GET JIGGY WITH IT
Do you have the Riverdance spirit? Showing it off could score you some free java. On St. Patrick’s Day, Danneman’s coffee shop in the Old Fourth Ward is rewarding its brave customers who will do an Irish jig upon placing their order with a free medium cup of coffee. Can’t dance? You’re still going to get lucky, since all green tea is 50 percent off the regular price all day long. Flavors of loose-leaf tea include City Harvest Green (green tea with jasmine and apple), Mao Jian (Chinese green tea) and Fiji (organic green tea with pineapple and papaya). With free Wi-Fi, freshly baked breads and breakfast treats, sandwiches and salads, and fun entertainment (the dancers, remember?), this is one fun neighborhood coffee shop you’ll never want to leave. Danneman’s is located at 466 Edgewood Ave. 404-380-1393. www.dannemans.com.
FRIENDLY COMPETITION
Atlanta chefs go head to head at Arts in Bloom, a fundraiser for the Dogwood Festival, Thursday, March 19, from 7 to 10 p.m. at LIT Kitchen. Creative culinary experts, including Shaun Doty of Shaun’s and Chip Ulbrich of South City Kitchen, will square off in a multi-round cook-off at the party. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges, which consists of myself, Tiffany Davis, editor of Atlanta’s DailyCandy, food writer Sarah Gleim and Suchita Vadlamani from “Good Day Atlanta.” Guests at the ticketed event can taste food from a variety of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants, like Shaun’s, South City Kitchen, Dolce, Geisha House and Melting Pot. Other highlights include interactive demonstrations, a beer and wine tasting selected to highlight the special cuisine, a silent auction and a first look at the 2009 High School Art Exhibit winners. Tickets are $75 in advance, $85 at the door, and include wine and beer tasting, and hors d’oeuvres. Parking is free. LIT Kitchen is located at 433-C Bishop St. NW. To purchase tickets and learn more, visit www.dogwood.org.
PRACTICALLY A STEAL
Sometimes it’s not easy being green, especially in this penny-pinching economy. Keeping Mother Earth happy while minding your cents and dollars can be tough, like buying organic, all-natural products or dining at restaurants that source regional ingredients. Luckily, someone’s thinking about us in that very way: Chef Carvel Grant Gould at Canoe Restaurant. With the “Local Yokel” three-course prix fixe menu offered nightly, diners can partake in an ever-changing rotation of dishes prepared from local farmers’ and fishermen’s ingredients. The meal is $30 without alcohol, and $40 with pre-selected organic wine pairings for the first two courses. I recently dined at Canoe and was delighted that the dishes are just as intensely flavorful as the rest of the regular menu offerings. Chef Gould’s a member of Slow Food Atlanta, so her treatment and respect of local and regional purveyors is nothing new. But this menu directly highlights some of the Southeast’s best producers, such as Riverview Farms in Ranger, Ga. (the pork cheek soup is heartwarming and perfect on a chilly night); Cimino Farms in Reynolds, Ga.; Mt. Airy, Ga.’s Springer Mountain Chicken, which Chef Gould roasts in tangerines from Hanes City, Fla.; Wayne Daily Farms, in Chadburn, N.C.; and Stone Mountain Pecans, in Stone Mountain, Ga., where Canoe sources its nuts for the pecan panna cotta in strawberry-thyme syrup. Canoe is located at 4199 Paces Ferry Road NW. 770-432-2663. www.canoe-atl.com.
SHAMROCKTAILS
From Tullamore Dew, the last Irish whiskey owned and managed by an Irish company.
Shamrocked
* 2 ounces Midori Melon Liqueur
* ½ ounce Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
* ½ ounce Carolan’s Irish cream liqueur
* Shake incredibly well. Serve in a 3-ounce shot glass.
The Original Irish Coffee
Fill an Irish coffee glass with very hot water to pre-heat, then empty. Pour hot coffee into hot glass until it is about 3/4 full. Drop in 2 cocktail sugar cubes; stir until sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Add full jigger of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey for proper taste and body. Top with a collar of lightly whipped cream by pouring gently over a spoon. Enjoy it while piping hot.
Tully Tea
* 2 parts Tullamore Dew
* 1 part Irish Mist
* Top with cola, and a splash of sour mix.
* Serve over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge or wheel.
