HUD'S CORNER - Page 2
The Research Continues...

by hud report staff

In the oven...
(The following are but a small mention of the new places on our ‘Coming Soon’ radar...)

Local restaurateur Randy Stewart is rumored to be taking the former Athens Pizza Express building (built in 1969 as an Arbys) on Clairmont Road in Atlanta for his latest venture, Kitschn 155. Clairmont is Georgia State Route 155, hence the 155 in the name. Local buzz says Kitschn will feature fresh unprocessed foods in a casual environment. Speculations were that it would open by Memorial Day?... According to the website, ohmmgogi.com, the anticipated OMG (Oh MmMm Gogi) Taco will be “A fusion of two great cultural tastes: Korean Gogi (beef) + Mexican Taco” that will be opening in the former Sweet Lime space on Euclid Avenue in Little Five Points... A new Italian restaurant concept from the creators of Ippolitos, Ipps Pastaria & Bar, will be opening in early July in downtown Woodstock on Main Street... Atlanta Magazine is reporting local chef Julia Leroy will open LeRoys Fried Chicken on Howell Mill Road in early June. Previously the chef at the Bookhouse Pub (shes been consulting for the last year or so), LeRoy is partnering with Clay Harper and Mike Nelson of Fellinis Pizza. This will be a take-out operation only using chicken from Springer Mountain Farms and will also have fried hearts & livers on the menu... The Atlanta Business Chronicle is reporting that Sterling Hospitality (Marlows Tavern & Aqua Blue) is debuting its latest concept, Market Street Cafe, in mid-June in the former Roys Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant space at the Prominence building in Buckhead... Real Chow Baby co-owner Mike Blum is currently scouting Midtown, Westside Atlanta or the Old Fourth Ward to open a new concept he is calling Yum Bunz Dim Sum Fast, which will feature Chinese buns stuffed with BBQ roast pork and other fillings. No word on possible opening date?... Local buzz is also saying the first unit of the Houston, TX-based Swirll Frozen Yogurt concept will open in about a month in the Town Brookhaven project and a second will follow in the Wieuca Shopping Center on Roswell Road. A third location is supposedly going into Perimeter Place in Dunwoody across from Perimeter Mall, in the near future... A Spanish wine bar with tapas restaurant, Connecticut-based Barcelona, landed on our radar back in September of 2010 rumored to be opening in the former Zaya Restaurant space on N. Highland Avenue. Latest rumblings now have them opening in the Fall of 2011. The groups executive chef is Adam Halberg, an Emory graduate... Latest buzz around town says the owners of MJQ on Ponce de Leon (Donald Durant, Ben Rhoades and Armando Celetano) and the Bookhouse Pub will open in the old Arts & Antiques Bazzar on Flat Shoals Road in East Atlanta as a Brooklyn-style restaurant that is yet unnamed. The 7,500 sq. ft. space might just open by October of 2011... There is a banner up at the former Cafe Efendi space on Roswell Street in Alpharetta that says coming soon La Casa Italian Grill. Cafe Efendi closed in March of this year under rumors that it would be re-locating to S. Main Street in Alpharetta. As of our print date, we had not confirmed if the moved had been made yet?... Recently filed permits have a new concept, Tsunami Taqueria, going into the former Toulouse space in the Peachtree Hills area of Atlanta on Peachtree Road... We are following up on info that a new pizza joint is opening in West Midtown on Huff Road, Westside Pie Pizzeria. A recent liquor license application also indicates dancing and live entertainment at the new venue. Further digging found this new venue is not affiliated with Westside Pizzeria on Marietta Boulevard... First Cherokee State Bank executive officers Matt Hames and father Carl Hames will soon open a retail concept called Acru, where customers can get expert financial advice while sipping on a latte or cappuccino at an espresso bar. It will be located on the ground floor of the 400 Chambers Street condo building and will be the first coffeehouse in Woodstock. Local architectural firm, ai3, will do the design... We have heard a rumor that a new auto spa, Atlantic Auto Spa & Lounge, is opening on 14th Street in Midtown across from Moes Original Barbecue and will be serving bar food in a restaurant build out.... Nacho Mamas Street Taqueria is listed on a local consulting firms blog as coming soon but no other information was given?... LanierWorld at Lake Lanier Islands will add another eatery when Giannis Italian Bistro & Pizzeria opens in June... Sam Huff will be adding a second location of his BBQ1 soon in a former Amores Pizzeria space on Shallowford Road in Roswell. Sam, along with David Poe operated Sam & Daves BBQ in Marietta before splitting up in 2009 to open separate BBQ joints... There is a sign on the door of the former Simply Delicious Caribbean Cuisine on Highlands Parkway in Smyrna that says coming soon Buckhead Barbecue Co., new, southern, tradition... We first reported a couple of years ago that Frank Ski (Frank Ski Rodriquez of the Frank & Wanda Show, V103) was opening a venue called Kolor in Buckhead. Although it never materialized, we are now hearing rumblings that Frank Skis Restaurant & Bar will be opening in the former short-lived Thirsty Dog Tavern (also Vita & Micks) on Peachtree at Bennett Street offering sophisticated southern food. No word on a possible opening date... Local buzz says the folks behind Napoleons Grill in Oak Grove, Ryan Aiken, Sean Keenan (Front Page News, Tijuana Garage) & Chris Blanchard (Carrabbas Italian grill corporate trainer) are taking the former Cantina El Tesoro bungalow in Decatur and turning it into Harbour Bar, a new seafood concept serving steamer baskets, lobster, sauteed clam cakes and hot shots -- which are oysters with tequila key lime butter... We are following up on a rumor that the folks behind Inc. Street Food and Salt on Canton Street in Roswell may be opening another concept across the street. We do not know the exact name but Little Alley Steak has been floating around. The same owners also previously operated Little Alley... Also, slated for Roswell is a rumor that the owners of Indigo on Canton Street may be looking at the former Taste space (also on Canton Street), for a new concept called Slate Table & Tap... Local rumblings are saying La Fourchette on Piedmont Avenue in Atlanta may be opening a sister eatery door called Tartufo (Italian for truffles). No other details were given but speculations are it will be a pizzeria... Marc Taft, formerly the general manager at Pacci Ristorante in Atlanta, has announced that he will open a new restaurant called Chicken and the Egg on August 1 in Marietta. Chicken and the Egg will be a neighborhood gathering spot that will serve sophisticated, yet approachable modern farmstead fare featuring innovative twists on classic American dishes incorporating seasonal ingredients from local farms and purveyors as well as sustainable beef, pork, poultry and seafood. Seiber Design, Inc. is designing the modern farmhouse decor for the 8,550 square foot restaurant space that formerly housed Bubbalinis. Chicken and the Egg will be located at 800 Whitlock Avenue in Marietta... There is a sign on the door of the former Fortunatos on United Drive in Smryna saying opening in May Siracusas New York Pizzeria, but according the Facebook page they havent opened yet.

Adding more...

The Atlanta Business Chronicle is confirming George Frangos will open a second Farm Burger eatery by Labor Day in Buckhead in a former Atlanta Bread Company space on Piedmont Road at Tower Place. The first Farm Burger unit, a sister operation to Athens-based Farm 255, opened in April of 2010 on W Ponce de Leon in Decatur... The Business Chronicle is also saying the owners of the Varsity Jr. are looking to open another location in Buckhead soon and are scouting sites. The latest 4,550 sq. ft. location on Bethel Lane in Dawsonville has also recently opened. The Dawsonville site was selected after the eatery shuttered the Lindbergh & Cheshire Bridge location back of August of 2010 due to licensing differences... There is a sign on the door of the former Eat at Thai 2 restaurant on E. Ponce de Leon Avenue in Decatur that says coming soon American Deli... Atlanta Magazine is reporting Cacao Atlanta Chocolate Company is opening in the former Juicy Green space on N. Highland Avenue in August. There are currently locations in Inman Park and Buckhead... The Mr. Taco concept is expected to expand soon with another location on N. Point Parkway in Alpharetta. There is a sign at the Holcomb Bridge Road location in Roswell announcing the new digs... The eighth Metro location of Marlows Tavern is in the works for The Avenue Forsyth in Cumming and expects to open mid-summer... Pizza maker, Mellow Mushroom, is also on the list to join The Avenue Forsyth very soon... We are following up to see if Riverside Pizza owners Al & Sandy Thompson may be adding another location. A building permit has been issued for Hamilton Mill Road in Dacula. There are other locations in Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Grayson, Johns Creek, Tucker and on Sugarloaf Parkway... A business license has been issued to Mohammed Firoj for Star Pizza IV in Cobb County. He also has another in the works for Roswell Road in Marietta bringing the total Star locations to four. His original units are on Marietta Highway and Alpharetta Highway in Roswell.

Ch, ch, ch, changes...

Overnight it seems, Rob Forest has replaced the two-month-old Tifosi Gastropub on S. Main Street in Alpharetta with a new concept, Poquitos Cantina. Tifosi was opened in a refurbished KFC building in February as a gastropub. More on Poquitos later... Local buzz is saying Aces Bar & Grille on Hosea L. Williams Drive in the Kirdwood area closed at the end of May to rebrand itself and renovate as a new concept, possibly a gastropub, that will open in June with higher-end grub and craft beer... Located on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road in Suwanee, Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant is moving to a new location at Old Peachtree Road and I-85 in July to the proposed space of the former 92 Day BBQ that never opened... Local buzz says the guys at Grant Central Pizza (Eric Kaiser and Donnie Parmer) are still opening in the former Wachovia Bank building on Glenwood Avenue (that was to be Bell Street Burritos) but will open with a different concept, something similar to Tortillas... And, Creative Loafing is saying that Matt Hinton from Bell Street Burritos posted on his blog that his second Bell Street location (first is in the Auburn Curb Market downtown) will open soon -- but not in East Atlanta Village as previously thought... First it was Knife & Fork, back in December of 10 reporting they had heard a rumor owner Fabrice Vergez may be looking to move his French American Bistro (FAB) restaurant back to Buckhead. Last month, Creative Loafing reported it too that they had heard a rumor FAB might be taking a spot in the Ritz-Carlton Residences on Peachtree Road in Buckhead... The Business Chronicle is reporting the new name of the former Streets of Buckhead (initially Buckhead Village) project is Buckhead Atlanta and construction will begin later this year. New owners, San Diego-based OliverMcMillan Inc., is supposedly scouting local chefs for the new development instead of national chains... For nine years Theresa & Zack Taoushiani ran Baileys Diner in Powder Springs before shuttering it in early May and introducing their latest creation, Off The Bone BBQ, on Brownsville Road. The Taoushianis slow-cook their BBQ for several hours a day in clay ovens.

Updates...

It was June of 2009 when we first heard rumblings of STK - a hipster steakhouse chain with locations in W. Hollywood, Manhattan's meatpacking district, Miami and Vegas - signing a lease to open on Peachtree as part of the 12th & Midtown project. Creative Loafing is now saying construction has begun on STK but projections are late 2011 for an opening... In March of 10, Cakes & Ale co-owner Kristin Allin wrote to Decatur Metro saying, “Yes, we signed a lease yesterday to renovate three spaces by the entry to MARTA. Cakes & Ale will take over the spot that is currently American Subs and the cellular store next to it. The bakery portion of the business will open in the current Panda Express location. Cakes & Ale will operate in the same manner as it is now, but will have a space for private dining and will have a patio along the side of the building on Church Street. We hope to be in this fall.” Latest rumblings have them making the move in July... 20-year-old Kurts & Vrenys in Duluth has relocated, scaled down and reopened as Kurts Bistro on Peachtree Industrial in Duluth... In late 2010, word on the street had The Gidewon brothers (Mike & Alex) reopening Vision Nightclub on Peachtree Street as Club Reign. Latest developments sited in a local industry article says Midtown developer, The Daniel Corporation, is trying to stop the Club from opening saying the liquor license has expired. The license was issued July 19, 2010 and according to city codes the Club must have opened within nine months.The Club however has recently emailed flyers saying the grand opening is June 16th... Since being destroyed by fire in January of 2009, Trackside Tavern in Decatur has struggled to rebuild. Latest news has them shooting for an early June reopening in the exact same spot with an almost identical space they had occupied since 1982 as “the oldest Tavern in Decatur.”... The latest update on the Movie Tavern moving into an old Publix space at the corner of Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road and Horizon Drive in Suwanee, says to look for a November arrival.. Heres also another update on who may be opening in the Town Brookhaven project soon: The Olive Bistro, Mali Thai & Sushi (also a location in Virginia Highland), Which Wich, CineBistro, There Restaurant & Bar, Flying Biscuit and the Cup Cake Bistro... Latest updates on Big Zhaddys Place on Highland Avenue in Inman Park have Chef Gerald Joseph as part owner who is moving his family from Maryland to open the business. Big Zhaddys will serve everything from Cuban sandwiches to Tex-Mex and fish sandwiches. Fries will be baked and meats will be pan seared.

Our Condolences...

The AJC recently reported restaurant industry veteran Greg Koetting, passed away on Mothers Day due to complications of a heart attack. Koetting was 45 and living in Naples, Florida to be near his parents. In addition to Wine Director at Woodfire Grill and Pauls restaurant near Peachtree Battle, Greg worked at such local eateries as Tom Tom A Bistro, Murphys, Blais and Cakes & Ale.

Chef shuffle...

Greeting diners for well over 20 years at Bones Restaurant (which opened in 1979) on Piedmont Road in Buckhead, Mark C. Stewart had moved on and most recently had been with the revamped 57th Fighter Group Restaurant on Clairmont Road (it reopened in 2009). Most recent buzz about town now has Stewart moving back to Buckhead in June to another Atlanta Steakhouse mainstay, Hals On Old Ivy, thats been packing 'em in since 1990... Latest rumblings have chef Cyrille Holota replacing chef de cuisine Jean-Luc Mongodin at BLT Steak in the W Hotel downtown. Holota was most recently with French American Brasserie (FAB) on Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard downtown... Ria Pell (Rias Bluebird Diner) has introduced a new sous chef, Andrew Thoms, at her retro 50s-inspired Sauced restaurant on Edgewood Avenue in Inman Park. A Georgia native, Andrew comes to Sauced from Local Three under Chef Chris Hall. He has worked with Chef Gary Mennie at The Livingston & Table 1280, and was Sous Chef at Restaurant Eugene under Chef Linton Hopkins. Rumor has it he is also a Demolition Derby champion, taking the annual Blue Ridge Speedway Derby prize 3 times between 1998 - 2001. Both Andrew and Chef Pell are excited to get their hands on the fresh, organic produce grown in Sauced's own Edgewood gardens... The Ritz Carlton-Buckhead has made a few changes and here is the current lineup: Pastry chef Dallas Marsteller has joined the team as well as Todd Richards (One Flew South, Rolling Bones BBQ) as chef de cuisine. Sommelier Linda Torres Alarcon has also been added along with Christa Sladky as mixologist... Sterling Hospitality Owners John C. Metz and Tom DiGiorgio have announced two new additions to the staff at Aqua blue Restaurant & Bar in Roswell. David Smedlund as the restaurants general manager and Sabrina Rosenberg as the new director of sales and events. Smedlund has been working in Atlantas hospitality industry for over 16 years holding positions at BLT Steak, Nan Thai Fine Dining, Prime, Shout, Twist and Noche. Rosenberg has worked for the Grand Hyatt Philadelphia, Hyatt Regency Baltimore, Linwoods restaurant in Baltimore and Hayfields Country Club in Cockeysville, Maryland. She moved to Atlanta in 2008 to take the position of director of catering and marketing and assistant restaurant manager for Il Mulino. Aqua blue is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year and receiving a few interior and exterior updates with plans to expand the patio with additional seating.

Sign of the times...

The eatery, Rare Soul Tapas Restaurant, has been shut down by the City of Atlanta for operating without a liquor license. Owner Lorenzo Wyche (Social House, Harlem Bar) was arrested on April 28th and released on bail on the 30th. A recorded phone message is saying Rare will reopen for the 4th of July as a nightclub concept?... The New Yorker Marketplace & Delicatessen located on Pharr Road in Buckhead would have turned 16-years-old this month but has closed its doors... Element Coffee Co. has announced on their website that they have closed on Crabapple Road in Milton, “After nearly four years as a member of the Crabapple community, two years as Jittery Joes Coffee and two more years as Element Coffee, it is with heavy hearts that we write this letter to all of our wonderful customers.”... Rustos Pizzeria & Pub opened a little over a year ago on Cheshire Bridge Road next door to Red Snapper restaurant. Word on the street has Rustos closed and new eatery already operating in the space, Sophies New York-Style Pizza... Four-year-old Annas Kitchen, on Webb Bridge Way in Alpharetta, has also shuttered its doors... Eat at Thai 2 lasted just over a year at its home on E. Ponce de Leon Avenue in Decatur... Opened since 1997 on Briarcliff Road in the Briar Clair Plaza, Mimis In A Minute, has said goodbye as well.... Rumors abound that the 63-year-old Juniors Grill on 5th Street near GA Tech may be in jeapordy of closing. Owner Tommy Klemis has been quoted as saying he is working on a way to keep it open another 37 years so they can celebrate the 100th anniversary... And updated tidbits from Sam Massell over at the Buckhead Coalition saying the former Au Pied de Cochon (opened in 2004) in the InterContinental Hotel on Peachtree will be rebranded and open as a truly Southern eatery. Gone will be the pigs with antlers artwork and the hotels upscale XO bar will also receive a makeover tranforming into a bourbon bar.

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