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News for Restaurants in Atlanta
January 2012 Archive

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RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

Owner of Rathbun's, Krog Bar and Kevin Rathbun Steak, Kevin Rathbun and his wife, Melissa, along with business partners, Cliff Bramble and Kirk Parks, will open a restaurant in the Peachtree Hills area of Buckhead to be called KR Steak Bar. The menu concept is best described as "small plate steak meets Italian fare." The location of KR SteakBar is in the ADAC West building. Rathbun, who previously was executive chef at Nava in the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, struck out on his own with Rathbun's as his first establishment. All three of his existing restaurants are in Inman Park, but this new enterprise will be in Peachtree Hills, near Buckhead. Atlanta's foremost restaurant design firm, The Johnson Studio, will design the space. With 120 seats, a full bar and a patio, KR Steakbar is projected to open in late summer 2012. KR Steak Bar, ADAC West, 349 Peachtree Hills Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30305, no phone.
 
Denizens of this Emory-area Decatur neighborhood greeted with enthusiasm the reopening of one of its most popular sports bars, Melton's App & Tap. The place had closed to take care of some needed repair work. Judging from the frenetic pace with which the staff is working, the regulars have returned and are keeping the folks on their toes. We like the burger, topped with cheddar, sautéed onions and mushrooms. Melton's App & Tap, Medlock Plaza, 2500 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30033, 404-634-9112.
 

News Bytes

"Burger & Beer" Special at a Rooftop Bar
JCT. Kitchen & Bar offers its "Burger & Beer" special every Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. in the rooftop bar, located above JCT. Kitchen. Guests will have the choice of one of three beers from Utah-based Uinta Brewing (Wyld Extra Pale Ale, Baba Black Lager or Hopnotch IPA), an environmentally sensitive brewery. Executive chef/owner Ford Fry's house-ground "Frito Pie" burger will also be among the offerings. Cost is $10. JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Westside Urban Market, 1198 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Ste. 18, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-355-2252.
 
Meehan's Launches Annual Soup Competition
Meehan's Public House will hold its 1st Annual "Soup Wars" in January. Each of the pubs' three locations will feature special soups ranging in price from $6 to $9. They may be ordered with a sandwich or salad, as well as on their own. Four soups will be created by chefs Jordan Wakefield (Downtown), Val Domingo (Sandy Springs) and Branden Holte (Vinings). Patrons will be asked to vote for their favorite soup. The chef and pub with the most votes wins, and their selected soup will be featured in all of the pubs for the month of February. Meehan's Public House, Vinings Station, 2810 Paces Ferry Rd. SE, Atlanta, GA 30339, 770-433-1920.
 
Peasant Bistro Offers $5 Bites
Every evening, the Peasant Bistro in downtown's Luckie-Marietta District offers a selection of $5 small plates in the bar and lounge area. Paired with one of the $5 glasses of wine, these tapas-style dishes allow patrons to sample the fare of this contemporary bistro. Look for beet salad, shrimp and grits, mussels au nage and the chef's fish of the day. In addition, throughout the night lunch-size entrées are available, priced from $9 and $16. Peasant Bistro, Centennial Park West Condominium, 250 Park Ave. West NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, 404-230-1724.
 

Chef Shuffle

Linger Longer Steakhouse at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation Ashley Nakano has been named executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, the resort located on Lake Oconee. Nakano will supervise all of the property's bakery operations and she will collaborate with the resort's executive chef Yann Chupin and the entire Ritz-Carlton Lodge food and beverage team to create an inventive line-up of pastries, breads, confections, in-room amenities, dramatic showpieces and cakes for special events. Her work will grace the resorts several restaurants, including Georgia's Bistro, Linger Longer Steakhouse and Gaby's by the Lake. Georgia's Bistro, The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, One Lake Oconee Tr., Greensboro, GA 30642, 706-467-7135.
 

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.

Originally launched at Vinings Jubilee Shopping Center, The Grape in that location has closed, leaving just one outpost of the once rapidly growing group of units still standing --- in Atlantic Station. The concept never seemed to find its footing, often bringing in franchisees who quickly deviated from the core values of glasses of wine and small plates. The Grape, Vinings Jubilee Shopping Center, 4300 Paces Ferry Rd. SE, Atlanta, GA 30339, no phone.
 
Atlanta-based rapper Ludacris (né Chris Bridges) and chef/partner Chris Yeo have closed their Midtown-based Straits Restaurant to focus on bringing to fruition the Chicken N Beer concept, chosen for one of 150 new dining slots at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The name of this concept, focused on casual comfort fare, harks back to a 2003 album the rapper produced by the same name. Straits Restaurant, 793 Juniper St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, no phone.
 
Some months ago, Fabrice Vergez, owner with Cindy Brown of French American Brasserie, told us of his disappointment with the downtown relocation of his Lenox Square restaurant Brasserie Le Coze. Originally begun by the late Gilbert Le Coze and his sister Maguy, of Le Bernardin in New York City, the now-closed Brasserie Le Coze lost its space to an expansion of Neiman-Marcus. "Fab," as Vergez is known, was clear that he wished to return to Buckhead. And now apparently the pair will do just that, announcing in December 2011 the closing of French American Brasserie and the spring 2012 launch of F and B Atlanta in The Ritz-Carlton Residences. We look forward to this repositioning of a fine French dining tradition in Atlanta, and the opportunity to welcome Fabrice and Cindy back to Buckhead. French American Brasserie, Southern Company, 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30308, no phone.
 

CULINARY EVENTS
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