Midtown restaurant petitions against construction and more from metro Atlanta’s dining scene
Restaurant owners raise traffic concerns, a bartender takes a lead role at Palo Santo, Christmas comes early to an Inman Park neighborhood favorite and more happenings around metro Atlanta’s restaurant scene.
5Church Midtown owners plead with city over road construction
The hospitality group behind Midtown restaurants 5Church, Virtue Rooftop and AltaToro has created a petition to freeze lane closure permits for overlapping projects in Midtown.
Last month, K5 Hospitality CEO Ayman Kamel posted a video on multiple restaurant social media accounts pleading with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to help solve traffic issues related to Midtown’s multiple road construction projects. On Friday, Kamel shared a Change.org petition titled, “Stop the Gridlock: Save Midtown Atlanta from Uncoordinated Construction.”
Kamel’s petition claims that clogged Midtown streets have led to declines in guest accessibility, event demand, revenue and guest satisfaction. The petition points to a lack of coordination across projects as the main contributor to traffic delays.
According to the Midtown Alliance website, there are five road construction projects currently underway, along with annual sidewalk improvements. Construction is taking place on 5th Street, the 10th Street Bridge, the 15th Street extension and Juniper and Spring streets.
Kamel’s petition asks the Atlanta City Council to establish a Midtown Traffic Coordination Task Force, create requirements for mitigation plans for each new construction project and freeze overlapping lane closure permits.
New beverage director at Palo Santo
Upper Westside hotspot Palo Santo has promoted lead bartender Jess Lyerly to beverage director, the restaurant announced in a news release.
Lyerly, who previously worked at the Lawrence, is an Alabama native who studied fashion design at Savannah College of Art and Design. She now takes the helm at trendy, popular Palo Santo, the Mexico City-inspired restaurant on West Marietta Street known for its modern design and clubby rooftop bar.
Lyerly created some of Palo Santo’s best-known cocktails, like the dragon’s blood, a Mezcal-based riff on a spicy margarita, and the death bloom, a Mexican-inspired version of the penicillin.
955 W. Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. 678-944-8783, palosanto.restaurant
Salt, but make it gorgeous
Marietta tea house The Chai Box has partnered with the specialty salt company Beautiful Briny Sea to create marigold sea salt, according to company representatives. The seasoning salt blend, created in honor of Diwali but meant to be used any time, features a colorful variety of edible flower petals, including rose, lavender and marigold from Woodland Gardens, a farm located just east of Athens.
Beautiful Briny Sea’s marigold salt is available online for $20 per 9-ounce jar.
The Chai Box. 810 Livingston Court, Marietta. 844-242-4269, thechaibox.com
More upcoming food events
Amore e Amore has already transformed into the North (Highland) Pole for the holiday season, according to a news release. The Inman Park Italian restaurant is decked out in Christmas decor and will welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus for its popular Dinner With Santa series beginning later this month.
467 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-600-2176, amoreeamore.com
Side Saddle Wine Saloon is going all out for National Pickle Day with a celebration that spans three days, from Nov. 14-16. The menu will feature multiple pickle-themed specials and the addition of several pickle-flavored cocktails. Anyone who arrives at the restaurant dressed as a pickle will be eligible for a free pickle cocktail.
680 Hamilton Ave. SE, Atlanta. 770-790-7886, instagram.com/sidesaddlewine
Delbar Buckhead is celebrating its 1-year anniversary with the help of champagne house Veuve Clicquot with Sunday brunch on Nov. 16. Tickets cost $175 and include a glass of champagne, caviar bump and live music. Visit Delbar Buckhead’s Resy page to purchase a ticket.
3060 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 404-738-9302, delbaratl.com
Divan Restaurant & Bar in Midtown and its sister restaurant, Persian Basket Kitchen & Bar in Johns Creek, are each holding wine dinners with Persian-American winemaker Bizhan Fazeli of California’s Fazeli Cellars, according to a news release. The first will be Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Divan. The second will be the next evening, Nov. 19, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Persian Basket. Both dinners include four courses with wine pairings for $85 per person. Diners may book seats through the Resy pages for Divan and Persian Basket.
Divan Restaurant & Bar. 87 15th St. NE, Atlanta. 678-732-3989, divanatlanta.com
Persian Basket Kitchen & Bar. 2100 Ray Moss Connector, Johns Creek. 770-674-2779, persianbasketatl.com
Following a successful summer event, the Atlanta Halal Festival will return to Grant Park for a fall installment Nov. 22-23. The free event will feature an artisan market and 100% halal food vendors. Visit the festival’s Eventbrite page for more information and free tickets.
Restaurant openings & relocations
T Cakes, a dessert bar that began as a farmers market stand, opened in Austell on Nov. 2, according to a news release. Its first brick-and-mortar storefront is in the Riverside Epicenter on Riverside Parkway.
135 Riverside Parkway, Austell. 404-781-9014, tvelvetcakes.com
Beyond Juicery + Eatery opened Saturday morning in Buckhead. The new health-conscious restaurant is the chain’s 50th franchise location.
1927 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-806-1609, beyondjuiceryeatery.com
Lewis Barbecue will open in Ansley Mall early next month, according to a news release. The central-Texas-style barbecue has taken over a former laundromat next door to Cook’s Warehouse in the Piedmont Heights shopping center. The restaurant will open Dec. 8 with a ceremonial “rib-pull.”
1544 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. lewisbarbecue.com
Pink Lotus, the Thai restaurant in west Midtown, will open a second location next year in a new mixed-use development in Alpharetta, restaurant representatives announced this week.
126 N. Main St., Alpharetta. pinklotusthai.com
Bertolozi Pizzeria, known for its cracker-thin pizza crust, will move from the Roswell Junction food hall to its own space in the Chastain Square shopping center on Roswell Road. The restaurant announced the move last week on Instagram, but has not yet shared a timeline for the official opening.
4279 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta. instagram.com/bertolozi_pizzeria
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
