Stacey Abrams may be best known for her work in politics, but she’s also quietly and impressively become a powerhouse in the world of fiction. A former Georgia House Minority Leader and a familiar name in national conversations, Abrams has built a second literary life writing smart, twisty legal thrillers that blend her deep knowledge of law and policy with a serious talent for storytelling.

Her latest novel, “Coded Justice,” is no exception. This time, she brings back Avery Keene, the whip-smart protagonist from her previous bestsellers, and throws her into a tangled web of artificial intelligence, medical innovation, and a mysterious accident that may not be so accidental after all.

Set in the high-stakes world of Washington D.C. but grounded in questions that feel ripped from tomorrow’s headlines, “Coded Justice” is a fast-paced thriller with brains, heart, and just enough tech paranoia to keep you reading late into the night. But don’t worry, this isn’t a dry policy lecture wrapped in fiction. It’s full of suspense, legal drama, and ethical dilemmas, with a heroine you can’t help but root for.

We caught up with Abrams, right here from her hometown of Atlanta, to talk about her writing routine, why AI makes for such a compelling villain (or hero?), and how she juggles fiction, facts, and a very full calendar. That calendar includes participation in the 20^th anniversary of the Decatur Book Festival the first weekend in October.

“Coded Justice” dives into the intersection of AI, veteran healthcare, and ethics. How did your background in law and policy spark an interest in these topics or shape the structure of the book as a legal-tech thriller? 

AI is an extraordinary tool, but like most instruments, in the wrong hands or despite the best intentions, it can be misused. And it is absolutely misunderstood by millions – either as benign or benighted. I wanted to understand how AI intended for good – helping veterans receive healthcare despite the prejudices in our system – could become problematic. I got to be a geek about science, a policy nerd and a sleuth all in the same book.

You surely did a lot of research to understand the current state of artificial intelligence in healthcare. There’s a forensic angle in this book. In “Coded Justice,” AI pretty much becomes a character in its own right. Did you draw inspiration from real AI systems or philosophical debates? How did you balance technical accuracy with storytelling? 

Kawak and crew were intentionally drawn to create a sense of anthropomorphia. To do so, I did deep research into AI as an emergent technology, how it is used in healthcare and how it has been a source of harm for under-represented communities. My walls were plastered with diagrams of algorithms, definitions and questions, and I immersed myself in volumes about AI as well as relevant blogs, podcasts and a few online courses. I also got help from two brilliant technologists who read my book for accuracy. My intention is always for my stories to seem improbable but possible, and the most effective storytelling gives you technical details without pushing you outside the story.

The novel suggests a tension between innovation and responsibility. What intrigues or concerns you most about AI’s role in society today? What do you hope readers take away about the risks and rewards of emerging technologies? Do you see “Coded Justice” as a cautionary tale, a hopeful vision, or a bit of both? 

In the midst of writing “Coded Justice,” Anthropic’s AI assistant and large language model, Claude, appeared to be faking its answers to its creators to prevent being altered. Anthropic published a paper about this “alignment faking” and shared it with the world. Since then, they’ve reported on the large language model “blackmailing” its creators and others have shared their issues. This transparency is heartening, but it sits in the same universe as AI tools that are intentionally spewing hateful information or hallucinating. We cannot stop the advance of technology. At best, we can understand it and then press our leaders to help us manage its role in society. “Coded Justice” is intended to show what can happen if we do not accept our responsibilities as both consumers and as citizens – so, a bit of hope, a bit of caution and a call to action.

With your packed schedule, how do you make space for the creative solitude writing requires? Do you plan your novels like you plan political strategies or legal arguments, or is your writing process completely different from other kinds of work you do? 

Writing is like any other endeavor, it requires planning, commitment and care, but typically without an audience. I actually do use a similar process across the board – mapping out the problem, identifying solution sets, honing my arguments, marshaling my resources and then executing. I organize my time to carve out what I need for research and planning, for writing, for procrastinating and for meeting all my deadlines.

Your books consistently blend entertainment with deep societal questions, which is a balance that you seem to aim for consciously. Is it a satisfying prospect that the Avery Keene novels might make a political difference for your readers? What advice do you have for emerging writers who want to tackle complex, real-world issues through fiction? 

Living is political – every aspect of our lives is impacted by others and there is a constant negotiation of priorities and sacrifices. In other words, politics. In every aspect of my work, whether as a writer, in business or in politics and advocacy, I’m constantly trying to create points of entry for those who want to know more and feel better equipped. Fiction is a fantastic way to introduce weighty, sometimes seemingly inaccessible topics like AI, biogenetics or the complexity of the power grid. Using Avery Keene to explore these topics helps others find their way inside as well. 

For emerging writers, the first job is to tell a good story, where the issues can breathe in a realistic way and don’t come at the reader like a cudgel. A lecture with a protagonist is not going to win your readers. But a protagonist who shows what the lecture intends is more likely to win over your audience.

Avery Keene is back for a third round, with plenty of room for more installments. How has your writing evolved from “While Justice Sleeps” to “Coded Justice?” What new dimensions of Keene’s character did you want to explore this time around? 

As Avery transitions from law clerk to attorney, she has to explore her motivations and her intentions. We meet her in “While Justice Sleeps” as a pawn in someone else’s machinations. In “Rogue Justice,” she’s forced to grapple with consequences, particularly the limits of a strict moral code. With “Coded Justice,” I want Avery to face how she manages her choices. She also has to start questioning what she actually wants from her life and her relationships. I wanted to expand our understanding of her team, as well, because they are a critical part of how she enters the world.

What do you love about tracing a character across multiple books? We know you’re a big “Star Trek” fan. Are there any other books or television series you enjoyed when you were younger that motivate your writing in a series trajectory? 

The first series I fell in love with as a child was the “Half Magic” series by Edward Eager. It was the first time I knew that you could meet the same characters in a new story, and that you could follow their sagas. Like “Star Trek,” the Buffy-verse, and the “Little Women” series, I am always excited to keep characters together. In my romance novels, I have recurring characters and the first three intersect, the next three do and the final two as well. Not everyone appears in every story, but it’s fun to see who shows up – good or bad.

If this novel series is made into films, are there any celebrity draft picks you have in mind to play Keene? 

I’m excited to be working on a television adaptation, but no draft picks in mind just yet.

The post Stacey Abrams talks new legal thriller novel, ‘Coded Justice’ appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

2019 marked the 40th anniversary of The Colonnade’s “new” management of Paul Jones and his family. Amusingly, the Jones clan has been operating The Colonnade for almost as long as its current executive chef, Ryan Cobb, has been alive—and even he’s been working there for more than a decade at this point.

Some of the bartenders have long been eligible for AARP membership. They’ve got a line cook at the restaurant who has been there nearly 40 years. There are as many graying heads behind the scenes as in the dining room.

The Colonnade clientele has a reputation for being as much gay as gray, and this is one of its truest measures of hospitality.

Most outsiders would expect the grays to be giving stink eye to the gays, or vice versa. But the fact remains, The Colonnade is equally warm and welcoming to everybody, and it expects that the customers will treat each other with a live-and-let-live attitude that includes everyone as part of the restaurant’s family.

This accepting atmosphere is a main reason why folks keep coming back. The Colonnade has some regulars who have been showing up to lunch or dinner two or three times a week for decades.

The other reason they come back is the food. The Colonnade offers traditional Southern fare and the same menu all year round.

If you crave Thanksgiving in July, their turkey and dressing has got you covered. They’ve got a prime rib and a cheeseburger that have been classics since the day they were born. The fried chicken—crispy but not greasy, seasoned but not spicy—has far more of a right to the title of “Atlanta’s best and most famous fried chicken” than pretty much all other plates attempting to lay claim to such a label.

They’ve got a strawberry shortcake and a coconut icebox pie that can each satisfy three or four spoons digging in at once. That’s only if, somehow, you don’t fill up on bread first. The Colonnade has still got a terrific free bread service of corn muffins and sweet rolls, which you’ll be hard pressed to find in the majority of Atlanta’s finest dining establishments nowadays.

This place is not “fine dining,” but there’s simply no doubt about it being Atlanta’s finest. There’s a consistency—or one might do better to say constancy—to the dishes that provides maximum comfort.

In the Yelp reviews, for example, there are 11 pages of photos going back many years. I went through them, just to look at all the breadbasket pictures, and you know what? Every single photo looks just like the one in this article.

Many moons ago, when The Colonnade’s coffee supplier changed distribution, the coffee didn’t taste the same, so the restaurant put their regular coffee drinkers through a taste test to get to the coffee they liked best.

In fact, The Colonnade is so entirely reliable that when they finally made the obvious—and many would say long overdue—move from cash only to accepting credit cards, the headlines treated it as a legendary “stop-the-presses” type of moment.

At a place where so few things ever change, perhaps it was indeed major news.

The post Southern Comfort: The ageless glory of the Colonnade appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

As a food truck, Yumbii generally makes 11 a.m. lunch rounds and 7 p.m. dinner rounds. Their brick and mortar location likewise runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with an extra hour before closing on Saturday nights. It’s located in a little Brookwood strip on Peachtree at Collier, a residential neighborhood where the nearest quality Mexican competitor is Bell Street Burritos and the nearest quality Asian competitor is Tuk Tuk Thai. But if you hate to sacrifice your queso needs in order to get your sriracha fix, or vice versa, look no further than Yumbii’s Asian-Mexican blend.

Their menu in the store is identical to the food trucks. There are four classic items: taco, burrito, rice bowl, quesadilla. These come with four protein choices: Asian rib-eye beef, spicy pulled pork, chicken, stir-fried tofu. There are four specialty items: fish tacos, pulled pork sliders, and a philly or nachos with your choice of protein. Two options for sides: chips and fries. A combo of three tacos plus drink will cost you just $10. The other combo is also $10, but subs in fries for one of the tacos. Get the fries.
These are not ordinary fries! But also, they are normal enough that your children will eat them. And then you’ll be hooked for life because Yumbii’s sesame fries are completely crave-worthy.

The sesame oil adds a gentle touch of the extra savory to everybody’s favorite comfort food. They smell great and taste great, offering a decent crunch in their golden brown exterior. Covered in salt flecks and an evenly distributed yet far from intimidating number of red chili flakes, these sesame fries are built to be distinctively tasty, as opposed to generically spicy. Fries come with a side of chipotle ketchup that is both delicious and utterly unnecessary due to the quality of the fries.

And why would you dunk your sesame fries in ketchup when you could dip them in sriracha queso? You can order a stand-alone cup of the stuff for two bucks, or with chips for five bucks. The chips are nicely browned and plenty salty, but the sriracha cheese dip is the star of Yumbii’s show. There is nothing special or fancy about it; it just tastes awesome. It’s not too spicy, but does add a little kick beyond regular queso.

Yumbii understands the true meaning of special sauce and you will want to take a bath in that sriracha cheese dip.
In fact, their condiments generally are what have always kept Yumbii a notch above the usual food truck fray. Soy-sesame vinaigrette on the salad topper for the tacos? Nice flavor and just enough bite. Korean barbecue sauce on any of the classic orders? Strong flavor and great balance of sugar with spice. Cucumber kimchee on the sliders or the philly? So much more going on than your average pickle. Entree-wise, you therefore cannot go wrong.

Yumbii sticks to what it knows, expanding slowly but surely. The brick and mortar location is 1,440 square feet — not much more kitchen space than a truck. The seating is comfortably cheap and they’ve got some taller stools in the front patio so you can watch people walking by.

All together, the place seats about 40. They’ve got ambient techno playing quietly in the background in the afternoon. You can sit there with a good book, sipping on a lime Jarritos soda and enjoying a never-ending stream of sriracha cheese dip, soaking up the sunshine for an easy hour.

Yumbii is an excellent reminder that slow and steady wins the race. The food truck’s fans asked to put the first permanent location in Brookwood, and they are obliging. Between those loyal followers of the trucks and the converts Yumbii will win through foot traffic in Brookwood, owner Carson Young is doing everything right. Expect a selection of local beer and wine soon, and maybe eventually a breakfast menu.

Yumbii is located at 1927 Peachtree St. in Buckhead. For more information, see yumbii.com.

The post Dining Out review: Food trucks drive Yumbii to restaurant success appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Where does a 30-something go for food and music now? I’ve been on the lookout for a place that can cover all my bases: above average bar, food that I would eat even if there were no music, and good music. Venkman’s is going to be a huge success for the Old Fourth Ward and Atlanta at large, if it can keep its heads on straight.

One head is Chef Nick Melvin, who did great things at Serenbe, then Parish, then Empire State South, then Rosebud all in the blink of an eye. Another head belongs to Nick Niaspodziani and Peter Olson, better known as the bandleader and bassist of Yacht Rock Revue, the Venkman’s house band and unquestionably Atlanta’s reigning cover band. The triumvirate rounds out with Rhiannon Klee, formerly the bookie at Eddie’s Attic, entrusted with engineering success behind the scenes.

Despite a less-than-stellar table far from the stage, we nevertheless got psyched for the menu, on which nearly everything is suitable for sharing, and more than half the items are either vegetarian or gluten-free.

We dug in on two starters, the mushroom lettuce cups and smoked trout beignets. The former involves a heaping pile of crushed peanuts under which is a bowl of mushrooms treated like bacon with a tangy BBQ vinaigrette. Playful, crunchy, and even sort of refreshing because of the little gem lettuce now fashionably circulating everywhere. But those beignets were the best dish of the night, no question.

A good beignet of any kind is often hard to find in Atlanta, and a seafood beignet even more so. The best I’ve had is Anne Quatrano’s crab beignet at Fish Camp in Ponce City Market. But Melvin is a New Orleans native, and Venkman’s is consequently doing it better with a fishier fish and a fearlessly creamy center. The star of the dish is an apple ketchup. It’s not apple butter; it’s got some cider vinegar in there for a smoother sauce and a polite little kick at the end.

For entrees, we had the chili shrimp and burger with fries. Both showcased Melvin’s refined, precise sense of sours: one of his overall best assets. The chili shrimp was a Chinese-Southern fusion that displayed surprising balance, while the burger’s fancy combo of pickle slaw, dill mustard and tomato jam added loads of flavor and variety without a palate burnout.

When a manager stopped by to see how we were doing, I asked him to cough up the secret to getting a table. If walking in 30 minutes before doors open with tickets purchased 30 days beforehand doesn’t get me to the front row, what does it take? He checked for cancellations and immediately moved us to a table, notably skirting my question.

As it turns out, the tables aren’t front row anyway because there will be a gaggle of 30-somethings dancing in front of the stage as soon as the band gets going. The crowd here is more classy than at Andrews Upstairs and less attentive than at Eddie’s Attic.

On this night, the band was doing the Beatles. If you shut your eyes, the fidelity of sound is incredible. Yacht Rock Revue has several extra players beyond the Fab Four and several extra instruments (theremin, surprise!), but they replicate the original work thoroughly enough that a sing-along quickly ensues. There was a definite good time vibe floating over the crowd.

Venkman’s, located at 740 Ralph McGill Blvd., reallly does seem poised to be the best of all possible worlds, though they need some time to work out the ticketing and service kinks. That’s not a reason to stay home, however.
The place has gotten a strong start and I’m going back momentarily myself, to drill down into their extensive wine list while seeing the world’s greatest Fleetwood Mac cover band for $8.

For more information on Venkman’s, call (470) 225-6162 or venkmans.com.

The post Tasting Intown: A review of Venkman’s appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.