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News for Restaurants in Atlanta
November 2013 Archive

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RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

Longtime favorite Gilbert's Café & Bar will become G's, a gastropub.
Longtime Atlanta favorite, Gilbert's Cafe & Bar, will close on Monday December 2 after 14 successful years in Midtown and re-open as G's, an American gastropub, on Saturday December 7.  Owners Sean and Gilbert Yeremyan, brothers, are renovating the space, updating the décor and introducing a new menu by executive chef Javier Viera. Gilbert's was popular for its Mediterranean cuisine, largely from Greek culinary traditions, and small plates.  In 2012 the brothers opened 10th & Piedmont in a former adjacent bookstore, with the two concepts connected by a passageway through the kitchen area. So one could start with appetiers in one spot and finish with dnner in the other. Viera oversees both kitchens. 10th & Piedmont carries the load serving lunch as well as dinner, brunch and a late night menu, while G's serves dinner, a late night menu and brunch. The new establishment will produce such dishes as skillet mac 'n' cheese, a pimento cheese burger and fish tacos with blackened mahi-mahi. Dinner nightly, Late Night menu Tues.-Sat., Brunch Sat.-Sun.. Gilbert's Cafe & Bar to become G's, 219 Tenth St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-872-8012.
 

News Bytes

Ria Pell, Founder of Ria's Bluebird, Passes Away
When Ria Pell opened Ria's Bluebird on Memorial Drive, she also began the revitalization of this part of Atlanta. Once unsightly and industrial, the street now is home to numerous bustling restaurants who followed in her footsteps. Pell died Sunday, November 24, 2013. Her business partner, Karen Portaleo, announced on the diner’s Facebook page that the diner would be open November 27 in Pell's honor at 9 a.m. and accept donations in her name, then close until December 2. Portaleo then reopened at 8 a.m. December 3. Pell was a respected member of the restaurant community, the Grant Park neighborhood and the LGBT community, whose interests she served vigorously. Breakfast & Lunch daily, Brunch Sat.-Sun.. Ria's Bluebird, 421 Memorial Dr. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, 404-521-3737.
 
Nikolai’s Roof Temporarily Closed for Renovation
Nikolai’s Roof is closed through the end of the year and will reopen in 2014. The restaurant on the 30th floor of the Hilton Atlanta is undergoing a modernization, spending nearly $1 million to refresh and update the space. At the same time, chef de cuisine Stephanie Alderete is refocusing the menu, showcasing modern American fare, although Russian influences will remain in such signature dishes as piroshkies and borscht. Nikolai's Roof, Hilton Atlanta, 255 Courtland St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-221-6362.
 
The Optimist Reopens After Fire
Chef Ford Fry’s seafood restaurant-cum-oyster bar The Optimist suffered a fire just before lunch service was to open, when a kitchen hood experienced an electrical issue. But the damage was quickly repaired and the restaurant has reopened, serving lunch Monday through Friday and dinner every night. The adjacent Oyster Bar operation opens in the early evening during the week and at 3 p.m. on weekends and goes until everyone toddles home. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly. The Optimist, 914 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-477-6260 .
 
The Optimist Suffers a Kitchen Fire
Ford Fry's The Optimist, a fairly new Atlanta seafood restaurant, experienced a fire in a kitchen hood that caused damage, but the restaurant reopened for dinner on Friday, November 8, 2013. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly. The Optimist, 914 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-477-6260 .
 

Chef Shuffle

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Closings

CLOSED FOR GOOD
Take your taste buds on a walk down memory lane! Check out our exclusive closed restaurant database for Atlanta to virtually visit your favorite dining spots from the past. Bazzaar, R.I.P.

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CULINARY EVENTS
Want to
learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.

View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in Atlanta

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