Kevin Rathbun, whose restaurants in Atlanta already include Kevin Rathbun Steak, opened KR Steak Bar 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 Steak Bar, 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, which the team describes as serving "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 restaurant also has a special menu for children. Lunch & Dinner daily. Pier 213 Seafood, 35 S. Marietta Pkwy., Marietta, GA 30064, 678-290-8170.
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.
Bantam + Biddy has debuted a monthly wine tasting series, co-hosted by nearby Ansley Wine Merchants. The tastings will take place at the restaurant from 6:30 p.m.-7 p.m., when the wine store will pour six different wines for guests to sample. Cost is $10 per person, and includes complimentary appetizers by Bantam + Biddy. Guests who stay for dinner will have the wine tasting fee applied to the cost of their meals. The wines will be available for purchase that evening at Ansley Wine Merchants, and special discounts will be offered. For more information, call Ansley Wine Merchants at 404-876-6790. Bantam + Biddy, Ansley Mall, 1544 Piedmont Rd. NE, Ste. 301, Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-907-3469.
The annual Buckhead Restaurant Week runs from March 9 through March 17, 2013. Each participating restaurant will offer a prix-fixe, three-course menu consisting of an appetizer, a main course and a dessert for $25 or $35 per person excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity. Some restaurants will also be offering lunch menus for $15 or $25. For menus, participating restaurants and additional information, visit www.brwatlanta.com.
Tim Young of Nature's Harmony Farm, a farmstead cheesemaker near Elberton, Ga., is offering a limited number of two-day events to help you decide if the life of a farmer/cheesemaker is right for you. Each day will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. On day one, participants will get to know the herd. Young will instruct on such subjects as animal husbandry, milking procedures, how to set up a Grade-A dairy plant and many other basics of cheesemaking including marketing and other aspects of the business of farmstead cheesemaking. On day two, participants will learn the nuts and bolts of cheesemaking. Price is $750 per person, and Young is offering a 25 percent discount for a second registration for a spouse or partner. Farm lunch and dinner with the cheesemaker on the first night is included, but lodging is not included. Visit naturesharmonyfarm.com for more information. Nature's Harmony Farm, 1978 Bakers Ferry Rd., Elberton, GA 30635, no phone.
Founded in 1985, Joli Kobe, known for breads and pastries, rebranded the popular bakery into a full-service, seasonally driven restaurant called Joli Kobe Kitchen. Mihoko Obunai, former co-owner of Repast, had been named executive chef, but she has left the operation. The menu is influenced by Japanese and French cooking techniques and uses local ingredients. Joli Kobe Kitchen serves lunch daily, but has stopped serving dinner. The bakery continues to operate as a bakery, and the café is located at 1545 Peachtree St. NE, 404-870-0640. Lunch Mon.-Sat., Brunch Sun. Joli Kobe Kitchen, The Prado, 5600 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, GA 30342, 404-843-3257.
Cibo e Beve Launches Monthly "Disco Brunch"
On Sunday, March 3, Cibo e Beve launches the restaurant's first "Disco Brunch," beginning at 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Going forward, "Disco Brunch" will take place on the first Sunday of every month at the same hours. Transforming the Italian restaurant's setting into a club-going atmosphere, the décor will feature a disco ball, costumes, 60s and 70s music and a balloon prize drop where every table will have a chance to win a discount on its bill. Executive chef Linda Harrell will prepare special dishes for the brunch, including the "Disco Inferno," a pizza with ghost pepper salami and Calabrese peppers. Mixologist Justin Hadaway has concocted unique drinks for the brunch, including a "Disco Punch," with peach shrub, house-made red bush vermouth, Prosecco and seasonal fruit. Cibo e Beve, Belle Isle Shopping Center, 4969 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, GA 30342, 404-250-8988.
New craft brewery Monday Night Brewing was fêted at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland on Thursday, January 31. Monday Night Brewing, 670 Trabert Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, no phone.
Bryan Yockey has joined chef/owner Jack Sobel at Agave, a 12-year stalwart in the Cabbagetown restaurant scene. Before coming to Agave, Yockey was sous chef at Barnsley Gardens, a resort in Adairsville. Agave specializes in from-scratch Southwestern fare. Dinner nightly. Agave, 242 Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30312, 404-588-0006.
Coming from Bocado's sister restaurant, STG Trattoria, Marietta native Adam Waller has replaced founding executive chef Todd Ginsberg, who has left Bocado to launch his deli, The General Muir, in Emory Point. Waller has revamped the menu, but is operating within the guidelines established by his predecessor. So Atlanta burger fans need not fear; their favorite double-stacker is still on the menu. Waller has only changed the cheese; otherwise it remains the same. Waller's previous engagements around Atlanta kitchens include chef de cuisine at Sotto Sotto. Lunch & Dinner Mon.-Sat. Bocado, 887 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-815-1399.
Sean Telo, former executive sous chef at STK, has taken over the post of executive chef at STG Trattoria in Buckhead. Fresh house-made pastas and Neapolitan-style pizzas are the mainstays of the menu, and Telo may add specials like whole roasted fish. Telo understudied with original chef Josh Hopkins, and took over on January 27. He will have just enough time to get familiar with the kitchen to start lunch service on February 19. STG Trattoria, Buckhead Plaza, 102 W. Paces Ferry Rd. NW, Ste. E, Atlanta, GA 30305, 404-844-2879.
Aaron Baxendale has taken over the kitchen at Linger Longer Steakhouse at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation. Baxendale comes to his new position from his role as executive chef of Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord National in Washington, D.C. Linger Longer Steakhouse, The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, One Lake Oconee Tr., Greensboro, GA 30642, 706-467-7135.
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.
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