community Food Bank this holiday season.

Following a cocktail reception, foodies, philanthropists, and socialites will be treated to a three course meal and dessert reception, prepared by four-star chefs Peter Kaiser, Kevin Rathbun, Gerry Klaskala and Jonathan St. Hilaire. Atlanta magazine restaurant critic Christiane Lauterbauch will provide the evening's introductions and Flavors magazine lifestyle editor Carolyn O'Neil will emcee the Roast.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank, located at 732 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd, N.W. Atlanta, GA 30318, is both the beneficiary and host of the evening. The raw, industrial warehouse space will be transformed into a red-carpet environment through the artistic talents of A Legendary Event.

Tickets for the 4 Legends of Atlanta Hospitality Roast are $500 per person. For more information, sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, visit www.ACFB.org/ROAST or call (678)538-9000.

Food Bank Fundraiser Cooking Classes

The schedule below highlights upcoming cooking classes for the month of October. During this time of economic difficulty, the Atlanta Community Food Bank's Simple Abundance Cooking Class series provides the community with a unique opportunity to interact with and learn from Atlanta's top chefs while helping those in need. One hundred percent of class tuition benefits Atlanta's Table, a project of the Food Bank that provides approximately 40,000 pounds of food to Atlanta's hungry each month. Classes include wine tastings and door prizes.

October 13
Buon Appetito II
Chef Martin Burge of Lola Bellini Bar & Restaurant
The Cook's Warehouse Brookhaven
($50, 7-9 p.m. Demonstration & Tasting)
There's just something special about Italy's fall flavors. Tonight's class lets you experience those delicious flavors all without leaving the state of Georgia. Chef Burge is back with his popular and delicious mix of Italian and American fall flavors. Tonight's menu consists of Sweet Corn Soup with jumbo lump crab, Braised Veal Breast with Tuscan kale, and Sage Scented Creamy Polenta. Location: The Cook's Warehouse Brookhaven: 4062 Peachtree Rd.

October 27
New Orleans Style
Chef Tim Magee of Parish Foods & Goods
The Cook's Warehouse Midtown
($50, 7-9 p.m. Demonstration & Tasting)
The Creole and Cajun cuisines that blend delicious French, Spanish, French Caribbean and African flavors is what New Orleans food is all about. Chef Magee brings his high level of commitment and passion for New Orleans style cooking to Simple Abundance with a menu of Sunflower salad with Bibb lettuce, sunchokes and baby corn vinaigrette; Andouille crusted catfish with julienne vegetables, chive aoli and crystal butter; and Pecan-peach bread pudding with caramel anglaise. Evening includes wine tastings sponsored by National Distributor's and a chance to win tasty door prizes provided by Atlanta Beverage, Bella Cucina Artful Foods, Cabot Cheese and Via Elisa Authentic Fresh Pasta.Location: The Cook's Warehouse Midtown: 549-1 Amsterdam Ave.

For details or to register, visit www.ACFB.org or call (404)892-FEED, ext. 1444.To purchase Simple Abundance gift certificates email simpleabundance@acfb.org or call the above phone number.

GACM to Open Fifth Cooperative Thursday

The Georgia Avenue Community Ministry (GACM), located in Grant Park, will open its fifth food cooperative this Thursday. The ministry was founded in 1990 and began with one food cooperative in 1991. For the past eight years it has had four food cooperatives, serving 200 families (or approximately 800 people) with a waiting list of up to 100 families.

The new co-op's beginning is made possible primarily by funds from the Equipment Controls Company and the Presbyterian Hunger Program of the PCUSA denomination. "This is a milestone for us and a dream come true," said Chad Hale, Executive Director of GACM. "People need food right now, with the economy worse than ever. We don't feel like we can wait and we are certain we can fund this for a year. Sometimes you have to go on faith and know that the Lord will make a way."

The fifth cooperative will start smaller and build up to 50 families. It will share a day with another cooperative, Co-op 2, and will be run by Jackie Palmer, member and coordinator of Co-op 2.

The ministry will expand to two food runs to the Atlanta Community Food Bank every other Thursday, serving Co-op 2 in the morning and Co-op 5 in the afternoon.

The model at GACM is a simple one, and one that Hale and others at GACM would like to see expand even more to area churches and other groups. Each group comes to the ministry every other week, unloads a ton (literally!) of food from the truck that has driven from the Atlanta Community Food Bank, sorts the food into boxes according to family size, and pays their dues of $3.00 per visit. Fresh produce from the State Farmer's Market is also added to the boxes.

"The dues and work are an important part of the co-op, as members are part Œowners' of the co-op and not just getting what they need for one day. This is different from a food pantry," said Hale. "The ministry provides so people can have food security, which is worth a lot and helps to keep people in their homes. Compared to $100 - $300 they would spend for the same amount of groceries for a month, this ministry helps them be independent and pay other bills, such as electric and gas."

Other services of the ministry include a Wednesday meal and worship service; emergency assistance for rent, utilities, food, and clothing; pastoral support, budgeting and other care, and aid for homeless with mail and temporary storage.

For more information on the Georgia Avenue Community Ministry, please call (404)688.0871 or visit www.gacm.org.