Poncey-Highland restaurant Babette’s Cafe will be closing next month after nearly 30 years.
Owner Marla Adams, who opened the restaurant in October 1992 at 471 North Highland Ave. NE and a few years later moved the business to 573 North Highland Ave. NE, announced plans for a May 8 closure in a post on the restaurant’s website.
All good things must come to an end. I’ve written a couple of long letters over the last few years about retiring, failing at retirement. But here I am, ready for a new chapter in my life...I am so fortunate to have been able to have a career as a cook, a chef, a restaurateur. There is no other career that would have given me such joy, excitement and camaraderie. Any business has its share of frustrations, downturns, and even heartache. But you, our audience, have been there for us. It is remarkable how many of you have become a regular part of Babette’s cast of characters and friends. We have celebrated anniversaries, birthdays, marriages, losses and just some plain old dinners together. I know this news will be a disappointment to many. And this is not insignificant to me.
What will I do? I will travel, go camping with my dogs, put my feet in the dirt in my garden. I will spend time with my family. I will rest. I will try to find peace and ease. I will sit by the ocean in Scotland. I will work on a cookbook. I will hold close memories of evenings with you. You and Babette’s will always be part of who I am.
I hope a memory from Babette’s will make you smile.
She noted that reservations are still available on the restaurant’s website, and asked customers to “be flexible.” Takeout will not be offered after May 1, and Adams won’t be at the restaurant April 9, 29, or 30.
Babette’s specializes in French, Italian and Spanish cuisines, with dishes including filet mignon with gorgonzola sauce, coq au vin with mashed potatoes and grilled rainbow trout with walnut sauce.
Credit: Becky Stein
Credit: Becky Stein
Adams attended the Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park, New York, before moving to Atlanta. She worked for restaurants including Buckhead Diner, 103 West and Trio before striking out on her own in a 1916 bungalow. The restaurant is named for “Babette’s Feast,” the Isak Dinesen story and film that concerns the healing power of food and wine.
Adams did not immediately respond to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s request for additional comment.
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
