Peaches and food halls
Thursday, May 28 — Hello, internet friends.
🍑 Georgia is approaching uncomfortable levels of heat and humidity, which means peach season has returned.
Peach specials are already popping up on restaurant menus, and my default neighborhood Kroger featured some big boxes of Pearson Farms peaches just the other day. Frankly, I cannot wait to stand over my kitchen sink and bite into a nice, juicy peach, exactly as nature intended.
This week’s Quick Bites has the scoop on a new patio bar coming to Poncey-Highland, a series of restaurant closures in East Cobb, and a long-awaited restaurant opening in South Downtown. There’s also intel on several food events, including a sweet potato planting workshop in Scottdale, a new dining club’s Korean brunch party, and a dog-friendly ice cream pop-up in Sylvan Hills.
I’ve started rounding up a list of free World Cup fan events and watch parties around the metro area. If I missed your FIFA-licensed event, shoot me an email and I’ll add it.
I also took another look at The CTR’s upcoming food hall right before last week’s Wednesday night tempest hit Atlanta, and I must say I’m impressed. I’ll have more on the food hall below. Plus, in this week’s “That Slaps,” I tell you why you shouldn’t overlook vegetarian night at Whoopsie’s.
If you haven’t read “Family Meal” this week, amend that error. Beth previews the summer’s most anticipated restaurant openings. Also, we kicked off our World Cup recipe series with Spain and a recipe for chicken Basquaise from Cooks & Soldiers.
✨ Eid Mubarak to those who celebrate.
See y’all next week,
🍰 Sarra
QUICK BITES
Openings
🍔 Bottle Rocket, known for its sushi and burgers, opened in South Downtown. The bar and restaurant relocated from Castleberry Hill.
🏀 Women’s sports bar Jolene Jolene opened in the former The Argonaut seafood restaurant space in Kirkwood. The sports bar is operating under limited hours until its grand opening next month. Consult their social media pages for the most accurate schedule.
🥯 The second location of semi-controversial chain PopUp Bagels opens in the Buckhead Landing shopping center on May 29. The shop will host a grand opening event, starting at 7 a.m.
🍲 Chinese restaurant Irritable Claypot is now open at 4897 Buford Hwy. in Chamblee.
🍨 Sandy Springs dessert shop The Gelatist opens May 29.
Closings
🍝 Mirko Pasta in East Cobb has closed, Tomorrow’s News Today reported. The Melting Pot and Chicago Steak & Seafood will also close on May 31 in East Cobb.
🧁 Cupcakin’ Buckhead has closed, as first reported by Tomorrow’s News Today.
🥩 Evergreen Butcher + Baker is temporarily closed for summer break and will reopen on June 3.
Coming attractions
🇫🇷 Little Tart Bakeshop’s upcoming fourth location in Candler Park will also house Midi, a sandwich shop offering salads, small plates, a wine and cocktail list, and soft serve à la Big Softie. Little Tart-Candler Park and Midi will open this fall.
🍷 James Beard Award-nominated chef Joey Ward is expanding his Poncey-Highland footprint with Belle Bar, a patio experience that launches this summer at Southern Belle. Guests can expect raw bar offerings and snacks, wine, a cocktail menu in collaboration with ASW Distillery, and more of Ward’s cheeky takes on food and vibes. Belle Bar will host Wednesday jazz nights and throwback-inspired Thursday DJ sets, starting at 7 p.m. First-come, first-served.
☕ Mobile espresso bar A Curated Coffee Co., which pops up at farmers markets like the Piedmont Green Market, will open as a permanent location at 332 Ormond St., Suite 104, in Grant Park soon.
🍗 Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken’s Krog Street Market location opens June 9. It joins locations in Dunwoody and Peachtree Corners.
🍵 Canton-based Bizarre Coffee will open a fourth location in Acworth later this year.
Add to your calendar
🍠 Yes, Please Books in Scottdale’s Seed to Seed community garden will host Rooted, a sweet potato planting workshop May 31 at 6 p.m. Learn more about this nutrient-dense crop, and get a head-start on fall planting season. Extra plants will be available to take home.
🌱 Speaking of community gardens, the Wylde Center is currently looking to fill plots in its Edgewood Community Garden. Edgewood and nearby community residents preferred. For more information, contact cody@wyldecenter.org.
🐕 La Bodega in Sylvan Hills will host The Barkside Creamery for a pop-up on June 6. Three flavors of dog-friendly ice cream will be available for $5 a cup. Humans can enjoy tunes, an adjacent community yard sale, and fresh and bagged coffee from Sleepy Mango Coffee.
🇰🇷 Local dining club Smoking Tiger Club will hold a Korean-ish brunch party sponsored by Banner Butter at a private location on 26th St. on June 7, starting at noon. The four-course menu includes a signature latte by Postern Coffee and mimosa syrups by Jenny Alicia. Tickets are $52 per person.
🍽️ Black chef collective The New South will host a Juneteenth dinner at Southern National on June 14, starting at 5 p.m. Tickets are available on Eventbrite and cost $211.18 per person.
Sip, savor, and celebrate!
SPONSORED BY FOOD THAT ROCKS
🥂 Food That Rocks 2026 returns to City Springs on June 4 as Sandy Springs’ all-inclusive tasting event, presented by Taste of Atlanta.
From 6–10 p.m. for VIP entry and starting at 7 p.m. for general admission, guests sample bites from more than 25 neighborhood restaurants alongside craft cocktails, beer, and wine tastings. The under-the-stars evening features live music from Band X, chef meet-and-greets, and interactive sponsor activations.
Celebrating Sandy Springs’ growing culinary scene, the event brings together local favorites and new spots for one high-energy night of food, drinks, and community.
TOP STORIES
Free-to-attend World Cup events
⚽ In case you haven’t heard, catching one of Atlanta’s eight World Cup matches this summer will cost a pretty penny. Fortunately, there are plenty of free and free-to-attend watch parties, festivals, and other fan events taking place around the metro area.
⏩ Read my World Cup party roundup here.
CTR Food Works is open…kind of
🌮 The former CNN building has officially rebranded to The CTR. Last week the developer behind the project hosted a launch event, introducing invited guests and media to tour the new atrium redo and CTR Food Works food hall.
The restaurant stalls at the food hall will open right before the June 15 kickoff to the World Cup. You can expect a mix of local restaurant owners and stalls from several big-name chefs at CTR Food Works.
⏩ Check out the food hall lineup here.
SkillsUSA hosting big culinary competition in Atlanta
🧑🍳 Want to watch culinary students from around the country compete next week? You’re in luck. The SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference returns to Atlanta June 1-5, bringing together more than 6,800 students from across the country to compete in 115 events.
With the conference now open to the public, you can attend the culinary competitions throughout the week, which see students tested on everything from their knife work and plating prowess to baking knowledge and kitchen teamwork.
⏩ Learn more about the conference here.
AT THE FARMERS MARKET
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🍑 Peach season is here! And this week, Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets partnered to bring you two recipes you can make using peaches and other ingredients from your local farmers market. Click here for both recipes.
THAT SLAPS
🍝 Anyone who drove in last Wednesday evening’s big rainstorm and didn’t get caught in the flooding on the Connector can count themselves lucky.
I had just left the launch party for The CTR in downtown Atlanta, but managed to get out ahead of the flooding. The rain was an ordeal to drive in that night, and I deserved a nice meal after enduring it.
🍄🟫 I turned into the Whoopsie’s parking lot right after getting off I-20 at Moreland on a whim and ended up running into a friend at the bar. She took one look at me (soaked in my business casual outfit) and knew I was going through it. She immediately invited me to split her shiitake carbonara.
The pasta was fantastic, and I now appreciate that I wasn’t riding in a Waymo, or the broken-down school bus on I-75 my friend’s son was on last Wednesday. But also, don’t sleep on Whoopsie’s vegetarian night, especially when there’s creamy bucatini and a nice soft egg involved.
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.
