On Tuesday, Feb. 20, if you want a free chicken biscuit, it’s free at Chick-fil-A in metro Atlanta. There is no purchase necessary, one per customer.
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Add another notch to SunTrust Park and its surrounding businesses as the place to be this year.
Punch Bowl Social, known as a forerunner in the “eatertainment” movement, announced recently that it will open a 27,000 square-foot “food and games” concept in The Battery Atlanta on March 24, 2018.
The eatery will feature made-from-scratch cuisine, craft beer and vintage video games, according to a 2017 press release.
A short walk to SunTrust Park, the Braves’ new stadium, The Battery is a mixed-use development featuring shopping, restaurants and townhomes. While the entire development won’t be ready for business by Opening Day, much of it will, city leaders have said.
Punch Bowl Social joins other venerable eateries around the new ballpark, such as Antico’s Pizza and “Mex-Tex” concept El Feliz. Celebrity chef Hugh Acheson joins the Punch Bowl project as “culinary advisor,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Punch Bowl Social founder and CEO Robert Thompson said that the city has been a prime market for a while now.“Atlanta has a unique mix of urban sophistication and southern charm,” he said, according to the AJC.
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Muss & Turner’s, which opened last year in East Cobb, is closing its doors, AtlantaFi has learned. The restaurant, which took over the old Common Quarter space on Johnson Ferry Road shopping center, closed Monday, according to a press release.
Partner Ryan Turner said this in a written statement Monday afternoon:
We’ve got good news and bad news, so here it goes…
Bad News: We regret to inform you that our East Cobb location will be permanently closed as of tonight. We gave it our best, but unfortunately this venture simply did not work out.
Good News: Our Muss & Turner’s Smyrna location is still open and going strong! We sincerely hope you’ll come out and visit us. There are so many faces we’ll miss seeing around East Cobb, but we hope to serve you soon in Smyrna! Thanks for joining us for the ride and for your support along the way.The East Cobb restaurant, which opened last March, emphasized sandwiches, soups and salads, along with a selective beverage program serving wines, local craft drafts and signature drinks.
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Brunch has always been one of the most satisfying meals of the week. For some reason that we have not been able to demystify, brunch is nearly always associated with Sundays. Why?
Surely you should be able to enjoy poached eggs and coffee at 2 p.m. on any day of the week. Anyhoo, speaking of Sundays, Atlanta has some pretty righteous brunch spots.
Here are five of the best brunch joints in the ATL.
The Southern Gentleman: The Shops Buckhead Atlanta 3035 Peachtree Rd NE
Ste A 208 Atlanta, GA 30305
This Buckhead gem is fashionably decorated and located, making it a tourist favorite. Featuring such hits as the shrimp and grits and Monte Cristo brunch joint, you don’t want to sleep on this restaurant. In three short years, it has become one of Buckhead’s best. A Yelper says this: ““It’s owned by the same group that recently opened Gypsy Kitchen in the new Buckhead Atlanta shopping district.”
Sun In My Belly 2161 College Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30317
A Yelper says: ““We’re ready to go back for dinner asap–if you love this place for brunch/lunch, give dinner a whirl.”
Buttermilk Kitchen 4225 Roswell Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30342 Buckhead
A Yelper says: ““We had French toast, an omelettes, eggs ried hard, the pimento cheese grits and their exclusive Tennessee smoked bacon…yum!”
Whiskey Bird 1409 N Highland Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30306 Morningside / Lenox Park
A Yelper says: “Whiskey Bird is super cool inside, imagine concrete floors, light wood tables, and almost-Scandinavian-meets-Japanese decor. We were a little early for our reservation on a Saturday night, but the place wasn’t crowded at all, so they seated us right away. Immediately, I looked over the drink list (lots of whiskey options, naturally) and the rose sake sangria caught my eye! It was really tasty, light in alcohol but still high in flavor, and a really unusual sangria, in the best way. My dude had the Whiskey Bird sour to start, which was tasty.”
West Egg Cafe 1100 Howell Mill Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30318 Westside / Home Park
A Yelper says: ““When I want breakfast/brunch it’s most likely a West Egg craving.The Georgia Benedictis my thing but everything I’ve had here is great.”
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AAA has unveiled its list of restaurants that have earned the AAA Five Diamond Rating over the last year. The vaunted designation qualifies the eateries for the prestigious Five Diamond Restaurants list.
Atlanta, home to some pretty swanky spots that have opened over the past five years, has only four restaurants to make the list. But given that some major cities have none, we’ll take the quartet.
“Five Diamond restaurants have evolved over the years to meet the changing expectations of restaurant enthusiasts who are increasingly sophisticated about cuisine,” said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Inspections & Diamond Ratings.
Here are metro Atlanta’s 10 restaurants (out of nearly 700) that have earned the four diamond designation:
- AG
- Aria
- Atlas
- Bacchanalia
- Bar Margot
- Canoe –
- La Grotta Ristorante Italiano
- Nan Thai Fine Dining
- Nikolai’s Roof
- Restaurant Eugene
The restaurants signal the very best in culinary arts as well as top-notch service and atmosphere.
Petrone added: “Guests want to learn about cooking techniques, ingredient sourcing and the latest trends. They are looking for a wide-ranging dining experience that includes being educated and entertained. No longer does world-class necessarily mean formal attire and opulent surroundings. And that’s where AAA’s Diamond Ratings can help guide the discerning diner.”
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One Midtown Kitchen, the venerable Midtown Atlanta dining institution that raised the bar for countless eateries in the city, is closing its doors, AtlantaFi has learned.
The news was first reported by The AJC Tuesday and confirmed by a statement from the eatery’s parent company,Concentrics Restaurants. The restaurant, which is located at 559 Dutch Valley Rd NE, will close on March 4.
“In the spirit of being passionate pioneers in the restaurant and hospitality industry and always working to be at the forefront of trends, we are announcing that the ONE. midtown kitchen brand will be retiring on March 4, 2018.”
The restaurant, known for its bold dishes and transcendent atmosphere, will be missed, but the owners indicate that they will be back with new concepts for Atlanta.
The company said it was closing the doors “to allow us to focus on new and exciting concepts in Atlanta and across the country,” a statement from the group said.
They added: “We sincerely thank our patrons, the community and Atlanta for the support you’ve given ONE over the past 16 years. It’s been an incredible run. To bid ONE a proper farewell, we hope you will join us our final weeks for favorite menu items, throwbacks, fantastic cocktails and good cheer.”
One Midtown Kitchen opened in 2002.
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The fast food chain is running the free promotion all morning up until 10:30 a.m.. That’s when breakfast ends and the kitchens will convert to lunch preparation.
Three weeks ago, Chick-fil-A opened a new restaurant on North Decatur Road in Decatur and gave customers a chance to win free food for a year. The new location at 650 Decatur Village Way brought about 90 jobs with it and is one of several new eateries planned for 2018.
To celebrate, all participating Atlanta-area Chick-fil-A restaurants gave away a free chicken biscuit on Jan. 23.
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Sweetwater Brewery, the most famous beer company in Atlanta, has finally turned legal. To celebrate, the establishment is throwing quite the hoe-down.
The 21+ affair takes place Saturday, February 17, 2018 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets go for $29 and you better act fast.
Celebrate 21 Years of Heady Beers with:
- A Full day of music featuring Dirty Heads, Twiddle, and People’s Blues of Richmond.
- A fat stash of draft options from our cellar and specialty beers throughout the building! We’ll also be pulling out all the stops with the draft list in the Woodlands.
- Our 21st Anniversary Ale, an Oud Bruin and our 21 Anni custom glass will be available for purchase.
- A bevy of food trucks featuring tasty options.
- This is a rain or shine event, with our big outdoor stage. Please plan accordingly.
- Shuttles running from the SIP Coffee at the Lindbergh Marta station to the Brewery. Parking is VERY limited onsite, so MARTA, UBER, cabs, etc. will be your best bet!
- Doors open at 11:00am, and we’ll be shutting this shindig down at 10:00pm
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Several Atlanta-area chefs and restaurants have been nominated as 2018 James Beard Award semifinalists, the group announced Thursday.
The nominees have a chance to take home the top prize and cement Atlanta’s place on the map as a bona fide cultural mecca with top-notch restaurants with diverse cuisine.
Atlanta’s Miller Union eatery on Brady Avenue in Midtown Atlanta is up for Outstanding Wine Program.
For Best Chef: Southeast, perennial nominee Ryan Smith of Staplehouse, Ri Liu of Masterpiece in Duluth made the cut, and so did Atsushi Hayakawa of Sushi Hayakawa along with Meherwan Irani of Botiwalla in Ponce City Market.
Also in Georgia, Brunswick’s Matthew Raiford of The Farmer & The Larder along with Savannah’s Mashama Bailey of The Grey are in the running.
For Rising Star Chef, Brian So of Spring in Cobb County and Parnass Savang of Talat Market both made the list.
The firm Meyer Davis is a finalist for best Restaurant Design for transforming the architecture of the old Bluepointe space in Lenox (with designers Will Meyer, Gray Davis, Katie McPherson) into the European-inspired St. Cecilia.
The finalists will be announced in Philadelphia on March 14. The grand prize will be announced May 7 at the James Beard Foundation Awards Gala in Chicago.
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SNL star and comedian Leslie Jones flew into Atlanta for some project and has not benefitted from the Southern hospitality that is commonplace in these parts.
First, Jones had a less-than-stellar experience at the Atlanta Fish Market in Buckhead – and she took to social media to blast them on it.
“kO dam I wanted a nice meal and wow Atlanta Fish Market gave me the worse service I’ve EVER gotten,” she tweeted. “Then instead of the manager coming to make it better, he came and gave me the worse attitude EVER! I can’t believe this!”
The restaurant promptly responded to the accusation, saying: “Ms. Jones, we’re very sorry to hear that you had a negative experience at the Atlanta Fish Market. We’d appreciate the opportunity to learn what happened & hopefully make things right. Our guests’ experience is our top priority, & we appreciate you bringing this to our attention.”
But Jones was having none of it. “Ask your snobby manager who thought it was just black people trying to get out of paying instead of it being the bad service and terrible food,” she posted. “He actually said “no you just didn’t like what you ordered” um yea cause it’s nasty son!I just wanted to eat in Atlanta! Y’all ruin that.”
The exchange set off scores of comments on social media, with people siding with Jones and others supporting the eatery.
“Saw your rant on Atlanta Fish Market. I agree with you,” one commenter said. “My husband and I went there for our anniversary several years back. Valet parked our 2 wk old new vehicle and after having a horrible meal, with complaints and same reaction you got from manager, went outside for valet to bring our vehicle and they wrecked our new vehicle hitting another car.”
Another one said: “Again, another disgruntled Black celebrity who apparently feels she is due a better service then anyone else. Was it because she wanted a free meal now or was it that she wanted a meal at a reduced rate now and a free feast later? God only knows.”
Still, most of the interactions with the popular Buckhead restaurant have been positive. People have been uploading cheerful stories about the eatery since Jones’ post. Read about it here.
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Lao restaurant Snackboxe Bistro has opened its doors in DeKalb County, AtlantaFi has learned. Snackoboxe opened Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 to such success that the establishment ran out of food and had to close.
The restaurant has been operating on a limited menu featuring several Asian hits such as khao poon, spicy thum and Lao sausage.
“Come one, come all!! Just in time for super bowl weekend, place your party platter orders with us 😁” the eatery posted on Facebook this weekend. #snackboxebistro #grandopening #laofood#laorestaurant
The restaurant is located at 6035 Peachtree St. Suite C-114, Doraville, GA. 30360.
There are so many Atlanta events popping off every week it’s hard to keep up with it all. That’s why I suggest you subscribe to AtlantaFi.com to get all the freshest gatherings, Atlanta happenings, parties and more delivered to your inbox.
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