SCAD Students Talk Affordable Dining in Midtown
May 27— Happy Tuesday and welcome to the table!
In today’s edition of “Family Meal,” I am sharing two stories by a duo of students I’ve been mentoring from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Marcus and Cashmere, both aspiring writers who hope to work in film and art history, are part of the college’s journalism course this semester. It’s our third collaboration with SCAD and Professor Paige Gray’s students, with the class working alongside me and Rough Draft editors Collin Kelley and Sammie Purcell to produce two stories each.
🎓 Last year, Gray’s class wrote stories centered on the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement. For the 2025 spring semester class, the students chose to tackle food, with subjects ranging from becoming a vegan in college and budgeting for groceries while in school to discussing food insecurity and seeking sweet treats after a tough week of classes. I so enjoyed working with Marcus and Cashmere this semester. Both were eager to learn, weren’t afraid to ask questions, and absorbed my edits like champs, which we always discussed in our weekly editorial Zoom meetings.
For his first story, Marcus brings you a personal perspective on how the sudden closure of DaVinci’s Pizza on West Peachtree in Midtown affected him and other Atlanta college students. Cashmere, on the other hand, set out in search of affordable dining options in one of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods: Midtown.
🎉 The semester ends for Prof. Gray’s students tomorrow, and Rough Draft will be there to celebrate not only the completion of their journalism class but for many of the students, their first published byline.
Look for “The Move” with my latest restaurant recommendation to return next week. However, Tiny Lou’s new chef, Josh Wetshtein, provided you with a recipe for some seriously luxe French onion dip to make for your next dinner party.
Cheers!
🍸 Beth
🫒 Sip, savor, and celebrate at Food That Rocks on June 5! Enjoy unlimited tastings, drinks, live music, and more—all supporting local organizations. Join the party at City Springs in Sandy Springs! Grab your tickets now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
DaVinci’s Pizza: Home Away From Home
By Marcus Callaway
It was my first day of college in a new city. Moving from Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica, to Atlanta was like landing on an alien planet. After introducing myself to some other SCAD students, I realized everyone felt as awkward as I did. They were also just as hungry. Lucky for us, DaVinci’s Pizzeria was around the corner from campus. Inside the local pizza chain, the atmosphere was electric—sports were on, laughter provided a soundtrack, and the fresh smell of dough wafted through the air. That’s when I knew I’d be all right.
😭 It was where we spent our Saturday nights, went on dates, watched the Super Bowl, and felt at home across the country. And I wasn’t alone in feeling that way. So when the Midtown location closed on Oct. 29, 2023, it meant more than losing good food close to campus.
“You can’t just hear about it; you had to be there,” said SCAD student Ian Rawa, “Man, I loved that place, but now seeing it empty—it’s like losing a family member.” Rawa’s favorite dish was the calzone. “The cheese would do that thing you see in commercials [the cheese pull], where it extends, and it would melt in your mouth.”
DaVinci’s felt integral to Atlanta’s college culture. With $20 for a day’s worth of food and a Midtown location between Georgia Tech and SCAD on West Peachtree Street, it was always full of students. In 2018, there were four DaVinci’s pizzerias around the city. As of 2025, only the Smyrna location remains.
🍕 “Whenever we’re discussing what to have for dinner, one of us always begins to suggest DaVinci’s before remembering it’s closed,” said Georgia Tech student Sofia Hampton. “All the other places sound worse after that.” Hampton raved about the supreme pizza. “They put so many toppings on it you couldn’t even see the crust, and that crunch? Oh my god.”
I would order the supreme pizza too. The toppings were so fresh, I was convinced they grew them in the back.
Affordable food is hard to find in Midtown these days, so many students are forced to choose between fast food and meals they cannot afford when they dine out. But while we may never know why DaVinci closed, it was not as simple as a lack of sales but rather a combination of factors.
“On top of what is likely a very steep monthly rent for a store in Midtown, there are maintenance fees, insurance fees, utilities, taxes, and so on,” explained Atlanta financial advisor Hailey Illes.
📈 Illes noted that restaurants have specific costs associated with menu ingredients. “Let’s say you had a mediocre sales week,” Illes said, imagining a scenario where “you bought your usual $1,000 worth of food but only used $500.That’s $500 of your budget straight in the trash.” In addition, eating out is one of the first luxuries people give up when the economy is down.
DaVinci’s closing is not an isolated occurrence. In West Midtown, more than a dozen restaurants closed in the last two years, including Humble Pie, West Egg Cafe, and Postino. A factor commonly cited for these closures: high rents. When I contacted the leasing agent listed for DaVinci’s Midtown property to ask about their relationship with the restaurant, they declined to comment.
🥰 Reminders of the pizzeria remain on West Peachtree (the sign still hangs over the door). DaVinci’s atmosphere made anyone feel welcome. The closure of DaVinci’s in Midtown felt like losing a tradition, but the restaurant didn’t totally disappear. The Smyrna location is just as popular with college students. Many devoted customers, including myself, brave the rush hour traffic for a taste, because nothing’s better than DaVinci’s.
Marcus Callaway is a SCAD student writer living in Atlanta, Georgia, pursuing his passion as a freelance writer, working on film sets and in writing rooms for various projects. When not creating, he surfs in the summer and snowboards in the winter.
Sip, savor, and celebrate!
SPONSORED BY FOOD THAT ROCKS
🫒 Join us on Thurs., June 5 for Food That Rocks, a tasting event presented by Taste of Atlanta, celebrating Sandy Springs’ diverse restaurant scene. This one-of-a-kind food festival brings incredible energy outdoors at City Springs where you’ll sip, savor, and celebrate the community’s vibrant culinary scene.
Get unlimited tastes from 20+ of Sandy Springs’ best restaurants and bakeries; and more than a dozen wine, beer & cocktail tastings. The evening also includes live music from Java Monkey and CJ and the Doughboys, and Chef Chats & mixology demos on the Publix Cooking Stage.
🎉 Food That Rocks is a “Party with a Purpose” in partnership with Second Helpings Atlanta.
Dining on a College Student Budget in Midtown
By Cashmere Chillious
On the weekends when the projects are piling up and the words on the assignment sheets start blurring together, sometimes the only savior is a good meal to distract from all the stress. A hot slice of pizza? A spicy chimichurri? A burger? The thought of inflation causing my $10 meal to become more like $30 prevents me from venturing out.
But recently, I took matters into my own hands to scour Midtown for the most college-friendly affordable eats. To make this list, a restaurant needs to be budget-friendly (no more than $20 for a full meal), walkable or accessible via MARTA or with available parking in Midtown, and most importantly, satisfy my taste for something new.
When I started looking for restaurants, I realized that college students as a whole are losing affordable dining options near campus due to rampant restaurant closures and inflated prices. I wanted to create this guide to shed light on different restaurants that I feel open the gates for more options, not just for students, but for everyone living in, working in, or visiting Midtown.
🇰🇷Mukja: Korean Fried Chicken ($10 – $20)
933 Peachtree St.
- Lime Scooter: 13 minutes from SCAD
- Train from Georgia State: 4 minutes walk to Five Points station to Midtown, 5 minutes walk
An Atlanta subreddit post from four years ago listed Mukja Korean Fried Chicken as one of Midtown’s most popular restaurants. The post mentioned an adult happy meal for $15. While no longer available, Mukja does have a very flavorful gochujang pork bowl meal that includes rice, fries, and a drink for $20. The dining room is bustling but still perfect for study time.
🍕 Ray’s New York Pizza ($5 -$15)
26 5th St.
- On campus at Georgia Tech
- Bus from Georgia State: Central Ave. at Wall St. to West Peachtree at 5th St.
- Lime Scooter: 15 minutes from SCAD
“I’d love good pizza, affordable pizza, where I can just get a slice. That’s my thing. Give me two slices and I’m good,” said SCAD student Shelby Clark. “And coming from New Jersey, where you have bakeries that are owned by grandmothers who immigrated here, and they have their great-grandchildren working at the front, I want a mom-and-pop or a small business kind of place.”
I tried four different pizza places, and none reminded me of a good New York slice like Ray’s Pizza. When talking to the current owner, Joseph Karam, he told me more about Ray’s history.
“My dad bought it from the original owner in 1990 and was a partner in it,” Karam said. “That ran for about 13 years, and about the time I was getting out of college, I saw the opportunity to jump in and run it for the last 20 years.”
Ray’s has been in the same location for the last 33 years, and caters to all demographics. A whole 14-inch cheese pie costs $15.50, and a slice costs a nice $4. Karam recently opened another restaurant next door called Boho Tacos, which is also a la carte and nicely priced.
🥟 The Sparrow ($10 – $20)
950 West Peachtree St.
- Walking: 32 minutes from SCAD
- Driving: 4 minutes from Georgia Tech
Sometimes I crave really specific things, like the steamed soup buns from this Midtown Asian tavern. The Sparrow satisfies that craving, along with a nice ambiance and meals costing between $10 and $20. There are multiple deals like $13 weekday lunch specials and a weekday happy hour, from 2-5 p.m., that includes appetizers for around $5.
🦉 Sweet & Fresh ($2 – $20)
708 Spring St.
- Late night
- Walking: 4 minutes from Georgia Tech
- Lime Scooter: 16 minutes from SCAD and Georgia State University
This is for the night owls who hate having to warm up food in the dirty dorm microwave. Sweet & Fresh is equidistant from all three college campuses in Atlanta, has a 10-piece wing combo for $20, a Philly cheesesteak combo for $13.50, and many a la carte items that range from $2 egg rolls to $6 pork dumplings. The best part is, on Monday, Sweet & Fresh is open until midnight. But from Wednesday through Saturday, it’s open until 3 a.m.
🌮 Rreal Tacos ($5-$20)
100 6th St.
- UberEats deal
- Walking: 9 minutes from Georgia Tech
- Lime Scooter: 13 minutes from SCAD and Georgia State University
“I feel like I’m an offer or deal kind of person. If it has a deal, then I’m more likely to order from there,” said SCAD student Jonathan Grant. “I feel like some affordable food restaurants should not be a time commitment.” I agree. On a hard week, delivery with surge pricing fees and long waits makes my nights worse. Rreal Tacos includes deals like BOGO (buy one, get one free) on all tacos, including birria and pizza-sized quesadillas for $20. With multiple locations, the delivery time is typically less than that of other restaurants in the city.
🍗 Forrest Eatery: Seoul Wings ($10-$20)
800 Forrest St., Berkeley Park
- Car: 11 minutes from SCAD
- Lime Scooter: 23 minutes from Georgia State University
Last but not least, Forrest Eatery is a ghost kitchen that serves as a delivery and pick-up location for over 60 restaurants. Like Rreal Tacos, Seoul Wings also offers BOGO deals. The six-wing plate with rice includes an option for getting a second plate free.
Cashmere Chillious is a SCAD student and an aspiring editor with a minor in Art History. She loves to write creepy stories in her spare time.
Meet Tiny Lou’s Chef Josh Wetshtein.
Make His Fancy French Onion Dip Recipe
🧑🍳 If you’ve dined at Tiny Lou’s recently, you may have detected a few changes, most notably the addition of Josh Wetshtein as the new executive chef of the restaurant and Hotel Clermont.
Wetshtein has been cooking for 25 years, starting as a teenager in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. He attended Le Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh and spent most of his formative years working in Chicago before moving to Washington, D.C. to work at CUT by Wolfgang Puck. From there, he relocated to Bahrain and opened two Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group restaurants and lounges at the Four Seasons Hotel, later joining Miami-based Groot Hospitality and New Orleans-based One Pack Hospitality.
Wetshtein says pure chance brought him to Atlanta. “Once I saw [Hotel] Clermont and Tiny Lou’s, it was love at first sight and I knew I had to be here,” he said.
At Tiny Lou’s, Wetshtein packs dishes with local and seasonal ingredients. (Think fiddlehead ferns, white asparagus, and rhubarb.) But he’s also added a bit of playfulness to the menu. Tiny Lou’s new standout appetizer, chips and caviar, serves as a prime example
“Potato chips, creme fraiche, and caviar is a combo that’s a classic,” Wetshtein said.
🎩 Essentially, it’s a leveled-up French onion dip, a slightly fancy interpretation of a snack he loves, all very fitting for a restaurant named after a popular dancer who worked at the Clermont Motor Hotel’s Gypsy Room during the 1950s.
This recipe has been adapted to include store-bought potato chips, which Wetshtein usually creates in-house at Tiny Lou’s. “Making chips from scratch is pretty involved, so I suggest buying them,” he said.
The recipe calls for a piping bag with a tip, which, along with caviar, Wetshtein recommends sourcing at Whole Foods. The ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and assembled in advance or just before serving. Once assembled, the dip will last.
But Wetshtein advises changing the recipe and making it your own.
“One of the great things about home cooking is making things to your own taste,” he said. “Don’t feel confined by a recipe, experiment, and have some fun.”
Ingredients
• 1.5 Tbsp crispy garlic
• 1.5 cups sour cream
• 3 cups creme fraiche
• 1.5 cups mascarpone
• 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp dried onions
• 1/2 Tbsp salt and 1/3 tsp salt, separated
• 2 large yellow onions
• 1.5 Tbsp port
• 3 Tbsp sherry
• 1/2 cup demi glace
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 8-oz bag of potato chips
Optional: caviar of choice
Directions
1. Using a spice grinder, blend crispy garlic into a powder. Next, blend dried onions into a powder.
2. Mix garlic powder, onion powder, sour cream, creme fraiche, mascarpone, lemon juice, and salt together using a whisk. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then relocate to a piping bag with a tip.
3. While the cream mixture is cooling, thinly julienne the onions and season with salt.
4. In a cast-iron or carbon steel skillet, caramelize onions fully, until golden brown throughout.
5. Once onions reach the desired color, deglaze with port wine and reduce until nearly dry (au sec). This will help lift and incorporate any food particles stuck to the pan.
6. Deglaze with sherry until nearly dry.
7. Once fully reduced, add demi glaze and cook until the onion mixture is tight. Add black pepper to taste.
8. Let cool at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Once cooled, very finely mince caramelized onions, store, and refrigerate.
Assembly
1. Layer the caramelized onions in a small serving dish. Using a piping bag with a tip, squeeze the cream mixture on top.
2. Garnish with julienned chives and caviar of your choice. Serve, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Pair with potato chips of your choice.
🫒 Sip, savor, and celebrate at Food That Rocks on June 5! Enjoy unlimited tastings, drinks, live music, and more—all supporting local organizations. Join the party at City Springs in Sandy Springs! Grab your tickets now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
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