“The Move” is your monthly guide to the top food finds from Senior Editor Beth McKibben, who oversees restaurant and dining coverage at Rough Draft. Subscribe to our dining newsletter Side Dish for the latest restaurant intel and scoops and to be the first to know where she’s been eating around Atlanta. Side Dish drops every Thursday at noon, just in time for lunch.
Ruby Chow’s
620 Glen Iris Drive, Old Fourth Ward
Located across from Dancing Goats Coffee and Ponce City Market at the corner of Glen Iris and North Avenue, Ruby Chow’s features some of Chef Guy Wong’s greatest hits from his past restaurants, including the shoyu tamago from Miso Izakaya. The shoyu tamago became an instant icon when Wong introduced it at Miso Izakaya. It also brought people out in droves who came to get one last taste of his take on the Japanese soy sauce egg before the restaurant closed on Edgewood in 2018.
When Wong announced he was opening Ruby Chow’s just two years later, everyone wanted to know if the shoyu tamago would make the menu. The answer was a resounding, “Yes!”
Wong keeps his approach to the Japanese-style soft-boiled egg pretty classic. A peeled egg slowly boils for around five minutes in soy sauce, tinting the egg’s white exterior a light shade of beige. The egg soaks up the sweet saltiness of the soy sauce as it steeps, while a quick boil keeps the yolk runny. The shoyu tamago is then placed atop a crispy cake of sticky rice and split open to allow the yolk to run down.
S’Pizza at Fellows Cafe
1088 Green Street, Roswell
Regulars of Fellows Cafe in downtown Roswell already know what takes place every Friday night inside the yellow house on Green Street. But for those who aren’t up to speed, the quaint breakfast and brunch cafe transforms into a bustling pizzeria slinging pizzas and cheesy, deep-dish pinwheel lasagnas for dinner paired with beer, natural wine, and Aperol spritzes.
The dining room was packed during my recent visit to the cafe’s Friday night pop-up, S’Pizza. Tables included couples on date nights, parents enjoying a pizza night with the kids, and friends meeting up for dinner and drinks after work.
I made a reservation for four via Resy and pre-ordered two pizzas, including a pepperoni pizza topped with local cup-and-char pepperoni and a vegetarian pie topped with mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and cherry tomatoes. There’s also a seasonal pizza, which was peach and prosciutto (pictured) the night I visited. This week it’s meatball parm.
What separates a good pizza from a great pizza is the crust. Fellows has its pizza crust on lock, using the same flavorful sourdough recipe for baking its breads and toasts.
When you arrive, head to the counter, tell them the name on the order, grab drinks, and take a seat. Our pizzas hit the table within five minutes. Here’s a handy video guide to how S’Pizza operates.
S’Pizza’s pies serve between three and four people and range from $16 to $26 each. Order two pizzas to make sure everyone gets at least two slices.
Mascogo Tacos
910 W College Avenue, Decatur
El Tesoro owners Alan Raines and Samantha Eaves recently handed over the Tortuga y Chango space on West College Avenue in Decatur to Chef Craig Headspeth. The chef and his pop-up, Mascogo Tacos, took up residence in the kitchen of the former mezcal bar last year and grew a regular following.
Now Headspeth and Mascogo Tacos occupy the entire space, once home to Lawrence’s Cafe, where the chef serves everything from mole negro de pollo to his fantastic tacos. That includes Headspeth’s signature taco: marinated grilled nopales or cactus pads.
Tender, grilled strips of cactus pads come marinated and piled onto a corn tortilla garnished with white onions, cilantro, and salsa verde. Expect the texture of cooked green beans but with a zesty tang.
I ordered three tacos on my most recent visit, including the cactus, pollo volcano, and al pastor. The al pastor was a standout — so juicy and packed with savoriness. Al pastor can easily dry out if it’s over-roasted or if it’s quick-grilled on a hot griddle. Headspeth’s version was an A+ in every way for me.
Three tacos cost $12. Pair it with a mezcal cocktail or the daily agua fresca, which can be made boozy by request.
