Gunshow Welcomes Jean-Paul Bourgeois To "Hired Guns" Series Sept. 29-30

For more information:
Emily Connolly or Morgan Dyches
Melissa Libby & Associates
404-816-3068
emilyc@melissalibbypr.com
morgan@melissalibbypr.com

GUNSHOW WELCOMES JEAN-PAUL BOURGEOIS TO "HIRED GUNS" SERIES SEPT. 29-30

Acclaimed Chef of Blue Smoke in New York City to Showcase Vibrant Southern Style

ATLANTA (August 31, 2015) – Chef Kevin Gillespie invites guests to Gunshow, his nationally acclaimed Glenwood Park restaurant, for a two-night, Southern-style dining experience with Jean-Paul Bourgeois, executive chef of Blue Smoke and Porchlight, two businesses within Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group in New York City.  Bourgeois will join Gillespie and Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward in the kitchen on Tuesday, Sept. 29 and Wednesday, Sept. 30 for the restaurant's second-to-last installment of the "Hired Guns" series this year.  

Growing up in a small town in Louisiana, Bourgeois and his family engaged in seasonal rituals such as catching catfish, duck hunting, making fig preserves and cleaning shrimp.  Those early experiences of flavorful food left their imprint on the young man, who has worked at Étoile restaurant at the Domaine Chandon winery in Napa, EPIC Roasthouse in San Francisco and two restaurants on the island of St. Thomas.  That is where he developed a passion for soul food and truly defined his vision as a Southern chef. When Bourgeois moved to New York City, he worked for many years at Union Square Hospitality Group’s Maialino before becoming chef de cuisine of Gramercy Terrace. Since 2014, he has been the executive chef of Blue Smoke and Porchlight.

"Blue Smoke restaurant is known for Southern inspiration and culinary innovation, which obviously speaks to us here at Gunshow," says Gillespie.  "This has been an incredible year of 'Hired Guns' chefs gracing our kitchen, and I know Jean-Paul will impress our guests with his soulful take on the cuisine of the South." 

"Hired Guns" bring top talent like Bourgeois to town to flex their creative muscles. The guest chefs create dishes to serve alongside the restaurant’s regularly featured items, sharing their signature flavors and personalities with restaurant guests. Featured items that Bourgeois will prepare include barbecue gulf shrimp with beer butter and grilled garlic toast, and Blue Smoked duck ham with soft-boiled duck eggs, duck skin cracklins, baby mustard greens and Creole mustard vinaigrette. 

"I grew up surrounded by vibrant Southern food prepared by two parents who had a passion for living off the land and cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients," says Bourgeois. "It's an honor to cook at Gunshow, and I'm looking forward to sharing my south Louisianan roots with an Atlanta crowd." 

Space is sure to go quickly, so guests are encouraged to make reservations as soon as possible by calling 404-380-1886.

The final "Hired Guns" dinner event of the year will take place Nov. 17-18 with Joe Kindred of Kindred in Davidson, North Carolina.

Gunshow is located at 924 Garrett Street. The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. Guests may park in the Glenwood Park parking lot and on the street. For more information, visit gunshowatl.com or call 404-380-1886.

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Look to these Atlanta Restaurants for Labor Day Eats

For more information:

Emily Connolly or Morgan Dyches

Melissa Libby & Associates

404-816-3068

emilyc@melissalibbypr.com

morgan@melissalibbypr.com

Labor Day comes “late” this year—Monday , September 7—squeezing in time for one last summer getaway or cookout before fall unofficially arrives. Some of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants are remaining open on Labor Day for destination dining, serving sustenance for those returning from vacations and providing the fixings for labor-less holiday eating.

At Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland, regular hours of 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m. prevail on Labor Day, but the Sunday fun is extended until 3 a.m. Monday morning.   

Bantam + Biddy locations (Ansley, Crescent, Lenox and Avalon) are open normal hours serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Ansley restaurant is home plate for Monday Slider Night beginning at 5 p.m. At Avalon, guests can tilt back $2 Jekyll Brewing Big Creek Kolsch in the restaurant or take their brews out to the streetscape for a stroll and window shopping.
 
Chick-a-Biddy in Atlantic Station will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and offering its usual lunch and dinner menus packed with all-natural chicken dishes, burgers, wraps and more.   

If you’re heading downtown for Labor Day, swing by Der Biergarten, Glenn’s Kitchen, Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, SkyLounge, STATS or Twin Smokers BBQ.  Each will be operating normal business hours. Pay no mind to the villains and creatures you’ll see walking down Peachtree for Dragon Con though.

The new Tin Lizzy's Cantina downtown location will be open as usual, along with all other Tin Lizzy's locations! Tacos, anyone?

Loyal to the core, Johnny’s Hideaway is open normal hours on Labor Day so Johnny’s friends can uphold their Monday night traditions. Team trivia begins at 7:30 p.m., the DJ spins dance tunes at 9 p.m. and food and drink specials twist the night away until 3 a.m.  
 
With 14 metro Atlanta locations, all open as usual on Labor Day, there's a Marlow's Tavern close at hand with hearty American food and beverage favorites.   

In addition to being open for lunch and dinner, MAX’s Wine Dive spreads out its popular 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekend brunch over all three days of the holiday weekend.  

Ray's Restaurants cover lunch and dinner on Monday, September 7. Ray's in the City, Ray's on the River and Ray's at Killer Creek will be open from noon-8 p.m. and offering Ray’s Dining Club cardholders triple points on Labor Day purchases. Newly opened Ray’s Rio Bravo in Sandy Springs stays open for a holiday fiesta from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.  

Revival in Decatur will be open from 5-9 p.m. on Labor Day and serving its dinner menu of à la carte and family-style dishes inspired by the Southern culinary heritage of Kevin Gillespie’s family tree.   

Nothing says end-of-summer celebration like a frozen cocktail on a stick. Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar has that - in pineapple margarita or cucumber melon mojito flavors - and more on Labor Day until 10:30 p.m.   

Summer in the South is all about barbecue, sweet tea and cold brews. Sounds like Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead, which is open 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.   

Even the landlocked can wiggle into their flip-flops for a coastal holiday weekend both inside and out on the covered deck at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill in Buckhead. Atlanta’s local beach house will be open on Labor Day from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. offering an ocean of seafood dishes and evening live music.   

Firing up the grill this Labor Day? Pick up some White Oak Pastures pastured poultry or grass-fed beef for the backyard barbecue.

Article 14 Has the Perfect Pour with Exclusive Louis XIII Cognac

For more information:

Emily Connolly or Morgan Dyches

Melissa Libby & Associates

404-816-3068

emilyc@melissalibbypr.com

morgan@melissalibbypr.com

ARTICLE 14 HAS THE PERFECT POUR WITH EXCLUSIVE LOUIS XIII COGNAC

ATLANTA (August 18, 2015) – While Article 14 of the U.S. Constitution renders discrimination illegal, the staff at Article 14 admits it happily discriminates to the discerning palate. The restaurant that introduced "Atlanta's most expensive cocktail" - the $99 Barrel of Jewels - is now bringing a more wallet-friendly "Perfect Pour" to Midtown. Designed to introduce more guests to Louis XIII de Rémy Martin, this program offers 1/2-ounce ($40), 1-ounce ($80) or 2-ounce ($150) pours of the highly sought-after cognac.

Long renowned in the heady world of politics, fashion and art, Louis XIII de Rémy Martin is crafted by three generations of Rémy Martin cellar masters, using grapes solely from the exclusive Grande Champagne territory of Cognac, France. After the grapes are fermented and distilled into what the French call the “eau de vie,” or water of life, the resulting wine is aged up to 100 years in several hundred-year-old oak barrels. To protect the illustrious beverage’s standards, the cognac is stored in its own cellar.

Big spenders can still enjoy Article 14's Barrel of Jewels cocktail, which combines Louis XIII, Lock, Stock & Barrel straight rye whiskey, Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth, St Germain and Peychaud's Bitters for $99.

Article 14 is located at 1180 Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. For reservations or more information, call 404-443-8432 or visit article14.com.

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Ray’s Rio Bravo Returns to Sandy Springs

For more information:

 Emily Connolly or Morgan Dyches

Melissa Libby & Associates

404-816-3068

emilyc@melissalibbypr.com

morgan@melissalibbypr.com

RAY’S RIO BRAVO RETURNS TO SANDY SPRINGS

Beloved Tex-Mex Restaurant is Back; Now Open for Lunch and Dinner

ATLANTA (August 14, 2015) – Ray’s Rio Bravo, the latest incarnation of the beloved Rio Bravo restaurant that fed many happy Atlanta residents from 1984 to 1995, is now open for business in Sandy Springs and serving its Tex-Mex favorites for both lunch and dinner.

Located at 6450 Powers Ferry Road, the new restaurant promises everything diners loved about the original Rio Bravo. That includes high-end Tex-Mex cuisine made from scratch with fresh ingredients, as well as the same recipes for chile con queso, guacamole and other traditional dishes.  Ray's Rio Bravo even features fajita platters with tortillas freshly prepared by “El Machino,” the restaurant’s famous tortilla press.

Starting this Saturday, August 15, the restaurant is open for lunch as well as dinner.  In addition to the full menu, daytime diners can enjoy tasty lunch specials, including combination platters like the “Uno” (one cheese enchilada and one beef taco), the “Dos” (one beef taco and one shredded beef enchilada), the “Tres” (one shredded chicken taco and one shredded chicken enchilada) and the “Quatro” (one beef burrito and one beef taco). Soup and salad, lunch fajitas, and soup and quesadilla combos are also available.

“We’ve gotten thousands of requests over the years to bring back this restaurant that so many people loved,” says owner Ray Schoenbaum, original owner of Rio Bravo and founder of Ray’s Restaurants.  "It has been a lot of fun dusting off the original recipe books, recreating our ‘secret formulas,’ and even adding new menu items to cater to people’s evolving tastes.”

Ray’s Rio Bravo has an updated industrial design with authentic stucco and exposed brick and ductwork. The restaurant boasts 9,000 square feet of dining and kitchen space, with seating for 186 guests. There’s also a patio dining area, which Schoenbaum plans to expand in the coming weeks, and a semi-private mezzanine space for fiestas accommodating approximately 25 guests.

The restaurant is convenient to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, the Chattahoochee River and the Atlanta Braves’ upcoming new home, SunTrust Park. “We are excited that Ray’s Rio Bravo is just blocks from the Northside Rio Bravo location that was so popular in the '90s,” says Schoenbaum.

In addition to full lunch and dinner menus, Ray’s Rio Bravo also features a selection of margaritas and specialty margaritas including house, Texas, strawberry and seasonal fruit just to name a few.  A full catering menu will also be available by late fall or early winter for off-premise corporate or social events. For more information, call 770-612-2829 or visit raysriobravo.com.

About Ray’s Restaurants

Ray’s Restaurants include Ray’s on the River, Ray’s in the City, Ray’s at Killer Creek and Ray's Rio Bravo. Ray’s on the River is open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch and is located at 6700 Powers Ferry Road in Sandy Springs; 770-955-1187. Ray’s in the City is open for lunch and dinner and is located at 240 Peachtree Street NW in Downtown Atlanta; 404-524-9224. Ray’s at Killer Creek is open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch and is located at 1700 Mansell Road in Alpharetta; 770-649-0064. Ray's Rio Bravo is open for lunch and dinner and is located at 6450 Powers Ferry Road in Sandy Springs; 770-612-2829. For more information, visit raysrestaurants.com.

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