😍 September’s best dishes
Best September Bites + Closures + Big Festival Weekend
Oct. 2 — For today’s Side Dish, we’re offering two recipes, including one for curried squash fritters using seasonal produce from your local farmers market. Read Sarra’s story on what, if any, impact the Northwest Beltline trail will have on Westside restaurants.
We’ve rounded up the best dishes we ate at Atlanta restaurants in September and provided a rundown of last month’s restaurant openings and restaurant announcements you may have missed.
As always, get the latest Atlanta dining news, like details on the closure of a Dunwoody brewery and restaurant, Shake Shack opening in South Downtown, and the safety of gas station sushi. Plus, some dining events to add to your calendar this weekend, including a Korean festival and Taste of Tucker, and more dining news to know.
In case you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening, here’s a link to the latest edition of “Family Meal.” Beth tells you why scotch and mezcal aficionados should seek out the smoky Vietnamese amaro made by Sông Cái Distillery, and Sarra brings you a recipe for butternut squash ravioli from Sandy Springs Italian restaurant Baraonda.
Cheers from the Rough Draft dining team!
Beth and 
Sarra
Serenbe and Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles present the 12th Serenbe Designer Showhouse, open through Oct. 12! Explore inspired interiors, stunning architecture, and Serenbe’s beautiful setting. A must-see fall event just outside Atlanta – stylish, inspiring, unforgettable. Get tickets here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Have You Heard?
Closures
All locations of Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant abruptly closed nationwide last week due to ongoing financial challenges, leading to the company filing for bankruptcy. Iron Hill included a location in Dunwoody.
The Perimeter location of Lazy Dog Restaurant is temporarily closed due to a kitchen fire a few weeks ago. The Alpharetta location is still open.
Coming Attraction
Shake Shack will open next year as part of the new lineup of South Downtown restaurants opening ahead of the World Cup matches at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2026. The popular burger joint will join distillery and brewery Wild Leap at Centennial Yards.
Food News to Know
Longtime AJC senior food editor Ligaya Figueras retired (subscription) this week after 10 years with the paper. In her farewell letter to readers, Figueras reflected on a decade covering the Metro Atlanta food scene, which included the struggles restaurants faced during the pandemic, reviewing numerous new restaurants, and overseeing and editing food and dining content written by AJC staff and freelancers. As of publication, the AJC has not announced her replacement.
Martini Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research
For October, the pink martini is back again at Joey D’s Oak Room in Dunwoody and New York Prime in Buckhead as part of the annual Pink Kiss for the Cure campaign to raise funds for breast cancer research. Proceeds from the sale of the Pink Kiss martini benefit nonprofit Living Beyond Breast Cancer.
Gas Station Sushi: Yea or Nay?
What’s your take on gas station or grocery store sushi? Is shelf-ready sushi safe to eat? Give this a watch to learn more about why gas station sushi might be safer than you think and, in some cases, just as safe as a restaurant, depending on quality and temperature control and how it’s handled. You be the judge.
Add to Your Calendar
Grant Park’s Bomb Biscuit Co. kicks off its monthly Soulful Friday Fish Fry this Fri., Oct. 3, celebrating the food and culture around the African-American tradition. Tickets are $25 per person for an entree, two sides, and dessert, from 5-8 p.m.
The Decatur Book Festival takes place Oct. 3-4, featuring dozens of authors and literary events. Be sure to check out the culinary lineup at the book festival this year, including cooking demonstrations at the Georgia Grown stage and discussions with cookbook authors like Mary Bryant Shrader, Chef Duane Nutter, and Hank Shaw. Peek the full schedule of events here. And, on Oct. 5, Shaw will be at Chicheria Mexican Kitchen at the Works in Underwood Hills for a special dinner and discussion on his latest cookbook, “Borderlands: Recipes and Stories from the Rio Grande to the Pacific.”
Taste of Tucker returns to Main Street on Oct. 4. Starting at 1 p.m., people can enjoy food from a number of Tucker restaurants, including Bite of Korea, Fresca Trattoria, Ford’s BBQ, 1910 Public, Bambinelli’s, and Grecian Gyro. Taste of Tucker also features a beer garden, live music, arts and crafts vendors, and a kids’ zone. Click here for more information.
Outdoor grilling event EGGtoberfest returns to Coolray Field in Lawrenceville on Oct 4. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., enjoy food and cooking demonstrations from more than 400 national and international chefs and pitmasters. Tickets start at $89 per person, with proceeds benefiting Atlanta Community Food Bank.
The South’s largest Korean festival, hosted by the Korean Festival Foundation, takes place Oct. 4-5 at Sugarloaf Mills in Lawrenceville. Beyond performances and demonstrations, live music from a K-pop group, and vendors selling everything from crafts to skincare, the festival will include a Korean food bazaar. Tickets start at $20 per person. Read more from Rough Draft reporting partner Atlanta K.
The annual Sandy Springs Wine Festival takes place on Oct. 5 at Heritage Green, from 2-5 p.m. The afternoon includes more than 175 wines provided by Georgia-based distributors. Tickets start at $90 per person.
Taste the flavor and fun of Chamblee
SPONSORED BY DISCOVER DEKALB
A Taste of Chamblee is where food, culture, and community come together in a celebration of flavor. From sizzling street fare to gourmet plates and rich desserts, there is something for every craving.
This is your opportunity to discover Chamblee’s dining scene in one unforgettable event that brings people together through shared bites and experiences. Join the celebration, bring your hunger, and enjoy a day packed with flavor that crafts a tale of the vibrant city.
➞ Come savor the flavor and see why A Taste of Chamblee is a must-attend event.
Top Stories From the Week
Will the Beltline’s arrival boost Westside restaurants?
When Monday Night Brewing first opened in 2013 on the edge of Berkeley Park, the potential Beltline traffic was the last thing on the minds of Jonathan Baker, Jeff Heck, and Joel Iverson. The brewery owners chose the Trabert Avenue location because they could walk there from their homes.
However, just south of Monday Night Brewing, developers had begun enacting the initial vision for the area that would become known as “West Midtown.”
Now one of the area’s longtime businesses, Monday Night Brewing expanded its footprint on Trabert Avenue this year, partnering with The Atlantic Companies to buy and develop a former warehouse and a kudzu-covered bonus building on the Meyers Carpet property. Monday Night’s new taproom and outdoor space, called “The Grove,” flanks the newest portion of the Northwest Beltline.
Restaurants and breweries along completed and future portions of the Westside and Northwest Beltline, like Monday Night Brewing and The Daily, are banking on more foot traffic from the continuation of the 22-mile loop around Atlanta. But Westside restaurateurs farther from the Beltline aren’t so sure they’ll see a boost in business or in foot traffic from a completed trail or spur lines.
Read Sarra’s feature story here.
The best dishes we ate in September
Looking for weekend dining inspo? Check out the top dishes we ate in September, including chilaquiles from La Mixteca Tamale House, the Reuben from Yaba’s Bagels, the Pepp City pie from Glide Pizza, and the arugula salad from KR SteakBar.
Read more about our top dishes from September dining here.
A brief roundup of September restaurant openings
Check out this brief roundup of recent restaurant openings and announcements of upcoming restaurants you might have missed in September, including The Creamy Spot, Roaring Social, Eclipse di Luna, Soul Foodies, and Friendship BBQ. Plus, get the latest on the restaurants opening soon around Atlanta.
Read the full list of September restaurant openings to know.
The 3rd Annual Sandy Springs Wine Festival is Sun., Oct 5, starting with a reserve tasting at 2 p.m. featuring exclusive $90+ wines. General Tasting is from 3-5 p.m. and offers 100+ wines, local restaurant bites & live music. Benefiting Solidarity Sandy Springs. Get tickets here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
At the Market + Two Recipes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS
If it’s fall, that means it’s time for squash. When it comes to great recipes using the preferred gourd of autumn (step aside, pumpkins), Rough Draft Atlanta and Community Farmers Markets have you covered. Each week, we’ll partner to bring you two tasty recipes using ingredients from your local farmers markets. This week, we’ve got creamy squash soup and curried squash fritters. Check both recipes out here!
Today’s Side Dish was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
The post 😍 September’s best dishes appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.