Wing Busters USA III

The kids may be back at school however the dog days of summer in Atlanta are far from over. Grabbing a cold milkshake from the many purveyors around town is a great way to beat the heat. Fans of Top Chef champion Richard Blais have kept the cooks busy at Flip Burger Boutiquewith locations on the Westside and Buckhead. Favorites on the menu include the popular Butcher’s Cut – a beef burger topped with bleu cheese, caramelized onions, soy truffle vinaigrette, frisee & red wine jam. Flip also highlights Georgia producers in its Farmer Burger which features grassfed beef from White Oak Pastures and Thomasville Tomme cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy. The real treat comes at the end of the meal with an evolving menu of milkshakes with a twist. Flip ups the ante on the typical milkshake with creative ingredients and overflowing liquid nitrogen. Milkshakes range from a shake made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a decadent nutella shake topped with burnt marshmallows, and Blais’ signature milkshake with foie gras. The ice cream flavors at east side favorite Morelli’s change daily but on any given day you’ll be able to find vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and their standout hit, salted caramel. Named one of the top ten ice cream shops in the country by Bon Appetit, they’ve expanded from their original location in Ormewood Park,  to a second location near Little Five Points and a joint location with Farm Burger in Dunwoody. Morelli’s encourages samples, and given that their flavors can range from ginger lavender, chocolate chili, key lime cheesecake and honey almond plum, it’s a good bet that a new favorite can be discovered and whipped into a delicious milkshake. Starting as a small project providing high quality ice cream for local chefs has blossomed into a full blown enterprise High Road Craft Ice Cream & Sorbet, selling pints from coast to coast. At their location at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market downtown, milkshake lovers can choose from flavors including their popular Bourbon Burnt Sugar and Brown Butter Praline. Their flavors are constantly changing and often include choices not available in pints. If you prefer to create your milk shake creations at home, check out their factory location in Chamblee on Saturdays for a tour and take home limited edition pints only available at the source. If you’re downtown checking out the new ferris wheel Skyview or catching a show at the Tabernacle, you’re only a block away from hidden gem Park Bar. They offer a menu with great bar food  and a nice craft beer list featuring locals like Jailhouse Brewery and a personal favorite, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. When it comes to frosty beverages, their boozy milkshakes are where it’s at. Choices from their candy themed menu include the Werther’s Original crafted with Crown Royal and butterscotch schnapps, the rum-infused Bananas Foster and the Reese’s with peanut butter vodka and Godiva liqueur. A visit to Park Bar wouldn’t be complete without a spin on the Wheel O’Fun, with a chance to win drinks for the whole bar.

It’s not that Atlanta’s best date-night restaurants are lacking in the food department—the city's chefs make exquisite Italian, French, Persian, and Indian dishes. It’s just that the eateries’ romantic atmospheres do most of the work when it comes to setting the mood. Picturesque gardens inspire stolen kisses at La Grotta. An avant-garde chandelier and black-and-white decor ooze elegance at Aria. And the soft melodies emanating from the Chattahoochee River underscore quiet conversation at Canoe. Multiple Locations: Italian Gardens La Grotta | Multiple Locations At La Grotta’s two locations, breathtaking gardens serve as an enchanting backdrop for dates. In Buckhead, lush foliage rises from stone-lined flowerbeds in the courtyard, whereas at the Ravinia eatery, trickling waterfalls cut through the greenery. At both restaurants, chefs serve organic Italian fare—even custom dishes, if you call ahead. Buckhead Village: Painstakingly Staged Dinners Aria | 490 E. Paces Ferry Rd. NE Dinner at Aria is more than just another meal; it’s the main event. Chefs spend all day preparing, often letting meats roast, simmer, or stew for hours. By the time guests gather under the avant-garde chandelier, chefs need only focus on putting the finishing touches on their expertly plated contemporary American fare. Downtown: 360 Skyline View Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View | 210 Peachtree St. NW Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View rotates throughout the day from its perch on the top floor of the Westin. That means guests get to see different pieces of Atlanta’s skyline during the course of their meal, or they can head to the observatory for a 360-degree view. North Atlanta: French Cuisine with Piano Accompaniment Violette | 2948 Clairmont Rd. NE Coq au vin, roasted duck breast, and chocolate mousse are among the most popular French dishes at Violette. But it’s not just the cuisine that makes it so romantic; the eatery resides in a secluded building 50 feet from the street, and hosts live piano music six times a week. Vinings: Romance on the River Canoe | 4199 Paces Ferry Rd. NW Set on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, Canoe’s name couldn’t be more fitting. Riverside gardens and walkways are perfect for a post-dinner stroll, while in the dining room, iron vines, animal sculptures, and a canoe-inspired ceiling bring the outdoors in. This warm, rustic setting complements the seasonal cuisine. Buckhead: Sensual Surroundings Tantra Restaurant and Bar | 2285 Peachtree Rd. NE Once a week, Tantra Restaurant and Bar hosts “Sultry Jazz Thursdays,” when live musicians supply the mood music. But every night at Tantra could be considered sultry thanks to the risqué artwork on its walls and the spicy Persian and Indian cuisine served by its chefs. Downtown Decatur: Practice Your French Cafe Alsace | 121 E. Ponce De Leon Ave. Dinner here is the next best thing to a European vacation: every server speaks French, and the food—from pecan-stuffed chicken to sauerkraut with three sausages—exhibits the French and German influences of the restaurant's namesake region. Sandy Springs: Where the River Meets the Sea Ray's on the River | 6700 Powers Ferry Rd. NW Live Maine lobsters are flown in fresh every day to Ray's on the River, as is all of its certified-sustainable seafood. The fish has to be delicious to compete with Ray's other specialty: hearty Black Angus steaks, aged for a minimum of 21 days. Midtown: European Wines Ecco | 40 7th St. NE Rich, dark wood and leather give Ecco's dining room a laid-back feel. But peek inside the open kitchen and you’ll see chefs bustling to prepare small plates of seasonal European cuisine such as cured meats and cheeses, wood-fired octopus, and salt-roasted beets. The dishes complement Ecco's rare European wines. Poncey-Highland: Heat Up the Warehouse Two Urban Licks | 820 Ralph McGill Blvd. NE Two Urban Licks was once a warehouse and the industrial vibe lingers on in the dining room's enormous rotating rotisserie. There's also an entire 26-foot wall devoted to 72 barrels of wine, which pour via a gravity-powered system.

While Dallas’ pizza scene may not be mentioned in the same breath as New York slices or Chicago deep dish anytime soon, the area has nonetheless made great strides over the past decade to churn out fantastic pies. Whether you’re into authentic Neapolitan style or you like your pies topped with newfangled ingredients like chicken and ranch dressing, there’s a Dallas pizzeria out there for you. For slices with a wafer-thin, crackery crust and a robust, spicy tomato sauce, beloved dive bar Louie’s on Henderson Avenue in East Dallas is the place to go. The nondescript white building may look unassuming, but the pies have a loyal cult following that keeps the parking lot packed on a nightly basis, thanks in part to a coveted appearance on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Pitchers of beer and slightly surly service are a charming part of the Louie’s experience, as is the zippy Italian sausage that seems to top nearly every pizza that emerges from the pint-sized kitchen. If authentic pies from the motherland are what you seek, look no further than Olivella’s, a tiny but charming hole-in-the-wall located near Southern Methodist University. Owner Charlie Green brought in a Naples native to train the staff when he opened his pizzeria back in 2007, and it shows. The pies are about as real-deal Neapolitan as you can get, cooked quickly in a rocket-hot, wood-burning oven that gives the crust an irresistible char. There’s also a thin, crisp-crusted Roman-style pizza that’s served up in long rectangles. Customers can keep things traditional with the Margherita pizza, or order the fan favorite The Dream, made with housemade mozzarella, tangy gorgonzola, pancetta, chicken and jalapeños. Plenty of pizzerias in the city claim to be New York-style, but Zoli’s New York Pizza Tavern owner Jay Jerrier went the extra mile and brought in a consultant from a popular Brooklyn slice joint to help perfect the pies at his casual, counter-service Oak Cliff spot. Three different pizza categories are offered by the slice: the typical chewy-crusted New York-style, the thicker-crusted, slightly fluffy Grandma with sweet pomodoro sauce, and the extra-thick Sicilian with a robust, anchovy-laced finish. No need to feel bashful about asking for a side of ranch dressing here – Zoli’s makes its own jalapeño ranch in-house.