Category: Food & Drink

Don’t feel like cooking this year? Sometimes the best thing to be thankful for is a clean kitchen, and that’s why some of Atlanta’s top restaurants and retailers are providing Atlantans some delicious dining alternatives for Thanksgiving. Ranging from buffets to multi-course dinners and take-away options, below is a savory sampling of offerings this holiday.

Avoid holiday stress and join BLT Steak as family comes first this Thanksgiving. For guests interested in a Thanksgiving meal with a fine dining twist, BTL Steak Atlanta will open its dining room from 1pm to 7pm on November 27. A specialty pre fixe menu prepared by Chef de Cuisine Joseph Macy will include everyone’s favorite traditional dishes, but with BLT Steak flare. Look forward to starters such as the kabocha squash risotto with saffron, pumpkin seeds and pecorino, and the Gem Salad with parsnip, squash and cider vinaigrette. As a main course, select from the roasted turkey with chestnut sausage stuffing, cranberry-grenadine sauce and rosemary gravy, dry aged roasted prime rib with confit garlic jus and caramelized onion bread pudding, or striped bass with Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and cranberry. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without indulging in desserts such as the cranberry spiced bread pudding with walnuts and cranberry coulis, a pumpkin tart with maple ice cream, or velvet chocolate rocky road with vanilla anglaise and hazelnuts. The prix fixe menu starts at $50 for adults and $35 for children.

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High Road Craft Ice Cream, made by chefs for chefs and ice cream enthusiasts, is moving from its original location in Chamblee, Ga., into a new and larger factory in Marietta, GA. After four years of growing a loyal following around the country as well as hometown Atlanta, the time was right for High Road to upgrade to a new facility that will be able to accommodate their increased production.

“We can’t wait to welcome our family, friends, and fans to our new headquarters,” says High Road’s founder and CEO, Chef Keith Schroeder. “The need for a more appropriate space was a long time coming.”

Now, in addition to buying their favorite High Road flavors at select grocery stores and online, ice cream lovers will be able to visit the new factory to pick up popular flavors — such as Pistachio Honey Ricotta, Bourbon Burnt Sugar, and Vanilla Fleur de Sel — and get sneak previews of brand new flavors before they hit shelves. High Road’s new factory is primed to become both a local attraction for Atlanta-area residents as well as an entertaining and delicious travel destination for ice cream enthusiasts all over the nation.
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The pairing of food and drink is quite possibly older than marriage itself. So when the time came to select a theme for the 2014 Taste of Atlanta’s Friday night kick off party, the team decided to “marry” chefs with cocktails, ingredients, and style to create a harmony for the palette.

Here are just a few foodie moments from Culinary Matrimony at Taste of Atlanta 2014.

Saltyard’s executive chef and partner, Nick Leahy, proffered an oyster trio which was our favorite tasting of the evening. This trifecta included a raw oyster in champagne shooter, fried oyster with slaw, and oyster chowder. Leahy shared his inspiration for the oyster shooter – right after he and his wife said “I do” on their wedding day, the first thing they ate was an oyster and a glass of champagne. Note the adorable picture of Mr. & Mrs. Leahy on their wedding day, which was on display at Saltyard’s booth. Now that’s culinary matrimony.
 

Speaking of matrimony – for the first time in our relationship of six years, my husband ate collards and liked them! Of course, it was thanks to chef EJ Hodgkinson of JCT Kitchen (where we said “I do” four years ago) with his grilled chicken in a “White Alabama Sauce” topped with the collard greens salsa verde. Kudos to Burge Organic Farm for the tasty ingredients.
 

Ford Fry’s restaurants brought their A-game to Taste of Atlanta. It was great to see our pal, Chef Craig Richards, executive chef of St. Cecilia, and sample his grilled octopus with chorizo and lemon-bay kale oil. We first met chef Craig back in his days at Ecco when he showed us his rooftop garden. For Culinary Matrimony, the fresh kale came from Tucker Farms a local purveyor of produce and hydroponic greens.
 

Ron Eyester of Rosebud, The Family Dog, Timone’s, and now Top Chef fame presented a crowd favorite. Our pal Arianne Fielder said it was her favorite dish of the night. Also, apparently she kept sending over shots of Four Roses Bourbon to “The Angry Chef” but he was in the zone. The man has already mastered shrimp & grits, so of course he was going to rock a lobster stuffed twice-baked potato was with chunks of fresh lobster, grain mustard and saffron aioli.

Culinary Matrimony was an awesome way to kickoff the 2014 Taste of Atlanta. The tasting tent was packed with people noshing on tasty treats and sipping bubbly and cocktails. We told y’all a few of our favorites, and we’d love to hear about your foodie moments. Please sign our “guest book” below.