Fat Thursday
Feb. 27 — While many Southerners are familiar with the food traditions surrounding Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, for Polish Americans, Fat Thursday—the Thursday before Lent—ushers in the last days of pączki season, culminating in Pączki Day on the following Tuesday. Dining editor Beth McKibben has some suggestions on where to indulge in the sweet treats.
☁️ Mostly cloudy and a high of 64° today.
🚨 Seven members of the Goodfellas street gang have been charged with the murder of two teens last summer in Oakland City. Atlanta Police said the killings are connected to a music video shoot by rapper Lil Baby.
🅿️ The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation on Wednesday revealed its 2025 list of 10 Places in Peril. The list includes 148 Edgewood Ave., which may be demolished for a parking lot.
💰 The City of Brookhaven has designated $5 million in sales tax dollars to relocate behavioral health provider Claratel from Brookhaven Park.
⚖️ A man who was accused of shooting and killing his girlfriend in Sandy Springs in 2020 was found guilty on 22 counts and sentenced to life without parole.
🗳️ Dyana Bagby examines Mayor Andre Dickens’ vision of Atlanta if he’s elected for a second term.
👀 A federal judge has appointed Kathleen Kenney, a local attorney with 32 years of corrections experience, as the lead monitor to oversee improvements at the Fulton County Jail.
🏫 Dunwoody City Council members are split on whether or not to spend $1 million to install turf at DeKalb County-owned Peachtree Middle School.
🖼️ “Making Our Mark,” an art exhibition geared toward Women’s History Month, opens Saturday at Empire Arts Gallery in Kirkwood. Sketchbook has a Q&A with curator Elaine Stephenson.
ELSEWHERE
⚖️ Chief Justice John Roberts paused a court deadline requiring the Trump administration to release $2 billion in frozen foreign aid.
🇮🇱 Thousands lined Israeli streets Wednesday as Shiri Bibas and her two young sons were laid to rest, their remains recently returned from Gaza. Global landmarks were lit up in orange to honor the red-headed children Ariel and Kfir.
🎗️ Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, 95, who starred in “The French Connection” and “Hoosiers,” was found dead alongside his wife and dog in their Santa Fe home.
🎗️ Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, known for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl,” was found dead in her New York apartment. She was 39.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Last Looks at Oglethorpe
• ‘Mamma Mia’ review
• PitchGhost startup
AND
• Quick Bites
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie
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1. Oglethorpe University’s Last Looks film festival kicks off Friday
📽️ The fifth annual Oglethorpe University Student Film Festival, also called Last Looks, will take place on Friday.
This year’s Last Looks will feature 30 short films all made by Oglethorpe students. The event will take place at Lupton Auditorium starting at 7 p.m.
Each film has the opportunity to compete for the festival’s Capturing Culture Award, and prizes will be awarded to the top three films.
🍿 Learn more about the event here.
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👉🏼 Check out our current listings here.
2. ‘Mamma Mia’ and ABBA bring joy and energy to the Fox Theatre
🕺 From the startling poignancy of regret in “Slipping Through My Fingers” to the unbridled glee of “Take a Chance On Me,” every ABBA song is pure feeling poured into a melody.
When those songs are performed well, that feeling only amplifies, and the touring cast of “Mamma Mia,” which is playing at the Fox Theatre through March 2, didn’t disappoint.
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, who also directed the 2008 movie version, this production has a similar energy to that film – that is to say, a little loose, a little funky, but endlessly energetic.
🇬🇷 Read Sammie Purcell’s full review here.
3. PitchGhost helps startups find the right customers through smarter social listening
📱 Finding the right customers online is a challenge for any business, especially for startups and small businesses working without massive marketing budgets. While social listening tools have long helped brands track conversations and generate leads online, most platforms cater to large enterprises and rely solely on online keyword tracking.
The team behind PitchGhost wants to change that reality for companies and help them better “pitch” their products and services to potential customers.
The early-stage startup, which is inside Atlanta Tech Village, is not designed just to be another keyword-driven social listening platform. Instead, PitchGhost can go deeper and provide more robust insights into what people are talking about online.
➡ Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.
🍪 Thin Mint and Samoa fans – Girl Scout Cookies are back for a limited time. Visit ShowMeTheCookies.com to order online or find a cookie booth. All profits stay local and support a girl in your neighborhood. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Quick Bites
VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE
🦀 Natalie Bianca is now serving brunch in Cascade Heights. Running Sundays starting at 11 a.m., expect Southern comfort food with a twist – crab Benedict with spiced hollandaise, churro waffles, and specialty cocktails are all on the menu. Follow here for more.
💛 💚 💜 Wondering where to get a taste of Mardi Gras leading into next week? Consider a few of these menu options:
- BeetleCat (pictured) on North Highland Avenue has a special king cake doughnut available for brunch on March 1 and 2.
- Owens & Hull BBQ in Smyrna is offering housemade andouille sausage and traditional boudin through March 2.
- Marcus Bar & Grille on Edgewood Avenue has Southern fried catfish and grits with shrimp étouffée.
- W.H. Stiles Fish Camp (Ponce City Market) is featuring oysters Rockefeller, a crispy oyster po’boy, and a crawfish roll.
- The Colonnade is offering a special étouffée entrée only on Fat Tuesday, March 4, while supplies last.
- Various locations of South City Kitchen have a Creole smoked turkey BLT sandwich in addition to a New Orleans barbecue shrimp dish with garlic Worcestershire butter and lemon.
- The Roof at Ponce City Market has everything from fried crawfish tails, red beans and rice, bananas Foster, plus Sazeracs and Hurricanes.
🇮🇹 Dreaming of Italy but don’t know where to start? Yeppa Studios – the team behind Atlanta restaurants Storico Fresco, Forza Storico, and Yeppa & Co. – has announced the opening of Villa Yeppa in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Currently open for rental, the property is on the grounds of the family-run Enio Ottaviani Winery.
🇪🇸 Thinking Spain instead? Inman Park’s Kitty Dare is bringing in flavors of the Mediterranean tomorrow starting at 7 p.m. Look forward to Spanish wine and a spread of coastal flavors — seafood, chorizo, aged cheeses, and housemade breads — served as pintxos and tapas. Tickets for Spain After Dark can be purchased here.
🤠 ⭐ And if Texas is more your speed, head on over to Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q on Saturday and Sunday. The weekend-long celebration will feature a Lone Star-inspired menu, including various brunch specials at the Westside, Dekalb Avenue, and Brookhaven locations. And be on the lookout for the Banana Pudding Walkin’ Taco, a twist on banana pudding and a Frito pie. Guests who present a Texas ID will receive 10% off their order. Visit here for more.
🍪 Thin Mint and Samoa fans – Girl Scout Cookies are back for a limited time. Visit ShowMeTheCookies.com to order online or find a cookie booth. All profits stay local and support a girl in your neighborhood. SPONSOR MESSAGE
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premiere undergraduate learning experience.
