I stopped by Via Elisa after lunch today to start stocking up on pastas to freeze, and I felt angry with myself afterward for not giving this store business since I’ve been back in Atlanta. Via Elisa’s last day is tomorrow. I talked briefly with owner Elisa Gambino, who says she’s been flabbergasted by the amount of business she’s had in the last week. I’m not. Isn’t this how we often roll in Atlanta? We know good businesses like Via Elisa exist, but times are tight and we let them fall off the radar. We believe these kinds of shops will always be around, and we’re shocked when one of them announces that it’s closing—and then we bum rush the place in its final days.
My weekend project, as earnest as it sounds, is to make a list of the small food businesses I cherish in Atlanta and vow to support them more. And I’m headed back to Elisa’s tomorrow for three final pounds of tagliatelle. The store opens at 11 a.m. Get there early if you’re hoping for one last batch of porcini or butternut squash ravioli.
