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News for Restaurants in Atlanta
October 2008 Archive

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RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

Rise Sushi Lounge opened in the Luckie Marietta District with master sushi chef Tony Wang at the helm. Chef Wang opened Ginza Japanese Steak and Sushi in Peachtree City, then sold it after a decade in 2001, and began to develop the concept for Rise Sushi Lounge. The menu will change seasonally using top-grade seafood, with an emphasis on regionally caught or harvested ingredients. Signature dishes include the "Sesame Roll" filled with fresh tuna coated in sesame seeds, flash fried and served with chef Wang's signature cream sauce. A full selection of warm and cold sakés, an array of signature flavored sakés, premium tea and coffee preparations, international wines and a full bar complement the cuisine. Lunch & Dinner daily. Rise Sushi Lounge, 300 Marietta St. SW, Ste 104, Atlanta, GA 30313, 404-477-0947.
 
The Bureau is a cooperative effort among partners who own both restaurants and galleries. Open in the Old Fourth Ward, the enterprise operates on two levels and offers pub fare and gallery space for special events. Most dishes are small plates, although a half dozen main dishes also are offered. Dinner is served until 11 p.m., but the restaurant stays open to the wee hours, 2 a.m. Mon.-Thurs and 3 a.m. Fri.-Sat., midnight Sun. Dinner nightly. The Bureau, 327 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, 678-732-0067.
 
Open in East Cobb, Soba Bistro & Bar features Asian cooking prepared by chefs working in an open kitchen. Dishes range from dim sum to Korean barbecue to noodle bowls and sushi. A kid's menu also is available. Look for it in the Publix shopping center at E. Piedmont and Roswell Roads. Lunch & Dinner daily. Soba Bistro & Bar, 1060 E. Piedmont Rd., Marietta, GA 30062, 770-971-1888.
 
The Wine Loft has opened in the Luckie-Marietta District, providing this increasingly upscale neighborhood of loft dwellers and other intown denizens a wine bar for socializing and sipping. The wine list holds 200-plus selections, 90 of which are available by the glass, and ranges over 19 countries and 58 different varietals. An extensive menu of small plates adds to the appeal. Dinner nightly. The wine loft is open until 2 a.m. Thurs.-Sat., and until midnight the rest of the week. Dinner nightly. The Wine Loft, 300 Marietta St. NW, Ste. 4-B, Atlanta, GA 30313, 770-596-0879.
 
Social has opened downtown, bringing a wine bar experience to folks who work, visit and live in the area. Patrons may enjoy a 25-foot marble bar or a communal table, or they may dine in an upper level dining room overlooking trees below. Tucked between Spring and W. Peachtree Streets, Social draws its culinary influences for small plates, sharing plates and entrées from the Mediterranean. A wide-ranging wine list offers several good choices by the glass. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner Mon.-Sat.
 
Red Salt is the latest venture from the folks at Little Alley Tapas Bar & Restaurant in Roswell. Opening on Canton St. in the same city, the name references the salts that come from the Himalayan Mountains. A single shaker of the expensive condiment is available as a showpiece. Styled as a gastropub, the enterprise employs the culinary services of chef Richard Wilt, who cooks everything from tapas to Italian cured meats and Serrano ham. His chicken potpie is made with Springer Mountain, Georgia, chicken. Lunch & Dinner daily, Brunch Sun. Red Salt, 952 Canton St., Roswell, GA 30075, 770-998-4850.
 
Chicago's Very Own describes itself as a "Christian-inspired dinner club," and features Chicago-style soul food and vegetarian soul food. Dishes include Southern standards---which the Chicago-born owners designate as "soul" food---including such dishes as beef spare ribs with mashed potatoes and beans, meatloaf, fried corn, mac 'n' cheese, black-eyed peas and cornbread, while non-Southern specialties range from lasagna to broiled Alaska salmon. Totally Southern is the Gospel music featured at Sunday brunch. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dnner Mon.-Sat., Brunch Sun. Chicago's Very Own, 768 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-924-4571.
 
Bistro 191 & The Bean Counter are the work of John C. Metz, Jr. and Tom DiGiorgio, both restaurateurs. The bistro is designed as an upscale, elegant café, while The Bean Counter is a coffee bar with a Caribou Coffee menu. Breakfast & Lunch Mon.-Fri. Bistro 191 & The Bean Counter, 191 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-223-0500.
 
Jim and Tara Cameron opened Diesel Pizza Pub adjacent to a fire station. Diesel offers thin-crust pizzas, subs and panini, and there's a kids' menu with sliced fruit and a drink. Lunch & Dinner daily. Diesel Pizza Pub, 994 Alpharetta St., Roswell, GA 30075, 770-641-1080.
 
El Original El Taco The clumsily named El Original El Taco opened on October 21, out of the ashes of Sala Sabor de México, which Fifth Group Restaurants had sold and wound up taking back. Consulting on the project is Shaun Doty, of Shaun's, who is likely to have the right touch of wit for this operation. We'll overlook the name if the food is as good as we think it can be. Dinner nightly. El Original El Taco, 1186 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306, 404-873-4656..
 

News Bytes

Supper at Babette’s
Babette's Café will launch an early supper menu on Tues.-Thurs. for guests seated by 6:15 p.m. (The restaurant opens at 5:30 p.m. those evenings.) The supper menu will feature a choice of three different appetizers and three entrées each week. Chef-owner Marla Adams will post the menu for the upcoming week on Babette's website each Sun. afternoon: www.babettescafe.com. The cost is $18 plus tax and gratuity. Babette's Cafe, 573 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30307, 404-523-9121.
 
Six Feet Under’s Minor Move
The original Six Feet Under has moved two doors down the street to 437 Memorial Dr. SE. The spot is still across the street from Atlanta's iconic Oakland Cemetery, which gave rise to the popular joint's name. Six Feet Under, 437 Memorial Dr. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, 404-523-6664.
 

Chef Shuffle

Check back soon for more news.

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.

Harold's Barbecue in Grant Park is mourning the loss of Harold Hembree, Jr., son of the founder who launched the business in 1947. Having closed the McDonough location and just last month the long-running Jonesboro location, Harold Jr.'s daughter, Kay Branyon, will devote herself to keeping up the well-being of the popular original Harold's Barbecue. Here's to the cracklin' cornbread. Harold's Barbecue, 171 McDonough Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30315, no phone.
 
The Clubhouse at Lenox Square has closed. The Clubhouse, Lenox Square, 3393 Peachtree Rd. NE, Ste. 3054, Atlanta, GA 30326, no phone.
 
After a 3 1/2-year battle, The Globe closed on October 7. A new concept is being developed by the owners, with the consulting input of Fifth Group, which had taken over the restaurant's management. Odds on, the new establishment will cater more toward the adjacent Georgia Tech-focused crowd of academics and administrators, and feature lower prices. The Globe, Centergy Building at Technology Square, 75 Fifth St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30308, no phone.
 

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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