Five-course tasting menu for 84 bucks
Tuesday, July 21 — Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the table.
This week’s “Family Meal” features my interview with Johnny Martinez, co-owner of Joystick Gamebar, who spoke to me last week about why he and Brandon Ley are moving their popular Edgewood Avenue bar to East Atlanta Village this fall. It should come as no surprise to anyone closely following the restaurant and bar industry that rising costs factored heavily in the relocation decision.
For my “Editor’s Pick,” I tell you why the $84 tasting menu at chef’s counter Bovino After Dark in West End remains one of my favorites in Atlanta. The sweet Alabama crab dish on the menu right now is a 🧑🍳😙.
Finally, Bistro Niko in Buckhead shared its recipe for quiche Florentine, and Sarra gives you her first impression of new Avondale Estates restaurant Last Dance.
Cheers!
🍸 Beth
Joystick Gamebar Reopens This Fall in EAV
🕹️ Edgewood Avenue cocktail bar and gaming lounge Joystick Gamebar will relocate to East Atlanta Village (EAV) later this fall.
The bar, which includes old-school arcade and pinball games, and regularly hosts gaming clubs and game nights, pulled up stakes on Edgewood after 14 years there.
Joystick will take over the former East Side Lounge space across from The Earl in the heart of EAV and will feature new games, updated food menu, and the addition of a third partner in the business.
Why relocate?
Co-owner Johnny Martinez said the decision to close on Edgewood and relocate wasn’t one he and Joystick partner Brandon Ley took lightly. The decision was a slow burn over several years that factored in a pandemic shakeup, rising and unforeseen costs like a doubling power bill and hiring security, and a capacity cap that often restricted earning potential for the Edgewood Avenue bar.
📉 “We never really recovered from the pandemic. Our sales never got above 85% of where we were before it,” Martinez told Rough Draft. “There are limits to what a small business can absorb. Joystick only has an occupancy of 98 people. No matter how busy we are, there’s a ceiling on what we can earn. But there hasn’t been the same ceiling on our expenses.”
While large crowds from unpermitted street parties sometimes turned Edgewood into a parking lot, and a handful of recent shootings caused challenges, Martinez said those issues had little to do with the final decision to move Joystick further east. With the bar’s lease up in February, the timing felt right.
🫶 “We love Edgewood. We wouldn’t have spent 14 years here if we didn’t. One thing I hope people understand is just how many people have worked incredibly hard to keep this street alive,” Martinez said of businesses like his, including Our Bar, Church, Lore, Pisces, and Edgewood Pizza.
He personally served on the city’s Edgewood Security Task Force to represent the interests of the corridor’s small business owners.
But now Martinez and Ley are focused on the future and the next iteration of Joystick Gamebar. Like the neighborhoods surrounding Edgewood Avenue, Martinez said, EAV is full of people who care about where they live and support local businesses.
What to expect in EAV
Not much will change in terms of the design or the vibe at Joystick in EAV.
👾 People can still expect to find a mix of classic arcade games and pinball machines, including the possible return of a pinball cult classic: Dolly Parton. Gaming consoles will become permanent fixtures at the bar, along with gaming tournaments and events co-hosted with businesses like True Fire Tactics.
“We’re still going to focus on quality beer, wine, and spirits, along with creative cocktails. We’ll be bringing back some of the cocktail favorites we’ve created over the years,” Martinez said.
🍸 Kysha Cyrus will join Martinez and Ley as a partner and help oversee the food at Joystick in EAV. Cyrus worked behind the bar at Joystick for years before opening cocktail bar Mambo Zombi with Martinez and Ley above their Edgewood Avenue beer bar, Georgia Beer Garden. (Both Georgia Beer Garden and Mambo Zombi have since closed.)
“Our priority is getting the doors open as quickly as possible, and because our permanent grease trap won’t be installed until later, we won’t be opening with a fryer,” Martinez said.
Rather than seeing the kitchen’s temporary limitations as a problem, Martinez said Cyrus got creative with the food menu. Think potato chips with melted blue cheese and grilled cheese waffle sandwiches with condiments like bacon jam. Once the grease trap is installed, Cyrus will expand the food menu to include dishes requiring a fryer.
🥹 Leaving Edgewood Avenue after all these years is bittersweet, but Martinez said he and Ley are optimistic about its future.
“Look at what Church has built over the years. Look at Lore and the incredible community they’ve created,” Martinez explained. “Pisces continues to bring new people to the neighborhood with lines down their block. Our Bar is one of the hardest-working businesses in Atlanta. Edgewood Pizza has become a neighborhood institution.”
“You’re seeing renovated apartment buildings, new retail, and more people choosing to invest in the corridor. There are a lot of people betting on Edgewood’s future,” he added.
Where to Find Summer Inspired Drinks in Roswell
SPONSORED BY ROSWELL INC. AND VISIT ROSWELL
🍹 Explore Roswell’s beverage scene with a summer inspired twist. Enjoy Summer Sippin’ at participating locations all around Roswell.
The beverage competition returns for its 11th year and showcases creative seasonal beverages at restaurants, coffee shops, tasting rooms and breweries.
➞ Check out the NEW interactive event guide and rate every sip you try this summer to help decide the ‘Best Sip in Roswell.’ Get your sip on.
Editor’s Pick: Bovino After Dark
👉 I discovered Bovino After Dark quite by accident in 2023. I was sitting on the patio at Best Sandwich Shop (RIP) on Ponce scrolling through Resy when a curious restaurant name popped up on my phone.
🍷 As a chef’s counter operating out of Hop City Beer & Wine in West End, Bovino After Dark promised a five-course tasting menu from former Gunshow Chef Chris McCord. It included optional wine pairings from bartender Alex Sher. Those of you who’ve been around for a minute, might know Sher from his days behind the stick at Proof & Provision during Chef Zeb Stevenson’s tenure at the Georgian Terrace. In fact, the first night I dined at Bovino After Dark, Stevenson and his partner and LottaFrutta owner, Myrna Perez, were also dining there, supporting their friends, McCord and Sher.
From that first dinner in August 2023, I was hooked. Between the laidback, sometimes high-spirited vibe, McCord and Sher’s dedication to sourcing locally, and dishes like kadhi with green strawberries over a bay scallop pakora, Bovino was unlike anything I’d experienced in Atlanta. Sher made sure we were properly entertained, while McCord and his team made sure we were properly fed. Not to mention the price point. It’s hard to beat $84 per person. Even opting for wine pairings or add-ons like oysters, caviar, or an intermezzo between the final savory course and dessert, you’re still paying well under $200 per person.
I’ve been back several times since 2023, including this past weekend when I discovered that Bovino added two tables to the seating arrangements. And it seems that McCord and Sher may expand into a larger space soon due to demand.
🦀 My favorite dish from the latest Bovino After Dark menu: the Alabama crab (pictured). Sweet crab came studded with fresh corn and bits of yellow corn tamale. Complemented by a yellow corn tamale sauce, the crab is finished with a bright, herbaceous tomatillo salsa and garnish of popcorn.
Recipe: Bistro Niko Quiche
🥧 This week, we’re sharing the recipe for the quiche Florentine from Bistro Niko in Buckhead.
Rough Cut: Last Dance
🗣️ Welcome to “Rough Cut,” where Sarra and I offer our first impressions on the food, vibe, and service at restaurants around Atlanta.
Sarra recently dined at Last Dance in Avondale Estates. Last Dance excels at utilizing seasonal produce in dishes, so don’t skip the salads or vegetable-based apps. It’s also completely reasonable to visit just to try the ice cream sandwiches, which combine ice creams made from fresh strawberries and basil with house-made blondies.
🦢 Check out Sarra’s full Rough Cut here.
➡️ Get double the Atlanta food and dining coverage with “Family Meal,” edited by Beth McKibben, on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and “Side Dish,” edited by Sarra Sedghi, on Thursdays at noon. Subscribe to both here.
