Quick Bites The Buckhead Wine Festival will return to Andrews Entertainment District, 56 East Andrews Dr., on April 5 from 2-7 p.m. (with a VIP opening an hour early). The event will feature more than 150 wines and craft beers. Five seminars will be held throughout the day including: Wine 101, Old World vs. New World, Craft Beer 101 with a Cicerone, Picking the Perfect Wine Glass… A Riedel Seminar, and Introduction to Cocktail Mixology. In addition, Cellar 56 Wine Bar & Bistro will host two special Winemaker dinners. A portion of the proceeds will benefit The Giving Kitchen, whose mission is to provide crisis grants to members of Atlanta’s restaurant community facing unanticipated hardship. VIP tickets are $60, while general admission tickets are $25 at andrewsdistrict.com. Chef Steven Satterfield (pictured) of Miller Union has been named a finalist for “Best Chef: Southeast” in the 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards. Announced today at The Publican in Chicago, this year’s James Beard Award finalists were selected by an independent volunteer panel of more than 600 judges across the country. 2014 James Beard Foundation Award winners, including the winner of “Best Chef: Southeast,” will be announced on May 5 at an awards ceremony held in New York’s Lincoln Center. Formerly known as the Winter Beer Carnival, the organizers have moved this year’s event to April 5 and have christened it simply as Beer Carnival. Held at Atlantic Station, the afternoon tasting extravaganza from 1 to 5 p.m. will feature more than 100 beers, food, midway games, carnival rides, music and more. VIP tickets are $65, $40 for general admission if purchased in advance at thebeercarnival.com or $50 at the gate. Sweet Auburn Barbecue (sweetauburnbbq.com) is now open in its PonceyHighland location at 656 N. Highland Ave. The restaurant is the third concept in owner Howard Hsu’s Sweet Auburn brand, following the successful food truck and retail counter at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. Hsu uses fresh, local ingredients with simple preparation to prepares the fusion of Asian and Southern barbecue. Octane Coffee (octanecoffee.com) will open a new outpost in Buckhead’s Atlanta Tech Village in mid-April. The space will feature a full coffee and bar in the lobby of the building at the corner of Piedmont and Lenox roads. There will also be a large outdoor patio space. Octane has additional locations in Grant Park and West Midtown. Restaurateur Riccardo Ullio is expected to open Novo in late spring or early summer in Dunwoody, 5592 Chamblee Dunwoody Road. According to a report in Atlanta magazine, Ullio will adapt menu items from his Inman Park Itlalian restaurants Fritti and Sotto Sotto for a more family-oriented eatery. Diners will order from kiosks and staff will seat customers and deliver food. Vine & Tap (vineandtapatl.com) is now open at 2770 Lenox Road in Buckhead offering small plates and by-the-glass wine selections. At press time, Varuni Napoli (varuni.us) was expected to be open April 1 at 1540 Monroe Drive. The quick-serve restaurant will feature Neapolitan-style pizza and “street food” like the kind found in Naples. Pizzas will be made deli-style in front of the customer. There will also be a walk-up window along Monroe. Baraonda has announced it will be offering “Uncorked” wine dinners to benefit Atlanta nonprofit organizations. The dinners, which will feature traditional Italian cuisine and unique wine pairings, will cost $35 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity. For every attendee, Baraonda will provide 20 percent back to the organization. For more information, call (404) 915-7294. A t l a n t a I N t o w n P a p e r. c o m
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April 2014 | IN