Atlanta Valentines are in for Treats at These Top Restaurants

For more information:
Morgan Lanier or Olivia Mayes
Melissa Libby & Associates
404-816-3068
morgan@melissalibbypr.com

olivia@melissalibbypr.com

ATLANTA VALENTINES ARE IN FOR TREATS AT THESE TOP RESTAURANTS

Fall in Love with Memorable Menus and Spectacular Specials

ATLANTA (Jan. 29, 2018) – Candy and flowers are nice, but when it comes to ensuring the perfect Valentine’s Day, finding that perfect dining spot can seal the deal. These Atlanta-area restaurants are here to help, with memorable menus, spectacular specials and just the right amorous ambience. Prices listed do not include tax and gratuity. Seats are sure to disappear fast, so make reservations today.

Valentine's Week Specials

5Church Atlanta is serving a $65 three-course prix fixe menu Feb. 14-16, with wine pairings available for an additional $25 per person and a Valentine’s Day cocktail offered all three days. Entrées include pork osso buco and crab-stuffed lobster. A limited dinner menu is also available on Feb. 14, while the full à la carte dinner menu is offered Feb. 15-16. 404-400-3669; 5churchatlanta.com.

Share the love with the entire family at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland on Wednesday, Feb. 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. with a free Valentine’s cookie decorating event. From Feb. 14-17, enjoy a Valentine’s-themed three-course menu including a starter of seared scallops ($12); lobster tail and filet mignon ($28) or herb-crusted halibut ($26) and a choice of raspberry crème brûlée or hot chocolate lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream ($6). 404-876-7249; atkinspark.com.

Feb. 12-18, Bulla Gastrobar is featuring a special cocktail, the Chocolate-Covered Cherry. This twist on the classic chocolate martini is made with Emilio Lustau Pedro Ximenez San Emilio sherry and features the same chocolate sauce used on Bulla’s delicious churros for a taste that’s savory but not too sweet. Bulla has also declared Feb. 13 “Galentine’s Day,” gifting groups of 4-5 women with a complimentary order of churros. 404-900-6926; bullagastrobar.com.

Food 101 in Sandy Springs offers a three-course “his and hers” menu and a limited regular menu Feb. 14-17. There’s smoked beef carpaccio or grilled jumbo asparagus (both $9); an entrée of seared duck breast with sweet potato gratin, pearl onions and thin beans ($28) or sea bass with cauliflower puree, petite Caesar salad and San Marzano tomato-lobster broth ($38). For dessert, bourbon bread pudding or marinated strawberries with blood orange and rosemary sabayon ($9). 404-497-9700; food101atl.com.

For the dessert lovers, stop by the Upper Westside, Buckhead or Sandy Springs locations of Henri’s Bakery & Café to pick up sweet treats like festive cakes, cupcakes, petit fours and cookies to wow your beloved. www.henrisbakery.com.

Ray's on the River (770-995-1187), Ray's at Killer Creek (770-649-0064), and Ray's in the City (404-524-9224) are featuring a pair of four-course, prix fixe menus, each with a different assortment of starters, salads and entrées, for $85 and $105. These special menus are available beginning Feb. 10, along with each restaurant’s regular à la carte dinner menu. On Feb. 14, only the prix fixe menus are available. raysrestaurants.com.

Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante is featuring Valentine’s-themed offerings in its specialty grocery store for the entire week. Guests can purchase heart-shaped pasta with Storico’s classic ricotta filling for $14 per pound; short rib-filled pasta for $16 per pound; and lobster-filled pasta with Prosecco-infused dough for $18 per pound. 404-500-2181; storicofresco.com.

Valentine's Day Dining

American Cut offers two different prix fixe menus. For $78 per person, choose from a 10-oz. filet mignon, seared scallops and Springer Mountain chicken. For $95 per person, choose between a wet-aged, 24-oz. Chateaubriand, a dry-aged, 40-oz. Tomahawk Chop or a 28-day wet-aged 40-oz. porterhouse. Both menus include a salad, appetizer and dessert. Last but not least, toast with a $100 bottle of Perrier Jouët Brut or a $120 bottle of Perrier Jouët Blason Rosé. 770-415-9766, americancutsteakhouse.com. Be sure to stop by The Cut Bar or visit The Regent Cocktail Club on the rooftop for a $7 “Valentini” - Ketel One Citroen, cranberry juice and lime.

Salute that special someone in the beautiful dining room at Aria, where chef Gerry Klaskala offers a four-course prix fixe menu for $95 per person. Drinks, tax and gratuity not included. Reserve a table here. 404-233-7673; aria-atl.com.

Gunshow, Kevin Gillespie’s Glenwood Park hotspot where chefs rotate the evening’s selections from table to table, is open from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Expect a dish or two inspired by the romantic day. 404-380-1886; gunshowatl.com.

Experience a one-of-a-kind five-course Gypsy Valentine’s Day menu at Gypsy Kitchen courtesy of chef Gary Finzer. Entrée options include za’atar-spiced scallops, veal osso buco, 8-oz. grilled strip steak and vegetable paella “fried rice.” Add a half Maine lobster roasted in lobster butter for an additional $20. Cost is $75 per person. 404-939-9840; gk-atl.com.

Both locations of HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern are offering a special featuring airline chicken with chocolate mole sauce over red rice for $17.95. The Brookhaven location also has live music from James Patrick Morgan starting at 7:30. Midtown: 404-968-2288. Brookhaven: 404-464-8971. hobnobatlanta.com.

Enjoy an elegant three-course prix fixe menu at the equally elegant Livingston Restaurant + Bar in the Georgian Terrace hotel. The $65 per person menu offers a selection of starters like crab and corn bisque; entrées such as cheese zucchini fritters and seared duck breast; and desserts like Nutella & Oreo Mississippi mud pie. Price is $65 per person and includes a glass of Champagne. 404-897-5000; livingstonatlanta.com.

Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails offers a three-course prix fixe menu for $65 per person, with entrée options including lobster roe butter-basted wagyu sirloin and pecan-crusted grouper. For dessert, choose from raspberry pink velvet cake, black cherry chocolate cheesecake or vanilla rose panna cotta. 770-817-0161; miltonscuisine.com.

Revival, Kevin Gillespie’s Decatur spot for creative takes on classic Southern fare, has some, well, lovely courses planned for a prix fixe menu, including cast iron cornpone with buttermilk slaw, seared scallops, braised Riverview Farms pork belly and sweet potato ravioli. The cost is $50 per person and includes Champagne upon arrival. 470-225-6770; revivaldecatur.com.

Seed Kitchen & Bar and Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar in Marietta are both offering $75 prix fixe menus with wine pairings available for an additional $25. Both restaurants’ à la carte menus are not available on Feb. 14. Seed: 678-214-6888; eatatseed.com. Drift: 770-635-7641; driftoysterbar.com.

Sexual Chocolate is on tap at Taco Mac, which is bringing in kegs of the cocoa-infused imperial stout from Foothills Brewery just for the Valentine’s Day occasion. It has a big chocolate aroma with notes of espresso, blackstrap molasses, dark sweet toffee and dark fruit. Available at all Taco Mac locations except Philips Arena, Virginia-Highland, Douglasville and Stockbridge. tacomac.com.

In Buckhead, bring your big catch to The Big Ketch for a $55 per person ($60 with Champagne toast) prix fixe menu. Dine on sesame seared tuna, lobster risotto, pancetta-wrapped grouper and more. 404-474-9508; thebigketch.com.

The Federal welcomes Valentine’s Day diners with its regular menu inspired by French cuisine and the traditional American steakhouse, among other influences. 404-343-3857; thefederalatl.com.

The Southern Gentleman is serving an à la carte menu with such offerings as shucked oysters and seafood gumbo. Entrée choices include vegetable spaghetti ($28), lavender-brined half chicken ($28), a 10-oz. center-cut pork chop ($34), and for couples, 2 lb. crispy whole red fish ($44) or a 22-oz. rib-eye ($54). 404-939-9845; thesoutherngentlemanatl.com.

Bring a homemade or purchased Valentine’s Day card to any Willy’s Mexicana Grill location on Feb. 14 and receive a BOGO coupon valid Feb. 15-28. willys.com.         

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Southern Proper Hospitality Rings in the New Year with New Corporate Chefs and Executive Chef at Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman

For more information:

Morgan Lanier or Olivia Mayes

Melissa Libby & Associates

404-816-3068

Morgan@melissalibbypr.com

Olivia@melissalibbypr.com

SOUTHERN PROPER HOSPITALITY RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH NEW CORPORATE CHEFS AND EXECUTIVE CHEF PROMOTIONS AT GYPSY KITCHEN AND THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN

Atlanta Restaurant Group Appoints Benjamin Meyer and Cesar Velazquez to Oversee Corporate Culinary Operations; Promotes Gary Finzer and Q. Matisse' Myers to Executive Chef Positions

ATLANTA (Jan. 24, 2018) – Today, Southern Proper Hospitality SPH) CEO Tory Bartlett announces four new chef appointments to the Atlanta restaurant group’s culinary team. New corporate chef hire Benjamin Meyer and Beni’s Cubano executive chef Cesar Velazquez are now overseeing culinary operations for the company while Gary Finzer and Q. Matisse' Myers have been promoted to executive chefs at Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman respectively. SPH is an organization that values innovation and creativity, and each of these gifted chefs is providing distinct dining experiences that appeal to their guests’ sense of adventure. 

“Benjamin, Cesar, Gary and Q. are priceless assets to the Southern Proper team, and we’re thrilled to be beginning 2018 on such a high note with these talented chefs,” says Bartlett. “I know our guests will be just as pleased as we are with their creativity in the kitchen."

Benjamin Meyer, Southern Proper Hospitality

Benjamin Meyer serves as the overall corporate chef for Southern Proper Hospitality. Meyer comes to SPH from Barcelona Wine Bar, having worked as the restaurant’s executive chef at large in Boston and Washington, D.C., before opening Atlanta’s West Midtown location. Prior to his time with Barcelona, Meyer ran Iridescence Restaurant atop the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit and served as corporate chef at Michigan-based The Dali Group. He has also worked at such high-volume facilities as Michael Mina’s restaurants at MGM Grand Detroit and Paragon at Foxwood Resorts Casino in Connecticut.

Fluent in a variety of different cuisines, Meyer has a knack for educating others and nurturing talent, making him an invaluable leader. As a former columnist for the Detroit Free Press, Meyer taught readers intermediate techniques with food and plating and encouraged home cooks to put their own spin on his recipes.          

Cesar Velazquez, Southern Proper Hospitality

As a corporate chef for SPH, Cesar Velazquez oversees Tin Lizzy’s Cantina and Beni’s Cubano as well as the forthcoming Street Taco scheduled to open at the Marietta Square Market this summer. Prior to this role, Velazquez paired robust, home-style Cuban cuisine with fast and friendly service as executive chef at Beni’s Cubano. He also previously managed culinary research and development for all of SPH’s restaurant concepts, developing recipes for both new and existing brands, working with vendors to procure products, overseeing new menu item rollouts and developing training programs.

Velazquez earned his degree in culinary arts from the Art Institute of Atlanta in addition to a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Worcester State University in Massachusetts. Prior to joining the team at SPH, he was chef-partner at Chiringo Restaurant in Grayton Beach, Florida. He previously served as the executive chef at Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta for nearly 11 years. His culinary career began as a chef-partner at Quattro Pizza Bar, also in Atlanta. 

Gary Finzer, Gypsy Kitchen

At Gypsy Kitchen, Gary Finzer is enticing patrons to become guests for life by creating just the right balance of European ambiance, uncommon spices and delicious, innovative dishes. Before joining the SPH team in 2014, Finzer worked at Bacchanalia and Star Provisions, eventually overseeing ordering for all five of James Beard Award-winning chefs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison’s restaurants. 

A graduate of New York’s prestigious French Culinary Institute, the Michigan native began honing his skills in New York working under such respected chefs as Guastavino’s Daniel Orr, Craft’s Tom Colicchio and Marco Canora, and Picholine’s Terrance Brennan and Craig Hopson. “Each helped me understand the importance of using fresh ingredients and preparing them properly,” says Finzer.

Q. Matisse' Myers, The Southern Gentleman

Bringing Southern charm by way of Brooklyn, Q. Matisse' Myers joined SPH in 2014. His rise through the company’s ranks has been well-regarded: in 2015, Zagat Atlanta selected him as one of eight secret weapons behind Atlanta’s top restaurants. Myers inspires his staff with a passion for fresh ingredients and a genuine appreciation of food. His ingenuity in the kitchen stems from a belief that food can be a journey that evokes emotion and deep human connection.

Prior to joining the SPH team, Myers served as sous chef for True Food Kitchen in Atlanta and has also gained fine cuisine and kosher cooking experience in in multiple high-end hotels in New York City. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, he is focused on both the success of The Southern Gentleman and the individual successes of his team members by educating managers and staff, developing innovative dishes and training up-and-coming chefs.

About Southern Proper Hospitality

Southern Proper Hospitality owns and operates The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Smokebelly BBQ, The Blind Pig Parlour Bar, Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Beni’s Cubano, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails and Tin Lizzy’s Cantina. Chosen by Restaurant Hospitality as one of the “25 Coolest Multi-Concept Companies in America” and named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies for 2017, Southern Proper Hospitality offers  genuinely hospitable service and exceptional, high-quality food. For more information, visit sphospitality.com.

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gusto! Announces Winners of Billboard Championship, Giving Two Lucky Fans a Starring Role

For more information:

Morgan Lanier or Olivia Mayes

Melissa Libby & Associates

404-816-3068

morgan@melissalibbypr.com
olivia@melissalibbypr.com

GUSTO! ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF BILLBOARD CHAMPIONSHIP,

GIVING TWO LUCKY FANS A STARRING ROLE

Atlanta’s Favorite for Flavorful Fast Food Proudly Displays Faces of Loyal Patrons

Alexis Louder and John Harris Britton on Outdoor Ads

ATLANTA (Jan. 2, 2018) – Beginning today, gusto! is putting the spotlight on two loyal patrons, Alexis Louder and John Harris Britton, in a 2018 advertising campaign. The fast casual restaurant focused on flavor and speed is unveiling the first of two billboards, located above Green’s Beverages on Ponce de Leon Avenue, resulting from the gusto! Billboard Championship. Louder and Britton’s faces will each grace the billboard for two weeks during the month of January.

gusto! founder Nate Hybl came up with the #gustobillboardchampionship in October 2017 as a fun, bold way to show appreciation for the guests who champion his brand and embrace the communities that make up Atlanta. The restaurant offered two simple ways to enter this fall: via entry slips at both gusto! locations or by tagging three friends on any gusto! Facebook or Instagram post. Louder and Britton were chosen at random through in-store and social media drawings and received a professional photo shoot for their billboard photographs. Louder will be featured first, followed by Britton two weeks later.  

Louder, a Cobb County resident for the past three years, says she loves gusto! because it’s “quick, healthy and sooooo tasty!” Chipotle mango avocado is her “gusto” of choice, and her favorite Atlanta activity is riding her bike in Piedmont Park. When Louder isn’t biking, she’s taking Muay Thai classes and showing off her unique ability to wiggle her ears.

Britton, a resident of Midtown who works as an assurance associate at an accounting firm, has only been in the city for the past two and a half months but has already managed to fall in love with Piedmont Park and the food at gusto! “I love how there are pre-made recipes proven to be delicious,” he says of the restaurant’s selection of thoughtfully crafted blends of ingredients that add a distinct flavor profile and texture to each entrée. “That way, the right ingredients are already mixed together in a great way that I wouldn’t have had the culinary knowledge to make myself.”

Britton is partial to the apple curry peanut gusto and, much like the service at gusto! restaurants, speed is his forte – he even won a stolen base challenge at an Atlanta Braves game.

Prominently displaying the winners’ faces, these billboards will spread Louder and Britton’s hearty enthusiasm for gusto! to thousands of area drivers and pedestrians along Ponce de Leon Avenue. gusto!’s bold yet simple advertising strategy perfectly complements the restaurant’s menu of grilled proteins combined with fresh and flavorful ingredients prepared daily. The two Atlanta restaurants create delicious meals and serve them quickly so guests don’t have to compromise flavor and freshness for speed.

gusto! Peachtree (1935 Peachtree Rd NE; 404-352-4157) is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. gusto! Ponce (782 Ponce De Leon Ave NE; 404-330-8114) is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit whatsyourgusto.com.

              

About gusto!

Nate Hybl founded gusto! with a mission to deliver fresh, flavorful food fast. The underlying passion of his company can be found in its name, which means “enjoyment or vigor in doing something.” gusto! offers a simple menu of bowls and wraps that highlight fresh, high-quality ingredients and bold flavor combinations and don’t hide behind gimmicks or trends. They are served fast and without breaking the bank. With a passionate team that believes in “living life with gusto” and a focus on food, flavor and freshness, the company has already attracted a loyal following with its first two Atlanta locations and plans to open additional locations in 2018.

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