Besides burgers and beer, 5 Napkin Burger is big on Bourbon too. They have lots of varieties, but they recently had a special luncheon that focused on Four Roses Bourbon. Attendees got to meet some of the Four Roses staff and learn about the process of making Four Roses and its history.

The Legend of Four Roses:
“It began when Paul Jones, Jr., the founder of Four Roses Bourbon, became smitten by the beauty of a Southern belle. It is said that he sent a proposal to her, and she replied that if her answer were “Yes,” she would wear a corsage of roses on her gown to the upcoming grand ball. Paul Jones waited for her answer excitedly on that night of the grand ball…when she arrived in her beautiful gown, she wore a corsage of four red roses. He later named his Bourbon “Four Roses” as a symbol of his devout passion for the lovely belle, a passion he thereafter transferred to making his beloved Four Roses Bourbon.” – FourRoses.us

The 5 Napkin staff really took care of us. Along with our Bourbon samples, we were treated to a variety of delicious appetizers along with our choice of burger.

We sampled three different kinds of Bourbon:
The Single Barrel – Contains hints of ripe plum and cherry tastes with fruity, spicy aromas including maple syrup and cocoa.
Four Roses Small Batch – rich, spicy flavors along with sweet, fruity aromas and hints of sweet oak and caramel. This one was my favorite with the sweetness and caramel really coming through.
Four Roses Yellow Hints of pear and apple compliment floral aromas and mix with a taste of honey and spice. We also were lucky enough to try a new Bourbon. It was strong but quite smooth.

And of course, we couldn’t leave without having Bourbon Pecan pie, could we? Actually, I thought the pie went very well with that bourbon. I may have found a new drink to accompany my desserts. Well, pecan pie, anyways.

We were treated to an Old Fashioned as soon we entered 5 Napkin. It was so tasty, I’d love to sip on this again. Want to make it yourself? Here’s the recipe courtesy of FourRoses.us

Ingredients:
50ml Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
1 cube of sugar (or a splash of simple syrup)
2 dashes bitters
2-3 ice cubes
Twist of lemon

The classic Old Fashioned, originally created in Louisville, KY, not far from the home of Four Roses, in the 1880s by a bartender at the Pendennis Club.

In an Old Fashioned Glass, place a sugar cube or use simple syrup as a substitute. Add bitters and just enough water to help dissolve the sugar. Crush or muddle the sugar in the glass and coat the bottom of the glass. Add 2-3 ice cubes and Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon. Garnish with a twist, or if you’d like, a slice of orange and a cherry.

Guest Post by Cindi Kurczewski

With gas pushing $4 a gallon, think of this as your Spring Break staycation. The second annual Atlanta Hotel Restaurant Week (AHRW) runs from March 31 to April 7 and gives us a chance to eat like a well-heeled tourist at some of the city’s best restaurants that just happen to live inside some of the city’s best hotels. There are 10 eateries in this year’s lineup (full list below), each offering three courses for just $30 (excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity).

I was pleasantly surprised at the variety in the week’s menus. Most venues offer a choice between two or three appetizers, entrees and desserts, which almost leaves Spice Market’s just-one-choice-in-each-course menu in the dust. Cheeks are in this spring as BLT Steak tempts with braised veal cheeks and Livingston is doing a balsamic pork cheek. I’m also telling friends who were just talking about their lamb craving to check out the spring lamb ravioli at Room at Twelve Centennial Park.

Salmon fans will find it grilled (The Mansion on Peachtree, Room at Twelve Centennial Park and Lobby Bar and Bistro) roasted (Southern Art) and parmesan crusted (Paces 88 American Bistro). Park 75 offers scallops, Spice Market’s only entree is a thai basil cod, while BLT Steak includes a sauteed branzino, not found on its regular menu, in its AHRW options.

I’m a big fan of appetizers, so I plan to try the cauliflower soup at either Southern Art or Livingston, grilled asparagus with egg at Room at Twelve, the smoked trout salad at Southern Art and definitely the chicken and waffles with maple syrup and tabasco at Lobby.

Dessert? Oh, I couldn’t! Well, it’s included in the deal, so maybe the THIN apple tart at Eleven. Like the aftermath of any vacation, my staycation $30 indulgences will require some extra time on the treadmill.

Atlanta Hotel Restaurant Week’s website advises that reservations are highly recommended. Visit the site to check out the menus and book early to make sure you get in on this yummy event.

2012 Atlanta Hotel Restaurant Week participating restaurants:

* Park 75 at Four Seasons Hotel
* The Mansion on Peachtree
* Room at Twelve Centennial Park
* Livingston Restaurant + Bar (Georgian Terrace Hotel)
* Lobby Bar and Bistro (Twelve Hotel & Residences Atlantic Station)
* Spice Market (W Hotel Midtown)
* Paces 88 American Bistro (St. Regis Hotel)
* BLT Steak (W Hotel Downtown)
* Eleven (Loews Atlanta Hotel)
* Southern Art (InterContinental Hotel Buckhead)

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

I was immediately impressed with their beer list. Whether you fancy pilsner, lager, wheat, they’ve got you covered. Beers come in the liter or half liter size. You can order some by the bottle, but trust me, with such a terrific beer list, you won’t need to look any further than the selections on draft. For the quality of beers and pours, they are a quite a deal at only $5-$6 for the half liter size.

Visiting with a group of four on a Saturday evening, we started things off with the giant Pretzel and the Wurstplate, featuring three different kinds of sausage and and house made mustards and sauces. The pretzel is indeed, on big ass pretzel.It was warm, gooey and probably what someone on a no-carb diet has wet dreams about. While it may have been a bit much for two people to share, it was perfect for our double date. The Wurstplate, made up of Bratwurst, Knackwurst, and Wiener Wurstchen (mixtures of pork, veal and beef) complimented the carby pretzel well.

I think it kind of goes without saying that Der Biergarten is not for vegetarians. Besides the Wurstplate, which can also be ordered as an entree, choices also include a pork shank, trout, chicken and breaded veal or pork cutlets (ie schnitzel). Our friends chose the trout and chicken, but the Jagerschnitzel was calling my name – breaded pork topped with a sauce of mushroom, bacon and onions served along spatzle? Sign me up. The Jagerschnitzle comes with with two pork cutlets so with that and ordering two sides it was plenty enough food for me and Mr. ARB to share. The sauce perfectly complimented the dish – and we made short work of mopping it up.

300 Marietta Street
Atlanta, Ga 30313
Der Biergarten Website
Extra: During Octoberfest there’s no better place to be than Der Biergarten.

Someone has a new menu!!

This is my first time at  Don Shula’s Steakhouse. Little did I know that they have a full featured restaurant outside of the white-tablecloth fine dining establishment. Shula’s 347 Grill is an upscale sports bar of sorts that is located at 3405 Lenox Road Northeast Atlanta, GA 30326-1308. The inside is immaculate. Here’s a professional shot of what you can expect when you show up.

New (or reconfigured) on the menu – that we tried is the Buffalo Shrimp, Sweet Potato Fries, Crab Cakes, Ahi Tuna, Spicy Meatballs, Calamari Fries, Tempura Asparagus, and Sweet Chili Chicken. Here’s a copy of the Menu for their own description. Courtesy of Karen Canavan PR I sampled the above. My brief description:

Buffalo Shrimp – Nice light and tasty. Tempura fried gives it a nice texture and flavor

Sweet Potato Fries – Typical, nothing special, but still delicious

Crab Cakes – I continue to be impressed by crab cakes at steak houses. Excellent lump meat, good (not great) flavors – depending on the quantity, it’d be a solid appetizer with friends

Ahi Tuna – The wasabi cream made the tuna sing

Spicy Meatballs – YES! I love meatballs as an appetizer

Calamari Fries – I don’t think I’ve ever had calamari in fry-form. They had a really good texture.

Tempura Asparagus – I’m a fan of tempura frying, it’s more healthy than the heavy bread coating on most things. These asparagi were forgettable.

Sweet Chili Chicken – Sweet Thai Chili Sauce is pretty delicious on most things. If you’re a fan of that sauce, this appetizer rocks. However, it’s pretty uninventive.

I’d go back. 7.5/10