Ticonderoga Club named a best U.S. bar
April 2 — It’s Beth here, filling in for Sarra while she’s on vacation for the next two weeks. She’ll return to the “Side Dish” beat on April 16. However, Sarra did pop in to today’s newsletter to talk up the “New Yorker” matcha latte from Shogun Matcha.
🍽️ Want more food and drink recommendations? Here are our best bites and sips from March.
In this week’s Quick Bites, I have details on Ticonderoga Club landing a spot on a prestigious “Best Of” list, the theft of more than 400,000 (12 tons) KitKats, and an update on the opening of Three Taverns Brewery and DAS BBQ on the Beltline.
Read all about Skol Brewing’s new gaming lounge in downtown Atlanta, peep our metro Atlanta farmers market guide, and catch up on dozens of March restaurant openings.
Plus, earlier this week in “Family Meal,” I brought you stories on the two coveted awards restaurants and chefs chase every year: James Beard and Michelin.
Cheers!
🍸 Beth
🥂 Taste of Atlanta is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with an epic night of two dozen chef-driven tastings, craft cocktails, wine and beer tastes, live music, and electric energy! April 16 from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Works. Tickets are on sale here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Quick Bites
In this week’s Quick Bites, we have details on Ticonderoga Club landing a spot on a prestigious “Best Of” list and 12 tons of stolen KitKats. In restaurant news, Three Taverns Brewery will open a new Beltline location this weekend serving DAS BBQ, a Kirkwood wine shop changed hands, and get updated on a couple of anticipated restaurant openings. Finally, we have a few events to add to your calendar.
🍸 Ticonderoga Club named one of North America’s “best bars”
Atlanta’s Ticonderoga Club is now a member of an elite group of U.S. bars. On Wednesday, global restaurant and bar guide 50 Best released the back half of its ranking (51-100) of the top 100 North American bars for 2026 – and Ticonderoga Club landed at number 85. The organization will announce this year’s top 50 North American bars, which includes bars in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, on April 22 in Vancouver.
Look for 50 Best to announce the best North American restaurants for 2026 on May 28 in New Orleans. The 2025 list doesn’t include any Georgia restaurants.
🥳 Openings
A third location of Three Taverns Brewery, called Three Taverns Brew Terminal, opens April 4 on the ground floor of the Signal House complex along the Eastside Beltline next door to Ponce City Market. The brewery, distillery, and taproom serves food from local barbecue restaurant DAS BBQ, which includes locations in Grant Park and on Collier Road.
Spread Bagelry, the Philadelphia-based kettle-boiled bagel brand, opened this month on Irby Avenue in Buckhead.
Charcuterie shop Graze Craze is now open on Atlanta Road in Smyrna.
Bite More will open tomorrow in Duluth. The restaurant serves a variety of burgers, wings, and chicken sandwiches.
🥰 Coming attractions
Kirkwood wine shop Dom Beijos changed ownership. Donyal Andrews took over the shop this month, rebranding it to Finally Wine.
Fine dining Indian restaurant Ikara is preparing to open at Atlantic Station, taking over a ground floor space at Twelve Midtown Hotel.
The team behind MidCity cocktail bar in Midtown will open Omma soon at Westside Paper. More restaurant than cocktail bar, look for Omma to feature an expanded drinks menu from that of MidCity and serve “internationally inspired food.” Omma joins Dumpling Factory, El Santo Gallo, and Pancake Social at the complex.
📰 Local drinks news
Atlanta-based whiskey distillery Shortbarrel won Best Overall Bourbon and Best Overall Whiskey for its Double Oak Bourbon at the 2026 WSWA Wine & Spirits Tasting Competition.
Nakato just launched a new weekday happy hour from 4-6:30 p.m., featuring $6 draft Sapporo, $8 glasses of wine, and $10 cocktails. People can also order a $30 sushi board to share, along with snacks like Wagyu gyoza, hand rolls, and avocado tuna dip.
🧑🍳 Chef shifts
Chef Ian Winslade (Mission + Market, Tre Vele) will join Atlanta-based restaurant group Spur Hospitality as Managing Partner and Culinary Director. Owned by William Pitts, Spur Hospitality operates Saints + Council and Cuevacía at Colony Square in Midtown. Cuevacía, a Oaxacan and Northern Mexican restaurant, opened at Colony Square in January. It replaced sushi spot Sukoshi across from 5Church.
🍫 400,000 KitKats stolen
Gimme a break!
In Europe last weekend, thieves brazenly made off with a shipment of more than 400,000 KitKats (12 tons). The truck carrying the Nestlé chocolate bars was swiped during a distribution run headed to Poland from a factory in central Italy.
“Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes,” a Nestlé spokesperson said.
The company noted, however, that “there are no concerns for consumer safety, and supply is not affected” due to the theft.
👀 Sysco announces Restaurant Depot acquisition deal
U.S. food distribution behemoth Sysco announced Monday that the company planned to acquire catering and restaurant supplier Restaurant Depot. However, the possible $29 billion acquisition is far from good news for small, independent restaurants that rely on Restaurant Depot’s more affordable price point.
Concerns over Sysco possibly raising prices beyond the reach of many small businesses led to calls for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to block Sysco’s acquisition over monopolization of the market.
“The Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) believes the FTC must scrutinize that ambition for exactly what it is: the elimination of Restaurant Depot, the one meaningful wholesale alternative in many regions that independent restaurants have used for decades to avoid the minimum order requirements, delivery fees and pricing power of the nation’s largest food distributor, Sysco,” a statement from IRC read.
“Independent restaurants are already fighting every single day against rising costs and shrinking margins,” Erika Polmar, IRC Executive Director, added. “Handing the nation’s largest food distributor a monopoly over the wholesale staples channel is a gut punch to every neighborhood restaurant in America.”
Restaurant Depot includes five locations in metro Atlanta.
📅 Add to your calendar
Looking for 404 Day events to attend? Check out this roundup of 404 Day events around Atlanta, including block parties, a mini Big Boi concert at Smorgasburg, and a parade.
Car enthusiasts should head to Schoolhouse Brewing in Marietta on April 5 for Pints and Pistons, a chance to show off your car and drink some beer. The event takes place the first Sunday of every month.
Truist Park will host Bats & Bites Ballpark Tours on April 10 and April 24. For $150 per person, people can try out the new food options at the ballpark, watch batting practice, receive a guided tour of Truist Park, and meet a few Braves players. Read more about the new food and drink options at Truist Park here.
Chef Ron Hsu will talk about his new cookbook, Down South + East: A Chinese American Cookbook, on April 30 at the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead. The discussion begins at 7 p.m. $6 for members. $12 for non-members. Read more about the inspiration behind Hsu’s cookbook here.
Madre Selva at Uptown Atlanta near Lindbergh Station will host Chef Jaime Rodríguez of Celele in Cartagena, Colombia, on April 30 for a 40-seat dinner. Rodríguez’s restaurant is ranked 48th on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Tickets are $150 per person, with seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
25 Years of Flavor: Taste of Atlanta Returns
SPONSORED BY TASTE OF ATLANTA
🥂 Taste of Atlanta is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with an epic night of two dozen chef-driven tastings, craft cocktails, wine and beer tastings, live music, and electric energy!
Join us at The Works for a one-night-only party highlighting the best of Atlanta’s food and drink scene.
➞ April 16 from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Works. Tickets are on sale here.
Top Stories From the Week
Metro Atlanta farmers market guide
🥕 Farmers market season officially kicked off in March, with multiple markets around metro Atlanta opening or preparing to open in the coming weeks.
While some markets remain open year-round, the number of vendors on hand and what’s available during the colder months is often limited. With the arrival of spring, these markets return to full strength, featuring a robust lineup of local farm stands and artisan stalls.
The farmers markets listed in this guide are rain or shine, with most accepting SNAP/ EBT benefits for discounts on produce via Wholesome Wave Georgia’s “Fresh for Less” program.
▶️ Read the full farmers market guide.
Skol Brewing expanding Downtown, adding 30,000-square-foot gaming lounge
🎯Skol Brewing Company is about to get a lot bigger. The Nordic-themed brewpub in Downtown Atlanta’s 200 Peachtree building is expanding into an adjacent 30,000-square-foot space dedicated to playing games.
Valhalla Gaming Lounge will feature more than 40 gaming options, including simulators, soccer experiences, bocce courts, billiard tables, darts, and old-school arcade games.
Look for Valhalla Gaming Lounge to open in May, ahead of the FIFA World Cup matches in Atlanta this summer.
▶️ Read more about the expansion and gaming lounge.
March restaurant openings
🥂 Restaurant openings ramped up in March with the arrival of spring. Nearly three dozen restaurants opened for business around Atlanta and the metro area, with several more restaurants announced for the coming months.
Check out this brief roundup of recent restaurant openings and upcoming restaurant announcements you might have missed in March.
▶️ Read the March restaurant roundup.
🥂 Taste of Atlanta is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with an epic night of two dozen chef-driven tastings, craft cocktails, wine and beer tastes, live music, and electric energy! April 16 from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Works. Tickets are on sale here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
At the Market + Two Recipes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🍓 Each week, Community Farmers Market and Rough Draft Atlanta partner to bring you two recipes you can make at home using fresh ingredients from your local farmers market. If you love strawberries, we’ve certainly got you covered this week with a spring salad and strawberry spring rolls.Click here for both recipes.
At the Market + Two Recipes
🍵 I’ve spent the past few weeks learning everything I can about matcha for an upcoming story for Rough Draft. That also means I’ve been drinking a lot of matcha as part of my research. Part of said research involves Shogun Matcha’s “New Yorker,” a matcha latte with Earl Grey and blueberry syrups.
This latte is exemplary. The syrups work well together and do not overpower the matcha, which tastes like pure verdure. Speaking of which, that grassy green flavor and color indicates the matcha used to make this latte grew under great care. You can even see the chlorophyll in the picture above.
👉 Shogun Matcha pops up at Poke House in Buckhead on Fridays and the Avondale Estates Farmers Market on Sundays. And look for Shogun Matcha to debut this weekend at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market. Pro tip: come early, because this matcha stall regularly sells out.
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.
