Avondale Estates gets a gelato shop, and more from Atlanta’s dining scene
A new steakhouse debuted this week in the former Ivy sports bar space in Buckhead, the Local on Ponce de Leon Avenue was dubbed the best place for wings in the United States by a popular YouTube variety show and more recent happenings from the metro Atlanta restaurant scene.
Cremalosa has reopened in Avondale Estates
Gelato shop Cremalosa has relocated from Decatur to a new space facing the Avondale Estates Town Green. The shop temporarily closed in June to prepare for the move.
Owner Meridith Ford first opened Cremalosa in 2020 near the Avondale MARTA station with rotating seasonal gelato and sorbetto flavors, boozy milkshakes and Italian coffee drinks. Her new outpost at 70 N. Avondale Road is just a few minutes down the road and offers more space and street visibility, she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a June interview.
It’s also the first business to open in the Dale, a commercial development near the Town Green that will include 24,000 square feet of restaurants, retail and office space.
Ford, a pastry chef and food writer who was the AJC’s dining critic 2004-2010, fell in love with gelato while working in pastry for Riccardo Ullio of Sotto Sotto, Fritti and Novo Cucina.
The new shop has large windows, indoor and outdoor seating and a new dessert case filled with stout cake, tiramisu, lemon ricotta cake, chocolate tarts and other treats, Ford said in a text to the AJC.
Ford’s rotating seasonal gelati will stick around, with traditional Italian options such as stracciatella and pistachio, as well as offerings inspired by Southern desserts and American treats, like banana pudding, malted milk balls and blackberry shortcake.
Cremalosa is open 1:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and 1:30-9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
70 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates. 404-578-2739, cremalosa.com
YouTube show dubs the Local on Ponce the best wings in the country
After two years of traveling the U.S. in search of the best wings in the country, Sam Reid, host of the food and travel-focused “Studio Revue” variety show on YouTube, selected the Local on Ponce de Leon Avenue as the winner.
Reid’s search took him to restaurants in all 50 states. In a multipart video series, he traveled from region to region, selecting one restaurant in each state that was said to have the best wings based on reviews, audience suggestions and online rankings, according to the final video in the series.
He ranked the wings in several categories, including appearance/first impression, meatiness/size, texture/tenderness, sauce flavor and overall experience.
Georgia was included in the Central Southeast region. In the episode, he also visited South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida. He gave the wings he tried during his 2023 visit to the Local a perfect score in both the meatiness/size and overall experience categories. It earned a 47.5/50 overall, coming in at the top of the region.
“I said this at the time, these were some of the best wings I’ve ever had,” he said in the recap video. What separated them from other wings was the “multimethod cooking,” Reid said, since the Local smokes their wings all day, then flash fries them before adding sauce.
At the end of Reid’s travels, it came down to the Local in Atlanta versus Bar-Bill in East Aurora, New York.
He presented a plaque to Alex Roberston, Miles Gilmore and Vincent Neal, chefs at the Local.
“They never set out to be like a touristy wings destination,” Reid said in the video. “They’re just a good bar that serves good wings.”
The Local has been open at 758 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE for more than two decades. In 2023, the dive bar was briefly threatened when local developer Portman Holdings prepared to purchase the property for a mixed-use development. When Portman Holding’s plans changed, the Local announced it would be staying.
Watch Reid’s full journey to find the best wings in America here.
Luella Steakhouse opens in former Ivy sports bar
Luella, a steakhouse from the team behind the Ivy sports bar, opened Nov. 25 in Buckhead.
Owners Jamey and Benjie Shirah closed the Ivy last December after 14 years. In an effort to move away from the nightlife scene, they redesigned the space into Luella, a steakhouse modeled after their restaurant Little Betty Steak Bar in Birmingham, Alabama, Jamey Shirah told the AJC in June.
Executive chef Stuart Rogers (previously of Your 3rd Spot, Lyla Lila and Oak Steakhouse) leads the kitchen, along with Kyle Biddy, the executive chef of Little Betty, according to a news release.
The menu includes offerings like A5 Japanese snow beef, Akaushi Wagyu, spicy lobster rigatoni alla vodka, bone-in veal chop parm, sushi and shareable sides.
The restaurant’s design and interiors were created by architect Jonathan Lacrosse, designer Micah Hall of Gather & Grow Studios and interior designer Helen Hanavich. Luella’s environment “blends European elegance with the comfort of a private residence,” according to a news release. Expect hand-painted wallpapers, paneled rooms and intimate dining alcoves.
Luella joins the Shirahs’ hospitality group, Revival Restaurant Group, which also includes the Family Dog in Atlanta’s Morningside neighborhood, as well as Little Betty, the Southern and Uptown Cantina in Birmingham.
Luella is open 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.
3717 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 404-968-9434, luellaatl.com
More restaurant openings
The Local Tavern, a restaurant from the team behind Local on North in downtown Duluth, opened Nov. 17 in the former Red Pepper Taqueria space at Briar Vista Shopping Center in Toco Hill. The space includes a dining room with dark woods and muted lighting, a bar and lounge area and an outdoor patio, according to a news release. Expect American and Italian dishes on the menu that includes salads, steak frites, sandwiches, pork chops and seafood like branzino, grilled salmon and mahi mahi.
2149 Briarcliff Road NE, Atlanta. 404-968-9865, localtavernatl.com
Fried Rice Master opened a stall in the Marietta Square Market on Nov. 22, according to a social media post. It offers fried rice and noodles with various proteins, chicken wings and a build-your-own tteokbokki option. Fried Rice Master also operates a location in Kennesaw.
68 N. Marietta Parkway NW, Marietta. 470-902-5297, instagram.com/frm_marietta
Giulia, an Italian bakery, opened a second location in the Avenue East Cobb on Nov. 7. The bakery offers a menu of pastries, sandwiches and coffee drinks. Sahit Gjuka and his wife, Agreta, first opened Giulia in May 2024 at the Forum Peachtree Corners development. The 900-square-foot bakery is between Barre3 and new Italian restaurant Luga.
4475 Roswell Road, Marietta. 770-726-3360, giuliabakery.com
Luga, a full-service Italian restaurant from Ben and Seth Gjuka opened Nov. 24 in the Avenue East Cobb next to Giulia. Expect a seasonal menu with salads, Roman-style pizza and house-made pastas. The 4,400-square-foot building features layered textures, natural materials and botanicals, according to a news release.
4475 Roswell Road, Marietta. 470-787-2663, lugaitalian.com
Whataburger will open Monday in Marietta from managing partner Jeffrey Bollman. The fast-food burger chain’s outpost at 3550 Sandy Plains Road NE will feature a double drive-thru, a dining room and a custom mural featuring Georgia iconography. Whataburger serves a menu of chicken biscuits and sandwiches, burgers, salads, shakes and patty melts.
3550 Sandy Plains Road NE, Marietta. 470-795-7128, whataburger.com/home
Restaurant announcements
Casi Cielo, a Mexican restaurant from the team behind La Parilla, will open a second location on the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail early next year, What Now Atlanta reported. Casi Cielo first opened in Sandy Springs in 2018 with a menu offering cuisine from Oaxaca, Mexico.
405 N. Angier Ave. NE, Atlanta. 770-200-4189, casicieloatl.com
Other news of interest
La Metro, chef Hector Santiago’s Spanish tapas restaurant in Ponce City Market, is offering Spanish-inspired gift baskets throughout the holiday season. There are three gifting options including a tinned goods and pantry basket, a paella kit basket and a build-your-own basket. Prices range from $65-$95.
In case you missed it, read AJC dining critic Henri Hollis’ review of Peckish, and check out the running list of metro Atlanta Christmas pop-ups.
About the Author
Olivia Wakim is a digital content producer on the food and dining team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
