The Colonnade reintroduced a bevy of old menu items, an omakase-style cocktail experience announced its new theme, a couple of health-conscious franchise restaurants announced locations in the metro area and more Atlanta food and drink happenings from the week.
Major bartending conference in Atlanta next month
The U.S. Bartenders’ Guild will hold a four-day professional conference in Atlanta in May, which will include a competition to determine the top 10 bartenders in the country. The 10 finalists will continue to compete to be named the World Class U.S. Bartender of the Year, who will then compete in a global contest this summer.
The USBG is a nationwide, nonprofit organization that promotes bartending as a profession. It has chapters in about 50 cities, including Atlanta, and several thousand members, according to its most recent annual report.
This year’s summit will take place at The Westin Buckhead Atlanta from May 18-21. The World Class competition, sponsored by alcoholic beverage conglomerate Diageo, will take place at various locations over the course of the summit, though their schedule is not public. Representatives for the Thompson Atlanta — Buckhead said the hotel will host some competition events.
For more information, check out the websites for the World Class bartending competition and the USBG’s 2025 Bar Summit.
Watch “Rice & Grits” at this weekend’s film festival
Vietnamese American filmmaker Hieu Gray will show her short documentary about her personal exploration of Vietnamese and Southern food at the Atlanta Film Festival on Saturday night.
“Rice & Grits: A Vietnamese American Culinary Odyssey of the American South” will show at the Plaza Theatre at 9:30 p.m. and will also be available to stream online for seven days beginning May 5.
For more information, visit the Atlanta Film Festival’s website.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Anonymous buyer will keep David’s Produce open near Decatur
The anonymous buyer of David’s Produce, the Decatur-area store and time capsule, will keep the produce stand open and continue business as usual, Decaturish reported this week.
Details of the sale were not made public and the buyer was granted anonymity in the Decaturish article. The property was listed for $750,000 last year and included the store and a two-bedroom house, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
Read the full story at the Decaturish website.
David’s Produce Market. 3561 Lavista Road, Decatur. 404 325-0709, davidsproducemarket.com.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
Buckhead awash in fine water
The 2025 Fine Water Summit and Taste and Design awards descended on Buckhead for the weekend. The events, organized by the Fine Water Society, include a professional conference for water sommeliers and enthusiasts, as well as a competition that crowns the world’s best-tasting water in more than a dozen different categories. Check out the AJC’s reporting below.
Summit brings fine water sommeliers to Buckhead for global contest
‘Fine water’ insiders crown world’s best H2O at Atlanta summit
Other items of interest
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
The Colonnade, one of Atlanta’s longest-running restaurants, introduced an updated menu Friday that features many new items that actually happen to be old favorites frequently requested by customers.
Challenges that included the COVID-19 pandemic and two bridge fires on Cheshire Bridge Road meant the Colonnade said “goodbye to a few beloved dishes,” according to a news release. Returning old-school dishes include tomato aspic, peaches and cheese, crab-stuffed shrimp, deviled eggs, beef stroganoff and more. The menu update is pure addition, the news release said — no items were removed.
Along with Friday’s new menu, the Colonnade debuted its first-ever wine list.
The Colonnade. 1879 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta. 404-874-5642, thecolonnadeatl.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
At the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta downtown, another major local hotel has welcomed a new executive chef: Quinn Bullard.
Bullard’s resume includes stints at other Ritz-Carlton properties in Dove Mountain and Lake Tahoe as well as the St. Regis San Francisco. He will take over culinary operations at AG Modern Bar and Steakhouse, Lumen Lounge and Jittery Joe’s Coffee.
The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta. 181 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-659-0400, ritzcarlton.com.
Credit: Brandon Amato
Credit: Brandon Amato
Omakase Table has introduced a new cocktail program after its recent move to Buckhead. The program was created by the restaurant’s beverage director Garn McCown, an Atlanta native and a veteran of the local hospitality scene. The cocktail list was developed to specifically complement the restaurant’s 20-course omakase tasting, according to a news release.
Omakase Table. 3330 Piedmont Road, Atlanta. 470-404-5245, omakasetableatl.com.
Credit: Luke Beard
Credit: Luke Beard
Tiger Sun, the bar inside Reynoldstown restaurant Muchacho that bills itself as an omakase-style cocktail experience, will introduce a new theme. After opening late last year with a theme based on “The Karate Kid,” the new theme announced this week is “Pulp Fiction,” according to a news release. The cocktails have names like “papa tomato, mama tomato, baby tomato” and “uncomfortable silences.”
Reservations are available now for the $75, four-course experience. The new theme begins May 9.
Tiger Sun. 904 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta. tigersunatl.com.
Baraonda Ristorante, the Italian restaurant in Sandy Springs, is now open for lunch on weekdays.
Baraonda Ristorante, 6075 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-282-4380, baraondaatlanta.com.
DelBar’s Buckhead location has opened its patio for the season.
DelBar — Buckhead, 3060 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 404-738-9302, delbaratl.com.
Restaurant openings
Zahra Mediterranean Grill has opened at Chattahoochee Food Works, according to a news release.
Zahra Mediterranean Grill. 1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta. zahragrill.com.
With Sammy’s opening, Abrams Fixtures development completes restaurant lineup
Redacted Basement Drink Parlor opens behind unassuming Summerhill side door
Restaurant closings
Mix’d Up Burger has closed in East Lake. No announcement has been made but the closure was spotted by an AJC reporter.
Panbury’s, the South African savory pie shop, is closing at Sweet Auburn Curb Market, the restaurant announced on Instagram.
Nina and Rafi closes, Rreal Tacos owner purchases space
Restaurant announcements
Hey Yogurt, a health-conscious, yogurt-based drink chain, will open in Duluth on May 1, the restaurant announced on Instagram. The location will offer buy one, get one free drink from May 1-5.
Beyond Juicery + Eatery, another healthy-focused restaurant chain, will open its first Georgia location at 1927 Peachtree Road NE in Buckhead, according to a news release. The location, which does not yet have an opening date, will be the first of five Beyond restaurants in metro Atlanta.
26 Thai team aims for ‘edgier and more experimental’ in new concept
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