Fox Bros. brisket is your pick for the best in and around Atlanta. Here, it’s pictured with Texas toast and sides of mac and cheese and green beans. Photo: Becky Stein / Special

YOUR PICKS
1. Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
You say, “For brisket, you have to trust the Texas boys at Fox Bros. They smoke WHOLE briskets with the flat AND the POINT, giving it the higher fat content that is the benchmark of true Texas brisket. If you don’t like brisket with the point, then hang out at the assortment of OTP places mentioned that only smoke the flat. Admittedly, places like Dave Poe’s do better with pulled pork, but Fox Bros dominates in the ‘cue of their home state.”

2. Grand Champion BBQ
3. Heirloom Market BBQ
4. Community Q
5. Sam’s BBQ1

The sampler platter at Grand Champion includes pork, chicken and our pick for the best brisket in and around Atlanta. Photo: Becky Stein / Special

OUR PICKS
1. Grand Champion BBQ
The AJC dining team’s Popular Eats specialist Jon Watson …

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Academy Theatre's production of Michael Frayn's "Copenhagen" features Curtis Krick (from left), Stuart Schleuse and Lorilyn Harper. Photo courtesy Academy Theatre.

FRIDAY
Festival: The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival takes over Midtown through May 13. Day passes start at $180; 3-day passes start at $500.

Festival: Grab a bite at the North Cobb Rotary Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival in Cauble Park  on the shores of  Lake Acworth. The fest happens  May 11 and 12.

Festival, stage: Atlanta Fringe Festival’s mission is to “bridge the gap between the fine and the performing arts by showcasing nontraditional works that push audiences to gain new perspective on diverse and multicultural artistic expression.” The fest takes place at various venues around Atlanta through May 13. See our story on the festival.

Stage: In Dad’s Garage’s “Winner, The Story of You,” an audience member is selected to be the star of the show, a scripted/improvised hybrid that will tell the story of their …

Continue reading Weekend best bets: May 11-13 »

Smoothie King was your pick for best smoothies in and around Atlanta. Photo: Johnny Crawford, jcrawford@ajc.com

YOUR PICKS
1. Smoothie King
You say, “Really- Smoothie King is by far the best. No contest. Discussion over” and “Smoothie King off Flat Shoals Parkway. There’s a kid in there that makes the best concoction. Absolutely delicious. I don’t go in to get one unless he’s working that day.”

2. Arden’s Garden
3. LottaFruta
4. Get Fruity Café
5. Smoothie Studio

OUR PICKS
1. Nectar
The AJC dining team’s specialist in Southern and Neighborhood Fare Jenny Turknett says, “At Nectar, build your own smoothie, choosing from a number of bases, fruits and healthful mix-ins. Or, choose one of Nectar’s predesigned Mega Smoothies. My guilty pleasure here is the sweet and smooth Nutella smoothie with banana and soy or almond milk. You might almost convince yourself that this sweet treat is healthy. At least the products here contain no added sugars, no high fructose …

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Modern rock cellist Ben Sollee is the healiner for this year's River Revival, the annual fundraiser for the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.

FRIDAY
Music: The 16th Annual River Revival will feature  music from rock cellist Ben Sollee and many others. The fundraising event for the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper takes place 6:30-11 p.m. May 4 at Park Tavern at Piedmont Park.

Stage: The Atlanta Shakespeare Company takes a break in its chronological run through the Bard’s comedies to take on “Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.” It runs through May 27 at the New American Shakespeare Tavern.

Stage: Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville stages Ken Ludwig’s country club-set farce “The Fox on the Fairway.” It runs through May 27.

Stage: The lives of a young couple take a sharp turn when the husband is diagnosed with a terminal illness and the wife, desperate for money to pay for his care, devises a clever scheme that goes horribly awry in “Bonneville …

Continue reading Weekend best bets: May 4-6 »