A rendering of the interior remodel in The Center will include dining and shopping options. | The Center/CP Group An unnamed 10,000-square-foot “high-end” restaurant is set to open in the space The former CNN Center Headquarters in downtown Atlanta, now named The Center, will turn into a food court/hall and shopping destination, much like Ponce City Market and The Battery, according to CP Group. The Florida-based firm co-owns the building along with Rialto Capital Management and has been working on the remodel for several years. In a promotional video, renderings of the 1.2-million-square-foot ..read more

The outdoor patio with riverside views at Ray’s on the River. | Brandon Amato Here’s where to get views of the Chattahoochee River and its creeks with a sando and beer in hand After “shooting the hooch,” ending the day with lunch at Laseter’s Tavern, located right beyond the takeout at Paces Mill, is a must. You can show up, slightly damp from a day on the water, for a plate of chicken tenders and a beer. Several Georgia cities have waterfronts, including the Savannah River sections in Augusta and Savannah, and the Chattahoochee River in Columbus and Helen. But most of Atlanta’s stretch of riv ..read more

Eastside BeltLine’s popular Ladybird Grove Mess and Hall is expected to open at the Star Metals District in West Midtown. | Ladybird Grove Mess and Hall The popular BeltLine spot is headed to the Star Metals District Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall is set to open a second location in West Midtown. This is invigorating news for the neighborhood, given the startling amount of recent restaurant closures in the area. The restaurant will open at the Star Metals District, which is home to Michelin-starred Hayakawa, soon-to-reopen Fishmonger, Brush Sushi’s Lucky Star, and Savi Provisions, among others ..read more

A mini version of the classic burger from NFA Burger will be offered at the new food stall. | Billy Kramer Fred’s Meat & Bread, Velvet Taco, and the Giving Kitchen are also opening at the stadium Wildly popular smash burger joint NFA Burger by Billy Kramer will be one of the eight food stalls opening at Truist Park’s new food hall, Outfield Market, ahead of the Atlanta Braves’ Home Opener on April 4. This follows NFA Burger’s announcement to open a full restaurant space in Alpharetta this Spring — its smash burger has been sold at a Dunwoody Chevron gas station since 2019. “I grew up on ba ..read more

A wine-loving cat graces the pages of Larakin’s wine menu. | Larakin From Little Bear’s bandana-adorned dog to Larakin’s cool cat, graphic design teams spill the secrets on what makes menu design so captivating in Atlanta Atlanta’s restaurants have distinct menu designs and branding — so much so that diners want restaurant-branded merchandise as collectibles. Cue Little Bear’s Fernando on t-shirts, the Beetlecat postcard about lobster-eating tips, and bowlfuls of matchbooks from Ladybird, St Cecilia, Victory, and more. Knot Your Average Crafts Prominent Atlanta restaurants, and some beloved ch ..read more

Steak & Grace comes from the restaurateur behind FLIP Burger Boutique, HD1, and Big B’s Fish Joint | Brandon Amato From NFA Burger coming to Alpharetta to Nick Leahy’s new burger joint and steakhouse, it’s a meat-packed season in Atlanta There are many restaurants opening in and around Atlanta this Spring. Here are several we are waiting on with bated breath. NFA Burger’s full-service restaurant One of Atlanta’s most popular burger joints, NFA Burger by Billy Kramer, will now have a second location — this time, a full restaurant — in Alpharetta’s Avalon shopping center this Spring. The sma ..read more

Slutty Vegan closed on February 26 at Spelman College | Alex Staniloff/Eater NY Pinky Cole’s popular vegan joint has closed on the campus, to be replaced by Twisted Taco After two years, the Slutty Vegan location at Spelman College closed unexpectedly on February 26. The HBCU announced that the student body has voted to bring back Twisted Taco in its place, which will open on March 17. View this post on Instagram A post shared by THE AUC CENTRAL (@theauccentralllc) Atlanta restaurateur Pinky Cole began Slutty Vegan in 2018, which quickly gained popularity throughout Atlanta, marked by ma ..read more

Pastry chef Claudia Martinez is set to open Bar ANA, a dessert and cocktail bar. | Tiny Lou’s The award-winning chef will open the bar under El Ponce with desserts and daiquiris Sweet dreams are made of this. James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef Claudia Martinez is opening a late-night dessert and cocktail joint called Bar ANA in June (open until 2 a.m., a rarity in the city) in the former El Bar space, below El Ponce. She’s starting the venture with her business partner at ANA Hospitality Group, with support from Rosa Thurnher, the owner of El Ponce, La Palapa, and Tiendita. “It’s a place ..read more

Chef Jon’nae Smith will compete on the show premiering on March 10, 8 p.m. ET. | Food Network Chef Jon’nae Smith from Union City will represent Atlanta’s baking chops on the show Food Netwrok is tapping Atlanta for desserts. Local pastry chef Jon’nae “Jaye” Smith will compete on season 11 of Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship. This follows season 10, when Atlanta pastry chef Nickey Boyd was a finalist on the show. “When I got the call, I remember running out into the living room, and I leaped so high, I could've flown through the roof,” says Smith, who grew up watching Food Network show ..read more

ICE officers need to have a warrant signed by a judge and issued by a court before entering a restaurant, says immigration attorney Johanna Cochran.  | Photo by John Moore/Getty Images We spoke to an immigration attorney about what restaurant workers need to know if impacted by immigration raids In February, nearly 1,000 people gathered on Buford Highway, a vital artery of Atlanta’s immigrant and dining communities, to protest an increase in ICE arrests. Within the city’s diverse culinary scene, it’s impossible to overlook the crucial role that immigrant workers play in keeping restaurant ..read more