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She may be just 13-year-old, but Marsai Martin is already an entertainment titan, whether you know it or not. Martin, who stars in the ABC hit TV show “Black-ish,” shot a film last yeaer in Atlanta called “Little.”
“Little,” which stars Issa Rae, Justin Hartley and Regina Hall is coming to theaters across the nation later this year.
‘Little’ movie starring Marsai Martin coming out in 2019
Marsai stars in the comedy in her first feature film role and also helped executive produce it. “Little” is about a woman who gets to relive her childhood after she struggles as an adult, according to The AJC.
Marsai came up with the idea for the film after her agent (since fired) told her to “just chill,” the newspaper reports. Issa Rae has also been attached to the project, which has been bought by Universal Pictures.
Based on Marsai’s concept, the original version of “Little” was written by Tracy Oliver, the screenwriter behind Girls Trip.
Many know Marsai from her role on “Black-ish,” which has gotten rave reviews. Marsai’s portrayal of her character Diane Johnson has been lauded for her comedic timing and effortless expressions.
She says she knew she wanted to act when she was a toddler. “At a very young age, when I was a baby, I used to mimic all of these movies, like ‘Dreamgirls’ and ‘Ray,’ the type of movies you wouldn’t think a little kid would know. But my parents thought I was great,” Marsai tells the L.A. Times.
“Little” is in post-production and may see the light of day in U.S. theaters in November 2019.
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The Atlanta-filmed paranormal series “Stranger Things 3” is going to be available for streaming on July 4, 2019, according to Netflix.
The trailer for the Netflix hit “Stranger Things 3” was released in December 2018, giving us the shock and awe we’ve grown accustomed to with the series. Atlanta has been a central filming location for the epic show, now in its third season.
Shots of Gwinnett Place Mall can be seen in the “Stranger Things 3” trailer, and their are other shots that hometown Atlantans might recognize.
Watch ‘Stranger Things 3’ trailer
If you’re new to the “Stranger Things” realm, unorthodox things have been taking place in little Hawkins, Indiana, which is set in 1984.
For the new season, the producers are going to move things along quite a bit, maturing the storylines as the kids get older. The Duffer Brothers told The Hollywood Reporter this tidbit:
“Our kids are aging. We can only write and produce the show so fast. They’re going to be almost a year older by the time we start shooting season three. It provides certain challenges. You can’t start right after season two ended. It forces you to do a time jump. But what I like is that it makes you evolve the show. It forces the show to evolve and change, because the kids are changing.”
Netflix has scheduled its release in the summer of 2019, the better to enamor young and idle minds out from school.
The series stars the following actors:
- Winona Ryder.
- David Harbour.
- Finn Wolfhard.
- Millie Bobby Brown.
- Gaten Matarazzo.
- Caleb McLaughlin.
- Natalia Dyer.
- Charlie Heaton.
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Atlanta’s biggest company, Delta Airlines, once again got major props for its in-air cuisine, according to rankings by nutritionist Charles Platkin, aka the Diet Detective.
Platkin runs a blog, DietDetective.com, which gauges the healthiness of food served by multiple entities. The blog noted that although Delta has upped the calories in 2016, “calories are not everything; we are looking at the nutrients.”
He also lauded the Atlanta institution for its dedication to serving responsible meals to travelers.
“Delta is doing an incredible job focusing on improving its food, transparency and communication,” Platkin said. “It is the clear leader among the big carriers by a long shot. While calories are surely not everything, it’s always nice to see a decrease; the overall calories are down from 527 to 480.”
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The Atlanta Dream women’s basketball team has a new coach courtside: Nicki Collen, who hopes to reverse the recent fortunes of the city’s WNBA franchise.
Colleen most recently was an assistant coach with the Connecticut Sun, where the team posted a 21-13 record under head coach Curt Miller.
After she was hired in October, Collen said ““I am humbled at the opportunity to become the next Head Coach of the Atlanta Dream and incredibly proud to be associated with a league that empowers women in such a positive way,” according to a WNBA press release. “I want to thank owners Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler, as well as team President Theresa Wenzel for believing in me and what we can accomplish together. I was blown away by their passion and commitment to the Dream and to the city of Atlanta.”
The Dream went 12-22 last season, culminating in the firing of head coach Michael Cooper. Colleen said that she was actually surprised she got the call. “I was shocked at first,” Collen told Atlanta Magazine, “but I was also incredibly humbled. [I was] just living the dream.”
Colleen will get an Atlanta squad stocked with eager talent: Tiffany Hayes, Layshia Clarendon Damiris Dantas, Bria Holmes and Elizabeth Williams all shined at one point or another last season.
Let’s hope they can string together some victories and give Atlanta another winner.
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Crescent Avenue is getting another top-tier eateries. Publico Kitchen & Bar, the South Carolina-based restaurant, is coming to Atlanta.
Michael Duganier, COO of Publico’s parent company All in Restaurant Group, told What Now Atlanta that the Latin fusion eatery was headed to Midtown.
The new space is expected to open in early 2018.
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Midtown Atlanta has a new tapas bar, this time in the tradition of Spain. Bulla Gastrobar opened in September at 60 11th Street NE in the 12th & Midtown development.
Bulla (pronounced “boo-ya”) is a casual yet upscale restaurant that offers shareable Spanish cuisine and a creative cocktail program.
Bulla Gastrobar, a Florida-based venture, is being brought to Atlanta by Centurion Restaurant Group. “Bulla to me is a celebration of the best things about Spanish culture and dining,” Carlos Centurion, president and founder of Centurion Restaurant Group, said in a news release. “We provide excellent food and service, but more than that, we give our guests an exceptional dining experience; one that is casual and relaxed but also tasteful and elegant. -
The Atlanta area’s most well-regarded Latino sandwich shop is open at The Battery Atlanta. For months now, El Super Pan is joining the sports and entertainment complex anchored by SunTrust Park in spring 2018.
El Super Pan’s first location, at Ponce City Market, in Midtown has been a hit since its 2015 debut.
El Super Pan opens at The Battery Atlanta
Three-time James Beard-nominated Chef Hector Santiago will bring his popular Latin American fare to “Los Bravos” (Braves fans) for lunch and dinner seven days a week in the Cumberland community. Fan favorites from Puerto Rican-born Santiago include the sought-after Mofongos, the Cubano Mixto, pressed sandwich on a traditional Cuban bread and desserts such as chipotle-chocolate chip cookies, organic egg flan, and bacon-guava shortbread cookie and Cuban coffee.
Although the Braves are playing and SunTrust Park is up and running, development in the vicinity continues to take off.
In addition to El Super Pan, the Omni Hotel is set to open in early 2018, giving visitors a home before and after Braves games as well as anchoring metro Atlanta’s newest entertainment destination. The property will feature 264 guest rooms across 16 floors.
Where is El Super Pan located at the Battery?
El Super Pan is located at 455 Legends Place, Suite 862, Atlanta, GA 30339 inside The Battery. Here’s a map to help you find the place.
Atlanta is having a restaurant renaissance. Hot chicken is the rage in Atlanta’s dining scene right now. But so are chicken and waffles.
Fast-casual is also the dining trend du jour around metro Atlanta restaurants. The concept involves mixing the quick accessibility of fast food with the casual dining experience. Food in Atlanta is also adapting to the various tastes of the migrants that come here to live.
Read more: 5 essential soul food spots in Atlanta
Patrons typically order off a menu board like they would at a burger joint, but the convenience of sitting down to leisurely enjoy their food has made the segment a popular one with the restaurant industry.
The craze hasn’t escaped metro Atlanta’s food and drink scene, which has seen a fast-caz explosion in recent years.
Check out some of AtlantaFi.com’s best Atlanta restaurant stories
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Colony Square last week launched a partnership with Fooda to bring “restaurant pop-ups” to the Midtown development.
Colony Square has scored a new deal with office lunch outprint Fooda to bring pop-up shop food options to Midtown. Fooda will bring daily eats to the complex from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., according to WhatNowAtlanta.com.
Colony Square is in the midst of planning on a massive redevelopment project that will bring ultimately bring new retail space, a food hall and movie theater to Peachtree by November 2019.
The “Reimagined” Colony Square has been hailed by city leaders as a major cog in drawing residents, tourists and businesses back to Atlanta’s core.
When it comes to restaurants, Atlanta is quickly gaining ground on some of the dining capitals around the United States.
Fast-casual is the dining trend du jour around metro Atlanta restaurants. The concept involves mixing the quick accessibility of fast food with the casual dining experience. Food in Atlanta is also adapting to the various tastes of the migrants that come here to live.
Read more: 5 essential soul food spots in Atlanta
Patrons typically order off a menu board like they would at a burger joint, but the convenience of sitting down to leisurely enjoy their food has made the segment a popular one with the restaurant industry.
The craze hasn’t escaped metro Atlanta’s food and drink scene, which has seen a fast-caz explosion in recent years.
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You never know how compatible two independent notions are until they clash together and make something unique and beautiful. The annual Pancakes & Booze art show is similar.
The event, which is July 13, 2018, features more than 100 local artists, entertainment and live music.
Atlanta’s art scene is thriving right now thanks to the city’s commitment to becoming a visually pleasing mecca that supports and props up its most creative residents.
The event will be held at the Georgia Freight Depot, one of the best party venues in Atlanta.
The art show’s organizers say this rolling event has taken cities across the United States by storm — and that’s a good thing.
“Since 2009 we’ve been filling the best venues in over 30 cities around the world with your favorite local artists, photographers, bands, and DJ’s,” it says on the event’s promo.
“We focus on keeping the work on display local and original to help artists of all types sell their work while they’re still alive (why does it take dying to gain recognition?). Each show usually features between 50-150 local artisans, a unique lineup of live musicians and/or DJs, live painting, body painting, along with other forms of entertainment. Oh, and of course PANCAKES! “
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Every month, three Atlanta women come together to try the beignets at certain metro Atlanta restaurants.During this monthly ritual, their tastebuds attempt to harmonize. The Beignet Babes are keen to spot any servings not up to par: Is it a true beignet or just something dumped in powder?Otherwise, it’s just a funnel cake. No, an award-winning beignet is fluffy, dumpling shaped and has a perky characteristic to it.
These three metro Atlanta ladies — all from south Louisiana — know when they’ve arrived at good-as-home Cajun cuisine.
Here Are The Best Beignets In Atlanta
These beignets they have in front of them are pretty good, but one of them says the sweetness is not there.
Perhaps the chef’s recipe calls for substituting the real sugar you would expect in the Nawlins delicacy.So where can you have beignets in Atlanta and it’s metro area? Here are the leading restaurants:
A night out on the town more often than not begins in an Atlanta restaurant.
The city’s dining scene is a vibrant space with bold kitchens influenced by the best of worldly cultures interpreted by curious chefs.
Yet each restaurant has its signature dish, it’s edible business card, that leaves its mark on the tastebuds of hundreds of guests per week.
Big Easy Grille
1193 Collier Rd NW Suite D, Atlanta, GA 30318 | (404) 352-2777
Here’s what one reviewer says about Big Easy Grille: “This review is solely for one item, and that’s their beignets. A girlfriend had a birthday and was not able to make it to New Orleans to have the real deal. She told me about this place but said she never tried them. We decided to stop by and have drinks, and of course beignets. Heads up….do NOT bite my head off but these are BETTER than the ones in New Orleans. Don’t get me wrong…NOLA beignets are really good too, but these are lighter. NOLA’s has a denser texture. Also, the Big Easy’s are much smaller so that could be another contributing factor. Either way, we enjoyed them so much that we ordered another round. If you stop by…order you a batch … or TWO.”
Louisiana Bistreaux
1375 Virginia Ave, East Point, GA 30344 | (404) 762-6755
3312 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 | (404) 941-9545
1496 Church St, Decatur, GA 30030 | (404) 963-1463
Here’s what one reviewer says about Louisiana Bistreaux’s beignets: “This was my first time coming here with a group of my friends. The food was Awesome and so was the customer service. I had the Blackened Tilapia and the Red Velvet Cheesecake. Our waitress Courtney was so down to earth and so friendly. If I could have hired her to work at my store, I would. I love the atmosphere. Will definitely be back!”
Yay Beignet & Bistro
660 Irwin St NE Atlanta, Ga. 30312 | 470-289-1614Here’s what one reviewer says about Yay Beignet: “Yay Beignet is such a vibe! They have perfected the recipe for fried catfish. The catfish and grits were the perfect combination of creamy and crispy. The biscuits are everything you need; flaky, moist, and a perfect companion for the fish. The beignet bites were amazing in both the chocolate sauce and the cinnamon sauce. Last but most important, the people were nice. Good customer service is hard to come by and Yay Beignet’s staff understands the assignment. I can’t wait to visit again!”Copeland’s of New Orleans
3101 Cobb Pkwy SE #220, Atlanta, GA 30339 | (770) 612-3311
Here’s what one reviewer says about Copeland’s of New Orleans, which has crab-stuffed beignets: “We went the second day the dining room reopened. The protocols in place made you feel comfortable. They had excellent social distancing at the tables and markers on the floor and front waiting area. The staff was kind and checked on us several times. Food was good.”
Want more Louisiana-inspired dishes? Here’s where to get crawfish in Atlanta.
At this point, Atlanta cuisine has become indispensable to the South. The largest city in Georgia’s food festivals and culinary events set the tone for the entire Southeast.
Only in Atlanta can the casual observer find specialty food shops, off-the-beaten-path restaurants, farmers’ markets and farm stands all at an affordable price point.
But Atlanta also has trendy restaurants, pop-ups and time-tested landmarks that continue to draw big crowds.
For the latest in metro Atlanta’s food and drink scene, stay with Atlantafi.com.