The Celebrity Chef Tour celebrates its eighth year by featuring the nation’s greatest culinary talent at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. Benefiting the James Beard Foundation, Four Seasons’ Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker, Celebrity Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Ky. and Celebrity Chef James Lewis of Bettola Restaurant in Birmingham, Al., are creating a unique dining experience.

This weekend-long event is sure to be a special treat for the area’s food lovers. On Friday August 12, the chefs will host a cocktail party in Park 75 Lounge. Some of Atlanta’s best bartenders and most talented mixologists will create cocktails with local spirits and favorite ingredients. Chefs Gerstenecker, Lee and Lewis will be serving an array of delicious appetizers to pair with these libations.

On Saturday August 13, the chefs will create a multi-course menu with wine pairings for an exclusive dinner for 80 people at the Four Seasons Hotel. Beginning with passed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, the guests will have the opportunity to mingle with these celebrity chefs. After the meal is served, guests will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the culinary world.

Tickets for Friday evening’s cocktail party are $50 per person, and Saturday dinner is $165 per person. Proceeds benefit the James Beard Foundation. Park 75 is located in the Four Seasons Hotel – 75 Fourteenth Street, Atlanta, Ga. To purchase tickets, visit www.celebritycheftour.com.

About the Chefs:
Celebrity Chef Edward Lee is a three-time James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast. His food has been described as one part Southern soul, one part Asian spice and one part New York attitude. He has been featured in Gourmet, New York Times Magazine, Esquire and others, as well as appeared on the CBS “The Early Show.”

Celebrity Chef James Lewis was named Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef of 2011. He is the chef and owner of Betolla, an Italian restaurant in downtown Birmingham. “Being an entrepreneur and making my own decisions lets me make the restaurant what I want it to be, everything from the food to the decor. It permeates in every aspect of what I do.”

Chef Robert Gerstenecker has helmed the kitchen at Park 75 for over five years. He has spend time working everywhere from his native Canada to Hong Kong, so it should be no surprise that Asian influences sneak their way into the menu at Park 75.

I’ve eaten at the Capital Grille before and always have been impressed. With locations around the country (I believe they have 43), it is a restaurant you know you can walk into in any city and be treated with amazing service and have a damn fine steak too. So, when I was invited to the preview the Generous Pour Wine Event, I was thrilled? Terrific food, service and I get to be one of the first to sample some unique wines? You don’t have to twist my arm.

The Generous Pour Wine event offers guests the chance to taste nine varietals ranging from bubbly to full-bodied reds to a Port. These wines are selected by Master Sommelier, George Miliotes – Twitter @TheWineExpert – Tweet him, he’ll tweet you back! He even hosted a live webcast during the tasting where we were able to tweet to him and ask questions.

Ample servings of nine rare and limited vintage varietals – all for just $25 per person (with dinner entree purchase) from July 12 through September 4. The collection includes wines from all over – Spain, California, Australia and Italy. So no region is excluded. I loved that I was able to try wines that would normally be out of price range like the Freemark Abbey, Cabernet Bosche, 2003 which if I’m not mistaken is about $250 a bottle. The other thing I appreciated is that everyone at the Capital Grille is friendly and helpful and not snooty at all even if you don’t know much about wine.

I’m not usually a fan of white wine and Chardonnay is my least favorite but I’m so thrilled that I tried the Chateau St. Jean, Belle Terre, 2008. This wine was fruity and citrusy, with not a hint of oak that is typical of Chardonnays. It is my new favorite white. My favorite of the reds and the clear winner that night was the Chalk Hill Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma 2006. It paired nicely with my Kona Sirloin. I’d have put a picture of it below, but let’s just say the camera didn’t love it as much as I did.

Guests may sample all nine wines or they may choose to have multiple tastings of one or more of their favorites from The Generous Pour – their server will guide them through the experience, suggesting pairings for each course ordered and providing each person with a summary of tasting notes. The restaurant will also prepare custom wine flights upon request, for those guests interested in comparing and contrasting The Generous Pour selections.

The Generous Pour Wine Event Highlights from this summer’s collection of choice whites and reds are:

· Tarima Hill Monastrell, 2009 – Making its U.S. debut at The Capital Grille this summer, this spectacular varietal is setting a new standard for Spanish medium-bodied red wine.

· Chalk Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 – Named for the volcanic chalk under the vineyard’s hillside surface, which gives a delightfully unique quality to the wine’s flavor, this rich, dense wine is one of Sonoma Valley’s best.

· Marquis de la Tour, NV – This sparkling “bubbly” hails from a vineyard in France’s Loire Valley, which has been producing excellence since 1885.

· Conte Brandolini Vistorta Merlot, 2006 – Harvested from 100-year-old vines in a small vineyard in Northeast Italy, this merlot epitomizes powerful elegance.

Don’t forget the Generous Pour Wine event at The Capital Grille ends on September 4, so you have just over a month to take advantage.

255 East Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
The Capital Grille Website

Earlier this year, I was approached by a publishing company, Globe Pequot Press, and asked if I was interested in writing a Food Guide book for Atlanta. I practically jumped out of my skin, I was so excited that they picked me. My publisher just sent me the cover of the book (pictured above) and I wanted to share it with you.

I’ve had so much fun over the last several months visiting restaurants around Atlanta and talking to staff and chefs. It has been a wonderful experience writing the book and I definitely have a new appreciation and respect for both authors and editors.

As you are reading this, I’m down in Florida for a short break and celebrating finishing the book!

Cheers!

The March of Dimes Dining Out on Friday, May 13, starts at 7 pm. In case you know someone with deep pockets, tables are $1,000 or $1,500 depending on the restaurant and the dinner includes a three-course meal with numerous wine pairings at one of 60 of Atlanta’s best restaurants. Some include Bacchanalia, Floataway Cafe, Rathbun’s, TWO Urban Licks, Serpas and Wisteria.

As of the time of this post, Tables still available:
Aja $1,500
Bakeshop $1,000
Dantanna’s $1,000
Dolce $1,500
Eleven $1,500
Goldfish $1,500
Justin’s $1,500
Lobby at Twelve $1,000
Parish $1,500
Room $1,000
Seasons 52 $1,500
Serpas $1,500
Shout $1,500
Sip @ Riverside $1,000
TAP $1,000

After dinner, guests are invited to the “Stepping Out” after party at King Plow Arts Center from 9pm-midnight, where they will enjoy desserts and complimentary cocktails. For a full list of restaurants, check out www.marchofdimes.com/georgia.

For information on hosting a table, visit www.marchofdimes.com/georgia or contact Liz Taussig at etaussig@marchofdimes.com or 404-720-5308. After-party tickets are included with the table purchase, but individual tickets to the after-party may be released to the public; check the web site for updates.

A few stats:

1 in 8 Babies is Born Too Soon and to fight this problem, the March of Dimes launched a national Prematurity Campaign to raise awareness of the problem of prematurity and to reduce the rate of premature birth.

Because of the March of Dimes efforts, fewer babies are now born with neural tube birth defects like spina bifida.

About The March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to help moms have full term pregnancies and healthy babies. For more information, visit the March of Dimes web site at www.marchofdimes.com/georgia. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Taste of Atlanta, taking place at Technology Square in Midtown will be held on Saturday, October 23rd and Sunday October 24th. Hours are 11 AM to 6 PM both days. There are over 80 restaurants participating in the event, which spans 10 blocks. A Taste of Atlanta offers the chance to sample dishes from Atlanta’ top restaurants. In addition, there will be music and celebrity chefs at A Taste of Atlanta as well. For a list of all participating restaurants click here.

If you are a wine and /or beer lover and don’t mind the $75 per ticket price, you’ll want to attend the Wine &Beer Experience featuring scheduled seminars led by top industry professionals as well as tastings of many different wines, beers and cocktails. You’ll have to buy a VIP ticket to get entrance to this.

Tickets are on sale now. They are $30 at the door and $25 in advance. Tickets include 15 “tastes” tickets. Taste coupons are used to purchase food from participating restaurants. Menu items are 1, 2 or 3 taste coupons.

You can get your tickets here, but if you are a fan of my Facebook Page you can get tickets for $18. Just click on the “Special Offer” Tab. See you There!

Extras: Children 13 and under get free entrance with each paying adult.

Other Resources:
Secret Restaurant Recipes Cookbook
Turn Your Kitchen into Your Favorite Restaurant