Tag: Cascade Heights

Jamshad “Jaamy” Zarnegar and Natalie Bianca Coward met in 1983. It was 3 a.m. They were students, dancing in a club, and became fast friends. Nearly 40 years later, Coward fell victim to a heart attack and Zarnegar was devastated. Owner of Inman Park Mediterranean restaurant Kitty Dare—also named after a deceased friend—Zarnegar was approached about taking over the Serenidad/La Panarda space in Cascade Heights and instantly knew what to do. Last week, Natalie Bianca opened at 2317 Cascade Road serving dinner nightly.

Chef Deborah VanTrece opened soul food restaurant Oreatha’s at the Point in March 2022, followed by Latin spot Serenidad in October. But after just five months, VanTrece made the decision to shutter Serenidad after noticing a flux of similarly themed restaurants in the neighborhood. Now VanTrece is bringing new life to the space with an Italian concept called La Panarda.

VanTrece attributes the closure to both plumbing issues and two new, similarly themed restaurants coming to Cascade Heights. However, she promises to reinvent the space for a new concept in the spring.

Located near Oreatha’s, Serenidad is the product of a partnership between Deborah VanTrece and chef Whitney Thomas, formerly of 5Church Midtown. Here, Thomas will serve lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Menu highlights include paella shrimp and grits, short rib tomahawk, elote ribs (a take on Mexican street corn), and albondigas con mole poblano.

Cascade is distinct from nearby locales in that its residents don’t lack fresh food from traditional retailers. I was fascinated to learn that yet another grocer was moving in—even more so when I came across a city-created map of fresh-food options, where that cluster of stores stands in contrast to the rest of Southwest Atlanta, and the other predominantly Black neighborhoods where grocers are few and far between. Why the abundance in Cascade Heights? And how does a Black neighborhood that needs a grocer get one?

New concepts from Deborah VanTrece, Shema Fulton, and others are upping the food options in an area that’s long been underserved—and turning Cascade Heights into a dining destination.

A maternal menu from Deborah VanTrece, bar snacks on the BeltLine, and omakase in Sandy Springs.

Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours founding chef Deborah VanTrece is opening new restaurant called Oreatha’s at the Point in historic Cascade Heights. Named after her mother, Oreatha’s will put an elevated spin on dishes prepared by mothers from around the world.

About six miles southwest of downtown, at the core of Cascade Heights’ commercial district, an adaptive reuse project hopes to have a big community impact.