Miss Conduck, a Trinidadian and Caribbean restaurant, has opened on Edgewood Avenue in the former Noni’s Neighborhood Trattoria space.
The news was first reported by Rough Draft Atlanta.
Miss Conduck is the first restaurant from Emily James and LaToya Franklyn, but the mother-daughter duo have worked together for years, Franklyn told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Their strengths complement each other; James acts as the left brain of the operation with her affinity for food and design, while Franklyn is the right brain with her law degree and knack for logistics, she said.
Located at 357 Edgewood Ave. SE, the 2,650-square-foot space is designed to be a “place for people to come and relax,” Franklyn said, with a main dining room, a bar and lounge, and a patio that seats around 40.
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Conduck
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Conduck
Diners can expect a menu of Trinidadian cuisine that incorporates flavors from the Caribbean, India and Latin America, Franklyn said. Featured menu items include curry goat; brown stew oxtail; doubles, a Trinidadian street food of flatbread filled with spiced chickpeas, chutney and tamarind sauce; curry chana and potato roti; and sweet fried plantains.
The recipes are from her mother’s kitchen, Franklyn said. Every year, James hosts huge holiday dinners, which Franklyn calls “the dinner of misfits,” where family members and friends gather together and dine on a feast of Caribbean food. The idea for the restaurant came from this tradition.
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Conduck
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Conduck
Drinks include beer, wine and cocktails, including rum punch; the Vessigny Breeze, named after the village where James grew up and is a tropical take on the Long Island iced tea; and a margarita.
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Conduck
Credit: Courtesy of Miss Conduck
Miss Conduck took over the space where Noni’s Neighborhood Trattoria operated for 15 years before it closed in October 2023. The Italian eatery was one of the pioneers of Edgewood’s famed nightlife scene. It opened in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood when there were few other restaurants and bars. By day, it was a traditional Italian restaurant and deli, and by night it hosted open mics, comedy and drag shows and LGBTQ-themed dance parties.
In the years following Noni’s success, other popular concepts opened along the street, including Sister Louisa’s Church of the Ping-Pong Emporium, Our Bar ATL, Slutty Vegan, Edgewood Pizza, Fins & Feathers and Handlebar.
Franklyn said Edgewood Avenue reminds her of the street where James opened her first business in New York City.
“Everything about it just reminds us of home,” she said. “It kind of was a natural fit to me to be in Edgewood and be a part of the community.”
Miss Conduck is currently open for reservations and walk-ins, and it will host a grand opening celebration on May 25. In honor of James and Franklyn’s affinity for matching outfits, the eatery will hand out free Champagne to any mother-daughter pair that comes in on Mother’s Day in matching clothes.
Miss Conduck is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and 5 p.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays.
357 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-343-1808, missconduck.com
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