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Westside design firm AI3 is opening an office in San Francisco, headed by Joe Remling, one its founding principals, to expand its national presence and explore business opportunities on the West Coast. The award winning design firm was founded seven years ago on the then-edgy Westside by four young architects—Remling, Patrick Johnson, Lucy Aiken-Johnson, and Dan Maas—who left local firm TVS Design to develop a boutique practice that focused on a creative approach to client collaboration in the design process. AI3 caught attention with its work for the Globe at Georgia Tech and began landing star clients such as Richard Blais (Flip Burger Boutique), Linton Hopkins (Holeman & Finch) and Steven Satterfield (Miller Union). Its current high-profile gigs include Fifth Group’s two upcoming restaurants, Mexican-themed Alma Cucina opening Downtown in late fall, and Lure, specializing in seafood, coming to Midtown next year.Armed with its local successes, AI3 is taking advantage of some business opportunities to expand the firm’s footprint. Remling (pictured), who moved to San Francisco in September, is the managing partner of AI3’s West Coast studio. Remling says San Francisco was chosen as the firm’s second office location because an Atlanta-based restaurant client, whom Remling declined to name, wants AI3 to design its San Francisco project. Also, Intercontinental Hotel Group, one of AI3’s biggest clients, has several West Coast projects in the works. Remling says that the firm will continue to operate a boutique type of practice but they are also looking to develop more of a national presence—and San Francisco provides an ideal location because of its culinary reputation. AI3’s West Coast studio is slated to open by the end of the year in San Francisco’s Financial District.NEWS AND NOTES: Congrats to Creative Loafing food and drink editor Besha Rodell for her first place award in the 2011 Association of Food Journalists award in the "Best Food Essay" category for her awesome account of sitting in a Waffle House for twenty-four hours.Atlanta Beer Week, an eight-day tour of some of Atlanta’s finest craft beer offerings, will run from October 8 through October 16.Eatocracy listed star chef Hugh Acheson’s five overlooked Southern ingredients in its 5@5 feature last week.   Buckhead. Southern Art and Bourbon Bar opens on Wednesday, October 12, in the Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta.College Park. Lunch on Main has closed Decatur. Urban Daddy is reporting that Harbor Bar & Fish House has opened at 129 Church Street.Druid Hills. Tomorrow’s News Today notes that Johns Creek-based Romero’s New York Pizza is opening its second location in Emory Village.Inman Park. Kevin Rathbun’s Krog Bar is celebrating its sixth anniversary with a Pig and Paella party on Saturday, October 15.Midtown. Creative Loafi

In case you missed the Southeast's largest New Year's Eve celebration (this year headlined by Tito

For a $7 cover every Friday, you can skip the movie and enjoy a martini bar and live jazz at the feet of towering Mesozoic beasts. But traveling rainforests and ocean trenches is most dazzling when lightly under the influence. Just don’t sit too close to the screen. fernbankmuseum.org

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FRANKSKI Waiting in the Conference Room to get Reprimanded by our Boss! See, we get in trouble too http://plixi.com/p/54356855

You can be sure you’re from a small town if you know at least five people from there not by their birth names but by whatever alias they were anointed with over the years.

The nation’s elite eight bands from historically black colleges—including perennial powerhouse Clark Atlanta University—face off in grand fashion every January at the Dome during the Battle of the Bands. hondabattleofthebands.com