My favorite is what I call the “Summer Sizzle”.

Throw a healthy amount of fresh watermelon chunks in to the blender, add a handful of chopped up basil leaves, add rum, two chopped and seeded jalapenos, half a cup of Fresca, Sprite or Ginger-Ale and plenty of ice. Let the blender roar and voila, an awesome refreshing cocktail.

To go with your cocktail prepare an easy light Strawberry & Cucumber salad with warm Pita bread. Slice 1 cucumber and strawberries; add pepper and fresh mint; marinade in flavored vinegar (blackberry works great with this recipe). Toss in course sea salt and a dash of extra virgin olive oil mix and chill. Serve over the warm pita. I sometimes add albacore chunks or salmon for a fortified meal.

But most important do not forget the SPF this summer, skin cancer… not pretty folks.

Ingredients

- 1.5 fl oz ROKK Citrus Flavored Vodka
- 3 fl oz Club Soda
- 1 Lemon Twist

Directions

Fill tall glass with ice. Pour in ROKK Vodka. Mingle in Club Soda. Top with a twist. Enjoy!

Their menu will satisfy and the ambience will relax you. Every time I leave this quaint restaurant I’m always planning for my next visit. A couple of weekends ago I stopped in for lunch and feasted on the Maine Lobster Roll sandwich with Sweet & Sour Slaw and a tasty side of Truffle Fries. It was delicious! I ended the meal with their homemade warm Meyer Lemon Doughnuts – nirvana all the way around.

This Sunday, July 17th, The third annual JCT. Kitchen: Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival will be hosted by JCT. Kitchen & Bar from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This unique event brings together some of the South’s best chefs, farmers and mixologists. They will join forces to benefit Georgia Organics (www.georgiaorganics.org), a non-profit working to integrate healthy, sustainable and locally grown food into the lives of all Georgians.

Each featured chef will be paired with a local farmer to create a yummy tomato dish for attendees to sample while the featured mixologists will stir up their own signature cocktails. Live entertainment will be provided by The Spazmatics and local chef band Five Bone Rack.

High-profile judges, such as CNN Features Editor Cybil Wallace, Food & Wine Restaurant Editor Kate Krader, Bon Appétit Restaurant Editor Andrew Knowlton, and registered dietician, food journalist and nutrition expert Carolyn O’Neil, will be choosing the best dish, best beverage and best table decorations.

1198 Howell Mill Road,
Suite 18
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-355-2252

Lunch
Monday-Saturday 11AM-2:30PM

Dinner
Monday-Thursday 5PM-10PM
Friday and Saturday 5PM – 11PM
Sunday 5PM-9PM

Bar
Tuesday-Saturday 5pm until….

Price $$
Gay quotient 3 out of 3
Organic 3 out of 3

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I “LOVE” a good piece of meat so when the invitation to Café Sunflower came along I was a bit apprehensive. The restaurant features vegetarian cuisine with flavors from Asia, the Mediterranean, American South West and Caribbean.

I did some research on what exactly it means to be vegetarian. The essential rule is to eat plant based foods sometimes including dairy and eggs but never meat, seafood or poultry. Within the vegetarian culture there are also vegans who do not eat any animal products such as dairy, eggs and honey (will not eat anything that has a face) the ovo-vegetarians include eggs, the lacto-vegetarian includes dairy and the ovo-lacto-vegetarian include both eggs and dairy.

The reasons for this style of eating are wide and complex. Some folks follow religious sanctions, others do it for political, economic, ethical, health, environmental, cultural or a combination of these.

With the clearer understanding of what I was getting in to I headed to Café Sunflower with an open mind and nostalgia for my meat. I was greeted by an attentive staff who was happy to walk me through the menu step by step.

I started with the Pita Pizza, Fried Green Tomatoes and Vegan Artichoke and Spinach dip. It was DELICIOUS; I’m still craving the Pita Pizza which was filled with exquisite flavors and unique textures. I followed up with their version of meatloaf called the “Garden Loaf” a supremely hearty soy veggie loaf and herb mashed potatoes with miso mushroom gravy accompanied with grilled asparagus and spring rolls. It is a beautiful plate nicknamed the “Volcano” because of its resemblance to Mount Vesuvius as it is plated vertically and wonderfully colorful.
As a grand finale I had the Carrot Cake and Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake. The Carrot Cake was the best I’ve tasted in my life. I wondered how many sit ups I would have to add to my gym session that week but I was assured that because of the lack of processed ingredients I would be fine.

Kudos to Jim Shumake at Café Sunflower for expanding my horizons and inviting my taste the wonders of the meatless cuisine. I say 2 thumbs up and 3 Fenuxe birds.

Café Sunflower

Buckhead
2140 Peachtree Rd
Atlanta, GA
404-352-8859

The entire experience at Double Zero was fantastic – The contemporary Southern Italian cuisine will leave you wanting to come back over and over. The pizza, pasta and seafood take you back to a summer night in Naples, their wine selection is apropos and the desserts oh the desserts…so good.

I recommend expanding your horizons with this eclectic menu and try the “Polipo” – Grilled octopus, white bean puree, pickled vegetable salad, roasted red pepper coulis, lemon, purple potato- EXCELLENT. For those with less adventurous pallets I say try the “Short Rib Crespelle” – Ricotta-mascarpone Crespelle, Blu di Bufala cheese, braised short rib ragu, walnut gremolata.

This gem is located in Sandy Springs not too far off 285 and well worth the drive. It is family owned and operated by the Castelellucci Hospitality Group – Kudos to Federico Castellucci for bringing us authentic Southern Italian to the heart of the South.

5825 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30328
404-991-3666

Mon-Thurs: 5:00 pm-11:00 pm
Fri-Sat: 5:00 pm-12:00 am
Sun: 5:00 pm-11:00 pm

Ingredients

- 1.5 fl oz JOSE CUERVO ESPECIAL SILVER Tequila
- 1 fl oz Pomegranate Blueberry Juice
- 1 fl oz Fresh Blueberries
- 0.5 fl oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 0.25 Wild Berry Syrup

Directions

Now, imagine adding Liza Minnelli, Sandra Bernhard & Raven Symone to the mix. Scared yet? Well, all the above is about to happen to celebrated Chef Rocco DiSpirito.
I had the opportunity to chat with him about his new show “Rocco’s Dinner Party”.

Rocco, tell me about “Rocco’s Dinner Party” and the purpose behind it?
The concept behind the show has never been done before. It’s all about “WHY we cook not HOW we cook”. We are focusing on the celebration of cooking, having real human moments and making guests happy.

What can we expect?
Each week, three new chefs have one shot at impressing me by cooking their signature dish. The two strongest will advance to the next round, where they are challenged to develop a full menu in competing dinner parties’ for my high-profile guests.

In addition, the food is only half the battle. Allowed one consultation with Jes Gordon, celebrity event producer, the chef’s must also design a unique party concept, as décor and ambiance will be judged alongside their food. Each episode will have a theme for which the chef’s must base their meal and dining experience around.

High profile guests? Like who?
Some of guests include Liza Minnelli , Sandra Bernhard and Christine Ebersole. Tune in to see the many special guests that drop by and the many funny and memorable moments.

I’m definitely tuning in; all the elements for fun TV are present. From Chef DiSpirito, named the sexiest chef alive by People magazine, to delicious and exquisite foods and décor and then toss in an eclectic mix of celebrities candidly sharing dinner – for me it is a must watch.

By Dino Thompson-Sarmiento

Back fat cleavage, lime green shoes and geeky, pimply cousin Hugh as a date… The season of summer weddings is here. As guests we think we own all the challenges – we give up our weekends to mingle with loony Aunt Bella (who is out of the home for the celebratory weekend) and seriously rack up debt on our credit cards paying for tricky travel, questionable outfits and outlandish wedding gifts.

Meanwhile, truth is, the oath takers have upped their dosage of Xanax and quit AA. With the countless decisions they need to make; from where to sit divorced, hating family members and what color TP should be in the restrooms – it is amazing to me they actually show up to the nuptials!

Steve Moore, Senior Social Account Executive from A Divine Event Catering assures me they can make the special day stress free and reduce the Xanax consumption to a minimum.

Steve, what can be done in advance to make the execution easier?
Having a realistic budget is crucial. Have a general idea of what your expectations are as a couple and what you want guests to remember as they leave the event.

What trends are we seeing currently?
Family Style dining (large tables seating 12 or more with shared dishes) and chef stations are high in demand as are the colors Black and White with accents of Reds, Purples and Turquoise.

Are there more LGBT wedding requests? If so, what are the challenges?
Definitely! The LGBT community is no longer afraid to celebrate their commitments and to make their moment their very own with large and festive events. The only challenge is the ice breaker. I think folks are a little unsure how they will be perceived but at A Divine Event we have a welcoming and diversified staff. Ultimately, they are looking for all the same factors and are we are thrilled to help.

What is your favorite dish at Divine Event Catering?
Our signature 100 pound Chef attended Risotto Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel filled with warm wild mushrooms, Leeks, Roasted tomatoes, Sun dried tomatoes, truffle oil and roasted garlic.