Alton Brown + Drive-Thru Drama + Perimeter MARTA Dining Guide
Nov. 13 — For today’s Side Dish, we’re headed to the suburbs just north of the Perimeter for a trio of food stories.
First, read our newest MARTA dining guide to restaurants accessible via the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs MARTA stations.
Rough Draft Managing Editor Cathy Cobbs also has a report on some Dunwoody drive-thru drama sparked by an upcoming location of Raising Cane’s, and a story on Atlanta resident, author, and Food Network personality, Alton Brown, and his recent appearance at the MJCCA Book Festival.
➕ Look for two recipes this week from Community Farmers Markets, including one for Massaman curry using locally grown produce.
🍽️ As always, get the latest Atlanta dining news, like details on a few openings, such as Portillo’s in Kennesaw and Cremalosa in Avondale Estates, as well as an impending restaurant closure in Buckhead and a new Chinese restaurant headed to Reynoldstown. Plus, we have some dining events to add to your calendar,including the annual Red Clay Soiree this Friday, hosted by Community Farmers Markets, featuring local chefs and bartenders, and more dining news to know.
In case you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening, here’s a link to the latest edition of “Family Meal“. In it, Beth shared her initial thoughts on Midtown’s newest rooftop bar and lounge, Celestia, which opened at Spring Quarter last month. Sarra offered a recipe for Freedom Cake, a celebratory cake that Chef Demetrius Brown chooses to serve nightly during dinner at Bread & Butterfly in Inman Park.
Cheers from the Rough Draft dining team!
🍸 Beth and 🍰 Sarra
🦃 Celebrate Thanksgiving the Waldorf Astoria way – elegant, abundant and unforgettable. On Nov. 27, join the hotel for an elevated holiday buffet where timeless tradition meets modern elegance. Reserve your table today and let us take care of the feast this year. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Have You Heard?
🥂 Restaurant Openings
Gelato shop Cremalosa, owned by former AJC dining critic Meridith Ford, reopened in its new location at the Dale in Avondale Estates on East College Avenue last week.
A location of Einstein Bros. Bagels opened this week on Lanier Circle in Woodstock.
Speaking of popular chain restaurants, Chicago-style hot dog chain Portillo’s will finally open on Nov. 18 in Kennesaw. This is the first restaurant in Georgia. Located on Cobb Place Boulevard, a grand opening celebration begins at 10 a.m. that day, with giveaways, chances to win prizes, and live entertainment. Plans are also in motion for a possible second location in Dunwoody.
The Perimeter location of Lazy Dog Restaurant will reopen Nov. 19 after temporarily closing due to a kitchen fire a few weeks ago.
😞 Restaurant Closure
It appears sports bar and restaurant Dantanna’s will close at Shops Around Lenox in Buckhead on Dec. 6, according to Tomorrow’s News Today, which also states that employees were told to inform customers of the impending closure. A location of Dantanna’s in downtown Atlanta closed five years ago at the former CNN Center, ahead of major redevelopment plans for the property to transform it into “a hub of world-class retail, dining, content creation, and entertainment.”
🙀 Coming Attractions
Bao Gogo will open this month on Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown, across from HomeGrown. The Chinese restaurant chain, which includes locations in Alpharetta and Buckhead, serves everything from bao and dumplings to dishes like dan dan noodles, General Tso’s chicken, and mapo tofu.
Dessert and cocktail bar Bar Ana is nearing its debut in Poncey-Highland. Backed by award-winning pastry chef Claudia Martinez and Artie De Los Santos, Bar Ana will act as a coffee shop run by Ivan Solis of Recuerdos Cafe by day, transforming into a cocktail bar serving sophisticated desserts by night. Beth will attend an upcoming preview of Bar Ana, so stay tuned for her first impressions and an opening date.
🚧 Closing for Renovations
Poncey-Highland dive bar The Righteous Room will close for a quick renovation Nov. 17-24. But it will reopen just in time for you to escape those relatives you try to avoid after Thanksgiving dinner.
📆 Add to Your Calendar
Head to Lingering Shade Social Club on Irwin Street in the Old Fourth Ward tonight for Friendsgiving. Starting at 5 p.m., the evening will include light bites and cocktails. RSVP via Eventbrite.
The annual Red Clay Soirée, hosted by Community Farmers Markets (CFM), returns to Summerour Studio on Nov. 14. Starting at 7 p.m., the evening will include oysters and passed canapes, drinks, a seated dinner, featuring produce and ingredients from local farms, with wine pairings, a silent auction, and a photo booth. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefits the work CFM does to assist local farmers and food producers, distribute free food to Title 1 schools, and match SNAP/EBT dollars at the organization’s weekly farmers markets. Tickets are $300 per person. Check out the chef and bartender lineup here.
Sandy Springs Italian restaurant Il Giallo will host a wine tasting on Nov. 15, from 2-4 p.m. The afternoon will include six Alpine wines from Northern Italy, small bites, and opportunities to purchase wines from the tasting at discounted prices. Check out the list of wines expected at the tasting, and purchase tickets here.
Perimeter Commuters Travel Nearly 34K Miles on Transit in September
SPONSORED BY PERIMETER COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS
🚆Perimeter is on the move! This September, riders traded traffic for transit, earning free 10-trip passes, gift cards for logging trips, and catching live music at the stations.
📈 And the results are in: Perimeter commuters logged more than 2,300 trips, traveling 33,913 miles on transit – proof that small rides add up to big impact.
➡️ Explore the full Transit Month recap.
Top Stories From the Week
MARTA Dining Guide to Dunwoody and Sandy Springs
This Rough Draft dining series highlights restaurants in cities and neighborhoods within easy walking distance or a short bus ride from MARTA rail stations. Check out other guides to Brookhaven,Chamblee, Doraville, and Lenox on the Gold Line, Buckhead on the Red Line, and Lindbergh Station on the Gold and Red lines.
🚆 Originally built in anticipation of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Dunwoody’s MARTA station finally brought the Red Line to the suburbs just outside the Perimeter. Four years later, the Red Line culminated with the openings of both Sandy Springs and North Springs stations.
This dining guide spotlights nine restaurants, plus two dining destinations with multiple restaurants, easily accessible from the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs stations. All of the restaurants listed are a quick walk or bus ride from one or both stations.
➡️ Read the MARTA dining guide to Dunwoody/Sandy Springs.
Alton Brown talks Food Network days, AI recipes at the MJCCA Book Festival
🧑🔬 The inimitable Alton Brown was in Dunwoody this week to appear at the MJCCA Book Festival where he promoted his latest book, “Food for Thought,” a collection of personal essays exploring his culinary experiences and observations associated with his lengthy food television career.
Along with being an author, Brown’s resume includes hosting 16 seasons of food science and cooking show “Good Eats” on the Food Network, as well as hosting the network’s shows “Iron Chef America” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.”
During the Q&A session, Brown discussed everything from why he’s not a fan of AI recipes to favorite guilty pleasure foods (Little Debbies and Nutty Buddies) and owning a restaurant (a hard “No”).
➡️ Read more from Managing Editor Cathy Cobbs here.
Raising Cane’s raising eyebrows in Dunwoody
🐔 Cathy also covered some drive-thru drama this week.
Chicken finger restaurant Raising Cane’s raised some eyebrows during a Dunwoody City Council meeting when representatives from the fast-food restaurant tried to assuage fears over traffic concerns caused by its proposed double drive-thru lanes.
Two drive-thru lanes off busy Ashford Dunwoody Road could lead to traffic backups at Raising Cane’s, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.
“We’ve studied, studied, studied this thing to death,” Raising Cane’s Harold Buckley said, adding that Raising Cane’s intends to sign a 40-year lease and has pledged, as they have done historically, to support the community.
But members of the city council, and even the mayor, weren’t buying it, opting to take up the matter again in December.
➡️ Read more about the Dunwoody drive-thru drama here.
🦃 Celebrate Thanksgiving the Waldorf Astoria way – elegant, abundant and unforgettable. On Nov. 27, join the hotel for an elevated holiday buffet where timeless tradition meets modern elegance. Reserve your table today and let us take care of the feast this year. SPONSOR MESSAGE
At the Market + Two Recipes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🥥 Forget soup season! It’s time for curries. This week, Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets are bringing you two tasty curry recipes you can make using ingredients from your local farmers market. Whether you want Massaman curry or coconut curry, we’ve got you covered.
🖋️ Today’s Side Dish was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.