Adventurous Tastes

Empire State South Dishing Up Asian Eats Monday 6/24

2013-06-19T16:23:00.001-04:00

Empire State South is hosting a late-night Japanese kitchen invasion at ESS next Monday night, featuring chefs from throughout Atlanta as well as Nashville. Chefs will set up on their bocce court and will dish up tasty Asian eats. Food may run out, but you can booze it up until closing time. Each $12 food ticket gets you one plate from one chef's table so buy one or buy several to share. All

CWPR Restaurant Week Starts This Weekend!

2013-06-18T21:09:00.002-04:00

It's too hot to cook, am I right? That's why it's fortuitous timing that you can hang up your sweaty apron and head out for a cheap multi-course meal at some of your favorite Atlanta restaurants starting Saturday. CWPR Restaurant Week kicks off this Saturday, June 22 and runs through next Saturday, June 29. Whereas most restaurant weeks are neighborhood-specific, CWPR's restaurant week

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is Back July 21

2013-06-14T17:57:00.002-04:00

The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is one of the best food events of the year in my humble opinion. Tomatoes taste so darn good at this time of year, so you have to eat up while you can. And at this event, they're available in many a form including cocktail and dessert from some of the best chefs around. Hosted by Ford Fry, the event will include chefs such as: Jay Swift of 4th & Swift Brett

Smokin' Hot: Trying out the Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse

2013-06-13T23:48:00.003-04:00

Before I moved from the big city to the Southland, I didn't know too much about smoked food. I'd heard of it, of course, and I even remember adding some hickory chips to the BBQ - er, as I've been corrected numerous times in the South - the grill - for a little bit of smoky flavor. Still, I had no idea until I moved to the ATL that there are legions of dedicated smokers out there.

Hot Dog Eating Qualifying Event at Cypress Street - June 15

2013-06-12T22:04:00.000-04:00

Have you ever watched the hot dog eating contest at Coney Island that airs every 4th of July ESPN? It's truly something to behold. Why should NY have all the fun? Now you can watch surprisingly slim people shove wieners down their gullet on Saturday, June 15 at Cypress Street Pint & Plate when they join with Major League Eating (yes, that's a thing) and Nathan's Famous join together to bring an

Atlanta Father's Day Dining

2013-06-11T21:32:00.003-04:00

photo credit: Patita_rds It feels like Mother's Day was just yesterday, and now it's dad's turn! This Sunday you can fete your papa at a number of Atlanta restaurants... Enjoy prime rib, salad and a side at Stoney River for $29. Ri Ra Irish Pub On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a 12 oz. grilled new york strip is on special for dad. Served with loaded baked potato, sautéed mushrooms and

Winner of Chow Bing Gift Certificate

2013-06-08T15:40:00.002-04:00

Congratulations, Terri! You've won a $25 Chow Bing gift certificate! Shoot me a note at Lindsey at AdventurousTastes dot com, and I'll get you set up. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered!

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Recap

2013-06-06T21:20:00.000-04:00

Phew...this week has gone by fast! It's amazing how quickly time goes when your day is a series of 1.5 hour increments...feed baby, change baby, play with baby, scramble to do something while baby naps, start over. Last week, my oh so nice mama babysat so the Mr. and I could have an actual adults-only afternoon at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. This event truly is top notch with tons of

Restaurant Preview: Chow Bing & an Adventurous Tastes Giveaway!

2013-05-29T23:12:00.000-04:00

It's easy to find fast and cheap meals. Just drive down any major road and fast food and fast casual options abound. But quick, inexpensive meals made with natural ingredients? Not so simple. Now the owner of R. Rice Sushi in Sandy Springs has opened a new fast casual spot that achieves that holy trifecta - Chow Bing, located in the Pencil Factory Lofts in the Old Fourth Ward. Much like

Living Social Wine Festival - June 8-9

2013-05-28T21:52:00.002-04:00

Photo credit: Brentmelissa I actually miss being pregnant. Weird, I know, but I did pregnancy pretty well. No morning sickness, minimal discomfort, etc., and there was something kind of awesome about feeling my little girl with me all the time. But I definitely don't miss the moratorium on booze. I, of course, still can't drink to my heart's content since I'm breastfeeding, but at least I can

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival - May 30 - June 2, 2013

2013-05-24T15:34:00.001-04:00

In just it's third year, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is already the highlight of the annual events calendar for the entire Southeast! And now it's right around the corner again, running May 30-June 2 in Midtown. Whether you're a high roller looking to splash out for the entire weekend experience or just looking to dabble, there's something for food and wine lovers of all varieties. There

Atlanta Memorial Day Festivities

2013-05-21T18:30:00.000-04:00

It's almost Memorial Day. If you're like me and stuck in Atlanta for the holoiday, no need to fret. There will be plenty of good food and fun on offer. Optimist Fish Fry On Saturday, May 25 head to the Optimist for the restaurant’s one year anniversary party and enjoy a fish fry for $15 per person and live music. Starting at 4 p.m., keyboardist Ben Tanner of the Grammy-nominated Alabama Shakes

Taste of the Highlands Was a Great Success!

2013-05-20T22:40:00.003-04:00

Mother nature must like children, too, because on Saturday, the rain held off, allowing Taste of the Highlands to come off without a hitch. I was a judge, so I jumped at the chance had to try everything on offer at the event. Alas, even though I moved from table to table at warp speed, some popular stands were out of their dishes before I got to them. Tough break, DBA, I couldn't vote for your

Kitchen Nightmares Epic Meltdown

2013-05-16T20:44:00.003-04:00

By now you might have heard about the epic meltdown the owners of Amy's Baking Company in Scottsdale, AZ, had on both Kitchen Nightmares and Facebook this past week. If you haven't you can get the full details on Gawker and watch the show below. If you haven't, you are in for a treat! Don't have time to watch? Here's the gist. This totally delusional couple runs a restaurant in an

Atlanta Food News: May 13, 2013

2013-05-13T08:40:00.003-04:00

We're taking a little break this week, but first, here's the scoop on what's new in food... Kevin Gillespie's much anticipated Gunshow opened last week. Get some scoop on their unique anti-menu and ordering process here. I need a babysitter stat so I can check it out! According to Urban Daddy, Ford Fry's much anticipated King + Duke opens today in Buckhead, but the restaurant's website still just

Taste of the Highlands - Saturday May 18

2013-05-11T13:09:00.000-04:00

There are so many food events in town that one can quickly get foodie fatigue. But there are some factors that make an event worth going to. Number one of course is participation of top notch restaurants. Second, a great location and/or great weather. And third, a great cause. The upcoming Taste of the Highlands from 2 - 5 p.m on Saturday, May 18 has all of those covered! The Eats The

Atlanta Mother's Day Dining

2013-05-07T18:09:00.003-04:00

Not me for the record! This Sunday is my first Mother's Day as a mom. Since I share a birthday with my husband, I'm pretty psyched to have a day all to myself. I may have put some serious pressure on the Mr. to come up with something special, but hey, is it too much to ask for one single day a year that's all about me? Granted I've only got 6 weeks of mothering under my belt, but I feel

Atlanta's Upcoming Dining Events for May 2013

2013-04-30T21:25:00.000-04:00

With Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day right around the corner, it's easy to overlook the zillions of other food events going on in town in May. Here's a sampling of what you can look forward to from Atlanta's top restaurants. Join Us for a Sweet Treat at The Spence! Acclaimed pastry chef Andrea Litvin will be offering up her favorite flavors of spring in a coursed dessert tasting on Monday, May

Atlanta Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

2013-04-29T15:19:00.002-04:00

So where are you going to get your fiesta on this year? I'll be skipping out on the fun this year, unless you count breastfeeding and changing diapers as a celebration, so be sure to drink a margarita for me! El Taco El Taco will celebrate all weekend from open to close with $4 pineapple-infused tequila shots, $12 buckets of Dos Equis, and $12 El Jimador margaritas and $7 Dos Equis Lager

Updated: Atlanta's Ongoing Dining Events

2013-04-29T14:49:00.001-04:00

I have been remiss...I realized I hadn't updated my ongoing dining events page, found here, in ages. So I've tidied things up and made sure everything is up to date. Now you can get your pig roast or fried chicken on every single week if you like! PR folks, if you have other weekly events you want me to include, be sure to let me know!

Recipe: Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

2013-04-24T16:23:00.000-04:00

I'm a sucker for Quaker Oats chocolate peanut butter granola bars, but I realize they're neither very natural nor very healthy. So I decided to make some of my own. I found a recipe on Orangette that was derived from Smitten Kitchen which was in turn based on one from King Arthur flour. I will caution you that this recipe does get a lot of things dirty (food processor, multiple bowls, etc

Your Opportunity To Help Staplehouse & The Giving Kitchen Become a Reality

2013-04-21T17:23:00.000-04:00

As I shared last week, Empire State South's Ryan Smith is joining the Hidinger's in opening Staplehouse. Turns out it will be a fully purpose driven business. Here's the scoop on their unique funding and business model: The outpouring of love and support during Ryan Hidinger's battle with cancer has led them to update their dream for Staplehouse. With help of friends, they have started a

A Mint Green Animal Themed Nursery

2013-04-20T17:10:00.000-04:00

OK, so this has nothing to do with food, but Gemma's nursery does have an animal theme, so that's adventurous, right? Mostly, it's too cute not to share, and this is my best platform for doing so. If you hate adorable baby decor, you can skip this post! We wanted something that wasn't too cutesy, and we wanted a wall color and furniture that were gender neutral so we can reuse the room

Restaurant Review: BurgerFi

2013-04-18T21:13:00.000-04:00

Just when you think Atlanta couldn't possibly sustain another burger place, another one crops up. This time in the form of BurgerFi, a franchised chain out of Florida. Usually the word chain is an immediate turn-off to me, but when I hear things like "all-natural, grass-fed beef" and "environmentally sustainable" stores, my ears perk up. You see, BurgerFi isn't your run-of-the-mill burger

Recipe: In-N-Out Animal Style Cheeseburger

2013-04-15T15:01:00.001-04:00

Now that warm weather is finally here, it's time to flee the kitchen for the comforts of outdoor dining. And what's better to eat on your patio than a juicy burger? We at Adventurous Tastes love a good burger and have tried a variety of recipes over the years (the ultimate cookout menu, lamb & beef burger, grind-your-own brisket burgers). But I think we might retire other recipes because