Is 2026 the year of the Italian restaurant?
Thursday, July 16— Hello, internet friends.
🇮🇹 A while back, my Rough Draft colleague Logan Ritchie remarked on 2026 being the year of Italian restaurant openings in Atlanta. I completely agree. The metro has welcomed scads of new Italian spots at differing price points, including Füm at Star Metals, Novo Cucina’s new Brookhaven location, and Fiorenza in Alpharetta. All of these restaurants opened in the past six months.
Italian wine bar Sagra opens in East Atlanta Village later this summer, and now Victory Sandwich Bar in Decatur will convert to an American-Italian-leaning restaurant geared toward families by the end of the month.
I like Italian food, so I’m not complaining. But it’s a trend we’re watching.
🍝 In this week’s Quick Bites, get updates on a new food hall in Castleberry Hill and closures in Avondale Estates and Buckhead. Keep reading for stories on that upcoming Italian spot I just mentioned, and a Peachtree Road Race participant who handed out free Costco hot dogs along the course. Plus, there’s a little ode I wrote to half-priced Pearson peaches.
Don’t forget to read this week’s “Family Meal,” where Beth gets chefs Claudia Martinez and Sam Pinner’s kitchen playlists, and African Soulfood in Marietta shares a recipe for bhajia, a fried potato street food snack.
See y’all next week,
🍰 Sarra
Quick Bites
Opening
🥢 Won Town, a food hall with an emphasis on Asian cuisine, opened at 89 Centennial Olympic Park Drive in Castleberry Hill near Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Closings
😢
Korean-inspired bakery Leftie Lee’s will close in Avondale Estates after brunch service on July 26. Owner Viv Lee said she will convert the business to wholesale, catering, and special orders. Leftie Lee’s opened in 2023 and was featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” last summer. Check out Leftie Lee’s Korean braised beef recipe here.
🍳 Big Bad Breakfast’s location on Howell Mill Road has closed. The chain’s first metro Atlanta location opened last fall.
4️⃣ Southern-Caribbean restaurant and bar Apt 4B will close after service on July 18. Apt 4B opened in Buckhead six years ago, taking over the former 1 Kept space on Peachtree. But it’s not all bad news. The owners, who are also behind Jouvert Kitchen in Buckhead and the newly opened coffee shop and restaurant Station 11 in Midtown, plan to reopen Apt 4B elsewhere in Atlanta.
Coming attractions
🕹️ Joystick Gambar just announced it will reopen in East Atlanta Village, taking over the former East Side Lounge space across from The Earl. Beth spoke with the owners of Joystick this week about the move and will have more on the new location in an upcoming story.
🍞 Minneapolis-based Rise Baking Company will relocate its Tucker Innovation Center location to Uptown Atlanta. The move comes after more than 20 years in Tucker. Look for a deeper story on the relocation and its impact on Tucker from Katie Burkholder next week.
🇹🇭 Starting Aug. 9, fine-dining Thai pop-up Charm will take over 788 Omakase Table on West Marietta Street five nights a week. Charm currently pops up for dinner here on Sunday and Monday nights.
🍸 It appears YBar from the team behind Yeppa and Co. and Storico Fresco will open soon in Buckhead Village. The bar is currently hiring for a few last-minute positions and prepping for service.
News to know
🚒 Orient Express in Vinings is temporarily closed after a fire ripped through the restaurant last week.
🔥 In Roswell, Thumbs Up Diner is also temporarily closed following a fire over the weekend.
Community announcement
🍽️ After 80 years in business on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown, Mary Mac’s Tea Room now accepts reservations.
Add to your calendar
🥙 The Atlanta Summer Halal Food Festival will take place at the Old Fourth Ward Skate Park on July 18 and 19, starting at noon. The event was rescheduled from last weekend on account of thunderstorms.
🍩 Seven Fingers Baked Goods will pop up at Rebel Teahouse in Decatur on July 19, starting at noon.
🍦 Lost-n-Found Youth and Out in Finance Atlanta will host an ice cream social at Big Softie’s Old Fourth Ward location on July 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event is free, although space is limited. Register for an event ticket here.
🇯🇵 Common Coffee & Cocktails will host Japanese sando operation Ticket to Tokyo for a pop-up on July 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ticket to Tokyo will offer limited-edition sandos made with black gold milk bread.
🧺 Smoking Tiger Club will host a four-course summer picnic with drinks, desserts, live music, and a DJ set at Delicious Best Urban Farm on July 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $73 and available via Hotplate.
🍴 Pastries A-Go-Go will host Beksa Lala and Soupbelly for a 1970s dinner party-themed pop-up on July 30. The event, which includes a five-course dinner, will hold seatings at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $102, include gratuity, and are available via Pastries A-Go-Go’s Toast page. Word is aspic is on the menu.
🍔 Taste of Smyrna’s Festival of Delectable returns to the Village Green on Sept. 12, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free, with vendor samples costing between $1 and $10. Participating restaurants include Mezza Luna Pasta and Seafood, Williamson Brothers BBQ, and Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar.
Where to Find Summer-Inspired Drinks in Roswell
SPONSORED BY ROSWELL INC. AND VISIT ROSWELL
🍹 Explore Roswell’s beverage scene with a summer-inspired twist. Enjoy Summer Sippin’ at participating locations all around Roswell.
The beverage competition returns for its 11th year and showcases creative seasonal beverages at restaurants, coffee shops, tasting rooms and breweries.
➞ Check out the NEW interactive event guide and rate every sip you try this summer to help decide the ‘Best Sip in Roswell.’ Get your sip on.
Top Stories
Michelin-recognized dumplings arrive in Buford
🇨🇳 Michelin-recognized Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao is now open at the Mall of Georgia. The restaurant first opened in New York in 2006 and now has more than a dozen locations around the Northeast. The Gwinnett County location is the restaurant’s first in the Southeast.
Peachtree Road Race, meet hot dogs
🌭 Did you see the man running dressed as a hot dog during the Peachtree Road Race? I know there were many this year. But this racer was carrying a sack of hot dogs to give away, while also eating a hot dog for every mile he ran. That’s six hot dogs. And yes, he finished the 6.2-mile race.
Well, “hot dog guy” has a name: Mico Quijano, a runner and content creator from North Carolina.
⏩ Read Ansley’s story on Mico and his Peachtree hot dog challenge.
Victory Sandwich Bar to pivot to American-Italian
😳 Remember my thoughts on Italian restaurants from the intro?
Victory Sandwich Bar in Decatur will close next week and revamp to Besto, an American-Italian restaurant serving sandwiches, salads, eggplant parm, and lasagna. Expect Sunday spaghetti suppers and daily happy hour martinis, too.
⏩ Read Beth’s story on Victory’s rebrand here.
At the Market
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🍉 Each week, Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets partner to bring you two recipes that you can make at home using fresh ingredients from your local farmers market. It’s summer salad time, and we’ve got some great options for you – a peachy twist on a caprese and a watermelon-based dish. Click here for both.
That Slaps
🫐 Does a certain parasitic outbreak have you trusting the farmers market way more than the grocery store? Same!
I spent my most recent Saturday morning at the Druid Hills Farmers Market because I actually cannot survive without blueberries. I also stopped at the Pearson Farm stand because it’s July in Georgia and I will never waste an opportunity for a good peach.
🍑 Pearson sells “ugly” peaches — fruit with bruises or minor cuts, nothing scary — at half price. I seized the opportunity to buy 10 pieces of fruit for just five bucks. Those peaches may not be commercial-grade, but they are incredible nonetheless. I like to cut one up in the morning and mix the pieces with a few spoonfuls of full-fat yogurt for breakfast.
We’re always looking for recipes to highlight on Rough Draft. If you have a favorite dish from a restaurant you want the recipe for, please send me an email to sarra@roughdraftatlanta.com.
