To share a tip about a new restaurant or other dining news, write Bob Townsend: btownsajc@gmail.com.
Caffé Gio open on the Westside
Giovanni Di Palma, the flamboyant Italian chef/restaurateur behind Antico the popular Pizza Napoletana and Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano, has opened a third spot, Caffé Gio, near the Georgia Tech campus. The cafe and gelateria with indoor and outdoor seating is open for lunch daily, serving a menu of street food and paninis with chicken soup or salad. And look for 10 original, handcrafted gelato flavors imported from Bologna, Italy, plus Neapolitan desserts with Kimbo coffee and espresso. This fall, Di Palma plans to complete his “Westside Italian Quarterie” with limoncello bar and Italian market. Caffé Gio is located at 1099 Hemphill Ave., Atlanta, and guests enter through the alley next to Antico. Open for lunch 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
HD1 to be converted to FLIP Burger
Confirming rumors that have been floating around for months, chef Richard Blais' Poncey-Highland hot dog restaurant, HD1, will be converted to become the fourth FLIP Burger Boutique. Blais also is the founding chef of the FLIP concept. HD1 closed after dinner service on Aug. 18, and the conversion is expected to take eight to 10 weeks, according to co-owner Barry Mills. A rooftop patio, originally planned for HD1, will be part of the construction. Fans of HD1 may be pleased to find that hot dogs will be on the menu, along with FLIP burgers and sides. 664 North Highland Ave. N.E., Atlanta. www.flipburgerboutique.com.
Eighth annual Midtown Restaurant Week
The eighth annual Midtown Restaurant Week is set to run Sept. 7-15, giving diners a chance to sample prix-fixe brunch, lunch and dinner menus priced at $15, $25 or $35. Some 45 Midtown restaurants are participating in 2013, ranging over an area that stretches from West Midtown to the Old Fourth Ward. Among them, 4th and Swift, Abattoir, Article 14, Bantam + Biddy, Chick-a-Biddy, Cucina Asellina, Ecco, FLIP Burger Boutique, Murphy's, Nakato, the Oceanaire, One Midtown Kitchen, Park 75, the Spence, and Zocalo. Find the full list and more info here: www.mrwatlanta.com.
Southern Living ‘100 Places’
Southern Living Travel & Features Editor Jennifer V. Cole shares her personal favorite restaurants, both old and new, in a list of "100 Places to Eat Right Now." Nine metro Atlanta restaurants are on Cole's list, including Cakes & Ale, Cardamom Hill, Empire State South, the General Muir, Heirloom Market BBQ, Holeman & Finch, Miller Union, the Optimist and Restaurant Eugene, plus Five & Ten in Athens, the Georgian Room on Sea Island, and Southern Soul Barbecue on St. Simons Island. www.southernliving.com/travel/places-to-eat-now-00417000083883.
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