Stay Informed: Latest News from Across Georgia
- The Michelin Guide 2026 for the American South added stars, with several Atlanta restaurants making the cut.
- Tomo, a Michelin-recognized sushi restaurant, will open an Alpharetta location next year.
- New openings include Giulia Italian Bakery in Alpharetta and Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall in West Midtown, dog menu noted.
- El Valle Kitchen & Bar opened a second location in Brookhaven; Khao Kitchen launches in Decatur soon.
- Moondog Pub & Grub will close after service Oct. 30; expect live music for its final night.
More ATL Michelin stars
Thursday, Oct. 22 — Hello, internet friends.
Now that temperatures are dipping into the 40s after sunset, my will to leave the house at night is disappearing. Fortunately, I’ve enjoyed some solid delivery orders from new-ish restaurants: Spring 2nd Branch in Marietta and Saffron Darbar Indian in Sandy Springs.
🥡 My favorites from newly Michelin-recommended Korean restaurant Spring 2nd Branch included the tteokbokki (glutinous rice cakes in a spicy sauce with fish cakes and deep-fried glass noodle rolls) and jeyuk bokkeum dolsot bibimbap (stir-fried spicy pork and mixed vegetable rice). Meanwhile, my Saffron Darbar picks included the malai kofta (vegetable dumplings in a creamy cashew sauce), gobi Manchurian (Indo-Chinese batter-fried cauliflower in a sweet and spicy sauce), and samosa chaat (crushed samosas layered with yogurt, chutneys, and chickpeas, aka a textural adventure).
😋 In this week’s Quick Bites, get details on restaurant openings in Brookhaven and West Midtown and a closure in Chamblee. Keep reading for wings to order at an Athens restaurant, a new documentary exploring regenerative agriculture, and a guide to Atlanta Dream watch parties.
Read this week’s “Family Meal” for Beth’s London restaurants travel guide and a story on a new Midtown omakase and donburi restaurant.
See y’all next week,
🍰 Sarra
🎃 Emily’s Trick or Treat to Cure Crohn’s & Colitis celebrates 10 years of Halloween fun with trick-or-treating, games, arts & crafts, face painting, music, a silent auction, and more. Sandy Springs, Sat., Oct. 24, 2-4 p.m. Use code RoughDraft for $5 off. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Quick Bites
Openings
🇮🇹
Giulia Italian Bakery is now open at Alpharetta City Center.
🐞 A second location of Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall is now open in West Midtown. Located on 11th Street, as part of the Star Metals district, the sprawling indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar will host a grand opening Oct. 23-25. According to a press release, Ladybird is open for brunch, dinner, and drinks daily and features a menu for dogs.
🇲🇽 Mexican restaurant El Valle Kitchen & Bar opened a second location in Brookhaven.
🇹🇭 Thai takeout and delivery restaurant Khao Kitchen opens in Decatur tomorrow.
Closing
🍺 Moondog Pub & Grub will close after service Oct. 30, according to a statement shared on social media. “We have done our best to make this business work but have finally accepted the reality that it will not … We thank you for your loyalty, your good reviews, your friendships and your smiling faces,” the statement reads. Expect live music on the last day, starting at 7 p.m.
Coming attractions
🍕 A location of Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza will open at The Juniper in Midtown at the corner of Juniper and 12th streets.
🧸 Beyond Berry in Little Five Points will host Bearly Awake Coffee for a coffee and matcha residency in November. On Halloween, the restaurant will host a party from noon to 4 p.m. with a DJ.
🦞 According to a press release, Mastro’s Ocean Club will open Nov. 6 at The CTR, the former CNN Center downtown.
🍷 Ophelia Tavern, an Italian comfort food spot, will open soon at The Dale in Avondale Estates.
🇧🇷 Brasiliana Pizza will open a new location at The Beacon in Grant Park next spring.
🍣 Michelin-recognized sushi restaurant Tomo will open an Alpharetta location next year.
Industry updates
🍮 Aria named Elissa Hayward (formerly of Lazy Betty) as executive pastry chef, according to a press release.
🍰 McKendrick’s Steak House in Dunwoody named Lauren Holte (formerly of Union Hill Grill) as executive pastry chef, according to a press release.
Add to your calendar
🍕 Black Pizza in Bankhead will host an official ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Andre Dickens tonight at 6 p.m.
🎂 Victory Sandwich Bar in Inman Park will celebrate its 15th anniversary Oct. 25. Expect gyros, slushies and a DJ.
🍷 Sidetracked Wine Co. in Chamblee will host its second annual Sidetracked Wine Fest Oct. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets cost $75, which include wine samples, live music, portrait drawings, and a champagne and caviar bar.
🍂 The Grant Park Conservancy will hold its free Fall Festival & Market Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Boulevard Green. Vendors include Ampersand Vintage, Oscar Bites Dog Treats, After Hours Pottery, and Sweet Valley Bonsai Nursery.
🐕 The Kimpton Shane Hotel in Midtown will host the free Hounds & Hocus Pocus: A Yappy Hour Oct. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will include a dog costume contest, menus for humans and dogs, and a $5 raffle, with all proceeds benefiting PALS Atlanta.
🦪 Atlanta Fish Market in Buckhead will host its first Oyster Fest Nov. 14 from 2 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $69 and include a selection of seafood, live music, and a raffle benefiting Giving Kitchen.
🎄 She’s already defrosting! Mariah Carey’s Holiday Bar will open at Pullman Yards in Kirkwood Nov. 19.
Teaching the Grandkids to Bake
SPONSORED BY URBAN RECIPE
🍰 With what she brings home from her Urban Recipe Food Co-op, Tarajee teaches her grandkids how to bake. “I show them how to read the recipes and follow steps.”
Every two weeks, neighbors show up at the co-op to sort and share fresh produce and pantry staples.
“Everybody there is just so nice. They’ve given me different recipes to try, and they came out really good!”
👋 Want to be a part of it? Volunteer with us! Opportunities are available for groups & individuals.
Top Stories
Michelin Guide gives Atlanta more stars
🌟 Michelin unveiled its 2026 guide to the American South last night in Nashville, and several Atlanta spots made the cut. So. Fox and Uberto in Gay, Georgia, were among the guide’s new one-star recipients.
⏩ See which ATL restaurants made this year’s guide.
‘Groundswell’ docu explores Georgia’s farming future
🚜 Ever heard of regenerative agriculture? If not, it’s time to get acquainted. The process, which works with nature rather than against it, could hold the key to the future of farming in Georgia, according to this insightful documentary.
⏩ Learn more about the documentary and where to stream it here.
ATL Dream watch parties
🏀 Can’t get tickets to Game 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena on Saturday? Cheer on the Atlanta Dream at watch parties hosted by local restaurants and bars around metro Atlanta. BTW, the Dream are leading the Valkyries in the finals 2-1.
⏩ Find a watch party near you here.
🎃 Emily’s Trick or Treat to Cure Crohn’s & Colitis celebrates 10 years of Halloween fun with trick-or-treating, games, arts & crafts, face painting, music, a silent auction, and more. Sandy Springs, Sat., Oct. 24, 2-4 p.m. Use code RoughDraft for $5 off. SPONSOR MESSAGE
At the Market
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
🍠 Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets partner each week to bring you two recipes you can make at home using fresh ingredients from your local farmers market. This week, we’ve got a tasty pumpkin soup and a sesame twist on bruschetta. Check out both recipes here.
That Slaps
🌶️ Fun fact: Rough Draft’s Athens newsletter launches tomorrow! You can subscribe here.
Not-so-fun fact: Interviewing chefs and restaurant owners makes me hungry. And when you’re starving in a great restaurant, you obviously fix that issue by ordering food.
I haven’t eaten at Puma Yu’s in a while, but last week’s research trip easily resolved that. I was really taken by the confit and fried wings, which were super tender and had a great mixture of zing and salinity from the shio Buffalo sauce. The homemade ranch on the side made a great dipping sauce for these wings.
🍗 Next time you find yourself making that 70-mile drive to Athens, do yourself a favor and order these wings at Puma Yu’s.
We’re always looking for recipes to highlight on Rough Draft. If you have a favorite dish from a restaurant you want the recipe for, please email me.
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