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The Spence’s Baby Kale Caesar

Recipe courtesy of The Spence

Poncey-Highland’s FLIP Burger to open this Sunday

FLIP Burger Boutique will open its fourth Atlanta-location this Sunday in Poncey-Highlands. The spot originally housed HD1, an upscale, hot dog (haute dog?) joint that never quite took off. Diners can expect the same menu and red-and-white spaceship interior found in other FLIP Burger locations (two in Atlanta, one in Birmingham). Here’s to more liquid-nitrogen milkshakes from Top Chef's Richard Blais.

High on the Vine: Justin Amick’s brave new world (of wine)

When Top Chef's Richard Blais opened the Spence last year in May, all eyes were on the kitchen, looking for what tricks the liquid-nitrogen-loving chef had up his sleeve. Little did they know, another surprise was waiting right under their very noses.

In food news: What you missed last week

Fry's Tex-Mex restaurant to be called Superica
Ford Fry—the chef behind the Optimist, No. 246, King Duke, and more—has named his Krog Street Market Tex-Mex spot Superica, reports Eater Atlanta. The name came from the words "super taqueria." The restaurant will open by early 2014.

Fire at Vine & Tap
Fire broke out at Vine & Tap, the Buckhead wine bar and small plates restaurant by Ian Mendelsohn, this week. Because of that, the grand opening—which was originally set for July—has been pushed back to late September.

HD1 to become FLIP Burger
HD1, the Poncey-Highland hot dog spot by chef Richard Blais, is now closed. The restaurant is being retrofitted as a FLIP Burger Boutique—another Blais creation—and will reopen in eight to ten weeks, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The new FLIP location will feature a rooftop patio. Select HD1 hot dogs will be added to the menu.

Giovanni di Palma’s Caffé Gio opens
Antico Pizza Napoletana founder Giovanni di Palma made great strides toward the completion of Piazza San Gennaro, his planned Westside neighborhood, last week with the opening of Caffe Gio, a gelateria and Neapolitan café. Adjacent to Antico, Caffe Gio serves “traditional Neapolitan street food,” including panini, salads, and chicken soup, Eater Atlanta reports. The gelato (ten flavors) is imported from Italy.

Dante Stephensen plans to auction off pirate ship décor
Dante Stephensen, founder and namesake of iconic fondue and jazz spot Dante’s Down the Hatch, has announced plans to auction off the restaurant’s equipment and decorations, reports the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Dante’s closed late last month after the land was sold to Atlantic Realty Partners and Behringer Harvard, who plan to build an apartment tower. Stephensen’s auction will take place at the restaurant on September 21, starting at 9 a.m. The $95 entry price includes food, drink, and live jazz.

Taria Camerino starts work at Miso Izakaya
Pastry chef and Sugar-Coated Radical founder Taria Camerino recently left Rocket Farms Restaurants (Ford Fry’s empire) and has joined forces with Guy Wong at Miso Izakaya, Creative Loafing reports. She is working on a Japanese-inspired dessert menu and will be creating some items for Yum Bunz as well.

Food-focused events worth noting

Buford Highway Farmers Market tour, cooking class, and dinner
Lobby Bar and Bistro’s chef Russell Hays is hosting a tour of the Buford Highway Farmers Market, followed by an Asian-focused cooking class at the restaurant using ingredients purchased at the farmers market. This six-hour event begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22 and concludes with dinner complete with wine pairings. The cost is $65. For reservations, call 404.961.7370.

The Spence anniversary dinner
Richard Blais is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Spence with a five-course, wine-paired dinner on Sunday at 6 p.m. The meal includes crab toast with lemon curd and caviar, uni spaghettini and lobster, country fried dry aged duck, and more. It costs $150; reservations are available by calling 404.892.9111.

Watershed on Peachtree anniversary picnic
It’s been in the Atlanta area for 15 years but only in Brookwood for one; Watershed on Peachtree is celebrating both with a Southern-style anniversary picnic Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will be chicken gumbo, Low Country shrimp, a performance by Zydeco T, a photo booth, and a complimentary Champagne toast. The cost is $35 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. For reservations, call 404.809.3561.

Festa Della Republlica at Valenza
Valenza is commemorating Festa Della Republlica, Italy’s Independence Day, with a patio party on June 12 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.. Chef Matt Swickerath will be serving small bites prepared on the Big Green Egg. The $25 cost includes beverages. For reservations, call 404.969.3233.

Sticky Pudding with Scotch Sauce

Inspired by my love for all things British and the English pudding tradition, this is probably my most classic dessert. It's great after a meal of big, bold flavors, when you want to continue the decadent theme.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Kale, Sage, and Balsamic Brown Butter

This dish was inspired solely by the straightforward combination of earthy sweet potato with the natural richness of nuts and root vegetables. I use aged balsamic vinegar to showcase the flavor of that intense, marvelously aged Italian product. The sauce of balsamic and brown butter works really well with this rustic dish.

Should You Buy Richard Blais’s New Cookbook?

Richard Blais, television personality and arguably Atlanta’s most famous chef, publishes his first cookbook, Try This at Home, on February 26. Introduced by chatty headnotes, recipes like oatmeal risotto, macaroni and headcheese, and quail potpie reveal the techniques behind Blais’s signature remix of Americana cooking. Wondering if you should buy the book? We’ve put together an easy guide to help you decide.

Life After Top Chef with Richard Blais premieres tomorrow, Bourdain in ATL

Perpetual television personality and Atlanta chef Richard Blais returns to the small screen tomorrow for the latest variation on the Top Chef franchise: Life After Top Chef. The show will chronicle Blais, Fabio Viviani, Spike Mendelsohn, and Jennifer Carroll as they navigate the difficulties of being known by lots of people for making food on television or something along those lines. You can check out the drama-packed preview below. The exact timeline of filming is unclear, but Bravo's description of the series seems to promise a look at the process behind creating the Spence.

The Spence

A strange, witty, occasionally confounding, and often wonderful mix of eccentricities defines the Spence, the year's most anticipated opening. Its name carries an unofficial subtitle: "The restaurant where Richard Blais finally returns to the kitchen."

The first bit of idiosyncrasy is evident before you even enter the place. On the corner of Fifth and Spring streets, in front of the congested valet stand, sits a small wooden planter holding an overflow of herbs and flowers, with a chalkboard at the top that has "The SPENCE" written in neat, steady penmanship. It recalls a sign beckoning guests to a country bed-and-breakfast. But if it puts you in the mind-set of cottages and farmlands for a moment, the techno thumpity-thump vibrating in the restaurant’s door handle brings you right back to Atlanta.

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