This week in the metro Atlanta food and dining scene, a $500 sushi dinner sold out in less than two days, a local restaurant began serving guests at two Delta Sky Club lounges and four niche dessert chains have opened or announced their first Georgia locations.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Summer of sports bars
By the end of next week, metro Atlanta sports fans will have three new sports bars to check out, though two bend the rules of the typical sports bar theme.
The first, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, opened Monday at the Battery, according to a news release. The newest location of the sports bar chain neatly fits the archetype, with plenty of TVs, a large bar serving a variety of beers on tap and a Louisiana-themed menu with items like mozzarella logs, pepper jack boudin balls and a Cajun rib eye.
At the Politan Row food hall in Dunwoody, a sports bar called Streakers Pub opened Thursday with a unique, tongue-in-cheek approach.
According to a news release, “Streakers revels in the scandals, intrigue, and gossip of everything sports-adjacent, which includes its namesake, but also gamblers, dopers, and cheaters.”
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Streakers only serves drinks, encouraging customers to buy food from other vendors at Politan Row like 26 Thai, Buzzin’ Burgers and Delilah’s Everyday Soul. The menu at Streakers includes draft beer and sports-themed cocktails, but also a selection of “Juicers,” Jell-O shots playfully served in large syringes and named after famous athletes associated with using performance-enhancing drugs.
In Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood, the highly anticipated sports bar focused primarily on women’s sports, Jolene Jolene, will open July 4 for a residency in the Brick & Mortar space at Pullman Yards. Jolene Jolene’s first day of service will include a grand opening party with a DJ while showing the day’s major women’s sports events, including the UEFA Women’s EURO international soccer tournament and Wimbledon.
According to Jolene Jolene’s social media account, the sports bar still plans to show some major men’s sporting events, especially for Atlanta teams like the Falcons, Hawks and Atlanta United.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux. 950 Battery Ave. SE, Atlanta. 678-720-1320, walk-ons.com
Streakers Pub. 455 Olde Perimeter Way, Dunwoody. streakerspub.com
Jolene Jolene. 225 Rogers St. NE, Atlanta. jolenejoleneatl.com
MARTA opens seasonal farm stands
Fresh, local produce stands began popping up at certain MARTA stations. The MARTA Market 2025 farm stands, operated by local food distributor Retaaza, sell produce from local farmers one day a week at six different stations, the transit authority announced.
Each MARTA Market farm stand opened for its first day of the season this week: Tuesday at Kensington Station, Wednesday at the West End and Bankhead stations, Thursday at the College Park and Doraville stations and Friday at H.E. Holmes Station.
The markets accept cash, credit and debit cards and EBT/SNAP. The MARTA Market season will run through mid-December, according to a news release.
Georgia’s claim on cornbread and Brunswick stew become official July 1
A Georgia law designating cornbread the official state bread and Brunswick stew the official state stew will go into effect July 1. The bills were signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp earlier this year, though they did not make it to the governor’s desk without some controversy.
Prior to the bill’s passage, Brunswick stew had been the source of disputes for decades as the center of a rivalry between Georgia and Virginia. Both states claim Brunswick stew was invented within their borders, and Georgia’s new law seeks to codify the dish’s origin story.
House Bill 233 describes Brunswick stew as “a rich, thick stew noted for its signature ingredients of meat, tomatoes and fresh vegetables, such as sweet corn.”
“Contrary to claims by other states, Georgia, and specifically Brunswick, Georgia, is the birthplace of Brunswick stew,” the bill continues.
Kitty Dare featured in Delta Sky Club lounges
Inman Park restaurant Kitty Dare will begin serving food in two Delta Sky Club lounges at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
On Monday, the Sky Clubs in concourses B and D began serving dishes from Kitty Dare chef Giuseppe Esposito, a news release said. The Mediterranean-themed menu includes seared Tunisian eggplant, gazpacho, marinated Berbere chicken with hummus, and beef and lamb koobideh, a type of Persian kebab made with ground meat.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
As part of the Delta partnership, Kitty Dare is using the airline’s Local Flavors program to spotlight a local nonprofit group. Esposito chose to promote Helping Mamas, a baby supply bank that provides essential products like diapers and wipes to mothers in Georgia and East Tennessee.
Kitty Dare. 1029 Edgewood Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-228-1566, kittydare.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Dessert chains galore
Several niche dessert franchises have recently opened their first locations in Georgia or announced plans to set up shop in the state.
Cinnabon Swirl held its grand opening in Kennesaw on Friday, while JARS by Fabio Viviani opened in Smyrna late last month.
Milkshake Factory, a franchise with two dozen locations across the country, announced two metro Atlanta locations coming later this year, with the first to open in Milton this summer. Van Leeuwen, the French-style ice cream brand, is opening its first Georgia shop at Ponce City Market next month, the company announced.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Near-$500 sushi dinner immediately sells out
Sushi purists should be ready to act fast for tickets to Ryokou’s guest chef series. The first event, which will feature Michelin star-winning chef Kazushige Suzuki of Icca in New York City, sold out its extremely limited tickets in less than two days. Suzuki will join chef Leonard Yu (of Omakase Table and Ryokou) behind the counter at the Adair Park restaurant for one seating July 1. Only 10 seats were available, and tickets cost $495 each.
More guest chef dinners will be announced later this summer, restaurant representatives said.
565 Northside Drive, Atlanta. 470-403-9018, ryokouatl.com
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
More restaurant openings and announcements
A new Shake Shack location will open at the Battery with a full bar Monday.
455 Legends Place, Atlanta. 404-470-2335, shakeshack.com
Communidad Taqueria, from Poco Loco owner and chef Nick Melvin, opened earlier this month in the Old Fourth Ward, the restaurant shared on social media. The Tex-Mex restaurant serves breakfast tacos all day and makes tortillas in-house.
655 Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta. communidadatl.com
Brooklyn Bagel & Deli will open a fourth location in Sandy Springs, Tomorrow’s News Today reported this week. The local chain will take over the former MOD Pizza space in the Plaza at City Springs development.
Restaurant closings and relocations
Doughnut Dollies in Marietta closes after a decade
Gelato shop Cremalosa closes Decatur location ahead of move to Avondale Estates
Bottle Rocket is moving from the Old Fourth Ward space its occupied for more than 10 years to a new location in South Downtown, according to a joint announcement on social media.
Glide Pizza will close its Decatur location at Inner Voice Brewing on July 13, Tomorrow’s News Today reported. The popular pizzeria will move into its own space nearby on West Ponce De Leon Avenue.
The Oceanaire Seafood Room has closed in Midtown Atlanta, What Now Atlanta reported. The upscale seafood restaurant at 1100 Peachtree is owned by Texas-based Landry’s Restaurants, and company representatives said they plan to replace the concept with a new location of its Mexican chain Dos Caminos.
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