 |
| The Optimist (Andrew Thomas Lee) |
Close out 2012 with a bang...and fork!
Part One
What's up!!!
I love to talk about the finest ales and lagers out there to blissfully sip, but beer’s best friend, food, is always on my mind as well. Well
thanks to a lot of friends in the restaurant business, I was able to compile a
list Atlanta places who our doing special things to celebrate the Holidays and
usher in the New Year. So, direct from places like South City Kitchen Midtown
to arguably the best new restaurant in the nation, Optimist, here is Part One listing killer deals on where to indulge in food and drink leading into 2013!
· On Monday, December 31, The Optimist (see photo above) will ring in 2013 with a four-course prix fixe menu. West Midtown’s new favorite restaurant is offering menu items such as shrimp pop tarts, baked Virginia oysters with spinach, bacon, preserved lemon and parmesan cheese, grouper with white wine steamed clams, lump crab meat, leeks, baby bok choy and lemon, and banana custard pocket pie with pralines and cream ice cream and salted pecans. For reservations or more information, call 404-477-6260. www.theoptimistrestaurant.com
· Roswell
dwellers can gather at Aqua blue for a Christmas Eve dinner. From 4 to 9
p.m. on Monday, December 24, a special three-course menu will be offered at $29
per person in addition to the full a la carte menu. Diners can sample items
from the Christmas Eve menu including the Aqua blue daily soup, 12 oz. rib-eye
with horseradish sauce and house-made warm chocolate cake. For reservations,
call 770-643-8886. www.aquablueatl.com
 |
| Ray’s on the River |
· Ray’s Restaurants offer’s diners a warm place to gather this holiday season. Ray’s on the Creek in Alpharetta is open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Monday, December 24 for Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. On Monday, December 31, the restaurant is open from 5 to 11 p.m. for New Year’s Eve and the bar will remain open until 1 a.m. On Tuesday, January 1, New Year’s Day, the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations, call 770-649-0064.On Monday, December 24, Ray’s on the River is open from 5 to 9 p.m. for Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. On Monday, December 31, the restaurant is open from 5 to 11 p.m. for New Year’s Eve and the bar will remain open until 1 a.m. On Tuesday, January 1, New Year’s Day, the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call 770-955-1187. Ray’s in the City is celebrating New Year’s Eve from 4 to 11 p.m. and on New Year’s Day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call 404-524-9224. www.raysrestaurants.com
· Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland and Atkins Park in Smyrna are
keeping kitchens open on Christmas Day. Beginning at 6 p.m. at the
Virginia-Highland location and 5 p.m. at Smyrna, a special dinner priced at $20
for adults, $15 for young adults and $8 for children under 10 years old will be
offered. Atkins Park Smyrna starts the meal off with pimento cheese, deviled
eggs and pickled beets. Main courses include deep fried Creole turkey breast
and Dr. Pepper spiral glazed ham along with squash casserole with cracker
topping, herbed bread stuffing, sweet potato soufflé with streusel topping,
southern-style green beans, cranberry orange relish and pull apart rolls.
Dessert tops off the meal with a pumpkin and mascarpone cheese roll. For
reservations at Virginia-Highland, call 404-876-7249. For reservations at Smyrna, call 770-435-1887. www.atkinspark.com
· Atlantans
can make their lives easier during the busy holiday season with Bantam +
Biddy’s family meals. For $42, three to five family
members or friends can take home a whole rotisserie chicken, meatloaf or
herb-roasted pork loin, served with a family-sized organic green salad,
jalapeño cheddar bread (gluten-free bread upon request), choice of dressing,
three family-sized sides and a half-gallon of fresh brewed tea. Guests can
phone in their order and pick it up curb-side from the restaurant. Family meals
are for take-out only and 30 minutes advance notice is required. Bantam + Biddy
is located at 1544 Piedmont Road, Suite 301; 404-907-3469. www.bantamandbiddy.com
 |
| RA Sushi (Frank Lazaro) |
· RA Sushi Bar Restaurant celebrates a RAckin’ New Year’s Eve with a party on Monday, December 31 from 7 p.m. to close. Food and drink specials will be offered all night. Food options to suit the evening include Firework shrimp, “RA”solution roll, Stroke of Midnight maki and Edamame Eve dip. Drinks include half price sake and specialty cocktails. Please note that RA Sushi is open on Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and closed on Christmas Day. For more information, call 404-267-0114. www.rasushi.com
· Atlantans
who want to host Christmas dinner at their home without the hassle of cooking
it all can place orders with Buckhead Barbecue Company (BBC). Offering
selections for any size party, the restaurant is cooking classic,
take-home entrees such as hickory honey and cracked pepper smoked turkey,
apple-brandy and brown sugar smoked ham and all-natural, Black Angus
brisket. Sides feed between 12 to 15 people and include squash casserole,
cornbread dressing, sweet potato soufflé and macaroni and cheese. Pies and
cobblers finish the holiday meal, like the Buckhead cobbler (peach, apple,
blueberry, blackberry and chocolate) or a traditional pumpkin pie, also all
feeding 12-15 people. BBC is currently taking orders for the holiday meal until
12 p.m. on Saturday, December 22. Customers can stop in or call404-792-9388 to place orders. www.buckheadbarbecueco.com
· Fleming's
Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is ringing in the
New Year with a weekend-long celebration. From Friday, December 28 to Tuesday,
January 1 starting at 4 p.m., guests can indulge in festive holiday cocktails
or featured bubbly and then dine from the New Year’s menu or famous a la carte menu.
The special New Year’s menu starts with poached gulf shrimp over Southern-style
goat cheese grits, included with entrée price. Entrées include Delmonico steak
with blue crab and Gruyére glassage for $74.95, filet mignon and lobster
brioche bread pudding for $69.95 and lobster tail with mac and cheese for $79.
Chocolate budino finishes the meal for $9.95. Tax and gratuity is not included
in menu prices. For reservations, call 770-698-8112. www.flemingssteakhouse.com
 |
| South City Kitchen-Midtown |
· On Monday, December 24, South City Kitchen Midtown is open for a Christmas Eve feast. For $42 for adults and $21 for children under 12, a three-course prix fixe menu is offered. Each guest can choose one appetizer, entrée and dessert. Some menu options include fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and sweet pepper coulis, smoke-roasted filet of beef with celery root potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and truffle jus, and Southern chocolate pecan pie. For more information or to make reservations, call 404-873-7358. www.southcitykitchen.com
· Christmas
Eve marks the two year anniversary of Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub. To celebrate the holiday
and the occasion, the restaurant is offering a special three-course menu for
$20.12 in addition to the regular menu. Reservations are optional and the
restaurant will be closed on Christmas Day. Come Monday, December 31, Kaleidoscope
is hosting its second annual New Year’s Eve party. Dinner service starts at 5
p.m. with an optional three-course meal for $20.12. Food and drink specials are
available all evening and DJ B-Dub starts spinning tunes at 10 p.m. Champagne
is available for a midnight toast and the bar is open until 2 a.m. There is no
cover charge for the New Year’s Eve party. For reservations or more
information, call 404-474-9600. www.k-pub.com
· Little Cake
Bakery in Buckhead has perfected holiday cupcakes by baking
up traditional favorite flavors this season. Eggnog, peppermint, German
chocolate and Black Forest cherry flavors are available for order and pick up
before Santa arrives. For more information or to place orders, call 404-841-8856. www.littlecakebakery.com
· Atlantans
can visit their neighborhood Marlow’s Tavern this New Year’s Eve for a
chef-driven, prix fixe menu. On Monday, December 31, diners can enjoy starters including
Maine lobster and shrimp chowder or the winter tavern salad. The main plate is
a grilled veal chop with Canadian milk-fed veal, harvest vegetable and lump
crab hash, dried cranberry, beurre blanc, asparagus and cranberry veal demi.
The meal is sweetened up with chocolate crème brûlée for dessert.
The meal is $37 per person and is available throughout the evening. Visit
the Marlow’s Tavern website for more information and locations.www.marlowstavern.com
 |
| No. 246 (Helena Peixoto) |
· For
those looking for a spot in Decatur to celebrate New Year’s Eve, No. 246 is serving
a special four-course menu for $55 per person. Some menu items include local
cauliflower panna cotta with frothy sea urchin sweet butter, Osetra caviar soft
herbs and brioche; Nantucket Bay scallop carpaccio with Meyer lemon, local
crispy parsnips with Tennessee black truffles, butter poached Maine lobster
with young fennel, blood orange, tarragon, olives and arugula, and brie and
white chocolate cheesecake with roasted pears and walnut nougatine. No. 246 is
closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For reservations, call 678-399-8246. www.no246.com
· This
holiday, Atlantans can have their Christmas holiday catered by Market
Street Café or Bistro 191. From casual breakfast and lunch
gatherings to fine dining affairs, Sterling Spoon Culinary Management can
handle any party. As a bonus, guests booking a catered event for 10 or more
people will receive a complimentary $10 café gift card. Pre-orders can also be
placed for take-home treats, such as holiday breads and pies for any special
gathering. For more information on locations and hours, please visit www.sterlingspoon.com.
· Woodfire Grill is
offering five-course vegetarian and pescatarian menus in addition to a regular
five-course menu on New Year’s Eve. The regular and pescatarian menus are
priced at $115 per person, and the vegetarian menu is priced at $100. Wine
pairings are also available for $12 for a full glass and $20 a glass for
premium wines. Reservations are required and can be made by calling
404-347-9055.www.woodfiregrill.com
Look for Part II coming soon!
Cheers!
Ale
