Omnivore Atlanta

Emeril’s restaurant in Buckhead, is closing its doors at the end of this month after five years. The restaurant is one of six in a chain named after the owner and celebrity chef, Emeril Lagasse.

But it might take him a while to realize that he is down one. The Emeril empire is massive and he seems to have his hand in just about everything: From a new “Emerilware” line, including the “BAM! Machine”, a 3-in-1 Food Processor available in May, to another show called “Emeril Green,” which begins airing this summer on Planet Green. Maybe there’s a point when you have to choose quality over quantity.

Needless to say the Atlanta Emeril’s didn’t live up to the hype from the very beginning. Food critics didn’t exactly give the place a warm welcome.

Check out the review from former CL Food & Drink Editor, Bill Addison, shortly after its opening in 2004.

There is some serious foreshadowing.

Bookmark to:

Shorty’s Pizza is running a pizza design contest that could seriously increase your bank account.

The contest, which began on April 1 and stops taking entries at midnight on June 7th, invites everyone to submit their favorite pizza recipe for a chance to win a $1,000 cash prize.

10 finalists will be selected and the final judging will take place on Sunday, June 15th at 2 p.m. at the Shorty’s in Tucker, Ga.

Some of the recipe hall of famers include: the “Rhavi Shankar” which is a ” white ‘no cheese’ pie with curry oil, roasted vegetables, cilantro-mint chutney.” And the “Wu Tang Clan, ” a buffalo chicken pie with gorgonzola, celery and ranch dressing.

“Bootlegging awesome recipes from other pizza joints is encouraged and will be tolerated.” According to a Shorty’s press release. “Anyone and everyone can enter as many times as they would like, as long as they ante up to the $1 entry fee.” (Cash only for entry fee.)

For more information about the contest visit www.myspace.com/shortys_pizza.

Bookmark to:

On April 14, approximately one month after a tornado ripped through downtown and ravaged most of Cabbagetown, a dine-out has been planned to benefit those affected in the Atlanta neighborhood. The event was planned by Rich Chey, owner of HomeGrown Restaurant Concepts and the recently opened Stella Neighborhood Trattoria in Grant Park. Twelve local restaurants will donate 15 percent of the proceeds earned from 5 p.m. to close (some restaurants will also donate lunch proceeds) to Cabbagetown Initiative’s disaster relief fund, which provides assistance to those who suffered from tornado damage.

It is a worthy cause and another reason not to cook on a Monday night.

Participating restaurants include:

Stella Neighborhood Trattoria, Six Feet Under, Redfish, Dakota Blue, Agave, Grant Central Pizza, The Standard, 97 Estoria, Flatiron, The Depot, Ria’s Bluebird and Vickery’s in Glenwood Park. For more information on the dine-out and directions to participating locations, visit www.AtlantaTornadoRelief.com.

Bookmark to:

Chefs Kent and Kevin Rathbun show their adorable faces on the CBS morning talk show where former opponent, Chef Bobby Flay, regularly corresponds with short segments on food issues.

The Iron Chef champions will appear on “The Early Show” tomorrow morning (Tuesday, March 25), preparing “Tomahawk Chop” and other steak dishes for Julie Chen and the rest of “The Early Show” gang.

The show begins at 7 a.m.

Then, on May 4th, Kevin Rathbun will celebrate Rathbuns’ 4th anniversary and Kevin Rathbun Steak’s first anniversary.

The “Barbecue and Blues” afternoon party will include a band, Rathbun’s favorite barbecue dishes and beer and wine.

The celebration will be from 3-7 p.m. at Rathbun’s. The cost is $50 per person. Reservations are limited, so call soon.

For reservations and more information call 404-524-8280 or visit www.restaurantsinatlanta.com.

Bookmark to:

Need a night off? Here’s a cool offer for parents in need of some kid-free fun.

Food 101 and Meehan’s Public House (the Sandy Springs locations) have joined the Chastain School for “Parent’s Night Out” on Friday March 28. This offer extends to anyone in the community looking for experienced child care and a night out.

Parents drop the kids off at the Chastain School (an early childhood development program and preschool) for “engaging activities” such as arts and crafts, games, a pizza dinner (with no soft drinks of course) and an “age appropriate” movie for the kids to fall asleep to. Parents can bring pajamas, toothbrush and sleeping bag so all you have to do is tuck them into bed once you get them home.

Time: 6:15-10:15 p.m. (11 p.m. for an extra $10 per child)

Ages: 6 weeks -12 years old

Costs: $30 per child, $50 for two, $65 for three (children from the same family) Parents can sign up at the front desk. Or call 404.851.0001 to put your name on the list. Visit www.thechastainschool.com for more information. Dinner reservations can be made at either Food 101 or Meehan’s Public House. The restaurants will donate 15% of the evening’s proceeds to the Chastain School.

Bookmark to:

Sean Brock, executive chef at McCrady’s in Charleston, will cook up a 10-course tasting menu at Quinones Room with chef David A. Carson on March 28.

Brock cooks mainly from his own 2.5 acre farm outside of Charleston that is staffed by the McCrady’s culinary team and supplies vegetables for the restaurant.

Quinones’ chef Carson and Chef Brock will be serving southern cuisine for this intimate dinner, with only 42 seats available for $125 per person plus optional $70 wine pairing, tax and gratuity. The reception will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner seating at 7 p.m.

For reservations call 404-365-0410 or view the website at www.starprovisions.com.

Bookmark to:

ITVS Community Cinema will host a preview of “King Corn,” a feature documentary written and produced by Curt Ellis, Ian Cheney, and Aaron Woolf, at the Decatur Library on Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m.

The film, directed by Woolf, follows Ellis and Cheney, two Yale buddies concerned about America’s obesity epidemic, on a year-long journey in a small county in rural Iowa. They rent an acre of land and grow a “bumper” crop of corn and supposedly discover that the grain is one of the main culprits behind our fast-food nation. They also raise some red flags about how we eat and how we farm.
“For the first time in American history, our generation was at risk of having a shorter lifespan than our parents. And it was because of what we ate.”

—Curt Ellis, filmmaker

www.pbs.org/independentlens/kingcorn

“King Corn” will premiere as part of the sixth season of the PBS television series “Independent Lens” on Tuesday, April 15, at 10 p.m. Check out a promotional clip of the film here.

Bookmark to:

Muss & Turner’s is participating in some cool events in the coming months:

On Sunday, March 13 Muss & Turner’s is taking part in a local chef battle between Ryan Hidinger of M & T’s and Chris Hall of Canoe, to be held at Jay Swift’s ( formerly of South City Kitchen) new place, 4th and Swift located in the Old Fourth Ward.

Todd Mussman and Ryan Turner will be blind tasting the two chefs on two white wines, two reds wines and two beers and the chefs will create two courses for each.

“In our opinion, this is the most genuine way for a chef to make food in symphony with drink,” writes Turner. ” This kind of stuff is just fun for us. Obviously the whole chef battle thing is hip right now, but our goal is to just ‘throw down’ with our chef buddies in a very friendly competition.”

Make your reservations fast because this food fight is limited to 30 people.

If you’re looking to get a little fresh air then take a quick trip out to the farm. Muss and Turner are working with Brady Lowe from Taste Network to host a Champagne farm dinner.

On May 17, fifty guests will be loaded onto a “green” chartered bus provided by Elite Green Car, a company that refers to themselves as “eco-friendly chauffeurs,” at Muss & Turner’s store in Smyrna and driven to Serenbe for a tour of the development and the farm.

Everyone will be served an early, multi-course family style dinner created by Muss in conjunction with the harvest schedules of three local farms. Food will be paired with Henriot Champagne in celebration of their 200th anniversary.

Dinner will be served in a Serenbe home overlooking the farm where much of the food that will be served was actually grown.

Future details of the chef battle and farm dinner will be at www.mussandturners.com.

Bookmark to:

Almost 3 million Americans suffer from the autoimmune digestive disease known as celiac disease, according to the website for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Celiac is triggered by gluten protein found in wheat, rye and barley, and damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food.

As someone who has battled a similar digestive illness for 15 years, I know about being perceived as a “picky” eater because there is no other option, and how a restaurant menu can be an enemy in disguise if you aren’t careful.

Now at least one night of every month celiac sufferers have a dinner menu planned just for them. Due to the success of its first gluten- and wheat-free dinner, Shaun’s will be hosting the event the second Sunday of every month. The next dinner will be Feb. 10 and will feature a prix-fixe menu for $45, and $65 with beer pairings. Check out the menu here. For gluten-free diners this event offers a little peace of mind, knowing that they will be covered from appetizers to dessert.

The NFCA website has a 15-page, downloadable Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Survival Guide that discusses symptoms, dietary options and restaurant chains that offer gluten-free items such as Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill. Find it here: www.celiacentral.org.

Bookmark to: