Omnivore Atlanta

Doug Strickland, owner of Eno, sent out this e-mail today, announcing the sale of his restaurant and neighboring market:

Eno was born from the passionate pursuit of a life dream.

As most of you know, we sold Eno and Barrelman to Zaza Pachulia, the center for the Atlanta Hawks.

Living a life dream and having passion in what you do brings many rewards. It allows you to work endlessly and intensely without ever feeling like it is work; in our business, it provides a constant medium for giving to the community; thirdly, it allows you to form many great relationships. I think it is the relationships that I have been able to build that mean the most to me. I am truly blessed.

Some of our regulars and friends in the trade, have asked me to send out a note about what is going on, what’s next for Eno and what’s next for Doug Strickland. This warms my heart greatly. I would love to stay in touch. Thank you.

At Eno, Zaza and his team have expressed a real appreciation for the concept and while there will be tweaks, as I understand it, he does not plan to change much, at least not for now.

As for me, ironically, the sale of Eno has allowed me to more actively pursue my passion for food and wine, stir creative juices and spend more time with my family.

While exploring longer term opportunities on the beverage supply side, I am consulting private collectors, restaurants and hotels in wine and general beverage program management.
If I can be of help or should an opportunity arise that you know about please think of me.

Thank you for helping me live my dream.

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Hector Santiago

When Richard Blais made his now legendary run on “Top Chef” Season Four, it captivated Atlanta audiences in a way basic cable rarely does: We became enthralled as a community.

This season, we have even more reason to tune in. Three Atlanta chefs, all of them fairly prominent, compete in the sixth season premiering Wed., Aug. 19: Pura Vida’s Hector Santiago, Woodfire Grill’s Kevin Gillespie and Eno’s Eli Kirshtein. Anyone who cares about food and restaurants in Atlanta has most likely eaten in at least one of these guys’ restaurants. And while none of them may be as well-known as Blais (who riled up the passions of foodies long before he was on “Top Chef”), they each bring a set of strengths and challenges to Las Vegas that will be fascinating to watch.

I spoke to all three chefs last week, and while they aren’t allowed to talk about what happened on the show in any detail, I was able to find out a little about how they went into the competition and what their strategies were once they arrived.

Continue reading “Atlanta’s Top Chefs”

(Photo by Trae Patton)

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A few upcoming Atlanta food events:

FREE TONIGHT?: 5 Seasons Westside is holding a Farm 2 Beer dinner that includes local and organic dishes with beer pairings.

5 Seasons Westside Farm 2 Beer dinner, tonight. This 5 Seasons Westside prix-fixe dinner includes five farms, five courses and five handcrafted beers for $55. The food comes from local, organic farms and the menu includes lobster stuffed squash, braised short ribs and whole hog. Each course comes paired with the farmer’s favorite 5 Seasons beer. This afternoon there were 14 seats still open for the event. $55. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. 1000 Marietta St. 404-875-3232. www.5seasonsbrewing.com.

Eno Alaskan Salmon Dinner with Louis Roederer Champagnes, Aug. 6th. This two-part evening is the work of Chef Eli Kirshtein and Owner-Wine Director Doug Strickland. The night starts at 6:30 p.m. with a $20 Louis Roederer Champagne tasting featuring four California sparkling wines. Dinner will begin at 8 p.m. and includes four courses showcasing different species of Alaskan Salmon. Each course is paired with a new Louis Roederer Champagne, so those who participate in the entire event will sample eight different varieties of bubbly. Reservations are required. $20 for tasting, $75 for dinner with pairings. 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m. 800 Peachtree St. 404-685-3191. www.enorestaurant.com.

The Cheesecake Factory Any Slice Is Half Price, July 30th. All cheesecake slices will be 50 percent off tomorrow for those who dine in at The Cheesecake Factory in celebration of National Cheesecake Day. The restaurant is also debuting their new Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velved Cake Cheesecake™. For every slice of the red velvet cheesecake sold over the next year, The Cheesecake Factory will donate 25 cents to Feeding America, a hunger-relief organization. Price varies. All day. 310-453-2539. www.thecheesecakefactory.com.

(Photo: With permission via 5seasonsbrewing.com)

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Bravo has revealed the chefs competing on the new season of “Top Chef” and three chefs are from Atlanta — Kevin Gillespie from Woodfire Grill, Hector Santiago from Pura Vida, and Eli Kirshtein from Eno. All this hometown competition should make for an exciting season.

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Eno has them. They are a nightly feature and will also be part of the restaurant’s Easter brunch on Sunday, April 12. Call  404-685-3191 to make a reservation.

You can also order the crabs from the restaurant’s retail operation, Barrellman. Call 404-228-8817 to do that.

Now, if they just put morels on the menu too.

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For those who are familiar with the pub crawl, this is like that, but with hors d’oeuvres and possibly a more slurry crowd.

The wine madness begins Nov. 15th at 1:30 p.m., kicking off with ENO Restaurant & Wine Bar and slowly, but surely, making way down Peachtree to the finish line at Gordon Biersch for discount wine and lagers.

Participating restaurants include: Marlow’s Tavern ($5 reds and whites), Steel Restaurant & Lounge, the Melting Pot ($10 flights/$5-6 glasses), and Silk Asian Steak & Seafood (sake & sushi specials).

$5 in advance, $10 at the door.

Registration: 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. www.atlantabartours.com.

Portion of the proceeds goes to Small Dog Rescue (aw!).

(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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Whoa! Let’s go:

On Thursday, Sept. 4, Eno will host a seven-course benefit dinner by six of Atlanta’s top chefs.

All courses will feature foie gras in some form or fashion. Participating chefs include: Eli Kirshtein, Eno; Richard Blais, Home; Gary Mennie, Taurus; Jeremy Lieb, Trois; Joe Truex, Repast; and Aaron Russell of The Chocolate Bar.

Each course will be paired with a wine selected by Michael McNeil of Quality Wines and Spirits. He is Atlanta’s only Certified Master Sommelier.

The evening will begin with hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will follow at 7:15 p.m. Cost is $165 per person, including food and beverage. Tax and gratuity are not included. Seating will be limited to 40 guests.

The evening is co-sponsored by Rougie, the famous foie gras farm founded in 1875 in the medieval town of Sarlat, France, and Quality Wine and Spirits, Georgia’s premier supplier of fine wines.

Proceeds will benefit The Center for the Visually Impaired, which provides rehabilitation services for blind and visually impaired persons of all ages.

For reservations, call Eno at 404-685-3191.

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