Midtown Atlanta Featured In This Weeks Edition of "The Dish"

This weeks edition of the AtlantaDish has some great announcements about restaurants and events in Midtown Atlanta. Below are some of them featured! To get your weekly edition of the AtlantaDish go to http://www.melissalibbypr.com/ to subscribe!

:::PACCI RISTORANTE IS FIRST IN GEORGIA TO OFFER WINES FROM SONOMA'S PETERSON WINERY:::

The term "sustainable" has been out there for a while, but are you familiar with "zero manipulation"? Actually, it's not a touchless massage; it's the term for the old world, low-tech, high-touch winemaking philosophy followed by Peterson Winery of Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, California. Pacci Ristorante, already dedicated to sustainable wine practices such as ReCORK America, is thrilled to be Georgia's first restaurant to offer Fred Peterson's sustainably crafted fine wines. Beginning this month, always elegant Pacci will offer three Peterson Winery selections: Peterson's Timber Crest Farms Sauvignon Blanc, Zero Manipulation Rhone-style blend and Il Granaio Sangiovese. Come, savor these wines while dining at Pacci and enjoy the total restaurant experience that has earned Pacci a spot on Esquire magazine's "Best New Restaurants of 2009" list!
Pacci Ristorante: 866 West Peachtree Street, NW, adjacent to the Hotel Palomar; 678-412-2402.

:::HEAT RISES: ALTOREX ROOFTOP LOUNGE REOPENS WITH HEATERS AND TENTS!:::

You can only curl up inside and wait out the cold for so long before your body craves the fresh air, starry nights and the promise that spring will be here soon. AltoRex Rooftop Lounge, located above Pacci Ristorante, is there for you and is reopening part of its Midtown perch on Tuesday, February 2. Heaters and tented ceilings will keep the rooftop cabana portion of AltoRex cozy as guests order items off Pacci's tasty bar menu. Lest things get too heated, be sure to order a specialty cocktail or your favorite wine or beer!
AltoRex Rooftop Lounge: 866 West Peachtree Street, NW; 678-412-2402

:::TOULOUSE'S STEVE PENLEY WINE DINNER ON FEBRUARY 9 HELPS PAINT A BRIGHTER PICTURE FOR PEOPLE OF HAITI:::

Walk into Toulouse and you can tell immediately you're in a positive place just by looking at the Steve Penley paintings gracing the walls with their bright colors and conversation-inspiring topics. Helping the people of Haiti is a huge topic right now, and Toulouse and artist Steve Penley are getting together to raise money to help Haitians through the ServeHAITI Foundation. On Tuesday, February 9, Toulouse guests can meet Penley, enjoy a five-course dinner with two glasses of wine and help the ServeHAITI Foundation all in one swoop at the restaurant's Steve Penley Wine Dinner. Penley's paintings, posters and his illustrated book will be on view and available for purchase. Photographs of Haiti by Donna Williams, a photographer who has been working with ServeHAITI, will be on display. Penley will autograph books starting at 6:30 p.m., and dinner begins at 7:15 p.m. On the menu: field green salad with red wine vinaigrette; seared scallops served with broccoli and sundried tomatoes in a rosemary-citrus reduction; wild mushroom ravioli atop arugula sprinkled with gorgonzola cheese, cranberries and pistachios drizzled with a white balsamic sauce; beef tenderloin filet with mushroom cream sauce coupled with grilled salmon in a balsamic beurre blanc; and Robert's flourless chocolate cake with chocolate glaze for dessert. $125 per person, including tax and gratuity. The ServeHAITI Foundation will receive a portion of art sale and dinner proceeds. Call 404-351-9533 to make your reservation.
Toulouse: 2293 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-351-9533.

:::PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT AND YOU'LL WIN AT PACCI RISTORANTE'S QUEEN OF HEARTS SOCIAL WITH BLANE BACHELOR ON FEBRUARY 11:::
Blane Bachelor gives advice to the lovelorn as resident romance expert for The Sunday Paper. It's Q&A time with the Atlanta-based writer and syndicated advice columnist at Pacci Ristorante's "Queen of Hearts" cocktail lounge party on Thursday, February 11 from 7 - 9 p.m. The Queen of Hearts, who will give a special reading during the evening, ordains that there be no cover charge to enjoy complimentary appetizers, cocktail specials, tarot card readings and a prize-laden card raffle. Pick your cards right and you could win a weekend stay at the Hotel Palomar Atlanta - Midtown, Pacci gift certificates or free cocktail and dinner coupons. Fashionista alert: wear red if you love Valentine's Day, black if you couldn't care less.
Pacci Ristorante: 866 West Peachtree Street, NW, adjacent to the Hotel Palomar; 678-412-2402.

:::IF YOU "HEART" VALENTINE'S DAY, WE HAVE SOME HEART-Y IDEAS FOR YOU!:::
Last week, we posted a lovely list of delicious ways to share Valentine's Day or week with your special someone...and some ways for the happily un-attached to have a good time, too. If you missed it or need a refresher course, catch it again on our Web site. We're tossing in a couple more options for you to consider this week.
Everything's rosy at Marlow's Tavern™, where a special Valentine's weekend tasting menu is priced for one ($30) or two ($55) for solo or tandem dining pleasure from February 12 through 14. Start with taste plates of New England-style roast shrimp and corn chowder or the popular Tavern salad before diving into the Surf & Turf platter of grilled filet mignon, tempura lobster tail and shrimp with a crispy potato cake and jumbo asparagus. For a sweet ending, choose chocolate crème brûlée or decadent Napa Valley cheesecake. (Alpharetta at 3719 Old Alabama Road, 770-475-1800; Kennesaw at 745 Chastain Road, NW, 770-425-8777; Midtown at 950 West Peachtree Street, 404-815-0323; Vinings at 2355 Cumberland Parkway, 770-432-2526; Northlake at 4156 LaVista Road, 678-987-1197; and Duluth at 1950 Satellite Boulevard, 770-622-2033.)

:::SPICE MARKET:::

Spice Market's Valentine's weekend menu takes its cues from the lively markets of southeastern Asia. Global romantics and adventurous foodies will love the $65 per person, five-course menu complete with a glass of champagne. The night's five courses include your choice of black pepper shrimp with sun-dried pineapple or tuna tartare with spicy radish, avocado and ginger marinade; mussels steamed with lemongrass, Thai basil, dried chili and coconut juice or charred chili rubbed beef skewer with Thai basil dipping sauce; cod with Malaysian chili sauce and Thai basil served with baby corn and broccoli with lemongrass and chili; char-grilled chicken with kumquat lemongrass dressing and ginger fried rice; and dessert of Thai jewels and fruits with crushed coconut ice or chocolate tart with coffee ice cream. Guests can also order à la carte. And fortunate guests, Spice Market has green tea-, chocolate- and coffee-flavored fortune cookies for you on Valentine's Day. You'll get yours at the end of your meal! Reservations can be made through Open Table or by calling the restaurant at 404-549-5450. (In the W Atlanta Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-549-5450.)

:::SPICE MARKET LOUNGE AMPLIFIES THURSDAY NIGHTS WITH $5 DRINKS:::
Just as spices enhance food, Spice Market's $5 drink specials will certainly enhance your Thursday nights! Not only will guests enjoy the combo of exotic flair and metropolitan finesse at this restaurant and lounge in the W Atlanta Midtown, but they can also down $5 specialty cocktails, beer and wine in the Spice Market Lounge every Thursday from 5 - 8 p.m. Hold that flight! We're coming aboard for the trip!
Spice Market: In the W Atlanta Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-549-5450.

:::SIGN UP FOR NOON MIDTOWN'S NEW E-NEWS AND BE IN THE E-KNOW!:::

There's so much going on at Noon Midtown that owner/chef Katie Birmingham and her up-way-before-noon team have created a newsletter to keep their loyal fans in the know about Noon in the news and what's new at Noon. Did you know Sublime Doughnuts are at Noon Tuesdays through Saturdays? Did you know that you can try some of Katie's recipes and that Noon has its liquor license and will soon be open evenings? You didn't? Just goes to show, you'd better sign up!
Noon Midtown: 1080 Peachtree Street, Suite 6, on Crescent Avenue between 11th and 12th streets; 404-496-4891.

:::RA SUSHI "IT'S A HOT MESS" FLICKR CONTEST IS UNDERWAY!:::

Be caught in the thick of a "Hot Mess" and be proud enough to post it -- RA Sushi's "It's A Hot Mess" Flickr contest has begun! Through February 28, order up RA's Hot Mess sushi, capture hot and messy action and upload your best photo(s) to one of the four "It's a Hot Mess" Flickr group contest categories: "Hottest Hot Mess," "Messiest Hot Mess," "Biggest Hot Mess" and "Anything Goes." To upload your photo(s), use your existing Flickr account or create one; select Upload Photos & Videos, being sure to set your pix to Public before hitting Upload; fill in your Hot Mess category under Add a Description >Title; hit Save.
Next, join the group at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102984579884&s=2003&e=001cHZgzhRqOmSS8GZ9JaXRd4xtI3RUJAOOe7OhqHQQNnV2GQEEL2878VSV_2rS965TjH1mVWH_VQwVUR25WJYNq0aduv685Yxy5HRrxmWEgRU5DbCmdbqOuG_GZQkdpjLxLvkc-DnBIOs= and add your photos under Group Pool. Once your photo is approved and posted on the Web site, tell everyone you know to visit RA Sushi's Flickr Group page and comment on your photo(s). One vote per person per photo! When the contest closes, the photos with the most comments win. Additionally, one finalist from each category will be selected as grand prize winners by contest judges, and each will receive a $100 RA Sushi gift certificate, followed by $50 and $25 gift certificates for the runner up and honorable mention in each category. Read complete contest rules on the Web site. If the lure of prizes and a messy good time aren't enough, every Monday is Hot Mess Monday with the Hot Mess roll specially priced at just $10. Bottom line, bite into a delicious Hot Mess right now...but first, be sure your camera batteries are charged.
RA Sushi: 1080 Peachtree Street at 1010 Midtown; 404-267-0114.