In November 2019, I attended my first Stolen Goods pop-up dinner, led by chef Maximilian Hines at the Old Fourth Ward restaurant A Mano. The meal—called Traptoria, Vol. 2—was advertised as a tribute to the carryout foods Hines grew up eating at mom-and-pop Italian restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area, but with a “Dirty South twist.” From a menu sprinkled with references to legendary musical acts, I ordered the Prince Scampi (Royal Red head-on shrimp in garlic and chili sauce, served with white bread), the fancied-up Cup-o-Ramone chicken noodles, and a rapturous Little Debbie tiramisu. It all lived up to the description Hines wrote to promote the event: “Basically if an Italian immigrant moved here and opened an Olive Garden in Bankhead.”

Mend Coffee & Goods is designed to be a place for the inter-ability community to convene, work, and socialize. It comes from Jay and Katherine Wolf, the founders of disability nonprofit Hope Heals, and will serve Opo coffee drinks—think espresso, drip, nitro, cold brew lattes—and kombucha on tap, plus breakfast and pastries.

Some of the most exciting food in Atlanta today is served out of borrowed kitchens, at farmers markets, and from food trucks. Here’s some of our recent faves, and where to find them. 

Chef Rich Rosendale touts experience cooking around the globe, from India to Germany to Ecuador and the Philippines. He owns a Southern-style barbecue “café” called Roots 657 in Virginia and operates an event catering company out of 200 Peachtree Street Downtown. On March 17, he’ll launch a full-service restaurant on the ground floor of the same building (which is where the Harry Potter exhibit currently resides.) Called R3 Rosendale Concepts, it will serve lunch inspired by his pandemic-time delivery-only pizza company (Roots Local Pizza To-Go) and a soup concept called Soups Up. Dinner will be more refined, serving dishes inspired by international flavors and a craft cocktail lounge he opened earlier in his career.

James Beard Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson is someone who makes his name known. He competed on Top Chef, Chopped, and Iron Chef; partnered with restaurateur/chef Jonathan Waxman on a cookbook, and opened restaurants across the country. Come March 17, he’ll add another restaurant to that list as he brings his craft south.

The brand calling itself the “Official Pretzel of Beer” is distributed across the U.S.—but it was born in Marietta, inspired by a recipe from cofounder Sean McSweeney’s grandmother. “She’d always have pretzels there when we got together for the holidays,” he says. “She made everything from scratch, including her seasoning.”

The American diner reimagined in Buckhead, Filipino fare on Buford Highway, Korean-American street food in EAV, and Detroit-style pizza in Oakhurst.

Those of us who write about food often focus on seeking out informal little joints and unheralded treasures. But, since it opened in September, I’ve heard Palo Santo described frequently enough as the “sexiest scene in town” to wonder if we’re overlooking diners’ desires for another kind of restaurant: one that dazzles its audience with a big show, creating a kind of collective, near-religious culinary experience.

In pre-pandemic times, the Buckhead restaurant’s brunch was iconic, known for laying out a fabulous spread of dishes in the kitchen itself, allowing guests to wind through and see where the magic happens (and take in the charming knickknacks the adorn the space). When the pandemic began, the buffet brunch ended, and Local Three switched to an à la carte menu. It just wasn’t the same.

Bella Jones, a private chef known for her Ode to the Black Chef blog and accompanying pop-up events, is opening her first restaurant. Named Liz & Leon’s to honor her maternal grandparents, it aims to highlight the history of Black foodways, starting with the African diaspora. Located in a turn-of-the-century building on historic Hotel Row in South Dwntwn (231 Mitchell Street), Liz & Leon’s is slated to open in early November, alongside accompanying juke joint Sweet Gigi’s.

Opening February 27 in Buckhead Village, cattycornered from Fetch dog park, Yeppa & Co. is an amalgamation of the passions and experiences of the Storico team, minus Michael Patrick, who is focusing on his cookbook. The result is part-restaurant, part-coffee shop, and part-Formula One cocktail bar.