Best intern award + khachapuri in Roswell
Thursday, Aug. 13 — Hello, internet friends.
🏆 It’s my newsletter, so this week I’m using the space to recognize our Atlanta Press Club summer photojournalism intern, Ansley Kelly, who returns to UGA tomorrow.
Ansley worked across the board this summer at Rough Draft, but she worked a lot with me on dining and World Cup stories. I love this story we did together on how some local restaurants and bars enjoyed a World Cup boom. She was a perfect teammate who didn’t simply defer to me as the elder journalist — she steered me in a better direction a few times as we navigated two notoriously volatile beats at once. Mark my words: whoever gets to work with her next is extremely lucky.
In this week’s Quick Bites, get updates on restaurant openings in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, and Brookhaven, the new chef at Madre Selva in Buckhead, and a brunch test run at an Avondale Estates restaurant. Keep reading for stories about two new locations of Buckhead steakhouse Hal’s opening next year, Georgian Corner, a restaurant and Eastern European market in Roswell, and this year’s DeKalb Youth Pitmaster Competition.
🥟 Give Beth’s latest edition of “Family Meal” a read for her go-to dim sum spot, my feature on Atlanta Chinatown’s revival, and a recipe for the watermelon salad at Eclipse di Luna.
See y’all next week,
🍰 Sarra
Quick Bites
Openings
🍔 Shake Shack is now open at Centennial Yards. This marks the burger chain’s seventh location within the Perimeter.
🐔 Ford’s Chicken, a charcoal rotisserie-roasted chicken restaurant from the owners of Ford’s BBQ, is now open in Avondale Estates.
🍨 Van Leeuwen Ice Cream opened at Park Place in Dunwoody.
☕ West Midtown coffee shop Urban Grind ATL will celebrate its 20th anniversary by opening a BrewBox at Pittsburgh Yards.
🧜♀️ SIREN, from the owners of Arnette’s Chop Shop, opens next door to the steakhouse on Aug. 18 in Brookhaven.
🫒 Grove and Barrel Provisions, a market inspired by the Mediterranean diet, opens in downtown Alpharetta tomorrow. Expect a selection of imported products like canned and brined goods, wine, olive oils, pasta, and coffee. Grove and Barrel will also host private group experiences and offer pairing sessions.
🇬🇪 Georgian Corner’s main dining room in Roswell has reopened, following a short break.
Coming attractions
🥗 Fast-casual spot Toastique will open a location in West Midtown’s Brickworks development this fall.
🍷 Sargent, the new restaurant and bookstore from the owners of Lucian Books & Wine, will open for lunch and dinner on Aug. 18 across from the Forth Hotel in the Old Fourth Ward.
Industry updates
🇵🇪 Madre Selva welcomes Mayra Dominguez as the new executive chef. Dominguez has more than two decades of experience working in restaurant kitchens in Atlanta, New York, and Peru.
🏈 Hotel Phoenix at Centennial Yards now offers reservations for a new tailgate experience at Bless Your Heart rooftop bar. The series starts on Sept. 5 with the Auburn versus Baylor game.
🍳 Last Dance in Avondale Estates will begin servingbrunch this weekend. Reservations encouraged for tables. Walk-in service at the bar.
Add to your calendar
✂️ Delilah’s Everyday Soul will host a grand opening for its Mitchell Street location in South Downtown tomorrow. The day begins with a ribbon cutting at 10:30 a.m., followed by live music and giveaways at 11:30 a.m. Starting at 6 p.m., the restaurant will kick off “party party,” featuring a live DJ and hors d’oeuvres.
🎇 Lewis Global Karate in Chamblee will host a Japanese summer festival on Aug. 22, from 2-4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids under 17, and free for kids 3 and under. The admission price includes one serving of nagashi somen (flowing noodles).
🇹🇭 Tipsy Thaiger in Roswell will celebrate its first anniversary with a party on Aug. 30, from 6-9 p.m. The event will feature Thai barbecue, a live DJ set by Jacky Tran, and complimentary glass of bubbles or beer. Reservations recommended.
🐶 The Works will host its annual Upper Westside PUPFEST on Sept. 19, from 2-5 p.m. The football-themed event will feature a market of dog-friendly vendors, food and drink specials, live music from DJ Steve, and the UGA Redcoat Alumni Band. Expect college football on a big screen and plenty of photo opportunities for pups and their people. A “pup rally” contest will also take place with prizes for the best-dressed dog-owner duos. A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Atlanta Humane Society. Early bird tickets are $12 through Aug. 23, increasing to $16 on Aug. 24. All dogs must be up-to-date on vaccinations to enter.
Taste, sip, and celebrate!
SPONSORED BY GRAND TASTING ALPHARETTA
🍾 Raise your glass on Thurs., Aug. 27 at The Hotel at Avalon for the Grand Tasting Alpharetta.
Experience a one-night-only celebration of Alpharetta’s top restaurants with tastings of wine, craft beer, and cocktails. Enjoy live music and more during this unforgettable night of flavor and fun.
🎫 VIP entry begins at 6 p.m., general admission at 7 p.m. Get your tickets today!
Top Stories
Hal’s expanding to Midtown and Roswell
🥩 Buckhead institution Hal’s “The Steakhouse” is not opening one, but two new locations in metro Atlanta next year. I chatted with Hal’s owner Sammy Jimenez about what excited diners can expect in both Midtown and Roswell.
⏩ Read more about the new Hal’s locations.
Georgian Corner brings khachapuri and more to Roswell
🇬🇪 Husband-and-wife duo Gocha Gelashvili and Nina Armstrong’s Georgian Corner isn’t just a restaurant serving Georgian (yes, the country) cuisine. It’s also a coffee shop, Eastern European market, and even sometimes an entertainment venue all under one roof, and you need to visit.
⏩ Read more about Georgian Corner.
Young pitmasters go head-to-head in DeKalb competition
🥩 The DeKalb Youth Pitmaster Competition returned to Midway Recreation Center for its second year on Aug. 1. Eight teams of pitmasters, aged 12-24, competed, preparing multiple-course meals for a panel of judges.
⏩ Learn more about this youth culinary competition.
At the Market
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🍅 Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets partner each week to bring you two recipes you can make at home using fresh ingredients from your local farmers market. Summer is still in full swing, so this week, we’ve got a bean salad and refreshing gazpacho. Check out both recipes here.
That Slaps
You know what goes great with mead and sea shanties? Pizza. Phantom Pizza popped up at Monks Meadery’s monthly pub sing over the weekend and helped people not get too spirited (sorry, not sorry) on mead and group pirate songs. We got the pepperoni pie, which featured pepperoni from The Spotted Trotter.
Beth also talked up Phantom’s pepperoni pie earlier this year. You can catch the pop-up pizzeria weekly at Burle’s Bar along the Eastside Beltline on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
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.
