Sunday, July 12, 2009
Food, "Dish"

Getting lucky

Atlanta scores a new Irish pub, and ice cream has its own month

Heidi Geldhauser for The Reynolds Group

Rí Rá Irish Pub

By Kirsten Ott Palladino

Don’t be letting on, now. We know you’re feeling knackered by the same tired old watering holes. Lucky for you, Rí Rá Irish Pub is here to save the day—and night. Straight out of Ireland, Rí Rá (Irish slang for fun and excitement) is run by Irish natives David Kelly and Ciaran Sheehan, who’ve hired a full Irish staff (here on one-year visas). The restaurant is decorated with commissioned Irish art and was built with salvaged material straight from Ireland. Rí Rá features live acoustic Irish music, including traditional Irish jam sessions on Wednesdays, where locals are invited to play Irish music together. It’s a full-blown Ireland experience, really. The fare is a fresh blend of traditional Irish and regional favorites, such as house-brined tender corned beef and cabbage, daily baked Irish soda bread, pan-seared potato cakes, beef and Guinness stew, shepherd’s pie, and a traditional Irish breakfast—a fry-up of eggs, bangers (sausages), rashers (bacon), pudding, grilled tomato and beans. And, of course, plenty of bevvies (that’s Irish slang for alcoholic drinks). Rí Rá is at the intersection of 12th Street and Crescent Avenue at 1080 Peachtree St. The bar is open Mon. through Wed. until 12 a.m., on Thu. until 1 a.m., Fri. and Sat. until 2:30 a.m. and Sun. until 11 p.m. The restaurant is open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., for dinner Sun. through Thu. from 4 to 10 p.m. and Fri. and Sat. from 4 to 11 p.m., and offers a special happy hour menu Mon. through Fri. from 4 to 7 p.m. Rí Rá also serves weekend brunch from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sat. and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun., and the bar menu is available nightly beginning at 10 p.m. 404-477-1700. www.rira.com.

CHILL OUT


July is National Ice Cream Month, so what better way to cool off from Hotlanta’s flames than to treat yourself to a frozen indulgence? Village Tavern (11555 Rainwater Drive, Alpharetta, www.villagetavern.com) offers banana crepes, layered with Nutella and banana ice cream, fresh bananas, caramel and chocolate sauces with chocolate-covered espresso beans. Rita’s (931 Monroe Drive, www.ritasice.com) serves calorie-conscious Italian ice, along with creamy custard confections. Alon’s Bakery & Market (4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road, www.alons.com) features more than 20 flavors of gelato made fresh weekly by owner Alon Balshan. If your tastes skew more toward the exotic, head to Spice Market (W Atlanta Midtown, 188 14th St., www.spicemarketatlanta.com) for ice cream in Asian flavors: Vietnamese coffee and green tea. Need something more substantial? Try Market’s (W Atlanta Buckhead, 3377 Peachtree Road NE, www.marketbuckhead.com) sour cream cheesecake topped with a blueberry verjus compote served over a refreshing pink grapefruit sorbet. For a twist on the traditional, head to West Midtown’s Flip Burger Boutique (1587 Howell Mill Road, www.flipburgerboutique.com) where you can savor a liquid nitrogen milkshake with fun ingredients like spicy chocolate mole, Krispy Kreme donuts, Nutella and toasted marshmallows. SP