I can’t remember the last time I ventured out on Valentine’s Day. Personally, I think it is one of the worst days to dine out. Restaurants are overwhelmed and hardly ever provide the best service on a day like this. But in talking with some of my male friends, they tell me it is pretty much expected by the ladies they are dating.

I’ve compiled a list (with the help of Open Table) of some of the restaurants offering special menus for Valentine’s Day. Maybe it is a reflection of the current state of the economy or guys are just plain lazy, but a cursory peek on Open Table shows that many of the restaurants have tables available at peak times.

10 Degrees South – Sexy, sophisticated environment is the perfect setting for a spicy date night. For $60 per person, choose from menu items such as a Safari Salad or Calamari to start the night. Main entrees include dishes such as Kingklip, Chicken Curry and Filet au Poivre and desserts that will entice such as Chocolate Lava Cake and Raspberry White Chocolate Brulee Cheesecake.

Amuse – Chef Noelle has created a special3-course Prix Fixe Menu inspired by the “foods of love”
(priced at 45 per person)

Azul Agave Restaurant & Bar (Alpharetta)
In addition to our regular dinner menu we are offering a 4 course pre-fixed menu included champagne toast for $40 per person.

Baraonda Ristorante The restaurant’s Valentine’s Day specials include Pan Seared Maine Scallops, Panko Fried Oysters, Seared Beef Tenderloin and Blackfin Crab Filled Ravioli. Save room for dessert: Millefoglie, Puff Pastry Filled with Strawberry Campote, Chantilly Cream and Bourbon Chocolate Sauce, perfect for sharing with your sweetheart. Valentine’s Day specialty menu items range from $6-$25.

Bistro Niko (Buckhead)
Bistro Niko is offering our special four course menu featuring Chef Gary’s traditional creations as well as menu favorites. $59 per person. Wine pairings also available.

Botekim Brazilian Bistro (Marietta)
Come celebrate Valentine’s Day Brazilian Style! 4 Course menu for $24.95 per person.

Carpe Diem Cafe Bistro (Decatur)
Romance your Valentine at Carpe Diem! Chef Chebbi is cooking up some love with a 5-course Prix Fixe menu for $45 per person. Menu is also available a la carte. Dinner only.

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse The 3-course prix-fixe dinner menu includes Sunchoke Soup, Foie Gras, Applewood Smoked Bacon; Grilled Sweet Gem Lettuce Salad, White Anchovy, Feta Dressing; Jonah Lump Crab Cake, Whole Grain Mustard Sauce; Gnocchi, Creamy Basil Pesto, Toasted Pinenuts, Lobster; Niman Ranch Sirloin, Curried Cauliflower Puree, Toasted Hazelnuts, Arugula; Striped Bass, Basil Coconut Risotto, Meyer Lemon Confit. Save room for dessert: a Caramel Chocolate Mousse Cake served with Brulée Strawberries and Basil Syrup; Citrus Ricotta Cheesecake served with Coconut Biscotti Crust and Caramel Blood Orange Syrup. $54 per person; $72 per person with wine pairings. Available for dinner Friday, February 10 through Tuesday, February 14.

Kyma – Buckhead
Four course menu featuring traditional creations as well as menu favorites. $69 per person. Wine pairing also available.

Livingston Restaurant (Midtown)
Three Course Dinner by Chef Zeb Stevenson & toast to a romantic evening with champagne on us! Three Course Menu $45.

Nava
Nava is offering our special four course menu featuring Chef Ryan’s traditional creations as well as menu favorites. $59 per person.

no. 246
Four-course, $55 prix-fixe dinner with a broad range of seasonal options sure to delight any diner.

Paschal’s Restaurant
Join us for Valentine’s Day Dinner, Feb 14th 5pm to 10pm, with a Romantic 4 Course Meal, Live Jazz, & Roses for the Ladies! $55/single & $85/couple.

Seed Kitchen & Bar (Marietta)
Celebrate in seductive style this Valentine’s Day at Seed. 4 course dinner menu for $49pp, sip on love potions from our sommelier’s exclusive wine list this night only.

The SHED at Glenwood
Join Us For A Wonderful 3 Course Prix Fixe & A Glass Of Bubbles With Dessert For Only $45! Make Your Reservation Today!

South City Kitchen Midtown
This Valentine’s Day, join us for a delicious, 3-course prix fixe dinner for only $39.95 per person (plus tax and gratuity). This is in place of our regular menu.

Veni Vidi Vici
Four course menu featuring Chef Jamie’s traditional creations as well as menu favorites. $59 per person.

A couple options for Singles headed out with friends.
HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern
We will be serving our regular menu along with 3 course special menu for $19.95 and optional beer tasting pairing for $9.95

Publik Draft House will be hosting an Anti-Valentine’s Day party on Saturday, February 11th from 7:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Publik will make bitter BETTER with drink specials such as Bitchin’ Pink Peppercorn martini, ‘I’m Not Your Ex’ Ginger martini, Bitter End cocktail, and ‘It’s Not Me It’s You’ cocktail and food specials such as the Single Man’s Bread Pudding and Cold-Bitter Heart Pot Roast with Vegetables.

This year’s reserve tomatoes are called Harvest Sunset™, that are a blend of red and yellow tomatoes chosen for sweetness, texture and unique flavor. I was thrilled to once again be invited to attend the Muir Glen dinner at Aria late last year. We tasted savory appetizers and then were treated to a four-course meal. I won’t go on and on about the dinner (though I could) as the menu isn’t available. Instead I’ll share a couple of pictures of tasty treats we had and a recipe.

Mr. ARB surprised me and made Chef Klaskala’s recipe of braised beef. I wish I could take credit for it, but it was all him and it was superb! What a fantastic flavor!

Chef Gerry Klaskala
Spicy Braised Angus Beef
with Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Gold Potatoes and Cilantro

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Start to Finish: 2 Hours

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 tomatillos, paper skin removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (2 teaspoons)
2 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes, fat trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cans (14.5 oz ea) Muir Glen® Harvest Sunset™ organic fire roasted diced red and yellow tomatoes, undrained
1 carton (32 oz) beef stock
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oven to 275°F. In 5-quart ovenproof Dutch oven, cook olive oil and onion over medium heat 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

2. Add tomatillos, jalapeño chile and garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beef, salt and pepper; cook 4 minutes or until beef is browned. Add tomatoes; cook 3 minutes. Add stock and potatoes; heat to simmering.

3. Cover; bake about 1 hour or until no longer pink. Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes before serving. Stir in cilantro, and serve in warmed bowls.

8 servings (1 1/2 cups each)

Many thanks to Muir Glen, Aria Restaurant and Chef Gerry Klaskala for allowing me to participate in this exceptional, one-of-a-kind, experience. Muir Glen gave us all gift baskets of their reserve tomatoes so we can continue to enjoy some tasty tomato dishes! Get your own reserve tomatoes here.

Who: Wine Lovers and Foodies
What: Wine Tasting with select varietals from The Wine Shoe + Food Lovers’ Atlanta book signing
Where: Bottle Rocket, Castleberry Hill, 180 Walker Street, Atlanta, GA 30313
When: Monday, January 30, 7pm,
Cost: Wines are free to taste, specially priced appetizers available.

Drop by on January 30 to taste carefully selected wines of different varietals. It is it a treat to have Nora Wiley guide the tasting as her wine classes are wildly popular. No Bottle Rocket event would be complete without our delicious bites. There isn’t a menu, but know the bites will be crafted to pair expertly with the wines samples.

My book, will be available for purchase for $15 (cash only). It maps out the best restaurants in Atlanta from mom and pop, hole in the wall places to fancy five star restaurants. I’ve scoured the city to find the best restaurants on any budget, in any neighborhood, encompassing all the terrific cuisines we have at our disposal. It is a terrific resource for those visiting Atlanta on business or pleasure or for Atlanta residents who want to get out and explore the city but aren’t sure where to start.

There are also features like:

* Nightly Specials at different restaurants
* Insider tips for many restaurants that only regulars are privy to
* Food festivals and culinary events
* Atlanta chefs that have appeared on Top Chef
* Recipes from popular Atlanta Restaurants

Here’s what some other folks had to say about the book:

The Atlanta Journal Constitution: “Keep it in the glove compartment when you want something more detailed than a Zagat Survey..” Read More
Examiner.com
Gilt City “The latest gourmet bible covers everything from haute cuisine to food trucks and, with its convenient carrying size, makes finding a good meal easy..”Read More at Gilt City
Roswell Patch

Both with backgrounds in the food industry, the Slaters opened the first Blue Moon Pizza nearly ten years ago in Marietta. Since then, they’ve garnered a loyal following and expanded to four locations in the Atlanta area.

As I sat down at Blue Moon Pizza, I spied the Slaters walking around, tending bar, and making sure customers were happy. I was surprised at the large Blue Moon beer logo on the wall of their bar and asked them about any copyright issues with the beer company of the same name. The Slaters said they get along splendidly with Blue Moon beer manufacturers and they even came out to paint the logo on the wall. Speaking of Blue Moon beer – the winter abbey (available now) is a fantastic pairing with their pizzas!

Looking over the appetizers, the garlic rolls with parmesan looked appealing as did the Bruschetta. However, as I was about the be eating a lot of dough, I decided to get the stuffed mushrooms. These are basically Portabellas filled with a Bruschetta ingredients (they refer to it as “Grandma Sauce”). Normally they come with goat cheese, but I got mine sans any cheese and they were still rather tasty.

Build your own or choose from the 14 specialty pizzas they offer. We ordered three specialty pizzas in the personal size. These ain’t no Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas. They are 10 inches in diameter and have six slices per pizza. For two, you could order an appetizer and easily share one of these pizzas and leave very satisfied. Most personal pizzas are around $11.50. Medium pizzas (16″) are around $21 and the large (18″) are around $25.

It is worth noting that you can even get pizzas as small as the personal size divided in half. We got: The Luna (chorizo sausage, caramelized onions, jalapenos, spicy ranch, black olives, cilantro) and Sante Fe (Seasoned black beans, chicken, jalapeno peppers, red onions, spicy ranch, cilantro, fresh avocado) on one pizza and the Jerk Chicken (Seasoned chicken, caramelized onions, bell peppers, cayenne-candied bacon, with a Jamaican jerk sauce) and Thai Chicken (Seasoned chicken, spicy sesame peanut sauce topped with bean sprouts, carrots, and cilantro) were on another. As the Grandma sauce is the Slaters favorite we ordered that sauce on top of one additional personal pizza. The Grandma pizza is actually a 16″ Sicilian style pizza but they will let you put the sauce on a smaller size if you like.

Each pizza was unique in its own way, and ALL the ingredients were quality but my personal favorite was the Luna. I’m a sucker for chorizo, so I kind of knew I was going to love that one. The Sante Fe is rather similar and is a good alternative if you don’t do pork. Mr. ARB’s favorite was the Thai Chicken, although I didn’t care for the peanut sauce on a pizza. We both agreed our second favorite was the Grandma. With its simple ingredients of tomatoes, basil and roasted garlic, it was lovely too.

Thinking of stopping in for lunch? They have some great lunch specials. Mandy shared with me that they’ve had the same lunch special since they opened and have never gone up on the price. $4.99 for two slices of cheese pizza and a drink.

One of the new things they are doing is offering Take and Bake pizzas. They’ll pre-load the pizza with all the toppings and you take it home and bake it for your party or evening in. The pizzas are generally good for three days in the refrigerator. This is especially good information for those who may get a Blue Moon Pizza craving on Sundays (when they are closed). Your uncooked pizza comes wrapped tight and complete with baking instructions, fresh condiments and a tray to bake it on. Cost is the same as dine-in.

Want them to come to you? They’ll do that too! They’ve taken a 1961 International Harvester Fire Truck and converted it into a pizza machine, complete with a stone pizza oven, a refrigerator and a sink. The cost for Blue Moon Pizza to come out to your site is $12 per person and a minimum of 50 people. I asked Mandy about this and she said they’ve gone as far as Helen, GA. The night I visited they had a movie crew booked to go and feed. Blue Moon Pizza has locations in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Vinings and Marietta.

Blue Moon Pizza Website

Extras: There are $5 Martinis at each Blue Moon Pizza location on Thursdays and offer a variety of gluten-free menu items.

I originally had another nearby pub selected but they didn’t seem too interested in accommodating our group. So, I thought I’d take my chances with the newish (it has been open about six months) gastropub, Wrecking Bar. So glad I did as it turned out to be a fantastic evening.

If you have an interest in architecture and historical buildings you definitely need to visit Wrecking Bar. The Victorian home was built prior to 1900 was designed by Architect Willis F. Denny. Before being transformed into a pub it was once a Methodist Church and even a dance school. For more information about the history, visit Wrecking Bar’s website.

Wrecking bar has about eight beers that rotate out on a regular basis. These are IPAs, Belgians, Ales and others that are brewed on site. Most are available in both a regular and shorty size (for those who like to try a variety). I sampled the Golden Nelson Ale and the Victor IPA. I thought they were okay, but wasn’t blown away by them. The Scotch Ale was much tastier and helped me end the night on a high note. Don’t do beer? They’ve got a mighty fine looking cocktail list.

As for the menu, it has mostly pub food – sandwiches, mussels, fries, house burger, etc. But there is a specials menu that is quite unique. Some items were the Duck Confit Tacos ($7), Lamb Ribs ($10) and Rabbit and Dumplings. Have I piqued your interest yet? We started with the Duck Confit Tacos. They were quite tasty, especially with the garlicky chimichurri sauce slathered on top.

The half rack of lamb ribs with Couscous was wonderful as well. The smoked tomato & mint, cocoa-plum BBQ sauce was just perfect. My friend, Ashley, ordered the Pork Shank ($16), which comes with sides of greens and Poblano grits. It was so huge two could have easily shared it.

They do have a private room in the back, but I don’t suggest it. It seemed small and narrow, really not conducive to any type of mingling. It also smelled like cat pee – not sure what that was about. The main dining area is so cool with its brick walls and concrete columns, why would you want to sit elsewhere?

292 Moreland Ave NE
Atlanta GA 30307
404.221.2600