Negril Village

Had lunch at this cute spot in Midtown today.  Negril Village opened 2 years ago and specializes in Jamaican Food.  This former firehouse built in 1907 has lots of white marble tables and a patio outside and upstairs.  We really enjoyed the great food and the service.  We had the Jerk Chicken wings as an appetizer and pan seared salmon with sweet potatoes and a bourbon sauce.  I spoke with the server who said they also have a Tuesday-Friday Happy Hour downstairs with rum punch specials.   I will be back to check out the Weekend Brunch with bottomless mimosas!

30 North Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

(404) 464-7159

www.negrilvillageatl.com

Herban Fix - Vegan Kitchen

I absolutely loved this place! It is located in Midtown across from the Bank of America building on Peachtree (right by North Ave). Pan-Asian dishes using strictly vegan, plant-based ingredients served in open, contemporary digs.  They have a gluten free menu as well.  I have had the mushroom steak, scallion pancake appetizer, spring rolls and also the veggie curry.  Both were phenom.  It is about time Atlanta got a yummy vegan restaurant (in a cool space with bar and private room to boot).  I also think their carrot cake might be one of the best I have had.  A must try.  Try it and let me know what you think!

More deets:

herbanfix.com/menus
565 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 815-8787

Great News for Inman Park Lunch Fans

The upstairs restaurant (The Brasserie) on North Highland Avenue is now open for lunch Wednesday through Friday.  Great dine in when on The Beltline and great place for that next client lunch.

Bike the Atlanta Beltline on this Patio Bar Tour

Saw this article for the AJC written by Lesli Peterson on a "Bike The Beltline Tour" with places to stop and have a cocktail and enjoy a patio.  Some don't look to be exactly on the Beltline but could be fun to try this:

Kevin Rathbun Steak’s outdoor patio sits just feet from the Beltline. CONTRIBUTED BY: Blake Burton & Square Feet Studio

We all love the Beltline, and spring makes it even better with longer days and warmer weather. Tune up your bike, grab a friend and take our self-guided tour of these 10 patios, heading north to south along the Beltline.

Orpheus Brewing. Orpheus overlooks Piedmont Park, with optimal people-watching opportunities. It's an artisanal brewery offering free tours and tastings, with an incredible patio. Thursday - Sunday visitors purchase a $12 tasting glass that Orpheus fills with free beer. There are no bar snacks or fancy hors d'oeuvres, but you're welcome to bring your own. Doggies are welcome, too.www.orpheusbrewing.com. 1440 Dutch Valley Place, NE, Atlanta.

Loca Luna. Move from brews to mojitos at Loca Luna, the Beltline's Brazilian stop for tapas and live music every night. The party patio includes draped string lights and a waterfall view; it's a South American oasis. loca-luna.com. 550-C Amsterdam Avenue NE, Atlanta.

4thand Swift. Think farm-to-table dining, with a craft bar program. Across from Ponce City Market, you'll find 4th and Swift. An awning protects you from the heat; the industrial chic atmosphere will have you lingering well after you've cooled off. Try a classy cocktail or a craft beer, and bring your canine to the party. Dogs are welcome on the patio. 4thandswift.com. 621 North Avenue N, Atlanta.

TWO Urban Licks. Sit on the patio at TWO, people watching the passersby on the Beltline. Live music and a packed establishment mean high-energy fun. Drinks may take a while, but relax, the tour has only just begun. Biking with Fido? Not a problem; dogs are welcome on the bottom patio but not upstairs.www.twourbanlicks.com. 820 Ralph McGill Boulevard, Atlanta.

Pure taqueria. Make your way to Pure, where the patio awaits you with a bit of shade and great views of the street. Sure, it's known for it's OTP status, but Pure has no lack of friends at the Inman Park location. You'll want to order the Margarita here. Need some delicioso carbs before your next bike haul? Try the jalapeno mac and cheese. puretaqueria.com/inman-park. 300 N. Highland Avenue NE, Atlanta.

Barcelona Wine Bar. Communal spaces near the outdoor fireplace are the perfect place to grab a glass of vino or try a small plate. If you're looking to eat,Barcelona's patio is also the best choice. It's quieter than the inside and likely to get you seated more quickly. www.barcelonawinebar.com/atlanta.htm. 240 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta.

Parish Neighborhood Café. Rustic charm and deep-seated leather sofas encourage you to take a load off. Don't miss the Parish patio; it's hard to see from the Beltline. You'll need to leave your bike at the top of the stairs and head below ground-level. Doggies welcome. www.parishatl.com/p/the-neighborhood-cafe.html. 240 N Highland Avenue, Atlanta.

Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall. Rustic and modern mesh at this perfect snack stop. Set up at one of the communal tables and watch dusk roll in under the string lights. Bring your dog, soak up the sunshine and enjoy a fun cocktail at Ladybird.www.ladybirdatlanta.com. 684 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue NE, Atlanta.

Kevin Rathbun Steak. Relax on the breathtaking brick patio of Steak. Take your drink on the side at one of the tables, or relax near the fireplace lounging area. If you're not up for another cocktail, try the coffee. They serve J. Martinez & Company's Sumatra Mandheling, a spectacular gourmet blend.www.kevinrathbunsteak.com/menu.html. 154 Krog Street, Atlanta.

Superica. Krog Street Market overflows with quaint shops and satisfying restaurants, including Superica. Try Tex-mex meals in a cozy comfortable atmosphere. With a bike rack right beside the patio, this is the place for a margarita stop. Visit on the weekend for live music. supericaatl.com. 99 Krog Street, Atlanta.

No bike? No problem. Begin your tour at the Irwin Street entrance, where you can rent bikes from Atlanta Beltline Bicycle for as little as $15 per day. www.atlantabeltlinebicycle.com. 151 Sampson Street NE, Atlanta.

Leap Year Deal in Inman Park!

CELEBRATE LEAP YEAR  WITH WINE & FOOD!!!   February 29, 2016  - Monday Wisteria for Wine Tasting Leap Year Style. Enjoy 5 spectacular wines and hors d'oeuvres that will make any celebration memorable.   $25 per person. As always, all participants receive 10% off dinner that evening. Please RSVP as seats are limited - 404.525.3363

Wine Tasting in South Buckhead at Watershed

This could be fun for you wine lovers!  Watershed is doing a 20 for $20 Wine Tasting on on Tuesday, December 8.  For $20 you can try 20 tastes of various wines for only $20 (plus tax + gratuity) along with small bites from Executive Chef Zeb Stevenson. Be sure to RSVP for your spot:  rsvp@watershedrestaurant.com.

Repeal Day Brunch at Harper Street Station

An event that could be fun this Sunday is the Repeal Day Brunch in Reynoldstown from 12-4 pm.  It's located in Reynoldstown, right off the I-20 89B exit.  Details:

$20 entry includes:
2 cocktails featuring Old Forester bourbon selections
day-drinking brunch hors d'oeuvres and treats

dress code: keep it swanky, like it’s 1933;
Old Forester wants to give $150 to the most dapper amongst you.

Entertainment for the Afternoon: An Old Fashioned Bartender Competition!
Six Atlanta bartenders will compete for a $500 first prize, and
we will be choosing one of you at the door to join a panel of industry judges!

Bonus: 
Over the next two weeks we will be giving away VIP admission to the Bottled in Bond Tasting Room at the party, which includes a complimentary flight of Old Forester 1870, 1897, and this year's Birthday Bourbon.

Purchase of tickets in advance enters you for a chance to win.
  

Get your tickets now:Buy Tickets For Repeal Day Brunch

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)

Bottomless Mimosas in Old Fourth Ward

Venkman's is a new place is right across from Bantam Pub and is owned by Yacht Rock Revue. They are an uber popular cover band in Atlanta.  They describe themselves as " a restaurant and music venue balancing comfort food, eclectic live music and drinkability in the heart of Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward."  All I know is they have live music and bottomless mimosas every Saturday and Sunday -I'm definitely going to check this out!

Weekend Getaway: New York City Edition

We escaped the rainy Atlanta weekend for a quick NYC getaway and had some excellent dining adventures to share.  Check out these spots next time you are in The Big Apple:

The Whitney Museum:  Checked out the Frank Stella exhibit. and had a bite at the top floor restaurant.  They had a lot of toasts on the menu.  We loved the hummus and falafel toast with pickeled carrots

Balthazar:  This place in NoLita rocks.  We couldn't get reservations for lunch or dinner so stopped in there on a Friday around 3 pm.  They had a 1.5 hour wait!  That is how popular it is!  We were able to grab a spot at the bar.  I did notice a lot of places with a wait require you to check in with bartenders for a bar spot.  We lucked out.  We had the mussels frittes, ceviche and field greens salad.  Polished it off with a glass of Sancerre.  Excellent!

Cull & Pistol:  This is a place inside of Chelsea Market.  It reminds me of Ponce City Market and I believe the designer is one in the same.  Loved the decor (exposed brick wall, reclaimed wood booths, subway tile walls with beige grout).  We had AWESOME shrimp cocktail and some oysters. Great seafood.

The Standard Hotel:  This was a great spot on the bottom floor outside to have a drink, app and people watch.  We had wine and tuna tartar.  Highly recommend.  It is right on the HighLine in the Meatpacking District.

Freeman's:  This is a favorite spot in Bowery area.  Imagine dark, old timey, minimal taxidermy tucked away in an alleyway without a sign.  They do not take reservations but we were able to grab a a table.  We enjoyed the spicy sweet potato and pork belly appetizer and sea bass dinner special.

These were some of our favorites.  Next on the list in NYC and highly recommended:  Shuko, Carbone, ZZ Clam and Cosme.  Hope any of these rec's work out for you!

Freeman's

What to order at Sweet Auburn BBQ in VA HI /Poncey Hi

This off shoot of Sweet Auburn Curb Market is located on Highland Avenue in the Virginia Highlands area.  I highly recommend their "Award Winning" wings.  We split the naked smoked wings as well as the buffalo and they were amazing.  I also like that they have bbq tacos on the menu. Great little bar.  Unfortunately parking is hard to find and hopefully that will be solved now that Cafe 640 has closed.  Would be nice for them to be able to use their old lot right there.

More info:  http://sweetauburnbbq.com/

Food and Technology: No Wait

No rez restaurants are feasible with "NoWait".  Text your name to the list and then show up when your table is ready.  They update you on the line and your progress.  You can also view the wait line from home.  Free for Android and iPhone users:  nowaitapp.com/dining

From Concentrics Restaurants:

This All Hallows' Eve, Saturday, October 31st let us treat you to 25% off your entire check! 

Offer is valid at ONE. midtown kitchen & The Brasserie and Neighborhood Café at PARISH 

Join us before you or after you get your trick-or-treat on to enjoy. Offer is valid one per person and cannot be combined with any other offers. For more information, visitconcentricsrestaurants.com

Neighborhood Discounts? Yay it's about time!

Mason Tavern is a new restaurant owned by Concentrics Group (The Folks behind  ONE. midtown kitchen, TWO urban licks, TAP, PARISH, The Spence, Lobby Bar & Bistro, ROOM at TWELVE located in Decatur.  It's not in Decatur Square but more Emory area by N. Decatur and Clairmont.  It's been on my list to try out and they also apparently have Trivia Night on Tuesday.  Love the 10% off for locals!

1 Kept

This is been on my list for a while so I was excited to try it. Located on Peachtree Road by Peachtree Battle going north.  Parking was very easy in the back of the restaurant and they have their own lot, no valet.  Surprised at how big the restaurant was too.  Great lighting, great decor.  We had the Warm Kale Salad and the Steamed PI Mussels.  Both were phenomenal.  The salad had house made sausage, butternut squash, garlic confit and waldorf-style apples.  Mussels were with leeks, white wine broth, garlic, shallots, herb butter and grilled sourdough  So tasty!  We sat up at the bar and the bartenders were very easy on the eyes.  Not a requirement, but always nice.  Looking forward to going here again and I might get the exact same thing.  

Poor Calvin’s

Went here for the first time recently.  Located downtown at 510 Piedmont Avenue.  I had the best lobster roll I have ever had hands down.  It was on a water chestnut bread that was sweet flaky and chewy.  It was accompanied by yummy curried Mac n cheese.  This was so good!  I gave a friend the recommendation and they had the lobster stir fry.  They said it was also phenomenal.