Inman Park Restaurant Week March 28th – April 3rd

It's Inman Park Restaurant Week! Inman Park is a major culinary destination. Restaurant-rich, the area has more than 13 restaurants and pubs, offering American, Southern, European and ethnic cuisine. No wonder Inman Park has become an area with an increasingly sophisticated palate.  Here are the participating restaurants below:

Participating Restaurants

• $15 Menu
  • Fritti
  • North Highland Pub
  • Pure Taqueria
• $25 Menu
  • The Luminary
  • Barcelona Wine Bar
  • Fritti
  • il Localino
  • The Brasserie at PARISH
  • Rathbun’s
  • Sotto Sotto
  • The Wrecking Bar Brewpub
  • Wisteria
• $35 Menu
  • Cockentrice
  • il Localino
  • Kevin Rathbun Steak
  • Sotto Sotto
  • Wisteria

Inman Park: Wine Tasting, Tacos, and Tapas with VinoTeca

Fun outing in Inman Park at the new Vinoteca for only $29!  Vinoteca is a cute little wine bar owned by the Barcelona/Bartaco folks.  Prices are pretty reasonable and this deal gives you the benefit of the trifecta on North Highland.

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The Springtime Trifecta: Wine Tasting, Tacos, and Tapas with VinoTeca

Springtime is when we throw our cares to the wind and head out for adventure every night of the week. Wednesdays are getting a lot of action with a wine tasting at VinoTeca and a mouthwatering wander around Inman Quarter for tacos at Bartaco and tapas at Barcelona.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• Eight tastes of wines from around the world at VinoTeca in Inman Quarter
• Small bites and wine-friendly snacks to nosh while sippin’ and samplin’
• A token for a free taco next door at bartaco
• A complimentary tapas token for Barcelona
• A special rate on any wines purchased in store during the tasting

SCOUT NOTES

Ladies and gentlemen, we can feel it: the sunshine peeking through the clouds, the warm breezes, the packed Beltline, that feeling like we just need to get outside and breathe some fresh air. It can all only mean one thing: spring is about to bust up in here HARD. Yup, springtime is when we throw our cares to the wind and head out for adventure every night of the week. Our favorite night? Wine Wednesday, of course. And now VinoTeca in Inman Quarter is bringing together all our favorite parts of Wine Wednesday: wine (duh), tapas, and tacos. 

VinoTeca, brought to you by the same folks behind Barcelona Wine Bar and bartaco, is a neighborhood wine shop with a worldly twist- they’re quite a destination for Spanish wines, as well as wines from around the world. Half of their around 650 bottle inventory is Spanish wine, and the rest, well, color us impressed. Popular wine producing countries like France and Italy are represented, as are lesser known countries like Austria, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, and even Lebanon. They’ve got their finger on the pulse of South American wines as well, heading all the way to places like Uruguay to find the most unique varietals and tastes. Now if this gets you thinking this is too much to handle, we feel you. Lots of wine can be overwhelming (take it from us, that wall of wine is a beast when you first walk in) but the staff can help you find what you want. And what better way to figure it all out than tasting them? 

You’ll be tasting about eight wines at different stations around the handsomely appointed, airy store. Of course you’ll get your fill of Spanish wines, and a sampling of reds and white from other areas as well. Add to that small, wine-friendly bites and snacks, and your Wednesday just sprang into action. (See what we did there?) And it doesn’t end there- nope, you’ll also get a token for a free taco at bartaco next door, so you can nosh your way into the evening on tacos filled with pork belly, falafel, or even duck. Still hungry? We got you. Actually, Barcelona’s got you. Head across the street to Barcelona Wine Bar for a complimentary tapas. That’s right- you'll be tasting Spanish wines, so your best bet is to follow it with authentic tapas like albigondas, and manchego and jamon croquetas. Now, we get that this sounds like a lot of action for a Wednesday night. It is springtime after all. But if you want to save your tapas and tacos tokens for another night out, we can’t fault you for that. Next time you're on the Beltline, make your way to Inman Quarter for all the treats you can handle.

Buy tickets here

Atlanta gets a few James Beard Awards and a NY Times mention:

I am going to basically repost this awesome New York Times Article but also if you haven't been yet to Staplehouse or Beetlecat you are missing out...

ATLANTA — Atlanta has long been considered the capital of the New South. It boasts the world’s busiest airport and 16 Fortune 500 companies. It is a black entertainment mecca. So many movies are shot here that people call it Y’allywood.

Getting traction as a great restaurant city has been harder. It has been tough to compete with neighbors like Charleston, S.C., New Orleans or that sexy food upstart, Nashville. As a national food contender, Atlanta never had the culinary firepower or customer base of New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. Diners made do with a parade of meals at local or national chains, punctuated by the occasional steak in a pretty room.

But now, as the nation’s infatuation with Southern food matures and Atlanta’s recession-battered economy recovers, a city that often looked over its shoulder for culinary validation and inspiration is coming into its own.

View full article here

Atlanta Food & Drink Specials

After living in Southern California and then moving back home to Atlanta, I realized how much people love happy hour drinks on the East Coast.  There are so many social events that evolve around drinking here.  Why not take advantage of some of the drink specials around town then?  I broke down by day what I know of in town.  Some of this changes around from time to time.  Let me know if you have recommendations to add to this list:

Sunday's

• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Industry Tavern
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Parish starting at 5:30
• Bottomless mimosas at Venkman's
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Kyma 

Monday's

• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Barcelona Inman Park
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Poor Calvin's
• /2 off bottles of wine at Baraonda
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Einstein's
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Olive Bistro
• 1/2 off Classic Cocktails at The Mercury
• 1/2 off well drinks Eclipse di Luna

Tuesdays:

• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Venkman's
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Einstein's
• $3 glasses of sangria at Calle Latina in Decatur
• $3 margaritas at El Bandidos in L5P
• $3 select beers at Olive Bistro
• 1/2 off well drinks Eclipse di Luna
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Osteria 832 

Wednesday's

• 1/2 off Whiskey cocktails & $5 burgers (3-5 pm) at The Pinewood
• The Lawrence:  3 oysters and a cocktail for $10
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Gekko Sushi
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Wahoo Grill in Decatur
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Wisteria 
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Olive Bistro
• 1/2 off well drinks Eclipse di Luna
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Mediterranea in Grant Park
• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Campagnolo

Thursday's

• 1/2 off bottles of wine at Cypress Street
• 1/2 off cocktails at Poor Calvin's
• 1/2 off bottles of wine and sake 5-9 at Steel Restaurant
• 1/2 off well drinks Eclipse di Luna

(updated 6/28/17)