Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency.
-
Atlanta’s newest pizza place, The Local Pizzaiolo, opened its doors Tuesday, January 23 on the West side. “It’s officially official! Our doors are open! Head on over and let us have a 🍕your ❤!” the eatery said on Facebook.
The restaurant offered free pizza to those who donated $2 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank & No Kid Hungry! The owner, Giulio Adriani, plans three more locations in the Atlanta area, including one in Reynoldstown, Toco Hills and Sandy Springs.
Patrons are already lauding the establishment’s authentic Italian pizza. On Facebook, one commenter said this: “Best pizza in town! Incredible dough from Italy… with unique and fresh toppings… all created by 4-time international pizza competition winner Giulio Adriani from Naples, Italy. This takes Atlanta pizza to a whole new level. And they have gelato, wine, beer and espresso… I think that covers all the important food groups! Can’t wait to go back!”
Another said, “Great new pizza spot. Very authentic Italian pizza with fresh ingredients. Gelato flavors were very creative. Glad to have his new option close to home and work.
-
And then there were 20. That’s the number of cities that have made the shortlist to be the site of Amazon’s second world headquarters. Atlanta joins cities such as Austin, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Toronto and Washington, D.C., the company said Thursday.
As we reported earlier, Amazon, the world’s No. 1 online retailer, is poised to move to the next phase of its hunt for the best HQ2 city: Tax incentives.
“Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough – all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity,” Holly Sullivan, an executive with Amazon Public Policy, said in a statement. “Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.”
Texas is said to be offering some tax incentives on par with Georgia’s $1 billion on the table. The stakes are high: Amazon said it will invest up to $5 billion in the local economy and create 50,000 jobs for the city it chooses.
The Inc. quoted Jeremy Bodenhamer, who runs a $13 million shipping and logistics firm,: “We believe they will select Atlanta,”he was quoted as saying. He cited the area’s deep well of tech talent as well as the region’s reputation as harboring people with top logistical knowledge (UPS as well as Lockheed is based here) a top reason.
-
If you’re looking for a new place to down some brews and spirits, City Tap Kitchen & Craft is set to open in Midtown on Sunday, Feb. 3 2019, AtlantaFi has learned.
The much-anticipated gastropub located in Midtown at 848 Peachtreet St NE will host a Super 53 watch party in collaboration with NFL Hall of Fame Players, and NFL Hall of Fame Players and NFL Legends will be there to mix, mingle and talk football with guests throughout the game.
Read more: 53 Atlanta events happening for Super Bowl 53
City Tap will open in the former space of Gordon Biersch, which closed in 2017. The address is 848 Peachtree St. NE.
City Tap brewery coming to Midtown Atlanta
City Tap is a national brand that sprang up in Philadelphia in 2010. Today City Tap has breweries in Philadelphia’s University City and Logan Square, Washington, D.C.’s Penn Quarter and Dupont developments, Boston’s Fort Point and Nashville’s Sobro location.
In addition to the new Atlanta location, a City Tap Kitchen & Craft is also slated for Chicago’s Fulton district in 2019.
“To properly represent the evolution of craft beer, we use our taps to show just how diverse craft beer can be, highlighting strong local brews, celebrating the success of long-standing regional partners, and enjoying centuries-old European traditions as well,” Andy Farrell, brand director at City Tap, said in a press release. “It’s fun to see the story of craft unfold across a dynamic beer list.”
Gettles to serve as executive chef at City Tap
Executive Chef Greg Gettles will helm City Tap, overseeing a food menu full of tempting dishes, like Elote “Street Corn” Dip with jalapeño, chili powder, cotija, cilantro, and chips; Ten-Spice Wings with blue cheese ranch and crisp vegetables; Corn and Crab Hushpuppies with citrus remoulade and honey-thyme butter.
City Tap’s formula for success lies in its wide, open bar, a huge selection of taps, a readable draft list and an unintimidating cuisine that appeals to local tastes.
When it comes to its brew list, City Tap says this: “Every beer is categorized by style and given a detailed flavor description so you know exactly what you’re drinking. We also provide you with the beer’s brewery of origin and proper pour size.”
Read more: The essential bars in Little 5 Points
Food & drink specials: How to eat for cheap in Atlanta EVERY DAY
-
East Lake’s best new restaurant, Mary Hoopa’s House of Fried Chicken & Oysters, has launched a brunch menu as of Sunday, May 26. Heavily influenced by the Southern cuisine found in Southern Louisiana, Mary Hoopa will bring to the ATL such Cajun delights as classic Beignets, a variety of oysters,“Nashville” Hot Fried Oysters with b&b pickles and white bread.
Other faves you’ll want to try include th ePork Belly Hash with potato, calabrese chile and collard greens and Buttermilk Pancakes with bacon jam and topped with a fried egg.
Now Serving In East Atlanta: Mary Hoopa’s Brunch Menu
In the mood for a drink? You’ll love the boozy punch offered along with traditional Bloody Marys and Mimosas.
Mary Hoopa’s House of Fried Chicken & Oysters is the latest concept from Chef Robert Phalen, who helmed the kitchen at Atlanta’s One Eared Stag. The eatery’s namesake, Mary Hoopa, was the beloved family friend and caretaker of Phalen’s mother-in-law and known for her yard-to-table recipes.
Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 until 3:00 p.m. Mary Hoopa’s is located at 2371 Hosea L. Williams Dr. Building 1, Atlanta, GA, 30317
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Read more: Here are Atlanta’s best brunch spots
One of ATL’s best-kept secrets: M Bar has an R&B Brunch every Sunday
Here are some of the best new restaurants in Atlanta for 2019
-
BET’s “The Quad” returns to TV this winter. Set right here in Atlanta, “The Quad” is BET’s breakout TV series, which debuted last year. The show stars Anika Noni Rose, known for her role in several films as well as the voice behind Disney’s first black princess in “The Princess and the Frog”.
The cast also includes veteran actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Jasmine Guy, Jazz Raycole, Peyton Alex Smith and more. Rose stars as Dr. Eva Fletcher, the president of Georgia A&M University, a fictional historically black college.
The show will return for Season 2 on Jan. 23, 2018, the network recently announced. This season the plot takes off at Georgia A&M’s spring semester. Fletcher’s focus is keeping the struggling university solvent while external pressures make the demise of the school a likely reality.
-
The musical lineup of the Shaky Beats Festival has been released, and it’s awesome. This year’s event is slated for May 11-13, 2018 and will feature over 50 top-notch electronic, indie and hip-hop acts across four stages Shaky Beats will have you hooping and dancing the night away.
Doors open at 3:00 PM on Friday, 2PM on Saturday and 1:30 PM on Sunday.The festival ends at 11 PM on Friday and Saturday and 10 PM on Sunday.
Musical acts will include Ludacris, Francis Dillon, Louis the Child, Playboi Carti, San Holo, Kayzo and many more.
The following items are PROHIBITED:
- Aerosol containers, including sunscreen and personal beauty products
- Any and all professional audio recording equipment
- Professional cameras and professional recording (photo, video, audio) equipment (NO large professional detachable zoom lenses, stands, monopods, tripods, attachment sticks (selfie sticks) or other commercial equipment.
- Any and all professional video equipment. No video recording will be allowed
- Drones or any other remote flying device
- Coolers of any kind. (Exceptions may be made for medical use)
- Framed backpacks
- Hammocks
- Glass and metal containers of any kind
The Shaky Beats Music Festival began in 2015 when founder Tim Sweetwood incorporated the brand Shaky Festivals LLC. It is the sister festival of the Shaky Knees Music Festival.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.”
-
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.