Atlanta’s DeKalb County has serious culinary cred. If you are looking for international cuisine to please any palate, you can find it in DeKalb County. Foodies have taken notice and the word is out that DeKalb County serves up some of the finest, original cuisine in Georgia.

My objective is to highlight some of the unique gems that are found throughout the entire county.

If you would like to suggest a restaurant to be considered for inclusion, please email Barry at BarryS@DCVB.org

Front Page News
A Taste of New Orleans in Atlanta

Front Page News’ Outdoor Patio and Fountain

Indoor Bar Area at Front Page News

One thing I love about this restaurant, whether I sit in the highly decorated inside or the beautiful, spacious patio, is that I get the feeling I am transported somewhere else. The kind of feeling you get when you visit a great restaurant for the first time in a new city somewhere far away. The outdoor water fountain is a nice touch, especially on the hot, humid days of summer.

Jambalaya

Front Page News is all about bringing a taste of New Orleans to Atlanta and they do it in style served with quality food and excellent service. Their menu is expansive, but focuses on New Orleans-style favorites. Everything you love about New Orleans can be found here, in one place.

For lunch, I had the Jambalaya, a traditional New Orleans dish made with Gulf shrimp, chicken, andouille sausage, slow-simmered Creole style with rice, bayou spices, celery, tomatoes, peppers and white onions. This traditional Bayou dish had perfect seasoning and tasted wonderful from start to finish. Absolutely delicious!

Fried Shrimp and Oyster Po’boy Sandwich

Other entrees include Wild Caught Georgia Mountain Trout Pontchartrain, Pasta Toulouse with Shrimp & Andouille, Sweetwater 420 Fish & Chips and Low Country Steak and Shrimp, to name a few. Appetizers on the menu are interesting as well – Alligator or Crawfish Pie, Gumbo Ya-Ya and Crawfish & Corn Chowder, give you an idea of what to expect.

Front Page News is located at 351 Moreland Ave in the heart of Little Five Points. For more information, visit FrontPageNews.com or call 404-475-7777. They also have a location in Midtown at 1104 Crescent Avenue.

Friday, Sept. 20

Journey
Jane’s Addiction
2 Chainz
Phoenix
Cake
North Mississippi Allstars
The Mowgli’s
Drivin N Cryin

Saturday, Sept. 21

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Queens of the Stone Age
Imagine Dragons
Weezer
Kendrick Lamar
Arctic Monkeys
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Tegan and Sara
The Black Lips
Reignwolf
The Neighbourhood
ZZ Ward
Mona
Capital Cities

For tickets and more information, visit Music Midtown.

Ike Stubblefield & Friends

Ike Stubblefield and Friends gave a rousing, soulful performance on Friday, June 14 at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center during the Jazz on the Lawn Series. The weather was perfect and there was a large crowd set up early to enjoy the lush, beautiful setting on the lawn and surrounding gardens. Jazz on the Lawn features a number of concerts throughout summer held in front of the historic Gothic-Tudor mansion.

Ike Stubblefield & Friends – Jazz on the Lawn Concert Series

Ike Stubblefield and Friends performed an array of R&B and soul classics all blended with a cool jazz feel. Ike Stubblefield is known as the Master of the Hammond B3 organ and cut his teeth backing Motown legends like the Four Tops, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves, Stevie Wonder and Rare Earth. He has also lent his soulful R&B style to Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Curtis Mayfield and B.B. King.

The distinctive sound of Stubblefield’s Hammond B3 organ gave a vintage vibe to the group’s overall classic R&B sound. One of the highlights of the evening was their version of the Temptation’s “Just my Imagination” sung by their guitarist. Their smooth R&B sound was the perfect soundtrack to a relaxing evening under the stars. The concert was a great start to Callanwolde’s concert series and the location is one of the most unique settings to experience live jazz.

Click here for more photos from Callanwolde’s Jazz on the Lawn Concert Series.

Upcoming 2013 Concerts:

June 28 – Serenata Band – Latin Jazz, Samba & Salsa
Atlanta’s highly acclaimed Latin band Serenata creates an unforgettable, international sound experience. Luis Cordero leads a 7-piece band that plays an energized evening of Latin jazz, samba, salsa and other creative styles with sax, flute, congas, bongos and timbales that will have you dancing on the lawn.

July 12 – Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo – Jazz, Blues & Southern Soul
Mojo Dojo performs quality jazz, blues and southern soul across the south and internationally. As bassist and featured vocalist, Scott Glazer leads some of Atlanta’s top veterans and young bloods in a lineup of sax, trumpet, piano, drums and guitar. Their repertoire ranges from the Great American Songbook to fresh takes on the music of the Allman Brothers and Otis Redding.

July 26 – Ted Howe Trio featuring vocalist Karla Harris – The Music of James Bond
“Shaken Not Stirred” reinvents the beloved music from the James Bond legacy. Ted Howe’s arrangements with Karly Harris’ vivid vocals will skyrocket you through decades with 007 classics. Howe’s accomplishments as a performer, arranger, composer and his powerful touch on the piano have led him to work with luminaries such as Herbie Mann, Henry Mancini, Lainie Kazan, Buddy Rich and more.

August 9 – Madoca & Company – Contemporary Fusion Jazz
Composer and jazz keyboard artist Madoca, has performed internationally and headlined many jazz venues in Atlanta. She teams up with The Prince Project to create an expressive, passionate performance – a mix of fusion, Latin and contemporary jazz styles.

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center is located at 980 Briarcliff Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30306.

Click here to purchase tickets and additional information.

Along with the fine arts and crafts there will be a Street Market, children’s play area, local food and beverage concessions and live acoustic entertainment. Historic Fourth Ward Park is just off North Avenue, across from the Ponce City Market. Grab your walking shoes, bike or rollerblades and take the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail to the park!

For more information, visit oldfourthwardparkartstfestival.com or AFFPS.com.

For media inquiries, contact Randall Fox at randall@affps.com or call (404) 845-0793.

There’s always fun events and activities happening in DeKalb County. Come visit us and check out some of the exciting events happening this weekend.

Click Here to View or Download Events for this Weekend

DeKalb County is comprised of many cities and communities including Avondale Estates, Atlanta in DeKalb, Beacon Heights, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Ellenwood, Lithonia, Lynwood Park, Oakhurst, Pine Lake, Scottdale, Shermantown, Stone Mountain, Toco Hill and Tucker.

Upcoming Concerts:

June 28 – The Rupert’s Orchestra

August 23 – Kinchafoonee Cowboys

Parking:

Parking will be available at the Chamblee Plaza Shopping Center (on Peachtree Boulevard across from Broad Street). An Olde Time Trolley will be traveling back and forth between Downtown Chamblee and Chamblee Plaza to transport concert goers. Trolley will run from 6:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Park and ride the trolley for no additional charge. Please use the parking area between the Dunkin’ Donuts and the Citgo gas station. The trolley stop will be located in the front of the lot between those two locations.

Address:

Downtown Chamblee by City Hall (5468 Peachtree Road)

For more information and to reserve a VIP Table, visit Fourth Friday Concert Series.

Questions? Call the Nature Center at 770-492-5220 or email arabiamountain@dekalbcountyga.gov

Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center is located at  3787 Klondike Road, Lithonia, GA  30038

Bring a blanket and a picnic and enjoy these popular concerts under the stars! Surrounded by the natural beauty of Callanwolde’s lush grounds it’s a great way to unwind and hear live music performed by some of the finest jazz artists in the Southeast.

Callanwolde’s Jazz on the Lawn summer concerts continue to attract audiences looking for quality jazz performed in a uniquely beautiful, comfortable outdoor setting. The grassy lawn in front of the historic Gothic-Tudor mansion is the site of five diverse jazz concerts held every summer featuring many of the area’s best musicians with a mix of classic and contemporary jazz, swing, fusion, blues and Latin. The space can easily accommodate 200 patrons who bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and picnics. Viewed as a relaxing and less formal alternative to other outdoor music venues, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center provides the perfect setting for an outdoor concert, with easy access and complimentary parking.

2013 Concert Series Schedule:

June 14 - Ike Stubblefield and Friends – Soulful R&B Jazz
Callanwolde opens its 2013 series with Ike Stubblefield and Friends. B3 organ virtuoso Ike Stubblefield is a music industry legend with almost 50 years in the business. Stubblefield’s craft and ingenuity on the keys helped create the classic B3 sound that others would imitate for generations to come.

June 28 – Serenata Band – Latin Jazz, Samba & Salsa
Atlanta’s highly acclaimed Latin band Serenata creates an unforgettable, international sound experience. Luis Cordero leads a 7-piece band that plays an energized evening of Latin jazz, samba, salsa and other creative styles with sax, flute, congas, bongos and timbales that will have you dancing on the lawn.

July 12 – Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo – Jazz, Blues & Southern Soul
Mojo Dojo performs quality jazz, blues and southern soul across the south and internationally. As bassist and featured vocalist, Scott Glazer leads some of Atlanta’s top veterans and young bloods in a lineup of sax, trumpet, piano, drums and guitar. Their repertoire ranges from the Great American Songbook to fresh takes on the music of the Allman Brothers and Otis Redding.

July 26 – Ted Howe Trio featuring vocalist Karla Harris – The Music of James Bond
“Shaken Not Stirred” reinvents the beloved music from the James Bond legacy. Ted Howe’s arrangements with Karly Harris’ vivid vocals will skyrocket you through decades with 007 classics. Howe’s accomplishments as a performer, arranger, composer and his powerful touch on the piano have led him to work with luminaries such as Herbie Mann, Henry Mancini, Lainie Kazan, Buddy Rich and more.

August 9 – Madoca & Company - Contemporary Fusion Jazz
Composer and jazz keyboard artist Madoca, has performed internationally and headlined many jazz venues in Atlanta. She teams up with The Prince Project to create an expressive, passionate performance – a mix of fusion, Latin and contemporary jazz styles.

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center is located at 980 Briarcliff Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30306. Click here to purchase tickets and additional information.

Click Here to View or Download Events for this Weekend

DeKalb County is comprised of many cities and communities including Avondale Estates, Atlanta in DeKalb, Beacon Heights, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Ellenwood, Lithonia, Lynwood Park, Oakhurst, Pine Lake, Scottdale, Shermantown, Stone Mountain, Toco Hill and Tucker.

Featuring some of the top pastry chefs from across the country, the competitions include the Art of Cake, the Chocolatier of the Year, the National Showpiece Championship, the Signature Plated Dessert and the Student Chocolate Challenge. Amongst the judging panel will be local chefs Natasha Capper of the Piedmont Driving Club, Heather Hurlburt of HHDesserts and cake artist Karen Portaleo of Highland Bakery.

Covering a wide range of pastry specialties, this year’s chef demonstrations will be hosted by chefs Jean-Marie Auboine, Vincent Pilon, Ewald Notter, Susan Notter and M.O.F. Stéphane Tréand.

New to this year is Pastry Atlanta, highlighting the city’s best pastry chefs, each sharing their delicious work with our audience in hopes of having the top pastry creation. Experience mouthwatering candies, ornate sugar and chocolate work, cake artistry and more!

Come learn and be inspired! For more information, visit Pastry Live.

If you are coming in from out-of-town, book your room here.