Celebrity Restaurant Drama + Japanese Supper Club
Nov. 20 — For today’s Side Dish, we have details on Usher’s lawsuit against a group he loaned money to last year for a Buckhead restaurant that never came to fruition.
In case you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening, here’s a link to the latest edition of “Family Meal“. In it, Beth tells you why the squash pancakes from Pure Quill Superette should be on your breakfast radar. And Sarra continues her recipe series on the “Grandmas of Atlanta” with The Magnolia Room’s kitchen manager – and grandmother and step-grandmother of 16 – Debra Tardieff. Ms. Tardieff also offers her recipe for the restaurant’s French-cut pork chops and gravy.
Lastly, don’t forget to vote for the Readers’ Choice: Best New Restaurants of 2025. Voting ends tomorrow night.
Cheers from the Rough Draft dining team!
Have You Heard?
Bar Ana, the dessert and cocktail bar backed by award-winning pastry chef Claudia Martinez and Artie De Los Santos, opens tonight. It takes over the former El Bar space beneath El Ponce on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
By day, Ivan Solis will operate Recuerdos Coffee from the space, opening at 7 a.m. By night, however, it becomes Bar Ana, where Martinez will serve her signature luxe desserts, like a quesillo shortbread tart and Araguani chocolate with passion fruit ganache, pomegranate, and mole crunch. Martinez plans to launch a three-course tasting menu in the next few weeks.
But it’s not all sweets at Bar Ana. Expect a few savory pastries and charcuterie and cheese on the menu. In addition to wine, look for cocktails like the Dirty Pineapple (Murrell’s Row Tulsi gin, pineapple brine, vermouth, strega) from beverage director Mayim Williams. Solis will also offer a selection of coffee drinks in the evening. Recuerdos Coffee and Bar Ana are open Thursday through Monday.
Azara, a new physician-founded restaurant inspired by regions where people often live well beyond 90 years old, will open tomorrow. The restaurant takes over the former Estrella Rooftop and Bazati spaces between New Realm Brewery and Illuminarium on the Eastside Beltline. Owned by Dr. Raj Pandya, Azara features nutrient-rich dishes and includes three dining spaces: a bistro and coffee bar, a full-service restaurant, and a rooftop patio.
Hotel Phoenix officially opens on Dec. 1 at Centennial Yards in South Downtown and will include all-day French-Southern restaurant Zephyr with a cocktail bar called Bar Z.
It appears a location of Wok Chi Asian Kitchen will open in the old Pizza Hut at Boulevard and North Avenue on the edge of the Old Fourth Ward.
There’s never a dull moment on the Atlanta restaurant scene, but add a celebrity to the mix, and drama is sure to follow. Make that celebrity an owner or investor, and it’s a double whammy of drama fit for a reality show reunion special.
Singer-songwriter Usher is suing one of his longtime music producers, along with other associates, over a disputed $1.7 million loan. The loan was meant to help open Homage ATL, a Buckhead restaurant on Piedmont Road.
In the suit, filed in Fulton County, Usher says he declined to be an investor in the restaurant. Instead, he loaned the group $1.7 million last year wired to a trust account. However, the purchase of the property never took place and Usher asked the group this summer to repay him for the loan. So far, he’s only received $1 million back. He’s now suing for $4.9 million in damages ($700,000 for each of the seven claims in the lawsuit).
But it looks like the global superstar had better luck with the Baccarat tumbler he collaborated on with the French luxury crystal house. The limited edition crystal tumbler, retailing for $220, is currently sold out online.
Miller Union Chef de Cuisine Jay Felton just launched a new pop-up combining his two favorite foods: pizza and barbecue. Called Oso Smoke & Dough, Felton creates foldable individual pizzas stuffed with barbecue meats, vegetables, and other seasonal ingredients. (Think brisket and an egg frittata cradled in fluffy pizza dough.) Catch Felton and Oso Smoke & Dough at Peachtree Road Farmers Market this Saturday.
O by Brush, the Michelin-starred omakase restaurant owned by Chef Jason Liang in Buckhead, will launch a dessert omakase experience on Dec. 6, led by pastry chef ChingYao Wang. The now sold-out $155 per person dessert omakase features six sweet and savory courses.
Food Network host and cookbook author Kardea Brown will be at the Atlanta History Center tonight at 7 p.m. to discuss her new cookbook “Make Do With What You Have.” Tickets are $6 for members, or $16 for non-members.
The annual Foxgiving Feast returns to the Marquee Club at the Fox Theatre in Midtown tonight. Starting at 6 p.m., the evening includes holiday dishes, cocktails, and wine, as well as a special guest host in TV personality and “America’s Next Top Model” judge Nigel Barker. Tickets are $70 per person.
The annual Atlanta Chili Cook Off returns Nov. 22 to Brook Run Park in Dunwoody. Beginning at noon, the competition features more than 40 teams from across the region, all vying for the title of chili champion. Tickets for all-you-can-eat chili samples start at $30 per person.
Head to Grant Park Nov. 22-23 for the Atlanta Halal Fall Festival. This free event, taking place at 625 Park Ave. next to Zoo Atlanta, begins at noon each day and features dozens of food and artist vendors, a kids’ zone, live music, and performances.
The Creole Food Festival returns to Atlanta Nov. 23, bringing award-winning chefs and dishes from across the diaspora to a grand tasting event taking place from 5-9 p.m. at Knock Music House. Tickets start at $40.
Lights, laughter, and holiday cheer with Miracle on Peachtree festivities
SPONSORED BY LIVABLE BUCKHEAD
Warm up with two festive hot chocolate crawls, give back at the wreath decoratingfor first responders, and don’t miss the lighting of a 24-foot tree in Charlie Loudermilk Park, featuring live music and festive llama photo ops. The holiday fun never stops!
Top Stories From the Week
Japanese supper club opening in Buckhead
Opening in early 2026 at the 99 West Paces building, Koshu Club takes inspiration from Japan’s Shōwa-era cuisine, often a fusion of Western foods (yoshoku) and traditional Japanese dishes (washoku).
At just 40 seats, like Mujo, Koshu Club will offer an intimate dining experience, one the group’s President and CEO, Fred Castellucci, calls fine dining with flexibility.
The Plate Sale pop-up becoming South Downtown restaurant
The name “Mule Train” references a spot where Mike’s family gathers back home in Oglethorpe. Mule Train also references a Civil Rights-era campaign that Martin Luther King, Jr. worked on days before his assassination.
While it’s too early to predict a set menu, the couple works with the seasons, just like they do with dishes served at The Plate Sale pop-ups. Mike has a few items he knows he’d like to include, such as a smoked bologna sandwich, the fried quail served at The Plate Sale for years, and a lot of seasonal beans. Mule Train will offer both lunch and dinner.
Thanksgiving side dish smackdown
To get a taste of Thanksgiving across the US, six Atlanta chefs – three Southern and three Northern – shared their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and family food traditions for the holiday. We divided chefs into pairs, and the sides into three categories: vegetables, hot dishes, and family recipes. Each chef also provided a recipe, with some coming from the coveted pages of the family cookbook.
At the Market + Two Recipes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
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