My love of Atlanta Culinary Tours is no secret. These guys put together fantastic tours at extremely reasonable prices. So far, they’ve invited me to attend two tours that introduced me to a plethora of restaurants I’d never before visited, even though I’ve lived in Atlanta for decades. The Sweet Auburn Curb Tour exposed me to so many cool vendors  and I learned about the history of building. And the Norcross tour introduced me to many restaurants that I would love to revisit. So, when ACT told me they were starting up a Roswell tour I just knew it was gonna be awesome.

I have always been a fan of the restaurants in Roswell. If you’ve not been they’ve got a lovely downtown area that are lined with wonderful, cozy restaurants. On this particular the day, the weather was perfect and many Roswellites were soaking up the sun in many of the patios that line the streets of the downtown Roswell area.

On the ACT’s Roswell tour, we visited five restaurants.

Rice – This cute little Thai spot in a renovated house was the first and the favorite of all our stops. I loved learning how Chef and Owner, Kris, bought the house on a whim and decided to open a restaurant with no formal training. The Thai shrimp and sticky rice pudding we sampled were divine. Can’t wait to go back and have a proper meal. Fact: The artwork that adorns the walls in the restaurant was done by Chef Kris and his wife. He even has a painting hanging in the High Museum.

Table & Main – This was the restaurant I most anticipated visiting. I thought the meatball we sampled was forgettable. With the glowing reviews the restaurant has received, I just didn’t feel this menu item lived up to my expectations.  General Manager, Ryan Pernice told us about how they incorporated some of the original wood and other decor pieces found around the house in the design of the restaurant. It is a very pretty space and has a inviting patio. Table & Main takes reservations for only a set number of tables each night leaving a good portion of the restaurant open for walk-ins. If you have to wait for a table, you can always play a game of corn hole, while you wait!

Artisan Foods Bakery and Cafe - Beignets! Seems like I’ve had plenty of these lately. I’m not complaining, though. These were warm and fresh, and so soft on the inside. We had a sample of coffee with a sugar rimmed glass that went perfectly with the beignets.

Oli & Ve – Amazing to find out that this place has 48 different kinds of oils and vinegars. While we could only sample a handful, we did identify some favorites: Harissa, Blood Orange and Espresso. We were even treated to some ice cream topped with Blueberry Balsamic Vinegar – Yum! Some in the group were smart to grab some of the oils and vinegars as gifts.

Fickle Pickle – Proprietor Andy Badgett greeted us and treated us to some of his favorite items from his long-standing Roswell restaurant. Of course, we had to start off with their famous Cajun Fried Pickles. I enjoyed them, but I enjoyed the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich even more. Made with a tomato jam that is mixed with onions and garlic and topped with Arugula and cheese, even the small sample was quite filling.

In addition to the Roswell Tour ($32), Atlanta Culinary Tours takes you to some of the highlights of the Inman Park / Old Fourth Ward restaurants ($39) on that tour and even tours Atlanta’s Chinatown ($28) in yet another tour. I attended complimentary as this was a tour for media. Most tours visit five to six eateries and last about three hours. Looking for something different for a date other than the typical dinner and a movie? This is terrific option. I highly suggest you take a tour with Atlanta Culinary Tours, but book quickly as tours fill up fast.

I was contacted by the Dishtrip crew about a week before they came to Atlanta. As Dishtrip was started by a Philly blogger, they like to meet up with bloggers in each city and find out why they love some of the restaurants they do. I accompanied these fine folks to some of my favorite spots they had picked to hit up: The Shed at Glenwood and Bottle Rocket.

Chef Lance Gummere made up delicious Foie Gras with Pear Jam, Scallop Sliders, and of course, the house made Ding Dong. There was a Zombie Apocalypse party at Bottle Rocket and one of the crew couldn’t resist the complimentary makeovers being given by some talented folks from Adult Swim. As for the food, we noshed on Bottle Rocket’s specialty sushi rolls, their signature Tuna burger and their newest menu addition: PuPu platters. Hooray for Ocotpus skewers and Shrimp Toast!

The Dishtrip crew hit up many other restaurants in the ATL including: TWO Urban Licks, The Porter, Grindhouse, Sweetwater, Abattoir, Empire State South, Der Biergarten, Rise Sushi, West Egg Cafe and several others. Yes, they did all in three days. And they even brought me a gift from Philly: Victory IPA.

Want to see where they are headed next? Visit their website: Dishtrip.com or follow them on Twitter: twitter.com/dishtrip.

The space is stunning. A large dining room is to the left of the restaurant with a large bar area elevated and overlooking the dining room. There’s also a small private dinning room that looks like it would accommodate a group of about ten or so people.

Mr. Ski shared with us that there are several sofas around the restaurant for lounging because he wants people to feel they can come hang out for drinks and appetizers with their friends. And he wants to feed customers late into the night with the kitchen staying open until 2 am on weekends.

Our group started out meal with Calamari, Fish Tacos and Chicken Satay. The sauce for the calamari tasted house made – slightly sweet, slightly spicy it was so tasty, I would have slathered that all over the fish tacos if I could have. As it was the fish was crispy and tender.

For entrees, Short Ribs remained the most popular item at the table. They were prepared perfectly moist and tender. The salmon was another option along with chicken. Both were good portions and left us satisfied. However, I would be anxious to visit Frank Ski’s again and have the whole fried snapper.

Some Europeans visiting the restaurant, simply asked their server to “give us Atlanta” and Frank didn’t think twice about suggesting the Short Ribs. And to our group, he even served up one of his menu favorites: the sweet potato tots. So marvelous, we couldn’t get enough of them. If you visit Frank Ski’s promise me to order the tater tots.

2110 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30309

As much as I like to go hiking at and around Kennesaw Mountain, I had never made it to Mountain Biscuits. It just never seemed the right time with my eating schedule. I knew Mountain Biscuits must be a popular spot, having driven by at peak meal times and seen the parking lot just about overflowing. However, I paid them a visit recently in the name of the research.

I visited late enough in the day to know I had avoided the lunch crowd. Good thing as there is not much seating inside. There are only about five tables inside that seat four people per table. There’s also a row of about six bar stools at the counter. It was nearly empty at my visit, close to 2 pm on a weekday. I did appreciate the bright colors and the mural on the wall. When it is not crazy hot and humid, there’s a picnic table to enjoy your biscuit outside.

I tried the sausage biscuit with egg and cheese. It was HUGE. I could have easily split it with someone and been totally full. Super cheap at only around three bucks for such a mammoth biscuit, it was delicious too. I kind of expected the biscuit to crumble under the weight of the sausage but it held up rather well. I’m anxious to go back and give Mountain Biscuits’s Country Ham, and Chicken Biscuit a try too.

Note: They are closed on Sundays.

1718 Old 41 Hwy NW
Marietta, GA 30060
770-419-3311

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.