Ron Wins "Innovator of the Year" at the GRA Grace Awards!

We are thrilled to announce another outstanding accomplishment of our chef/owner, Ron Eyester. He won the title, “Innovator of the Year” from the Georgia Restaurant Association. This award reflects his commitment to his profession and acknowledges his patronage and support of local farmers. More specifically, the award recognizes Ron’s innovative techniques in reaching out to his community by being active in fund-raisers, local farmers markets, and other volunteer work, as well as his unique communications with the masses through his use of social media. Being named Innovator of the Year is just one more way the Angry Chef shows that not only is he a dedicated contributor in the greater Atlanta area, but he loves his food, his people and the rapport he has established with our community. Take a look at his tips for success; they say it all.
http://peasforprosperity.com/events/the-georgia-restaurant-association-grace-awards-glitz-goes-green/
http://www.garestaurants.org/GRACE
http://www.discuss-gra.com/June15thAgenda.pdf

Recycling Rocks Brunch

To celebrate National Recycling Week, bring in a non-perishable food item in recyclable packaging to brunch on Saturday, November 13th. All food collected will be donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and each person who brings will get a CD of "recycled tunes" from Ron! We will be open from 10 am to 3 pm, and debuting a new, "recycled" brunch menu.

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 404.347.9747.

Thanksgiving at Rosebud!

This Thanksgiving, leave the cooking to Ron and join us at Rosebud for your turkey dinner! We’ll be taking reservations from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 25th. We will have turkey, ham and all of the fixins served family-style. Cost for the dinner is $38 per person (children 5-12 are $20) plus tax and gratuity. If you are flying solo for this holiday, join us for a plate at the bar for just $20. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 404.347.9747. Check out the menu below:

If your family is cooking the holiday meal, you can give them a break the Friday after Thanksgiving. We will be serving our regular weekend brunch menu from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.!

Happy Holidays!

Slowbud Family Dinner

On Sunday, October 17th we hosted the first of a quarterly dinner series called Slowbud. A portion of the sales for the night are donated to Slow Food Atlanta. The weather was perfect and everyone got to share eight dishes of fresh, local food!

Jeff made a cocktail that paired perfectly with the lovely fall weather - brandy, pear brandy, local apple cider, sorghum & ginger soda, cinnamon & nutmeg.

Marinated Local Radishes

Housecured Tuna, Local Peppers, White Beans, Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette

Rosebud Mozzarella - Local Sungold Tomatoes, Lemon, Garlic & Fresh Anchovy

Halloween Brunch & Costume Contest

Join us Sunday, October 31st, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for some Halloween inspired cocktails and brunch specials! Grab your friends and come dressed up in your Halloween costumes. There will be a costume contest at 2 p.m. and some fantastic Rosebud prizes for the winners:

1st Place - $250 Gift Card

2nd Place – Rosebud Alcoholic Survival Kit ($150 Value)

3rd Place - $50 iTunes Card & Mind Eraser

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 404.347.9747.

The Eighties Dinner

Everybody went all out for The Eighties Dinner! Hello mullets, leggings & prom dresses! The picture above displays the best dressed of the night, in my opinion, but there was lots of competition!

Chicken Francese with Truffle Whipped Potatoes, Braised Greens, Lemon & Capers

Rosebud Blizzards - Circa 1985!

Ramen Noodle Bowl with Riverview Farms Pork Belly & Hamhock-Shellfish Broth

Baked Brie & Mesclun Salad Greens & Rasberry Vinaigrette

Matt always looks like this.

Rosebud 80's Platter - Twice Cooked Wings, Smoked Trout Potato Skins & Fried Housemad Mozzarella

Of course, Megan & Geoff make the 80's classy! Think Demi Moore in St. Elmo's Fire.

Natalie dressed up for work!

Kari and Debbie really put everyone to shame! Who else was sporting Team Rosebud cheerleading outfits?!? Our Mayor did her part!

Field of Greens Festival 2010

Field of Greens was a huge success this past Sunday with a record attendance and more chefs participating than ever before! For those of you who are unfamiliar with this local foods festival, the best part about it is the sense of kinship between the restaurants, farmers and others who support their local community. The event takes place every year at Whipporwhill Hollow Organic Farm in Walnut Grove, GA. Even though it is a 45 minute drive from Atlanta, the event still draws a large group of people from the city. All ages come to sample food, enjoy the farm's beautiful scenery, listen to live music and raise awareness about the importance of supporting the local economy and each other. If you missed it this year, I would definitely make sure to come next year!

Ron with Matt Swickerath of Valenza and Stephen Herman of Haven

We served White Oak Pastures beef & Riverview Farms pork meatballs with a smoked tomato sauce & midnight moon cheese.

Ron, Pam & Mydland enjoying the festival!

Squash bruschetta prepared by La Vigne at Montaluce.

Pimento cheese deviled eggs prepared by Woodfire Grill

Ron on Good Day Atlanta

Good Day Atlanta asked Ron to come on the show and make sandwiches since August is National Sandwich Month! He also stayed to participate in Good Day Extra's Male Bag, which can be seen below!

Upcoming Documentary: GROW!

Check out this blog about the making of GROW!, a documentary about organic farmers and farming in the U.S. and Georgia. The blog includes over fifty clips from the footage that they have shot so far. The best part is that most of the farmers in the movie are from right here in Georgia. A few of them are the farmers that provide us with much of the produce that we serve at Rosebud.

Enjoy!

Jerry Lives!

We had a great time at The Garcia Dinners last week! Everyone celebrated with lots of food, booze and most importantly, music! Thank you to those of you who joined us, and for those of you who missed it, we hope that you will be there next August! Here are a few photos from the first night. Pictured above is the electric band, gr8FLdüde & frenz.

"Dragged Through The Garden" Chicago Dog

Ron & Brian singing with Parker Smith & Michael Chesin, playing an acoustic set.

Miguel working on the line. He's been with us for 4 Garcia dinners!

Jerry loved junk food and we do, too! This is our version of Houston's Rio Verde's Taco Truck Frito Pie!

Happy Hour to Benefit The Giving Tree

We will be hosting a happy hour on Thursday, August 26th, from 6-8 p.m. to benefit The Giving Tree, a non-profit organization that assists in helping find adoptive homes for orphaned children. For a $20 donation, each person gets a cockail, beer or glass of wine and appetizers. One-hundred percent of donations will go directly to The Giving Tree. There is nothing better than enjoying a few cocktails in the name of supporting an important local charity organization!

2010 Jerry Garcia Dinners!

Our annual tribute to Jerry Garcia is back! The much-anticipated Garcia celebrations will be held Wednesday, August 4th and Thursday, August 5th. This year we will be offering an a la carte menu of dishes inspired by the song “Truckin,’” as well as a tasting menu for $60, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 404.347.9747.

Come in for brunch on Jerry’s birthday, Sunday, August 1st wearing your heady gear and get a free cocktail made with Jerry’s favorite drink, Dr. Pepper!

Rosebud Celebrates One Year Anniversary

This past week Rosebud celebrated its first birthday…Although, it may not be a milestone; considering the current economy, it’s definitely an achievement in which I am quite proud. Obviously starting a new a business can be a daunting task, and when people hear it’s a restaurant (especially people you’re trying to borrow money from), they seem to grow even more skeptical. All of us have read and chatted about the statistics regarding the rate of failure for new restaurants. In fact, I've seen so many conflicting articles online, I don’t know who to believe. However, to be honest, my passion for restaurants has always overshadowed any clear sense of reason. Although my path in this industry has been anything but conventional, I always knew I would end up in the position that I am in today. And although my determination, hard work, and stubbornness took me a good bit of the way, there are many people to thank; way too many for this blog. My wife, my staff, my investors, our neighborhood and many of my colleagues have offered nothing but steadfast support. All the influences; both good and bad (I don’t which there are more of), have had a tremendous impact on my journey.

The past year has been mind boggling to say the least. In the midst of a severe recession, we bought a restaurant, conceived a concept to fit the neighborhood, involved the community as much as possible, implemented a calculated plan as well as an array of changes, spent a ridiculous amount of money, brought a mere vision to life and enjoyed a hair raising roller coaster ride that I hope lasts for many years to come.

Although the days can be exhausting and problems can relentlessly pile on top of one another, sometimes by the minute; there is no doubt that I am a lucky man. Not everyone gets to go to work every day and do what they love. I look forward to building on this opportunity, continuing to make Rosebud an indispensable part of a neighborhood and serving our community. Who knows, maybe one day somebody will come to the restaurant and think “Indigo” is just a shade of blue. Here’s to the next year...Thanks for eating local!

July is Lobster Fest at Rosebud!

We will be offering an a la carte lobster menu every night starting Thursday, July 8th through Saturday, July 31st. Dishes will include a lobster salad, butter poached lobster and lobster ravioli. Every Thursday night for the rest of the summer we will have steamed lobster with corn on the cob and potatoes for $25, plus tax and gratuity. We will also be featuring wine and cocktails to accompany your Lobster Fest meal! Reservations are not required.

Hope to see you soon!

Local Food Economics - Georgia Organics

Certified Organic vs. Locally Grown

This can be a very interesting and provocative topic. I put an emphasis on the relationship that you establish with the grower. I’ve always believed that doing this enhances the level of integrity regarding your food and restaurant. Moreover, as your business (the restaurant) further evolves, these personalities (of the individual growers) certainly help shape the character of your restaurant. It is this “character” that gives your restaurant substance. Essentially, they become an integral part of your operation, almost as if they are one of your employees, or rather an ambassador of your concept. Ultimately if you (the chef) conduct your business in this manner, it is up to you (as the chef) to conduct yourself with an uncompromising sense of integrity and associate with those who do the same.

From some of the conservations that I’ve had with various farmers, it seems as if the “organic” label is progressively becoming bastardized because of the many people and/or agencies that are involved in the certification process. Unfortunately it seems that the government will continue to increase its involvement in the entire process not because of it’s interest in the actual movement and/or its benefits, but because it’s yet another means of earning revenue. As this practice continues you will probably find that the common farmer will not be able to afford the increasing costs of gaining certification and therefore they will inevitably abandoned the entire process and at that point they will most certainly have to rely on the relationships that they have established with local chefs in order to move their product and survive…Relationships are key!

I think another interesting aspect to consider is that some people seemingly put too much emphasis on “certified organic” label, “they can’t see past the sticker” – What would you choose, local grown (sustainable) or “certified organic” from California. Obviously you know my answer. The whole “labeling” and “certified” issue worries me a bit, because I don’t want the “organic movement” to take on an elitist tone, “this must be better because it’s organic.” If this were to happen, we would eventually lose the support of our core following; the ordinary folks who truly “get it” from a food perspective. The emphasis needs to be on the quality of the food, not the process. Moreover, we want our growers to focus the product, not the rigor of the certification process.

What do you think?

Mexican Coke & A Smile

For the past eighteen months, the craze surrounding Mexican Coke seems to continue to build momentum. Just get on the Internet and check out the several Facebook pages dedicated to this tasty beverage, as well as some interesting articles ranging from The New York Times to Garden & Gun. However, for as much popularity as this beverage has garnered, I still encounter a number of curious guests on weekly basis who have a no idea what Mexican Coke is. As first mention, the person I am chatting with usually can't disguise the sly smile that takes their face over...I guess the mere phrase evokes some provocative thoughts. Truth be told, nothing could be cleaner or more pure than the taste of this elixir gliding down your throat. I'm usually good for two or three a day, alternating it with Orange Crush as my "morning coffee." So for those of you who have yet to taste the extraordinary difference between the ordinary high fructose corn syrup sweetened American version and its naturally sweetened Mexican counterpart, you have no idea what you're missing. There is something to be said about the simple pleasures in life...And Mexican is certainly one of them.

Endless Blueberry Pancakes

Strawberries are out for the season, but blueberries are in! Wake up Saturday, June 12th, and come stuff your face with all of the blueberry pancakes you can handle! For $15 per person (plus tax and gratuity), eat as many pancakes as you want between 10 and 11:30 a.m. Reservations are required. (Our regular brunch menu will also be available.)

Widespread Panic Album Release Party at Rosebud!

“Ribs & Whiskey” Party on Monday, May 24th, from 6-9 p.m. - Come down to Rosebud and take in Atlanta’s first listen to Panic’s newest studio release, “Dirty Side Down,” the day before it is released to the public! Ron will be smoking Riverview Farms ribs on our smoker, Bertha and we’ll also be featuring some whiskey cocktails featuring Jack Daniels and Terrapin brews for all you beer lovers. Please be sure to bring some canned foods, as this is a benefit for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Dine Out For CHOA!

From Monday, May 17th through Thursday, May 20th, we will be hosting a dine out to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Ten percent of food sales during lunch and dinner will be donated. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 404.347.9747.

The Strawberry Dinner

Now that Mother's Day and Emory Graduation are out of the way, I have time to post some berry-licious food porn from our Strawberry Dinner! Strawberries are at their peak right now, so enjoy some while you can. You should be able to stop by and get them this Saturday at the Morningside Farmers Market (every Saturday from 7 to 11 a.m.). In addition to the Strawberry Short Cake with a White Lily Biscuit, Fresh Mint & Balsamic-Fig Syrup (above), here are pictures of all of the dishes we served that night:

Sweet Baby Shrimp Cocktail
Local Strawberries, Pickled Jalapenos & Thai Basil

Cardamom & Fennel Crusted Ahi Tuna
Strawberry “Carpaccio” & Soy-Ginger Mignonette

Some tasty lookin' strawberry cocktails!

Strawberry & Arugula Salad
Celia’s Arugula, Spicy Pistachios, Oregonzola & Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Dressing

Plating the country ham fried rice.

Twice Cooked Maple Leaf Farms Duck Leg
Benton’s Country Ham Fried Rice & Strawberry “Sweet & Sour” Sauce