Hawaiian barbecue + Japanese supper club
April 9 — Beth here, filling in one last time for Sarra, who returns to the “Side Dish” beat on April 16. Although she’s finishing up vacation, Sarra did give you the lowdown on the confit cabbage salad from Mirae in Brookhaven.
In today’s “Quick Bites,” catch up on the latest restaurant openings, including in East Lake, Sylvan Hills, Inman Park, The Interlock, and Avondale Estates. Plus, I’ve rounded up a slew of food and drink events happening around Atlanta, like Chamblee Restaurant Week, a thrift market at Refuge Coffee in Clarkston, and chef-led tours of a new restaurant headed to Summerhill.
You can also read a trio of stories on the openings of Japanese restaurant Koshu Club in Buckhead, Ponce Brew Terminal on the Eastside Beltline, and Le Faucheur Tearoom in Dunwoody.
Plus, earlier this week in “Family Meal,” I offered suggestions on where to dine this weekend in a mini restaurant guide to some of my favorite spots. I also told you why I’m smitten with Eastern European restaurant Georgian Corner in Roswell.
Finally, I’m throwing on my Editor-in-Chief hat for a moment. As our staff celebrates the inaugural Local News Day today, I want to say thank you for reading Rough Draft and counting us among Atlanta’s trusted sources for community journalism.
🍸 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 tastings, 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
🥂 Openings
Chef Hudson Rouse officially opens Babygirl in East Lake on April 11, giving the neighborhood an all-day cafe serving breakfast and lunch daily. Along with coffee and smoothies, look for cocktails, beer, and a robust wine list from the bar.
Over in Sylvan Hills, Pele’s Pit Hawaiian barbecue is now popping up at La Bodega on Sundays and Mondays, starting at noon. Pele’s Pit comes from Hawaiian comfort food truck Hapa Kitchen.
😍 Coming attractions
Last Dance, a restaurant co-owned by Kathryn Fitzgerald, Josh Fryer, Chris Marconi, and Patrick Daugherty, will open later this year in the former Rising Son space in Avondale Estates. Last Dance is “a blissful entanglement of four chefs,” according to an Instagram post. “Think warm eccentric cottage nights filled with beautiful natural wines, martinis, fresh bread services, whole fish, lamb porterhouse, and gorgeous desserts. All in beautiful lighting, wrapped around textiles and fabrics.”
It appears The Interlock location of Ladybird will open in mid-May, followed by the Decatur location of Muchacho this summer in the former Revival restaurant space. Electric Hospitality recently opened a location of Muchacho in Home Park at the corner of Hemphill and 14th.
New York City-based Hunan restaurant Blue Willow will open at Inman Quarter later this year.
Y Hospitality, the team behind Yeppa & Co., Forza Storico, and Storico Fresco, will open retail shop Casa Yeppa at Buckhead Village this spring selling Italian antiques and furnishings for residential and commercial properties.
🏆 Spirited Awards
The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation announced the regional honorees for the Spirited Awards taking place in New Orleans in July. Three Atlanta bars received nods, falling under the U.S. East regional category, with Kimball House up for Best U.S. Restaurant Bar, Bar Ana up for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar, and JoJo’s Beloved up for Best U.S. Bar Team. Final nominees are announced May 19-21.
📅 Add to your calendar
It’s Masters week at Boone’s, the restaurant adjacent to the Bobby Jones golf course in Buckhead. Through April 12, expect live music, Masters food and drink specials, and raffle prizes.
Refuge Coffee in Clarkston will host a thrift market on April 11 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5 fills a bag. $1 for additional items. Brand new specialty pieces priced as marked.
WABE and The Tara will present a special screening of “Food, Inc.” on April 11 from 3-5:30 p.m., part of the radio station’s Cinema Social series. Expect a pre-show interview with WABE Podcast Producer Kevin Rinker and food justice activist and vegan urban farmer Eugene Cook.
The City of Chamblee will host its annual Chamblee Restaurant Week, April 12-18. Check out the list of participating restaurants.
A Mano in the Old Fourth Ward will host Viet-Lao food pop-up Side Quest on April 12 from 5-10 p.m. Backed by bartender Nik Soukavong and Cynthia Hoang, a portion of the beverage proceeds will benefit the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network.
Chef Demetrius Brown will host Sip + See tours of his new Summerhill restaurant, Heritage, on April 12 from 3-6 p.m. Expect a tour of the space from Brown, complimentary wine, and a Q&A session with food and culture journalist Mike Jordan.
Gigi’s Italian Kitchen in Candler Park will team up with Lao restaurant So So Fed on April 15 for SOSO GIGI. Starting at 5 p.m., expect a menu of Lao-Italian and Asian American dishes. Walk-ins only.
12 Cocktail Bar at The Roof atop Ponce City Market will host Speakeasy Supper Club on April 22. People will gather for a welcome drink at 12 Cocktail Bar before heading downstairs to the Roebuck Room for a family-style dinner. The $120 per person ticket includes dinner, drinks, dessert, and tax and gratuity.
Get inspired at the Druid Hills Home and Garden Tour!
SPONSORED BY DRUID HILLS CIVIC ASSOCIATION
🏠 Step inside some of Atlanta’s most beautiful homes during the 2026 Historic Druid Hills Home and Garden Tour, April 17–19, where design and everyday living come together with ease.
For those who love cooking and sharing a great meal, the Tour highlights inviting eat-in kitchens, warm dining spaces, and interiors designed for real life. It’s a chance to gather ideas, notice thoughtful details, and see how well-designed homes support the way people cook, host, and connect around the table.
➞ See the homes, learn more, and buy tickets here.
Top Stories From the Week
Team behind Michelin-starred Mujō open Koshu Club
🇯🇵 Japanese restaurant Koshu Club opens on April 14 at the 99 West Paces building across from the St. Regis hotel in Buckhead.
Backed by the Castellucci Hospitality Group, which also owns Iberian Pig, Cooks & Soldiers, Sugo, Double Zero, and Michelin-starred Mujō, Koshu Club leans into Japan’s Shōwa-era cuisine – a fusion of Western (yoshoku) and traditional Japanese dishes (washoku).
➡️ Read about Koshu Club here.
Three Taverns Brewery opens Beltline taproom
🍻 Three Taverns Craft Brewery opened Ponce Brew Terminal at Signal House next to Ponce City Market.
The brewery sits on the ground floor of Signal House, the residential building on the edge of the Ponce City Market development, with a large patio facing the Eastside Beltline.
Ponce Brew Terminal pours Three Taverns’ full lineup of beers, along with cocktails. And expect food from local barbecue joint DAS BBQ.
➡️ Read more about Ponce Brew Terminal here.
Le Faucheur Tearoom opens in Dunwoody
🫖 Le Faucheur Tearoom opened April 3 at the Park Place complex on Ashford Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody.
Offering European-inspired tea service, founder Valerie Fatemi built upon the success of mobile tea company The Cheeky TeaCup.
At Le Faucheur, Fatemi expanded The Cheeky TeaCup’s services into a permanent location serving seasonal menus of sandwiches, scones with fresh jams and creams, and desserts paired with a variety of loose-leaf teas.
➡️ Read more about Le Faucheur here.
🥂 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! 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
🥟 Rough Draft Atlanta partners with Community Farmers Markets each week to give you recipes you can make at home using fresh ingredients from the local farmers market. This week, we’ve got recipes for kale pesto and vegetable gyoza. Check out both recipes here.
That Slaps
🥬 My husband is a big cabbage guy. Me, not so much. So when we dined at Mirae in Brookhaven recently, I ordered the confit cabbage salad as an act of love rather than curiosity. When the dish arrived, I realized it was the correct move.
The cabbage itself spends some time on the grill, which granted an excellent textural balance and a little bit of juice, but in a good way. The lightly caramelized miso on the surface and black garlic puree on the side made this cabbage delectable, while the crispy taro garnish provided additional texture.
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.
