First Annual Buckhead Wine Festival This Saturday, April 28 at Andrews Entertainment District. Sip, Savor and Enjoy the Best in Wine, Local Shopping and Entertainment. There will be Food Trucks, Book Signings, including moi, signing my book, Food Lovers’ Guide to Atlanta. Pick it up if haven’t already! There will also be live music, a silent auction and food seminars. See move details information on the Buckhead Wine Festival Below.

WHAT: An afternoon of wine tastings, tasty treats from local vendors, music and more. Donations and canned food will be accepted for the event’s charity beneficiary, The Atlanta Community Food Bank.

WHEN: Saturday, April 28, 2012, VIP Entry: 2 p.m., Regular Admission: 3 p.m.

WHERE: Andrews Entertainment District – 56 East Andrews Drive

Cost: $25 advance; $35 at the door; $40 VIP admission (advance sales only)
Buy tickets at www.BuckheadWineFest.com

Wine & Sign: Eagle Eye Book Shop’s mobile book store will feature culinary, cocktail and wine books, as well as signings by featured authors including:

· Malika Harricharan, A Food Lover’s Guide to Atlanta
· Sonja Jones, Sweet Auburn Desserts
· Nancy Waldeck, Taste & Savor

Food Trucks:
· King of Pops, custom “Mimosa Pop” just for the festival!
· Mix’d Up Food Truck
· Yoli’s Street Food

Seminars:

· 3 p.m. – Sushi & Sake
o Chef Saito Saito of Czar Bar and Chef Jeff of Andrews Entertainment District share the art of pairing sake with the many flavors of sushi

· 4 p.m. – Georgia Terroir
o Craig Kritzer, Wine Maker at Frogtown Cellars will discuss Georgia’s wine growing regions and how growing grapes in Georgia differs from California. Frogtown Cellars is located at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains in Dahlonega, Georgia. The vineyard recently achieved the distinction of being America’s most awarded winery located outside of the State of California in Major U. S. Competitions for premium dry wines; receiving 73 Medals, including 12 Gold Medals in California for 11 different wines in 2011.

· 5 p.m. – Champagne Camp
o Kelly Wheeler, Certified Sommelier, CS, CSW will lead an interesting discussion on sparkling wine, focusing on French Champagne. Learn how Champagne is made and how it differs from Prosecco. Enjoy a tasting of the premium Henri Giraud Bland de Blanc and Brut Champagnes.

Silent Auction: Bid on some of the following wine and food themed packages:

· Wine Train Winery Tour and Tasting Experience in Napa Valley
· Sommelier Wine and Cheese Experience in Napa Valley for two
· Le Cordon Bleu Paris Culinary Experience for two
· HaGafen Kosher Wine Tasting Experience in Napa Valley for two
· Private home or office wine tasting parties from Grape Crush Productions.

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

You may remember Urban Flats was open for a brief amount of time circa 2008 and then closed down. The Southeastern chain is back in business here in Atlanta. They re-opened in the same spot where they had been located, in Lindbergh Center in Buckhead. Urban Flats invited me in for a tasting of their best menu items.

Upon entering, I was surprised at how big the restaurant truly is. There is table and booth seating on the main level as well an the upper level where patrons can keep an eye on the 500 degree oven. I met proprietor, Mike, who was extremely friendly and gave me an overview of the restaurant and picked his favorites for me and my friend to sample. Mike tells me that ALL menu items at Urban Flats are all baked, not fried, a plus for those wanting to eat healthier. In addition, the curved bar is perfect for those stopping in for a quick lunch or there to watch a game.

Mike said some of his favorite starters and the most popular are the Crab Cakes and Ahi Tuna. I’m a slut for both of those, so I didn’t put up a fuss about trying them. The Crab Cakes were full of, well, crab, none of that extra breading and filler crap. It came with a spicy dipping sauce and a pineapple salsa but they were so yummy no sauce was required to enjoy them. And the Ahi Tuna was not only a beautiful presentation, but chock full of fresh, and tasty tuna.

I was also quite surprised at all the different menu offerings. Besides the starters, Urban Flats has wraps, salads and full entrees (think fish, steak, etc). We tried some fried Tilapia, which was honestly some of the best Tilapia I’ve had – moist on the inside and crisp on the outside. There’s definitely something on the menu for everyone.

Spicy Barbecue and Fig and Prosciutto Flat Breads

Of course, the star here are the Flat Breads and there is quite a selection at over 15 different kinds. Since Mike had been so helpful picking out starters I asked for him to pick the top four. He chose for us: The Fig and Prosciutto, Shrimp and Chorizo, Lobster and Arugula, and the Spicy Barbecue Chicken. I learned that the Fig jam used is made in house. I loved the contrast of sweet figs with salty blue cheese and Prosciutto, but I also stole some of the plentiful Arugula off the Lobster pizza to add and it was heavenly. My favorite of all, though was the spicy Chorizo and Shrimp flat bread. My date’s favorite was the Spicy Barbecue Chicken flat bread. Watch out for those jalepenos – they’ll set your mouth on fire.

Urban Flats also has specialty nights Monday through Thursday you’ll want to check out. Here are a couple that really piqued my interest: Tuesday nights there’s Flite and Flat special; sample four draft beers and enjoy a signature flat bread for around $12. On Wednesday it’s Wine Down Wednesdays featuring wine tastings (eight 3oz glasses) and all you can eat samples for around $20.

2450 Piedmont Rd NE Ste 100
Atlanta, GA 30324
Urban Flats Website

Tip: At the time of this post, Urban Flats is a featured deal on Scoutmob. The validate parking for two hours in the garage behind Longhorn’s.

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

• Pickled Georgia Peach Salad arugula, pecans,
  goat cheese and pecan vinaigrette

• Summer Ceviche Georgia shrimp, Roma tomatoes and cucumbers
  …Chilled Roasted Tomato Soup housemade corn crackers

• Seared Sea Scallops Romesco-style pan sauce,
  Georgia peanuts and okra

You’ll also linger with a tasting of light, perfect-for-summer wines:
Crios Torrontes | Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Chard
Vietti Arneis | Stephen Vincent Crimson
Janasse Cotes du Rhone
Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon
Paul Mathews TNT Pinot Noir
Byron Chardonnay | Chehalem Inox Chard
Eroica | Hangtime Arroyo Pinot Noir
Le Cengle | Montevina Barbera
Nopa Vinho Verde | Cims de Porerra

The price is only $30/person including tax and gratuity! Sounds like a deal to me! Space is limited, so get your tickets today http://tinyurl.com/sckvlin?gerlearn.

South City Kitchen Vinings
1675 Cumberland Parkway SE
Smyrna, Georgia