Renowned Southern cookbook authors Matt and Ted Lee will be guests at a dinner and book signing on Tuesday, March 26 at The Optimist in West Midtown. The Charleston, S.C., natives celebrate their hometown with their newly released cookbook, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen (Clarkson Potter, $35). Executive Chef Adam Evans will execute the dinner, highlighting the brothers’ favorite recipes from the book. Cocktail hour begins at 7 p.m. followed by dinner at 8 p.m.
The Lee brothers share a similar vision and food philosophy to ours,” said Ford Fry, chef and managing partner. “I’ve been a fan of their work for a long time and our whole team is looking forward to hosting this dinner and book signing. The new book is awesome and we’re going to have a good time cooking from it for the guests that night.”
The meal will be served family-style and will include Gumbo-filled popovers, half-shell South Carolina oysters with benne crackers, a first course of She-crab soup with lump crab meat, a second course of salt-baked whole red snapper or wild duck prepared “opera style” (parboiled, fried and braised). Sides will include Hoppin’ John with spring greens, and fontina hominy. On the dessert menu: Strawberry-rhubarb upside-down skillet cake, Sorghum silver dollar pancakes, and Lemon-buttermilk chess pie. Specialty drinks available that night will include the Kumquat-tini, Low country limoncello, Moonshine martini, and Muscadine sangria.
A limited number of tickets are available for purchase online. The cost is $65 per person and includes tax and gratuity. Books will also be available for purchase for $35 plus tax and guests will have the opportunity to have their books personalized by Matt and Ted Lee at the event.
Named Esquire magazine’s Best New Restaurant of the Year in 2012, The Optimist and Oyster Bar at The Optimist is located at 914 Howell Mill Road in Atlanta; 404-477-6260. Dinner is served Sunday to Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Lunch is served Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Oyster Bar at The Optimist is open from 5 p.m. to close from Monday to Friday and 3 p.m. to close on Saturday and Sunday. To make a reservation, please call 404-477-6260. For more information, visit theoptimistrestaurant.com or the restaurant’s Facebook page.
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