Openings
Villains has opened at Eighth and Peachtree St. in Midtown. The rather odd name denotes the "Wicked Heroes"
and "Evil Potions" that constitute the menu. Owners Alex Brounstein, who also owns Grind House Killer Burgers;
Jared Lee Pyles (previously chef at FLIP burger boutique and HD1); and Jason McClure (formerly at FLIP burger
boutique) are the minds and talents behind the operation. Villains is open Sunday through
Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to midnight on weekends. Lunch & Dinner
daily.
daily.
Villains, 903 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-347-3335.
BurgerFi International, LLC, has two locations in the metro Atlanta area, one in the Emory Point development off
Clifton Road and the other to launch in Alpharetta. The menu features all-natural, farm-raised beef, specialty
hot dogs, fresh-cut french fries, desserts and craft beer and wine. BurgerFi cares about the environment,
, desserts and craft beer and wine. BurgerFi cares about the environment,
incorporating eco-friendly and sustainable practices into each store's construction. All locations feature recycled
furniture, such as chairs made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles, and energy-efficient fans as part of their design,
but the Emory Point location is the first to incorporate EarthCraft design, meaning that it has met a number of
stringent criteria. Joe Tuma owns this franchise, while Ron and Terrie Altman own the franchise that will open in
Alpharetta on Tuesday, May 7, 2013, at 5475 Windward Pkwy. Lunch & Dinner daily. BurgerFi, Emory Point,
& Dinner daily. BurgerFi, Emory Point,
1520 Avenue Pl., Ste. B-140, Atlanta, GA 30329, 404-665-4400.
As much as we enjoyed Bruce Logue's personally styled Italian cooking at La Pietra Cucina and lamented his
departure from that scene, we look forward to his new enterprise, BoccaLupo, which debuted Monday, April 15, 2013,
in Inman Park. Initially open only for dinner Monday through Saturday, the restaurant likely will add lunch and
likely will add lunch and
late-night eventually. Divided into four sections, the menu offers both fresh and extruded pastas, a section called
"Not Noodles" and selections under "After Pasta." We can't wait to try the bruschetta "banh mi"
(it contains both pork and chicken livers). The restaurant replaced Ria Pell's (Bluebird) establishment called Sauced,
when Pell sold the space to Logue. His attention to freshness and detail at La Pietra Cucina makes us eager to
experience this concept. Dinner Mon.-Sat. BoccaLupo, 753 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, 404-577-2332.
Roswell restaurateurs Hicham Azhari and Fikret Kovac (F&H Food Trading Group) will launch their third venture in
downtown Historic Roswell and fourth "OTP" endeavor: OPULENT, set to open early April. The group's culinary director
Bob McDonough and executive chef Andrew Long will direct a globally inspired kitchen serving classic favorites with a
modern twist. Recalling the Roaring Twenties' speakeasy style, OPULENT's interior will boast globe lighting and walls
lined with antique mirrors and crystal accents. Dark brown woods and leather banquettes contrast diamond-shaped
white tiles beneath suspended light pendants hung above the bar and dining areas. OPULENT, 948 Canton St.,
Roswell, GA 30075, no phone.
of JCT. Kitchen & Bar, The Optimist, and No 246 Restaurant. Taking its name from a duo of characters in Mark
Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," King + Duke comes into being from the interior design team at Meyer
Davis Studio Inc. A heavily planted exterior garden will lead to the main dining room, a feature that should attract lots
of the botanical enthusiasts. An open kitchen will allow diners an unobstructed view of the chef and kitchen staff.
"Colonial American" is how the team describes the cooking, much of which will take place on a 24-foot wood-burning
hearth, and include lots of roasted meats. Currently chef de cuisine at JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Joe Schafer will helm the
kitchen at King + Duke. King + Duke, One Buckhead Plaza, 3060 Peachtree Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30305, no phone.
Chef Kevin Gillespie's Gunshow is slated to open in May in Atlanta's Glenwood Park area. Gillespie and ai3, Inc., an
Atlanta-based design firm that has done several local restaurants, formed a creative partnership to establish the
venture. Challenging every notion of the traditional dining experience, Gunshow starts with a format-free menu and
an evolving design that eliminates the show and formality associated with fine cuisine. Gillespie is the author of a
newly released cookbook, Fire in My Belly, and has appeared as a finalist on Bravo's Top Chef Season Six. Formerly
executive chef at Woodfire Grill, Gillespie was one of GAYOT.com's Top 5 Rising Chefs in the U.S. in 2010. Gunshow,
924 Garrett St., Ste. C, Atlanta, GA 30316, no phone.
Kevin Rathbun, whose restaurants in Atlanta already include Kevin Rathbun Steak, opened KR SteakBar in the Atlanta
Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) on February 21. Located in the Peachtree Hills area, the center is a trade-only
showcase for high-end home fashions. Chris McDade will serve as chef de cuisine. The menu focuses on small steak
plates and Italian fare, while the design embodies the clean, casual, contemporary look that the city has come to
favor in its restaurants as of late. Dinner nightly. KR SteakBar, Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, 349 Peachtree Hills Ave.
NE, Atlanta, GA 30305, 404-841-8820.
Scott and Randy McCray have opened The Mill Kitchen & Bar in Roswell, with Marc Taft as general manager and
executive chef. Taft also owns and operates Chicken and the Egg in Marietta. The team describes the concept as
"modernized" Southern comfort food, meaning interpretations of such standards as pimento cheese, fritters, greens,
fried chicken, shrimp and grits, and occasional game dishes. Locally sourced ingredients are a focus. A raft of fine
bourbons, craft brews and hand-crafted cocktails supplement the wine list. Lunch Mon.-Sat., Dinner nightly. The Mill
Kitchen & Bar, 590 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell, GA 30075, 770-817-9345.
Todd Ginsberg, formerly of Bocado, has joined Jennifer and Ben Johnson, the owners of West Egg Cafe in Atlanta's
Westside district, and West Egg's general manager Shelley Sweet, to open a Jewish deli in the new Emory Point
development. Hand-rolled kettle-boiled bagels and smoked meat sandwiches will be on the menu at The General Muir,
but there will also be small sharing plates of the sort that Ginsberg made famous at Bocado. The General Muir, Emory
Point, 1540 Avenue Pl., Ste. B-230, Atlanta, GA 30329, 678-927-9131.
Marietta residents Kevin and Kammie Sakprasit, a brother-sister team, own Irvington Seafood in Mobile, Ala. Now,
they've opened a seafood restaurant, Pier 213 Seafood, in Marietta. The menu focuses on freshly-caught seafood
from the Gulf Coast. A variety of fried, grilled and steamed plates, as well as po' boys and sandwiches ($6.99-$15.99)
, shape the menu, which also offers shareable appetizers, sides and homemade desserts. The family-friendly
, sides and homemade desserts. The family-friendly
restaurant also has a special menu for children. Lunch & Dinner daily. Pier 213 Seafood, 35 S. Marietta Pkwy.,
Marietta, GA 30064, 678-290-8170.
Founded in 1985, Joli Kobe, known for breads and pastries, is rebranding the popular bakery into a full-service,
seasonally driven restaurant. Naming as executive chef Mihoko Obunai, former co-owner of Repast, the rebranded
Joli Kobe Kitchen will field a menu influenced by Japanese and French cooking techniques and using local ingredients.
Classically trained at the French Culinary Institute, Obunai sought to "create a menu that will speak to many palates
." She will feature a variety of New American dishes, but infused with French and Japanese touches. Joli Kobe Kitchen
will serve lunch and dinner daily. The bakery will continue to operate as a bakery, and the café is located at
1545 Peachtree St. NE, 404-870-0640. Lunch Mon.-Sat., Dinner Tues.-Sat., Brunch Sun. Joli Kobe Kitchen, The Prado,
5600 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, GA 30342, 404-843-3257.
Moving from its Brookwood location, Cafe Intermezzo will reopen on Monday, February 25, at its new home in Midtown
at 1065 Peachtree St. NE, at its intersection with 11th Street. The café specializes in Viennese-style desserts, opulent
creations with abundant cream and butter. It also serves savory dishes, such as pastas and crêpes. Cafe Intermezzo
has outposts in Dunwoody and on Concourse B in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, too. Lunch & Dinner
daily. Cafe Intermezzo, 1845 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-355-0411.
Read more at http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/atlantanews.html#IAiXbHbuuhCSp9Hz.99
