Haute fashion show this weekend with Christian Siriano

Get a glimpse of the hottest styles this spring at the Simon Fashion Now show at Lenox Square by Caress Skinwear Collection on April 24 and 25. Showtimes: Friday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, April 25 at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m. Karyn Greer, news anchor with 11Alive WXIA-TV, Jessica Dauler, host of Jessica Shops Atlanta on Q100’s “the Bert Show,” and Holly Firfer, CNN reporter and co-host of “Atlanta & Company,” will team up with SCAD fashion students for creating the quintessential spring ensemble. The final reveal of the collaborative designs will take place during Simon Fashion Now on Saturday, April 25 at 12:30 p.m. SP’s Life, Food & Style Editor Kirsten Ott serves as a guest judge, along with DailyCandy's Tiffany Davis and Nedra Rhone of the AJC. Christian Siriano from “Project Runway” will make a celeb appearance, as well as sign autographs. For more information, contact Lenox Square at 404-233-6767 or visit www.simon.com.

The Bureau closes

The Bureau has closed. Details on the unexpected decision have not been released as of press time. The food, including delicious house-made pimiento cheese and one of the best burgers I’ve had in this town, will be sorely missed. However, it’s no wonder that since Shaun Doty served as the consulting chef, the same pimiento cheese also is offered at Shaun’s Restaurant in Inman Park. Still, we’re sad that this fun new dining destination, with its über-cool art gallery, city-chic décor and terrific menu, has shut its doors.

Romancing the stone

Since I’m a food writer/editor, not a true critic (there’s a definite difference), anonymity doesn’t really concern me. But I prefer to not be treated well simply in hopes of good press; I want restaurants to show their true colors at all times (and then I dish to you, dear readers, what I’m seeing on the scene). So when Maria and I dined at Wisteria (471 North Highland Ave., 404-525-3363) in Inman Park to celebrate five years of courtship, I loved that they didn’t recognize us from our recent cover and treated us in a most excellent fashion. We requested a corner table when we made the reservation, and they sweetly complied when we arrived. As our eyes grazed over the extensive but not overwhelming wine list and Maria considered the flight of three for $15, we started with two appetizers: the refreshing ahi tuna and crispy flatbread, and a divine Southern dish of pimiento cheese deviled eggs paired with perfectly pickled okra and spiced pecans. The tuna was diced and formed into a small mound of refreshing lime goodness, avocados and citrus horseradish vinaigrette. It’s very similar to the tuna starter at BLT Steak, but the ambiance at this cozy neighborhood nook makes it taste all the better. Funny how a setting changes everything. With our wines finally selected, we moved on to the main course. Maria chose the pecan-encrusted Atlantic salmon, which is served over steamed spaghetti squash and julienned sweet potatoes with a champagne fume. I snagged a couple of bites and swooned—I’m a sucker for pecans and sweet potatoes. I’m also on a brie kick (love it with the baguette, grapes and sliced cucumber at Apres Diem), so when I saw it in a pasta offering, I was elated. The brie cheese-stuffed tortellini is a complete marriage of the seasons with its brown butter and walnuts celebrating autumn and Granny Smith apples and crisp arugula a definitive celebration of summer. But when they combine, it’s a comfortable happiness for the palate—at least it was for mine. We ordered dessert since it was a special occasion. I’d casually mentioned our anniversary when booking our table, as a way of requesting something off to the side, but the host must’ve taken the time to note it somewhere because our server had a brightly lit candle tucked into our cherry cobbler when she delivered it to our table and wished us a happy anniversary with a smile. We were touched—and satiated, to boot.

AROUND TOWN
Atlanta Community Food Bank’s monthly Supper Club fundraiser will be held at Leons Full Service (131 E. Ponce de Leon, 404-687-0500) on Tuesday, April 14. The restaurant, which opened to much excitement in February by Brick Store Pub owners Dave Blanchard, Michael Gallagher and Tom Moore, plays host to the monthly event, which allows participating restaurants to donate 20 percent of the evening’s proceeds to Atlanta’s Table, the prepared food rescue project of the Food Bank. Leons serves up its Belgian-inspired pub fare in a former gas station on the corner of Church Street and East Ponce de Leon in downtown Decatur. For more information about Supper Club, visit www.acfb.org.

West Midtown continues to dominate in growth. And now it’s also the new destination for wine and beer shopping in the same place—and I’m not talking about a liquor store with only big-name brands and no one around who actually knows anything about the products. Hop City Craft Beer & Wine (1000 Marietta St.) carries 1,000 unique beer brands, including hard-to-find craft beer, and more than 600 varieties of wine. The store also offers home-brewing books, ingredients and equipment, as well as some pretty cool gifts for the beer and wine aficionados in your life. Oh, and the staff is more than prepared for any beer and wine question you can think of. SP
Kirsten Ott is the Life, Food & Style Editor of The Sunday Paper. Get in touch at kirstenott@sundaypaper.com or get quick food bytes by following her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kirstenott.

Restaurants continue to open, college students join forces with local store, and where to get your Easter lamb

Photo/Shutterstock | The Slow Food Movement savors from-scratch meals, like this goat cheese pate on top of fresh asparagus.

HOP TO IT
Preparing an Easter feast at home? Kevin Rathbun Steak is offering a fully cooked boneless leg of lamb that serves 6 to 8 people for $69. Smoked to perfection on Chef Rathbun’s Brinkmann Grill, the lamb will be wrapped and ready for a quick reheat prior to serving. The size is a 4-to-6 pound leg of lamb. You can order it by calling Kevin Rathbun Steak at 404-524-5600 (ask for Doug Neff). Quantities are limited. The restaurant is only making 100 of the legs of lamb, and they must be pre-ordered. Pick-up on Saturday, April 11, at Kevin Rathbun Steak. www.kevinrathbunsteak.com.

SLOW—KIDS AT PLAY
We like to see chain stores focus on local issues. On April 7, Whole Foods Market Briarcliff will donate 5 percent of the day’s net sales to Slow Food on Campus at Emory University. Slow Food is a nonprofit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that we’ve covered in The Sunday Paper before. It was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Emory University has an on-campus Slow Food chapter made up of students dedicated to educating others about sustainable, local and slow food choices. Student representatives will be on-hand at the store to educate customers about topics related to slow food, food democracy, community events and student organizations. Whole Foods Market Briarcliff is located at 2111 Briarcliff Road, and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CROWN & GLORY
Another pub has opened its doors, adding to Atlanta and its surrounding area’s quickly growing repertoire of upscale casual eateries. The Firkin & Crown, a British pub and restaurant, set up shop at the Avenue Forsyth, an outdoor shopping mall in Cumming. Chef Kirk Biondi, who you may remember from Atkins Park, prepares an authentic English menu. The restaurant’s name was inspired by the antique wooden barrel, or firkin, traditionally used in old England to store and transport dry goods and alcohol. British trappings are evident throughout, from the red and black décor to the time-aged British photographs and paintings. Get your jollies with traditional favorites, such as fish and chips, as well as salads, sandwiches, burgers and daily specials focused on fresh, seasonal ingredients. The Firkin & Crown also offers 16 draft beers and 27 bottled beers, including regional and national domestics, as well as imports and a variety of wines. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy pool tables, dart boards and 16 flat-screen televisions that primarily air sports, including football, soccer, rugby, baseball and basketball. The Firkin & Crown is open daily, offering a full menu from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a late-night menu available beginning at 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The restaurant is open Fridays and Saturdays until 2 a.m., and until midnight on Sundays. 440 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming. www.thefirkinandcrown.com.