Sign Up for a Wheel Adventure and Join Warren Bruno Memorial Ride Through In-Town Neighborhoods on June 2

Grab your bike, bring your friends, and get ready for the Warren Bruno Memorial Ride on Sunday, June 2 to kick off Virginia Highland Summerfest. Warren Bruno, founder of Virginia-Highland Summerfest, passed away recently after a long battle with cancer. Bruno was not only an avid cyclist, but also the owner of Ormsby's and Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar. What better way to celebrate his life than with a bike ride through Virginia Highland! Donations will be given to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and water and food will be provided along the route. 

Ormsby's Warm Weather Menu Sends Wintry Thoughts Packing

Ormsby's is serving up summer the right way with a finger licking, thirst quenching new menu that will liven up any dull day this season. Dive into a handheld entrée, such as the pesto-marinated chicken wrap or fresh fish tacos. New draft beers make their mark on the menu, complete with listing names, origins, style, alcohol content and size. And don’t worry about dessert weighing you down; new options, such as key lime cheesecake and banana pudding, are light-hearted and tangy. 

Cast Off for a Reel-y Good Time at The Optimist's One-Year Anniversary Party Plus More in this Week's Dish

Don’t let this summer sail by without saving time for some ATL-style celebrations. Memorial Day just so happens to coincide with the anniversary of one of Atlanta’s hottest spots, The Optimist, and they’re throwing city-goers a deliciously fun party. Get the details and see what else the city is celebrating in this week’s Dish!

It's Peach (Daiquiri) Season

Planning a little get-together for the 3-day weekend? We have the perfect drink! Celebrate peach season with a delicious peach daiquiri using organic peaches from Watsonia Farms (because they are the first to have them!). Get them at your local farmers market and use this recipe courtesy of Rebecca Lang's  book “Quick-Fix Southern,”  You'll probably want to get enough for two batches!

“Quick-Fix Southern” Peach Daiquiris

Serves 4 to 6

6 medium peaches or 3 cups frozen peaches, thawed

1/2 cup peach nectar

4 1/2 cups ice

1/2 to 3/4 cup rum

Peel and coarsely chop the peaches and place them in a blender. Add about two tablespoons of nectar. Blend until the peaches are completely puréed.

Add the ice and blend until all of it is crushed. Add the remaining six tablespoons of nectar and the rum and blend to mix. Serve in large wine glasses.

Barks & Beers Sets Tails Wagging at Der Biergarten on May 18

It’s time to take your woofer out for a day trip! Furry friends and their wagging tails are welcome at Barks & Beers at Der Biergarten on Saturday, May 18 from 4-8 p.m. with sales benefiting Georgia SPCA. Let your pups have their fun while you cool off with $5 Weihenstephan Hefe and $9 liters of Konig Ludwig or test your skill at beer pong, foosball and shuffleboard. With refreshing beers, games, and live music by Die Durtzbaum, Barks & Beers is a guaranteed night of fun for both owners and their furry friends; you might even need a hair-of-the-dog strategy for the morning after. 

"Beers Across Georgia" and a Big Green Egg BBQ Anchor Ray's on the River May 18 Saturday Lawn Party

At Ray's on the River  the grass is always greener, and the egg is bigger and greener too. On Saturday, May 18 from 1-4 p.m., Ray's Big Green Egg is all fired up for their Saturdays on the River barbecue event. Take advantage of the flood of locally brewed beers on hand and become an expert in "Beers Across Georgia." Ray's Saturday lawn parties always have plenty of drink specials, scenic river views and everything you need for a day of outdoor family fun! 

ATL Mixologist Movers and Shakers Vie for ACVB Centennial Cocktail Contest - The Votes Are Up to You

There's no better time than summer for sipping a cocktail on the patio of your favorite Atlanta restaurant. But which mixed drink outshines the rest? You be the judge! Whether your favorite is tequila, vodka or whiskey, ATL-inspired cocktails are taking over the city as mixologists strive to win your vote and have their drink crowned as Atlanta’s “Centennial Cocktail”. We've got a list of must-try cocktails, including some of our favorites like Ecco's Destination South and Ray's in the City's newest concoction, the Atlantamaker. Don’t forget to give your winner the recognition it deserves!

Vote Now for Jezebel's 100 Best Restaurants

Applaud your favorite eateries by voting for them on Jezebel's 100 Best Restaurants 2013 . Input your personal top 10 then scroll down the list of more than 60 categories to add other top spots as you desire. We have some "bests" on the tips of our tongues for categories such as new restaurant, rising-star chef, sweet spot, burger, barbecue, 'wich, new OTP eatery, Italian, romantic dinner, taqueria, people watching, neighborhood pub, farm-to-fork, outside patio, group dining, mobile eats, barkeep and catch (seafood). The poll closes May 31 so be sure to submit your votes pronto! And it's okay to vote with your mouth full!

Rise and Shine ATL! Weekday Breakfasts are Half Off at Bantam + Biddy

 

Beating the rooster out on wake-up calls this month, Bantam + Biddy gives Midtowners cause to rise and shine early on May mornings -- a breakfast promo of 50 percent off on Monday through Friday breakfast tabs. The Ansley Mall eatery serves weekday breakfast from 7:30-11:30 a.m. In case those reading glasses aren't handy, here's the fine print: Monday through Friday breakfast only, excludes alcohol, one discount -- $10 max -- per table, and not valid with any other offer. Enough said. Let's eat!

Appetizing Aperture

There's nothing like biting into a field-fresh strawberry when the summer weather starts to heat up. Luckily, crates full of strawberry bliss are heading out from Watsonia Farms in Monetta, S.C. and are bursting with the refreshingly sweet flavor that only certified organic berries can yield. Organic farming forerunner Watsonia bears organic certification from Clemson University and the USDA, so you can rest easy about bringing these little beauties to the table.

What’s New on Pinterest?

Photo by Little Cake Bakery 

Strawberry mousse cake, strawberry basil jam, strawberry and goat cheese flatbread. Are you noticing a theme? We sure are. May is National Strawberry month, and we are berry excited about all the new recipe’s flooding our “Super Strawberry” Pinterest board. Don’t worry; when your mouth gets dry from drooling over these strawberry-inspired desserts, you can quench your thirst with a strawberry thyme cocktail!

Sit, Sip and Vote in ACVB’s Centennial Cocktail Contest Plus More in this Week’s Dish

Atlanta is taking competition to a new level with ACVB’s Centennial Cocktail Contest. Roam the city’s best restaurants to find your favorite cocktail made by expert mixologists. Once you’ve found your winner, vote away! Not sure where to head first? We’ve got it covered. Check out this week’s Dish for cocktail hotspots, patio perching, and other Atlanta festivities to enjoy this May! 

Eat it and Tweep: Now Open, Gunshow Right on Target with News Tweets

 

Kevin Gillespie's new restaurant Gunshow is open and getting the word out on all the excitement, weekly menus and media coverage via Twitter (@GunshowATL). Sneak a peek via snapshots and links to Facebook and their website.

Sample Tweet:  The Daily South from @Southern_Living named Gunshow a "cutting edge kitchen in Atlanta." Come and see us! http://ow.ly/kYhWM

What's the Dish?

At Woodfire Grill Executive Chef Tyler Williams has put together a creative menu using as much local produce and sustainably purveyed ingredients as possible.  By adding ingredients inspired by the various "likes" that flavor his downtime, he adds a personal touch to his cuisine. You'll find Williams jamming out to music by Iggy Pop, Morrissey and Terence Trent Darby and watching foreign movies such as "The Blind Swordsman Zatoichi" (Japan), "The Five Obstructions" (Denmark) and "Cool Runnings" (Jamaica). For fun he might kick back and catch up on "Antiques Roadshow," "Modern Family" or "The Borgias." The foodie likes to experiment with a variety of ethnic dishes from Bhojanic and Peter Cheng's. To satisfy his sweet tooth, Tyler loves to eat only the middle of the yummy frosted rolls at Cinnabon. 

The King said to the Duke, "We're Opening Monday, May 13!"

Crown Chef Ford Fry marvelously mischievous. King + Duke, his new Buckhead outpost opens Monday, May 13. Turns out Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" inspired the naming of this fun and welcoming restaurant resplendent in classic American themes and bold, wood-fired cooking on a 24-foot open hearth. With Executive Chef Joe Schafer at the helm, slower cooking methods, woodsy smokiness and locally sourced ingredients come together at the hearth. Pastry Chef Chrysta Poulos' desserts can be paired with wine or cocktails. Top mixologist Lara Creasy runs with Fry's American history and literature inspirations in the beverage program that includes 35 wines by the glass and a "library" of more than 200 selections from around the world, including our original 13 colonies. Coffee roasted by Counter Culture in North Carolina fills cups. Located at 3060 Peachtree Road, King + Duke serves dinner nightly and lunch on weekdays, and offers a dining room, garden patio with a bar and lounge. Valet parking is available. Reservations: 404-477-3500.