The Downtown location of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks will not reopen. | Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks The Atlanta water main break has caused one restaurant to shutter its doors July saw a huge peak for restaurant openings, from Northern China Eatery opening a new dumpling house to a new soul food joint at Politan Row and a new luxury dog park in Alpharetta. When it comes to closings this month, there were far fewer announcements. Here are the places we will be sad to see go. Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks will not reopen in Downtown after water main break The owner of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, Derrick Hayes, a ..read more

The assortment of dishes by Cheffrey’s Kitchen, the first chef residency launching at Pullman Yards’ Brick and Mortar. | Cheffrey’s Kitchen Kiyoka Nishikawa of the Cheffrey’s Kitchen pop-up will be the first chef to hold the residency at Brick and Mortar In their newest venture, Pullman Yards recently announced a paid chef residency program, where a different chef would take the helm at Brick and Mortar for up to three months at a time. Diners have voted and chosen the first chef to take on the residency: Kiyoka Nishikawa of the Cheffrey’s Kitchen Japanese pop-up will take over servi ..read more

Talat Market/Facebook From award-winning Thai food to a charcoal pesto pizza and kebabs It’s safe to say, I ate good this month. July is no joke in Georgia when it comes to the heat, so my focus was on eating light and bright dishes, and cooling off with a martini, of course. Here are the top dishes from this heat-wave of a month of dining around Atlanta. Henna Bakshi The green curry with trout at Talat Market in Atlanta. Talat Market took the cake in wow factor. Run by chefs Rod Lassiter and Parnass Lim Savang, the duo represented Atlanta at the James Beard Awards this year as finalists for B ..read more

Ambitious Aries will want to eat at Little Bear, luxury-seeking Taurus may head to a mano, while thrill-seeker Scorpio will lounge at Clermont Hotel If you’re stumped about where to go for dinner, why not let the sky be your guide? The zodiac is the region of the sky where the sun travels in a year-long period, and it’s divided into 12 segments, which are the 12 zodiac signs of astrology. Though the study of astrology goes beyond birth dates, your zodiac sign (indicating where the sun was during your birth) is a great way to dip your toe into astrology, says professional astrologer Jade Bradf ..read more

The interior seating at Elektra, now open at the Forth Hotel on the BeltLine. | Matthew Williams Forth, the shiny new hotel and social club on the BeltLine, welcomes a new restaurant open everyday for Mediterranean and Levantine fare You’ve likely seen the sparkly new building that looks like a metal beehive on the Eastside BeltLine. That’s Forth, Atlanta’s newest luxury hotel, and now its got a new resident. Elektra, a Mediterranean all-day restaurant on the fourth floor of the hotel is now open for service. It channels a coastal seaside in its decor and atmosphere — conveniently located by t ..read more

The dining room at downtown Atlanta rotating restaurant Polaris atop they Hyatt Regency. | Ryan Fleisher From fancy dinners with skyline views and pizzas topped with jerk chicken and charcoal pesto to Thai and Chinese fare Downtown Atlanta is home to the city’s biggest tourist attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, Center for Civil and Human Rights, and College Football Hall of Fame. Not to mention Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to NFL football team the Atlanta Falcons and soccer team Atlanta United, and State Farm Arena, home to Atlanta Hawks basketball. Thanks to the efforts of institutions lik ..read more

The bar and lounge seating at Serenbe’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant, Austin’s, opening July 20. | Ali Harper Photography With a nod to 1920s Paris and London, sleek new Austin’s will open July 20 and will feature farm-to-table cocktails Wellness community Serenbe, a 45-minute drive south from metro Atlanta, is opening a new cocktail bar and restaurant named Austin’s on July 20. “We were inspired by the bars and lounges of Paris and London of the ‘20s – we wanted to give the decadent experience where people can come together spontaneously,” says Steve Nygren, founder and CEO of Serenbe ..read more

Rendering of the new Monospace restaurant in Chattanooga by Atlanta chef Craig Richards. | Mattaforma Monospace, a DJ restaurant, bar and cafe will open in the Scenic City’s Southside in 2025 with pop-ups leading up to its debut Lyla Lila chef Craig Richards is expanding to Chattanooga. For his newest project, he’s leaning into his love for music and opening Chattanooga’s first high-fidelity sound experience restaurant with creative director Christopher Knowles. It’s called Monospace. Think restaurant, bar, hi-fi sound area, a dance floor, and daytime cafe all bundled in one. It is set to open ..read more

The interns of Cafe Momentum cooking the pop-up dinner at Gunshow in June. | Gina Danals Nonprofit Cafe Momentum equips young people who have spent time in juvenile detention with restaurant skills and a yearlong paid internship Sixteen-year-old Jassan Trotter is incredibly proud of his knife skills. “I didn’t know how to cut right,” says Trotter. “I would use my whole hand on the blade. You’re supposed to use your thumb and the pointer finger, and then you cut through things more precise.” In addition to vegetable prep, Trotter is learning skills like frying, sauteing, as well as the art of s ..read more

The crowd at Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival in Atlanta. | Erik Meadows From the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes to Peachfest, here are the local food festivals you need to know Atlanta is buzzing with food and wine events. This season is full of food festivals and here are a few you’ll want to put on your radar. Peachfest Festival, July 21 Cue Justin Bieber... “I get my peaches down in Georgia, oh, yeah, sh-t.” Peachfest will feature Georgia’s favorite fruit, which is in full season right now. The festival at Peachtree Center will showcase over 65 food artisans, chefs, and mixologists. Par ..read more