FoodieBuddha.com

A: The Battle of the Burgers

Q: What is the meat slapping, gut busting, massive attack set to take place at John Howell Park in Virginia-Highland on Saturday, October 2nd (from 12-4p)?

To elaborate: some might say we’re in a burger renaissance.  I might say we’re in a burger infestation.  Regardless of your perspective, it isn’t a stretch to say that Atlanta’s cityscape has become a bastion of meat-eating fornication.  Spurned on by the dizzying selections our city has to offer, Embraced Atlanta is putting on a charitable contest of epic proportions … appropriately slugged as The Battle of the Burgers (web).  Read on for all the information!

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Hot on the heels of a new hibachi restaurant (the just opened Sakura Stix), a new barbecue joint is set to open in Westside.  The Bunyan-esc Billy Jack’s BBQ and Shrimp Co. is currently in the final build out stages over at 857 Collier Rd.  In addition to sharing the lot with Sakura Stix, Billy Jack’s will deliver to your door and cater your events.  Their menu is pretty straightforward and includes most everything you would expect at a place like this.  The decor is understated and the place probably seats around 40.  They don’t have a website at this point, but they do have a facebook page.  Meanwhile, be on the look out for their catering truck (named The Barbecue Source).  If you see it … call the cops!!!  More for you once they actually open their doors to John Q Public.

[thanks to reader Julian for the heads up]

Billy Jack’s BBQ & Shrimp Co. Restaurant Address & Information
857 Collier Rd, Atlanta, GA 30318 // 404.351.7979 // Billy Jack’s facebook

The Fifth Street Café, the newest endeavor for Hawks center Zaza Pachulia and the ADI Restaurant Group, is opening today at 800 Peachtree Street.  In supplanting ENO, the space has been completely reworked and as the picture above shows [viar facebook album], the interior looks a lot more like that of an ultra-lounge than that of a café.

The opening chef is Ian Winslade, whose name might ring a bell with those who visited Bluepointe a few years back.  The English national also spent some time at Shout, Prime, and TomTom (All Here2Serve concepts). Winslades’ last job was as the chef de cuisine at Vongericthen’s Spice Market.  Currently, Winslade also runs things over at Buckhead Bottle Bar, a new joint from the same group of guys.

The 5th Street website isn’t much more than a landing page at this point.  As such, I’m not entirely sure what the menu will look like; however, I’m guessing it will be progressive American cuisine.  I’ll see what I can come up with in the next few days.

With the opening of Deadwood Saloon at 66 12th St NE, the Crescent Ave restaurant strip just got a little more crowded (again).  Deadwood has moved into the space that formerly housed Twisted Taco and opened with an attempt to bring something “unique” to Atlanta.  Strip away the cow-covered chairs, Captain Morgan statue, and kitschy thematics, what you have is a bar hiding out as a restaurant. 

The layout of the space is essentially the same; however, the patio out front is a little more refined and there is now an upstairs deck.  The latter might have been there before, but I was never sober during previous visits to the space to confirm or deny that.  So far, the menu looks like a mish-mash of funkified Tex-Mex and basic American food.  Details after I sample it.  The website is up, but still getting filled in.

Deadwood Saloon Restaurant Address & Information
66 12th St NE, Atlanta, GA 30361 // 404.671.4290 // Deadwood website // Deadwood menu // Deadwood on facebook

So yeah, this is a little like beating a dead horse, but here’s the latest on Empire State South, Hugh Acheson’s much discussed Atlanta endeavor.

After multiple delays, the Midtown restaurant is now scheduled for late August.  This is stated on their website … but last time they did that, you know how that ended up. Frankly, I’m a little worn out on restaurants putting an opening date on their doors/websites/press/etc… when there is no way they can hit the date.

Also, Nick Melvin, who many know from his time at Parish in Inman Park, is set to run the kitchen.  We’ll see how that shapes up.  To date, I have yet to find Melvin’s food worthy of any real praise.

Other than that, the bocce ball court seems all but finished, there’ll be a coffee bar, and the rest is brew-haha and he said/she said.

Empire State South Restaurant Address & Information

999 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 // Empire State website

You know you’re a food addict when you find yourself verbally sparring with some pseudo parking attendant in the hopes of navigating droves of drunk club bunnies in an attempt to grab a late night fix.  Truth be told, my recent exchange with some dude at the intersection of Crescent Ave & 14th street was far from contentious … but it just sounded better to imply otherwise.

Nearly every late night drive over the past year and change near that aforementioned intersection has served as a reminder that a food cart (specifically a gyro/pizza stand) awaits.  If you show up at Opera Nightclub, or any of the nearby drunk tanks, towards the end of any given week you’re bound to find a sea of people milling about.  This of course assumes that the sun has gone down.  It’s been some time since I’ve been in that part of Midtown past midnight.  This mostly due to the fact that I know my presence would send mass amounts of drunk ladies in their Sunday best to levels of ecstasy (the pill … not the emotional state) not seen in sometime.

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Eli Kirshtein, one of Atlanta’s handful of Top Chef alums, appears to be on the verge of making a big splash.  Word around the campfire (translation: not finalized) is that Kirshtein is set to take over the old Repast space at 620 Glen Iris Drive, which sits on the edges of Poncey-Highlands and Old 4th Ward.

You might remember when Besha Rodell broke the news about Repast’s demise, which came just a few weeks after co-owner Joe Truex left to helm the kitchen at Decatur’s Watershed restaurant.  In the month since, a number of rumors have surfaced as to the future for the Repast location.  This one seems to have some real legs … though again … it’s not finalized.

When last we heard from Kirsthein, he was on his way to New York City to serve as a stagiaire at Solo Restaurant.  After spending the early part of this year working at the kosher restaurant, Kirshtein hopped around a bit … I believe he spent some time in Israel.  The mystery continued when ENO (Eli’s restaurant of choice during his Top Chef time) closed.  It left many of us wondering what was in store for the young knife slinger.

If this is indeed the case, it will be interesting to see how the concept develops.  This will be the first venture for Kirsthein, a padawan of celebrity chef Richard Blais.  More on this as it develops.

PICTURE CREDIT: Kirshtein (right) appears at a cooking demo with Blais. [courtesy SavoryExposure.com]

When word spread that Woody’s Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks in Midtown had closed, Atlanta’s food fans took a collective sigh.  Though not everyone found the place destination worthy, Woody’s had a distinct personality and better than average grub.  Opened in 1975 by David Pastoria, the free standing hut had served as a fixture of quirky Atlanta for roughly 35 years.

But 12,784 days is a stretch and Pastoria had his fill of the restaurant life.  Though I’m not exactly sure of the new ownership structure, Steven Renner decided that Pastoria’s departure was the opportunity he needed.  So in early June of this year, marked with a little elbow grease and some TLC, Renner gave Woody’s Cheesesteaks a new life in its old location.

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Call it a chicken biscuit … call it a sandwich … call it a coronary heart attack … I don’t care what you call it, so long as you make it a point to grab Noon Midtown’s “Stack” sooner than later.  Katie Birmingham’s top notch restaurant has been kicking ass and taking names since I first stumbled in there a little over a year ago.

Though it has grown beyond its conceptual roots as a lunch place, Noon Midtown has become one of my favorite dinner spots and best bets for a noon time meal.  Case in point, I’ve been there enough times that they can pick me out in a crowd.  However, until this past weekend, I had never ventured over to try their Saturday brunch.  After watching my beloved Oranji win them some football, I took advantage of the break in the action to meet up with Atlanta’s favorite bachelorette blogger.  Having seen Noon’s brunch menu some time ago, I was particularly inspired by Live to Feast’s memo and Chow Down Atlanta’s love note.

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Well Atlanta, are you looking for another burger joint? [Insert Rhetorical Answer], because it turns out the heavens have opened and one Shaun Doty has stepped down with his excitement imploring Yeah! Burger.  Planted firmly on the Westside in the bursting at the seems White Provision Development, Yeah Burger is hoping to capitalize on that incongruous relationship that is our lust for a burger amidst the rage for ultra organic, ethically produced, plastic wrapped grub.

If Rodeo Drive’s culinary alternative existed in Atlanta, its being would probably hit smack dab at the intersection of 14th street and Howell Mill.  Amongst the shi shi of the Star Provisions empire, the buzzed about Miller Union, the gentrified tacos of TdS, and the morphed West Egg, this hood can keep table hoppers busy for some time.  Might as well get on it myself.

Open inside of 7-days, I recently took advantage of the nice arm candy, courtesy one Georgia Devine, and some typically steamy Atlanta weather to sit porch side and engage in America’s messiest past time: burger chomping (with a hot dog thrown in for good measure).

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