Big Beltline Restaurant News+NFA Burger Update
Apr. 25 — It’s Thursday! Time for a little “Side Dish.”
For today’s Side Dish, we’re offering two recipes, including one for making a tofu banh mi using in-season herbs and vegetables from the farmers market.
Our transit-oriented dining guide to cities and neighborhoods along MARTA rail lines continues this week with restaurants within easy walking distance or a quick bus ride from the Chamblee MARTA station.
➕ Plus, get details on the closure of Nina & Rafi on the Eastside Beltline and its replacement: Eclipse di Luna. Did you miss the story on the Busy Bee Cafe opening at Atlantic Station next year? Catch up on that exciting news, too.
As always, expect the latest Atlanta dining intel, like more details from NFA Burger owner Billy Kramer on why he pulled up stakes at Truist Park’s new Outfield Market food hall after just a few Braves games.
In case you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening, here’s a link to the latest edition of “Family Meal.” It features a profile on local baker Loan Ly, the owner of Asian dessert and custom cake company Lonely Sweets, and her recipe for ube banana pudding.
Cheers from the Rough Draft dining team!
🍸 Beth and 🍰 Sarra
🏡 The Historic Druid Hills Home & Garden Tour is back May 2-4. We’re celebrating the personality of Frederick Law Olmsted’s remarkable neighborhood with seven must-see homes – each curated to reflect the owners’ unique style and passions. Grab your tickets today! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Have You Heard?
Why NFA Burger shut down operations at Truist Park
⚾ It’s already been widely reported that NFA Burger is no longer at Truist Park, a departure coming three weeks after opening at the new Outfield Market food hall. And while owner Billy Kramer understands people are a bit bewildered by his decision to close down the NFA Burger stall so quickly, he told Rough Draft nothing nefarious led to the closure, nor is he in dispute with concessions operator Delaware North.
The decision, Kramer said, came down to prioritizing NFA Burger’s upcoming Alpharetta location and not spreading himself too thin.
“We weren’t running the booth. It wasn’t our people. We were supplying the ingredients and the recipes. We were supposed to supply oversight, too, making sure everyone was trained and doing things the right way,” Kramer said. “But it became apparent that we were going to be spending more time there than we thought, and then the opening of the Avalon location was accelerating more quickly than anticipated.”
🤝 Kramer approached Alex Brounstein of Grindhouse Killer Burgers, who already operates two stalls at the ballpark, to replace NFA Burger. Then Kramer pitched the idea to Delaware North. Once an agreement was reached between Kramer, Brounstein, and Delaware North, the transition of the stall from NFA Burger to Grindhouse took place in just a few days.
“Having never done this sort of thing before, I thought it would be a little easier to manage this location. But with Alpharetta opening faster than we thought, I had to make a call,” Kramer said. “I thought it was going to take three to four months to get my liquor license for Alpharetta. The attorneys got it in 40 days.”
“…if Alex had not been on board or Delaware North had not been okay with this, NFA Burger would still be there,” he added.
🍔 Located in the former Rina space at Avalon, NFA Burger in Alpharetta will include indoor and outdoor seating with TVs, a walk-up window for takeout orders, an expanded food menu, and a full bar. Kramer anticipates a late-spring opening.
A Dunwoody resident, Kramer first began popping up with his smashburgers at area restaurants before opening a permanent location of NFA Burger six years ago inside the Chevron market on Chamblee Dunwoody Road. Since then, Kramer’s burgers have racked up accolade after accolade and been recognized by national and local publications.
Food stall change-ups at Sweet Auburn Curb Market
🍕 Phew’s Pies, a popular pizza delivery service owned by Matthew “Phew” Foster, will open next month at Sweet Auburn Curb Market. Foster posted an Instagram reel showing work in progress on the pizza stall, including the installation of a new pizza oven. Foster leans into Atlanta for the flavors of his pizzas, like a lemon pepper wet pie topped with lemon pepper wet wings and an oxtail and ricotta cheese pizza topped with stewed carrots, butter beans, green and yellow onions, and Scotch Bonnet.
🥧 Sadly, South African food stall Panbury’s Pies next door will close on April 26 after 11 years at Sweet Auburn Curb Market. “Like many small businesses, we’ve faced increasing challenges, from inflation to rising food costs and the ongoing pressures of running a labor-intensive business in an uncertain economy that is increasingly unfavorable to small family businesses,” the Instagram post reads. But this may not be the end for Panbury’s Pies, as the post also indicates owners Lauren Duxbury and Adam Panayiotou are working on a way to continue selling their hand pies in Atlanta. Stay tuned.
It’s festival szn!
😎 It’s another big festival weekend in Atlanta, with the Inman Park Festival and parade, the Atlanta Film Festival, Amplify Decatur music festival, the debut of Taste of Marietta, and the return of Streets Alive to Peachtree Street on Sunday. Food will be an integral part of all five festivals, whether through local restaurants in these neighborhoods or food trucks and pop-ups serving at the events.
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Top Stories from the Week
A MARTA dining guide to Chamblee
This Rough Draft dining series will continue throughout 2025, highlighting restaurants in cities and neighborhoods within easy walking distance or a short bus ride from MARTA rail stations.
🚆 Once famous for dairies, Camp Gordon, and its proximity to the railroad, Chamblee has evolved into a suburban arm of Atlanta with a picture-perfect, railside downtown and an ever-increasing collection of restaurants along its historic main drag.
An outcropping of newer restaurants on Peachtree Boulevard and Peachtree and New Peachtree roads makes downtown Chamblee all the better these days. In addition to restaurants and bars, Chamblee also features a small but mighty downtown shopping district with stores selling antiques, specialty clothing, housewares, and consignment items and clothing.
This dining guide highlights eight restaurants easily accessible from the Chamblee MARTA station on the Gold Line, located on New Peachtree Road.
⏩ Read the MARTA dining guide to Chamblee here.
Eclipse di Luna replacing Nina & Rafi on the Beltline
💃 Nina & Rafi closed earlier this week after nearly seven years on the Eastside Beltline. The space will become a fourth location of tapas bar Eclipse di Luna, known for its live music and salsa dancing.
Nina & Rafi was sold to Rreal Tacos owner Damian Otero, who confirmed he will open a new Beltline location of the tapas bar there this summer in partnership with the owners of Eclipse di Luna.
In a statement sent to Rough Draft, Nina & Rafi owner Billy Streck cited the continued challenges faced by the restaurant industry since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as leading to his decision to close his Beltline pizzeria.
Busy Bee Cafe will expand to Atlantic Station
🐝 ICYMI last week, a second location of acclaimed Atlanta soul food restaurant The Busy Bee Cafe will open next spring at Atlantic Station, featuring outdoor seating, an expanded menu, and a full bar.
Owner Tracy Gates said the Atlantic Station location is a “win-win,” as its current location resides in a well-established neighborhood near downtown Atlanta, and the second location will become part of another well-established area, sandwiched between neighborhoods to the west along Howell Mill Road and Midtown to the east.
Opening at Atlantic Station, Gates said, provides an opportunity for Busy Bee Cafe’s business to grow and have a broader reach and for its legacy to continue in Atlanta.
⏩ Read Sarra’s story on the Busy Bee Cafe expansion here.
🏃 Join Move For Grady on April 26! With three cycling distances and two run/walk options, there’s something for everyone. Then celebrate your accomplishment – and support for Grady – with a fun finish line celebration at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. SPONSOR MESSAGE
At the Market + Two Recipes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🥖 Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets are bringing you two tasty recipes that you can make using ingredients from your local farmers market. This week, it’s all about vegetables! Whether you’re itching for a tofu banh mi or crunchy vegetable fritters, we’ve got you covered. Check out both recipes here.
