Omnivore Atlanta

Goodbye Big Mac, hello FLIP.

Restaurant industry veteran, Barry Mills teams up with Richard Blais (former chef of HOME and “Top Chef: Chicago” contestant) at Atlanta’s new “burger boutique,” FLIP. As creative director, Blais’ modernized burger menu is chocked full of unique twists on the American classic, creating sandwiches that can only be described as elegance on a bun. Here’s a sneak peak at a few of Blais’ featured burgers:

Po “boyger” with grilled shrimp, fried lemon and spicy tartar sauce

Lamb burger with green olive relish and raisin ketchup on a rosemary bun

Kobe burger, utilizing fresh beef from Japan, dressed with herbal butter, red onion marmalade and blue cheese.

The burgers are made tiny in hopes of encouraging diners to sample more than just one. And there’s even a MILKSHAKE BAR. Check out these milkshake flavors: Krispy Kreme, Peach and White Chocolate, and Sweet Tea?!

For the restaurant, Mills envisioned an ultra-hip space that “doesn’t take itself too seriously,” and enlisted design firm ai3, Inc. to deliver. FLIP is slated to open in late November.

FLIP is located on the west side of Atlanta at 1587 Howell Mill Road. Open for lunch and dinner Sun.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m., and Fri. & Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. www.flipburgerboutique.com.

Read what Blais has to say about FLIP on his blogsite.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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Tues., Nov. 11th: Beer dinner featuring beers from Terrapin Brewery in Athens, GA. 6:30 p.m. 3543 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Duluth.

NOV. 11 DINNER MENU

Jonah crab fritters, English turtle soup, slow roasted pork belly, American Kobe short ribs, and bananas foster.

NOV. 11 BEER PAIRINGS:

Terrapin Rye Ale, Terrapin Imperial Pilsner, Terrapin Style Brown Ale, Terrapin Oak Aged Big Hoppy Monster, Terrapin Gamma Ray Brew.

Tues., Dec. 16th: “Fred & Matt’s All-Star Holiday Extravaganza.” 6 holiday beers from 6 different breweries. 573 Main St in the Lindbergh City Center.

DEC. 16th MENU and BEER PARINGS TBA.

RSVP here: www.tacomac.com

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Well, Les Dames are having another lovely Afternoon in the Country at Serenbe this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Aside from the plucky mountain tunes and hayrides, food-wise, this one’s big. Check out the star-studded guest list:

103 West, 5 Seasons Brewing, Affairs to Remember, Alon’s Bakery and Market,
Aria, Atlanta Athletic Club, Atlanta Cupcake Factory, Avalon Catering,
Barrelman Wine and Cheese Shop , Beleza, Bella Cucina Artful Food, Big Boat
Wine Company, Bold American Catering and Events, Brown Forman Wines,
Buckhead Bread Company, Cake Company, Cakes and Ale, Canoe, City Grill,
Cookie Mania, Crystal Organic Farm, Cuerno, Dailey’s Restaurant, Ecco,
Empire Distributors, Epicuristic, European Wine Groups, Farm 255, Five
Seasons, Flat Creek Lodge, Food 101, Fourth and Swift, Fritti, Georgia
Grille, Glover Family Farm, Grapefields, Gum Creek Farms, Hanson Farms,
Harris & Clark, Hemispheres, Holeman and Finch, HOME, International Society
of Africans in Wine, JCT Kitchen, Jenny-Jack Sun Farm, Joel, Kevin Rathbun
Steak, Krog Bar, La Tavola, Love is Love Farm, Metrotainment Bakery, Moet
Hennessy USA, Moore Farms and Friends, Murphy’s, Muss & Turner’s, NEO at The
Mansion on Peachtree, ONE. midtown kitchen, Pacific Southern Wine Company,
Parish, Piece of Cake, Pricci, Quality Wine and Spirits , Rathbun’s, Repast,
Restaurant Eugene, Riverview Farms, Serenbe Farms, Serpas, Shaun’s, Sotto
Sotto, Specialty Wines, Spice Market, Sun In My Belly, Sweet Auburn Bread
Co., Sweet Grass Dairy, Sweetwater Brewery, Tanglewood Farms, TAP, Taurus,
The Farmhouse at Serenbe, The Feed Store, The Flying Biscuit Café, The Hil,
TROIS, Twist, TWO urban licks, Ultimate Distributors, Veni Vidi Vici, Via
Elisa Fresh Pasta, Vina Morande, Vinifera, Wente Vineyards, White Oak
Pastures, Whole Foods Market, Woodfire Grill and Woodland Gardens

Cost is $95 for adults and $35 for children.

To purchase tickets log on to www.ldeiatlanta.org.

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At China King in Hamburg, New York, a witness spotted an employee dragging a very suspicious animal across the parking lot and through the kitchen door…

Read more.

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Sotto Sotto invites all wine-o’s for an evening with Luca Fedrigo of the Azienda Agricola Fedrigo Luca in Negrar, Italy, the producer of all L’Arco wines. Fedrigo has worked closely with world renowned winemaker, Giuessppe Quintarelli, who is now helping Fedrigo kick-off his own cantina endeavors.

Sotto Sotto is laying out five-courses paired with wines from the Veneto Region of Italy. The dinner begins at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6th.

Reservations are a must. Cost is $75 per person.

Call Sotto Sotto: 404-523-6678.

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I had been serving at the Spotted Dog for over a month in June, and was shocked to see all of the patio furniture MIA when I arrived for my lunch shift. I swung open the back door to find the kitchen empty, except for one lonely cook tightening the lid of a pickle jar. He looked startled to see me standing bewildered in the doorway.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Oh, you didn’t hear?” he said, shaking his head. “We shut down. You’re out of a job.”

I trudged away.

So, the Spotted Dog left me hanging jobless and confused, without a definite reason why I was jobless and confused. The pub abandoned not only me, but North Avenue and their button-up Bank of America regulars. Since that gloomy day in June, it has been clear to everyone that the empty firehouse on North Ave. needed a hero.

This morning, whizzing by the ex-pub, I saw something bright floating over the patio. Was it a bird? A plane? No, it’s Engine 11 Firehouse Tavern! And even though the logo looks a bit like Firehouse Subs, I’m glad someone has recognized the space’s potential, because seriously, the location is ballin’ and they did a great job renovating the firehouse.

Engine 11 is putting the finishing touches on the menu and has not set an exact date for their grand opening. For more information, visit their website: www.engine11atl.com.

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Sunday, Nov. 15, celebrate with the salt of the earth at the Field of Greens festival at Whippoorwill Hollow Organic Farm. Whippoorwill is 74 acres of organic greens, 35 miles east of Atlanta in Walnut Grove. Atlanta’s farm-to-table favs are turning out for chef demos from the Brick Store Pub, Farm 255, Woodfire Grill, Food 101, 5 Seasons Brewing, and Duck’s Cosmic Kitchen.

Field of Greens offers festival-fun classics from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; pony rides, raffles, arts and crafts, face-painting, and a farmers’ market. The event runs with its green theme, setting up recycling and local clean energy booths, not to mention, providing good old locally grown chow.

All proceeds benefit Georgia farmers and Slow Food Atlanta.

Cost is $3 for adults or FREE if you buy a food ticket ($10 per person; $20 per family). Children under 12 are also FREE.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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British scientists have developed a dark purple tomato genetically altered with snapdragon DNA. When infused with the two snapdragon genes, the eggplant-hued fruit produces large amounts of anthocyanins, which are red, blue or purple pigments occurring in dark berries.

Anthocyanins also act as a sort of sunscreen for plants, but most importantly, they are powerful antioxidants. In a test run, researchers fed cancer-susceptible mice powder from the tomato and discovered their life-span was significantly extended.

There is no guarantee that the tomato will have the same effect on humans, but this could be a new way of promoting medicinal uses through produce. The tomato’s production of anthocyanins can be compared with those in blueberries and blackberries, the difference being that tomatoes are cheaper and more readily available to shoppers.

Read more about the purple tomato, at USAToday.

(Photo from Shawn Phillips of TimeForStrength.com)

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Grab your washboard and head out to Cabbagetown Park on Nov. 8th for chili bowls and mountain bluegrass from 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

The Chomp & Stomp features local bands such as Spanky and the Love Handles, Pea Ridge Ramblers, the Mussel White Family, and Peachtree Station, and with the endless flow of chili and beer, there won’t be an empty belly in the park.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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TreeHugger.com has some interesting ideas for being eco-friendly during the holiday season. They even have tips for greening up your sex life!

I think green Halloween candy is kind of depressing; it puts a peaceful damper on the one night a year (other than New Years Eve) when we all can just be really, really bad diet-wise, modesty-wise, and planet-wise.

Here are their suggestions. Be prepared to make children very unhappy and healthy.

(Picture by Scott Fillmore)

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Coca-Cola Co., Pepsi Co., Kraft Foods Inc., Kelloggs, and General Mills Inc. are participating in a national dietary program called Smart Choices, which will basically relocate all box and can labels to the front of the package in 2009 . The purpose? Our national dietitians believe this program will improve public health and simplify healthy decision-making at the supermarket. Here’s a quote from the Associated Press article:

Consumers wanted to have the guesswork taken out of figuring out other key nutritional information, like calories and servings. Moving it to the front of the box allows people to make decisions more quickly.

WHAT?

Have we really strayed so far from kinetic motion that there has to be a national program (with big money invested, no doubt) to avoid turning over a box of frozen fish sticks to read the label? Furthermore, if there is so much “guesswork” involved label-reading, how is moving identical information from the back to the front going to help someone who can’t read it in the first place?

I say do away with this “calories per serving” BS and just tell us the total amount of calories we are consuming. Inform us how fat our asses will be after scratching the bottom of a Cherry Garcia pint because the label read 100 calories per serving and we mistook it for the whole carton. Tell us it’s really 8 billion calories, 2 billion from fat, and the inches it will add to our waistlines. That is public health regulation. And leave it on the back of the package, an extra turn of the wrist can’t hurt.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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More melamine from a certain brand of brown eggs was discovered in Hong Kong.

Read more about it from the NY Times.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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Check out these Halloween events at Atlanta restaurants:

5 Seasons at the Prado-Fri., Oct. 24: Charity costume fundraiser, raffle, canned food drive for the Atlanta Food Bank, music, dancing, and beer. Hosted by Ravenwood Church & Seminary of the Old Religion and Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore with the 5 Seasons Brewing Company. To buy tickets, contact: http://www.ravenwoodchurch.org/news/current or visit Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore at 5531 Roswell Rd.

Atkins Park Tavern-Wed., Oct. 29th: Adult Pumpkin Carving Contest, 8:00 p.m. Fri., Oct. 31st: Halloween Party w/ music by House DJ and a costume contest, 11:00 p.m. 794 N. Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA. 404-876-7249. www.atkinspark.com.

ENO-Fri., Oct. 31st: Get spooky at the ENO bar, w/ $6 specials for those in costume! 800 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA. 404-685-3191. www.enorestaurant.com.

Marietta Wine Market-Fri., Oct. 31st: Treats, hors’dourves, and spooky wines on tap. Costume contest at the Marlow House, 8:00 p.m. $10 per person. 18 Powder Springs St. 770-919-1574. www.mariettawinemarket.com.

TAP-Fri., Oct. 31st: TAP’s Halloween Bash begins at 5:00 p.m. w/ live music, drinks, menu specials, and a costume contest. 1180 Peachtree Street. Atlanta, GA. 404-347-2220. www.tapat1180.com.

TWO Urban Licks- Fri., Oct. 31st: TWO’s Urban Legends Bash at 5:30 p.m. Costume contest, raffles, and drinks. 820 Ralph McGill Blvd. Atlanta, GA. 404-522-4622. www.twourbanlicks.com.

Whiskey Park-Fri., Oct. 31st: Bad Things Halloween 2008 begins at 8:00 p.m. with no cover charge. Costume contest with sexy prizes! For reservations call: 404-724-2559 or log on to www.whotels.com/whiskeyween08. 188 14th Street, NE. 404-892-6000. www.gerberbars.com.

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Yes. It’s true. 5 Seasons Brewing at the Prado has a parking lot again. And to celebrate the new patch of pavement, the 5 is throwing a party beginning at 5:55 p.m. on Oct. 30. Early arrivals will be rewarded with an appetizer.

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China is in a bit of a pickle. Not just a mini-gherkin, we’re talking one honker of a pickle. The Chinese continue finding strains of melamine in their dairy products, the toxic industrial chemical used in plastic production.

The tale of how melamine slithered its way into the innocent mouths of children is a scandalous one indeed, beginning and ending with Chinese producers mixing in the illegal additive to make protein levels in milk appear higher.

As a result, 54,000 children in China have fallen ill and 4 infants have died from the consumption of powdered milk. According to the Associated Press, in Bejing, dog breeders lost 1,500 canines after giving them dog feed tainted with melamine, and other pups are suffering from kidney stones composed entirely of the chemical.

In other news of melamine intrusion, chocolate body spread in a British sex shop was found with traces of melamine (yikes!), along with tiramisu and milk products in Australia, which were quickly recalled.

Melamine has also made its way into the U.S. Alabama residents are pulling Chinese brand Koala March cookies off the shelves, discovering that yes, melamine is not only contaminating milk, it is soiling the cookies too.

The FDA only just issued a recall of Koala March cookies, despite knowledge of the contamination weeks ago (what’s up with that?).

“Made In China” is a phrase that, until recently, reminded me of childhood and the frayed tags of stuffed zoo animals. I trusted China. Now, my rosy dreams of a Chinese toy land have been muddled with images of toxic comfort foods and fatal sex creams. What’s next? Poisonous PB & J with the crusts cut off?

Be mindful of your purchases people, at least until the FDA decides to do their job.

(Photos from Wikimedia Commons)

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Learn to toss a sunflower salad!

Learn how to cook Creole like a pro at the Cook’s Warehouse in Midtown. Chef Tim Magee (of Parish) mentors a Simple Abundance cooking class where participantslearn about New Orleans style cuisine.

Here’s the menu-plan: sunflower salad, adouille crusted catfish, and pecan peach bread pudding.

Topping off the evening, attendees will toast with wine provided by National Distributors and have the chance to win door prizes from Atlanta Beverage, Bella Cucina Artful Foods, Cabot Cheese and Via Elisa Authentic Fresh Pasta.

Need more incentive to sign up? 100% of the proceeds help Atlanta’s Table, an Atlanta Community Food Bank initiative to feed the city’s hungry.

The class is from 7-9 p.m. on Oct. 27th. The session is $50. To register visit www.ACFB.org or call 404-892-FEED ext. 1444.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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A reminder that next Monday, Watershed will celebrate ten years of butter bean n’ okra goodness from 5-9 p.m. The evening will resemble an “old-fashioned harvest festival” with a cakewalk, raffles, and some bluegrass twang. And of course, chef Scott Peacock’s tasty southern cuisine and fixin’s from BlackJack Barbeque’s Jimmy Hagood. The dinner is $100 and proceeds go to Plymouth Harbor, a community organization supporting our elders and their caretakers. Make your reservation by calling Watershed: 404-378-4900.

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Food 101 drops in for Oktoberfest tomorrow night (Thursday, Oct. 23), dishing out a five-course dinner prepared by Chef Justin Keith. The cost is $59, and includes five frothy beers to wash it all down. Reservations are required: 404-497-9700.

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Les Dames d’Escoffier International come together Nov. 9th for An Afternoon in the Country at Serenbe. The ladies welcome special guests Chef Cyrille Holota of Joel and Food 101’s Chef Ron Eyester, who plan to whip up some undoubtedly delicious eats, along with rich wines, beers, and natural tastes from the Georgia soil.

This is the delectable Dames’ 8th annual country gathering and it promises to be no less exciting than the previous seven. Les Dames is a society of women across the globe with booming careers in the culinary, beverage, and hospitality industries that savor organics and unique flavors worldwide.

Adult tickets are $95, children 12 to 20 are $35. Children under 12 are free of charge.

Purchase your ticket online: www.LDEIAtlanta.org.

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Chef Ron Eyester of Food 101 hosts a six-course dinner in honor of Shakey himself, beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Oct. 21.

Eyester and Neil Young share a passion for supporting local agriculture, so along with munching to the cool sounds of ‘72, guests will chew local!

Tickets are $45 per person and reservations are a must.

Call Food 101 today: 404-347-9747.

(photo from Wikipedia)

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(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

This Saturday, Krog Bar turns 3. To celebrate, they’re having a party – $20 at the door, wine and food will be served. Call 404-524-1618 for more info.

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Save your seat for Dogwood’s Sweetwater Beer Dinner on Mon., Oct. 27. The dinner showcases Atlanta’s own Sweetwater ales paired with five courses from the Dogwood kitchen. There will be a brief reception beginning at 6:30 p.m., kicking off the night with a frosty pint of Sweetwater 420. 404-835-1410. $55 per person.

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Tonight Chef Martin Burge of Lola Bellini Bar & Restaurant hosts a cooking class. From 7-9 p.m. participants will learn how to prepare crab and kale Italian style. Wine will be provided by Sherlock’s Wine Merchant to keep the buzz alive along with yummy door prizes. 100% of the proceeds benefit Atlanta’s Table, an Atlanta Food Bank project aiding the inner-city hungry. The class will be held in the Cook’s Warehouse in Brookhaven and is $50. To register, log on to www.ACFB.org or call 404-892-FEED ext. 1444.

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Morton’s is hosting a beef and beer dinner. The beer is made by Cistercian Trappist monks at the Abbey of Scourmont in Chimay, so don’t feel guilty slurping down these blessed brews. It’s $45 per beer lover ($5 a ticket going to the Make A Wish Foundation) on Thurs., Oct. 16 from 6-7 p.m. For tickets and info call: 404-816-6535.

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The Edgewood Corner Tavern is jump-starting their monthly Saturday Night Supper Club; 3 to 4 prixe-fixe courses for $30 per person. The drinks aren’t included, but you’ll want to buy them anyway. The taproom suggests beer and wine pairings for every course; reislings, pints of Magic Hat Circus Boy, goblets of Heron Chardonnay, and Left Hand Jack Porter…sound tasty? For more information call 404-577-2310 or click here.

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