News for Restaurants in Atlanta
October 2012 Archive

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RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

Atlanta chefs Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere push locally pastured and all-natural poultry, seasonal organic vegetables and regional fare at their new Bantam + Biddy in Ansley Mall. Patrons will find a "meat-and-three" option, entrées, salads, sandwiches and extensive gluten-free selections. Daily Blue Plate specials priced between $10 and $14 will start at 2 p.m. The 10-and-under "little cluckers" menu offers chicken penne pasta, rotisserie chicken quesadillas and more. Pies, rice pudding and cookies round out the menu. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner daily. Bantam + Biddy, Ansley Mall, 1544 Piedmont Rd. NE, Ste. 301, Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-907-3469.

La Pietra Cucina has been rebranded, and now is called LPC. Even though ownership didn't change, management did, as the restaurant came under the governance of Atlanta-based Concentrics Restaurants. New executive chef Russell Kook has overhauled the menu entirely. The goal was to make the restaurant and the food more approachable, so now there are pizzas and a menu with prices that have been much reduced. Wine and cocktail lists are similarly reconfigured. Why LPC? Because patrons had trouble pronouncing La Pietra Cucina, so this is easier. Patrons who admired former chef Bruce Logue's unique and personal style of Italian cooking at La Pietra Cucina might find themselves in mourning, but hopefully not for long. Logue tells us that his new endeavor, BoccaLupo, may be up and running as soon as February 2013. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner Mon.-Sat. LPC, One Peachtree Pointe, 1545 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-888-8709.

Justin Anthony, whose family brought South African cooking to Atlanta, has stepped out on his own with his wife Kelly, a designer with Anthony/Wolf, creating the Safari-style décor, and his mother, Diane, drafting the menu at Yebo Restaurant & Bar. The latter mixes South African fare with American Southern touches. The ostrich sliders reflect South Africa, and so do the liberal dashes of peri peri sauce that appear on various dishes. And there's boerewors sausage on a sandwich, too. South African white and red wines are well represented. What? No Cap Classique? Lunch & Dinner daily. Yebo Restaurant & Bar, Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30326, 404-467-4988.

Legacy Restaurant Partners has opened Article 14 in the space once occupied by Concentrics' TROIS. Executive chef, and New Englander, Bernie McDonough heads the kitchen, where he crafts a wide-ranging menu. New Bedford sea scallops are served with a grilled corn pudding, but recognizing he's in the South, McDonough pairs his grilled quail with stone-ground grits. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly. Article 14, 1180 Building, 1180 Peachtree St. NE, Ste. B, Atlanta, GA 30308, 404‐443‐8432.

News Bytes

Seed Kitchen & Bar Celebrates its First Anniversary
Seed Kitchen & Bar celebrates its first anniversary with a prix-fixe dinner for $29 (not including tax and gratuity) for which chef/owner Doug Turbush will reprise some of the favorite dishes from opening night as well as offer new dishes among the choices. Part of the proceeds from this menu will go to two of his favorite charities: Share Our Strength and MUST Ministries. The menu will be offered November 1-3, 2012, only. Seed Kitchen & Bar, Merchants Walk, 1311 Johnson Ferry Rd., Ste. 504, Marietta, GA 30068, 678-214-6888.

Jean-Claude Changivy Relocates Au Rendez-Vous
After ten years in a simple, out-of-the-way location abutting a dry cleaner, Jean-Claude Changivy has moved Au Rendez-Vous to Chamblee. Citing the loss of his lease, Changivy relocated to a spot near the Chamblee Public Library. The greater visibility should enhance the restaurant's staying power, and Changivy's French food will continue to attract dévotées who were disappointed to think that it had closed. A major change that will distress some, though, is it's no more BYO, as he has developed a wine list. Lunch Tues.-Sun., Dinner nightly. Au Rendez-Vous, 4102 Clairmont Rd., Chamblee, GA 30341, 404-303-1968.

Lunchtime Lure
Lure now offers lunch service seven days a week from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The menu features appetizers, soups and salads, and sandwiches and entrées. Executive chef David Bradley continues the same fresh coastal cuisine theme he presents at dinner, with such dishes as smoked trout pâté, fried Rhode Island calamari, and grilled octopus and pork lettuce wraps. Brunch offerings will be added to the weekend lunch menu beginning in November. In addition, Lure offers an "It's Early" menu that's ideal for grabbing a bite during the late afternoon hours. The special selection is available from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. daily and includes pre-dinner dishes like cold-water oysters ($2.50 to $3 each), a spicy Veracruz-style seafood cocktail ($12), steak tartare ($12) and fried oyster sliders ($4.50 each). Lunch & Dinner daily. Lure, 1106 Crescent Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-817-3650.

Inaugural Southern Food Tour
Be among the 30 guests who will celebrate the flavors of the South at the inaugural Southern Food Tour on October 11, 2012. To participate, board a trolley at Star Provisions in Atlanta's Westside on Howell Mill Road for your first stop at The Optimist, where chef Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar will host the first experience. At each of four restaurants, guests will enjoy a dish and a cocktail, listen to the chef's story and receive a souvenir from each of the chefs. Adam Evans from The Optimist, Anne Quatrano from Bacchanalia and Linton Hopkins from Restaurant Eugene are the other three chefs. Also joining the tour is American Spirit Whiskey, providing a cocktail for each restaurant's small plate. Tickets are $200 per person, and may be purchased at https://www.xorbia.com/e/southernfoodtour/sft12. For additional information, visit www.facebook.com/SouthernFoodTour.

Chef Shuffle

Half the team of Art Smith and Anthony Gray from Southern Art & Bourbon Bar has moved on to new ventures. Chef Gray, who grew up in middle Georgia (Macon), leaves the establishment where he has served as executive chef to take over at Coal Fired Bistro & Wine Bar in Greenville, S.C. Gray was previously executive chef at High Cotton in both Charleston and Greenville. Plans call for him to launch his own establishment in this historic Southern town that is rapidly becoming a dining destination. Southern Art & Bourbon Bar, InterContinental Buckhead, 3315 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30326, 404-946-9070.

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.

Fuoco di Napoli in Buckhead has closed after less than a year in business. Fuoco di Napoli, 30 Pharr Rd., Atlanta, GA 30305, 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

BEYONCE INSPIRED LIBATIONS

Try these whiskey cocktails inspired by Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album.

Check the recipes.

BOURBON IN YOUR AIOLI

This cashew aioli recipe gets a kick with bourbon.

Get the recipe.

GAYOT'S RESTAURANT AWARDS

Over the years, we have been electing restaurants to be on GAYOT's Yearly Restaurant Awards.

Check the list.

News for Restaurants in Atlanta October 2012 Archive

News for Restaurants in Atlanta
October 2012 Archive