Fall Beer Tasting @ City Grill

In the spirit of celebrating its 20th year in downtown Atlanta, City Grill will hold a Fall Beer Tasting on Thursday, September 25, at 6:30 p.m. Adriana Danley of Georgia Crown will be the guest speaker and has secured several seasonal libations that will allow guests to be some of the first to taste them this season in Atlanta. The restaurant will offer a sampling of Chef Shan Holler’s light appetizers to compliment these seasonal beers. The festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a social gathering for $25 per person to include the beer tasting and tapas. Reservations for this event may be made by calling the restaurant at (404) 524-2489 or at www.CityGrillAtlanta.com.

Slow Food Atlanta Raising Funds

Slow Food Atlanta is pleased to announce a series of fundraising activities in support of the local delegates to Terra Madre.

Terra Madre is an international community of food producers, chefs/cooks and educators who aim to explore new and different methods of food production -- an approach that is attentive to environmental resources, global balance and product quality. The meeting of more than 6,000 individuals from 120 countries will focus on issues of concern to all food producers today: biodiversity, hunger, poverty, water, sustainability, both traditional and new technologies, organic agriculture, the role of women, and the linkage between rural economic development and the prevention of conflicts. These and many other issues will be discussed by various workgroups, and will be conducted in a spirit of constructive proposal at the conference in Turin, Italy the last week of October.

In an attempt to fund the transportation of the delegates to Italy for this important world meeting of food producers, Slow Food Atlanta is collaborating with organizations and individuals who have "stepped up to the plate" to help with this worthy cause. For more information, visit www.slowfoodatlanta.org .

The following events have been designed for this fundraising initiative:

Slow Food at Pricci, Sept. 9-11
Join the talented staff at Pricci, (500 Pharr Rd.) including Executive Chef Piero Premoli and Pastry Chef Jenni Etchison, for a fabulous special, local, seasonal menu featuring the produce of Crystal Organic Farms, Moore Farms (September 10th), and Woodland Gardens. To reserve your place for a feast to remember, call (404) 237-2941 and be sure to ask for the special Slow Food menu.

Harvest Dinner with Chefs Joe Truex and Mihoku Obunai of re'Past, Sept. 20
On September 20 at 6 p.m., join us for an unparalleled culinary adventure in the lush north Georgia mountains. This dinner will be prepared by two award winning Atlanta chefs, using locally grown ingredients, and served in the infamous "party barn" at Tiger Mountain Vineyards near Clayton, GA. Husband and wife Chefs Joe Truex and Mihoko Obunai, chef/owners of re'Past Restaurant in Atlanta will be guest chefs for this incredible adventure hosted by Leckie and Bill Stack on the gorgeous grounds of their lovely "piece of paradise" in north Georgia. Overlooking a theatre of vineyards and fruit orchards, with the peak of Tiger Mountain as the backdrop, you will not find a lovelier setting for an event. Arrive at 5:30 p.m. for walking tour of the vineyard and orchards with owners Bill and Leckie Stack, followed by an intimate dinner paired with fabulous reserve wines in the barn. Dine with the chefs and the farmers in an intimate setting ten feet from the kitchen. The cost of the 5-course dinner, with wine pairings is $150, including tax and gratuity. To reserve your spot, visit www.tastenetwork.org.

Southern Harvest Beer Dinner at Studioplex, Sept. 27
Join us for a five course beer dinner featuring five brewers, five farmers and the fabulous talents of Chef Carmen Cappello. A beer lover's dream, this feast will highlight the seasonal produce of our Terra Madre farmer delegates, and local brews of distinction! To reserve your spot at this special dinner, send your check for $75, inclusive of tax and tip, to: Slow Food Atlanta, 4148 Kings Troop Rd., Stone Mountain, GA 30083. For directions to the Studioplex, visit www.studioplexlofts.com.

Slow, Smoky, Sunday Supper at Trois, Sept. 28
Enjoy a cocktail reception featuring the creative libations of mixologist extraordinaire, Eric Simpkins, followed by a fabulous dinner prepared by Executive Chef Jeremy Lieb and the talented staff at Trois. Allan Benton of Benton Smoky Mountain Country Hams will be the guest of honor at this unforgettable event. Cost of the event is $105 per person. To reserve go to www.tastenetwork.org.

Amuse Cochon: 5 Chefs & 5 Pigs at The 5, Sept. 29
This experience will be the last fundraising event for the delegates before departing for Italy in October. A group of Atlanta's best chefs will each prepare a heritage breed hog from head to toe (breeds to include Duroc, Tamworth, Berkshire, Red Wattle, Ossabaw Island Hog) at 5 Seasons Brewing in Sandy Springs. These inspiring chefs currently express the Slow Food cause in their everyday cooking. The guests will help determine a winner and professional judges will be on hand to provide commentary on each preparation. Considered a friendly competition, but only one chef will become the holder of the Trophy and be considered the "Prince of Porc, The Duke of Duroc, or the Sultan of Swine". The cost of the event with beer and wine is $55, including tax and gratuity. Confirmed chefs include Todd Mussman of Muss & Turner's, Jay Swift of 4th and Swift, Kevin Rathbun of Rathbun's, The Team at 5 Seasons Brewing and Allan Benton of Benton Smoky Mountain Country Hams. For more information go to www.amusecochon.com.

Murphy's, Wired & Fired Help Project Open Hand

Virginia-Highland mainstay Murphy’s is joining the effort to raise hunger awareness by partnering with Wired & Fired for the Empty Bowl Project. Through Nov. 17, guests can visit Wired & Fired to add their artistic touch to a soup bowl at the paint-your-own-pottery studio. Then on Nov. 20, Atlantans will have the opportunity to purchase one of these bowls at a luncheon hosted by Murphy’s. Purchased bowls will be filled from a special menu prepared by Executive Chef Gregg McCarthy which will include choices of soups, pastas, salads and more. At the end of the meal, all bowls will be washed and returned to the guests as a memento.
 
All proceeds from the Empty Bowl Project will benefit Open Hand, an organization that helps people prevent or better manage chronic disease through comprehensive nutrition care, which combines home-delivered meals and nutrition education as a means to reinforce the connection between informed food choices and improved quality of life.
 
Wired & Fired will provide customers with bowls, colors, stamps and stencils for $10. The Nov. 20 luncheon at Murphys will offer the bowls for purchase for $20. Some of the bowls will be autographed by local celebrities, and these unique treasures will be featured in a silent auction. The symbolism of these bowls will serve as a visual reminder of the millions of people throughout the world who go hungry each day.
 
To decorate and donate a bowl for the Empty Bowl Project, visit Wired & Fired at 994 Virginia Ave., across the street from Murphy’s. Wired & Fired is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call Wired & Fired at (404) 885-1024 or visit www.wiredfired.com. For reservations and more information, call (404) 872-0904 or visit www.murphysvh.com or www.projectopenhand.org.

JCT. Kitchen Gearing Up For Fall

JCT. Kitchen will be heating up Tuesday nights with its second year of Junction Fall Sessions, a weekly singer/songwriter series showcased on the rooftop bar. The sessions begin Sept. 23. 

The popular Sunday Supper at JCT. Kitchen continues every Sunday from 5 to 9:00 p.m. featuring Chef Ford Fry's "A Fancy Meat 3," priced at $24.00 per person. The menu includes five fancy meats and nine home-style vegetables for the table to choose from. Also included is JCT.'s black skillet cornbread, warm biscuits and "farm stand" salad, plus the luscious pie or cake of the moment.

JTC is at 1198 Howell Mill Road, Suite 18. For more, (404) 355-2252 or www.jctkitchen.com

Sweet Pockets Opens New Vinings Shop

Sweet Pockets Cupcake will hold a grand opening celebration this Saturday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m. at its new Vinings store, 4338 Paces Ferry Rd.

 Sweet Pocket cupcakes are freshly baked from scratch daily. they offer a variety of arrangements and flavors, some of which include Raz Taz, Strawberry WaWa and Lemon Sunshine. Sweet Pockets also offers catering of their sweets for all events including birthdays, weddings, and anniversary dinners.

Shop hours are Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (770) 431-6611 or visit 
www.sweet-pockets.com

Krog Bar Birthday Celebration, Saturday, October 18th

On Saturday, October 18th 2008, Krog Bar will celebrate its third birthday with wine, suckling pig & paella.

The celebration will be at Krog Bar and begin at 4:30 pm and will continue until midnight. Cost for the party is $20.00 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity. The price includes one glass of wine and all of the paella and suckling pig you can enjoy. Additional glasses of wine can be purchased separately. Krog Bar is located at 112 Krog Street, Atlanta, Georgia and
located in the same building as Rathbun's Restaurant.

Krog Bar's second birthday party included over 300 people and they gathered in and around Krog Bar with their friends. This year, the party will be just as entertaining. Guests can purchase tickets at the door.

www.krogbar.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.