????‍???? “Gourmet” is back!

Table Talk: “Gourmet” relaunches + Duck Cassoulet

Feb. 3 — According to Punxsutawney Phil, that furry little weatherman who lives up yonder in Pennsylvania, we have six more weeks of winter ahead of us. Ugh. He may be right, especially after back-to-back arctic blasts and winter storms last month. And I’m hearing we could experience one more round of frigid weather later this month. Say it ain’t so, Phil! Winter needs to take a hike. Atlanta is over it. 

 Okay, enough about the weather. Let’s get to today’s “Family Meal,” which features a scannable list of January restaurant openings and a recipe for Tipsy Thaiger’s fiery collards. I’m also in your inbox imploring you to grab lunch or dinner at Halfway Crooks Beer in Summerhill. (A recent special at the brewery spotlighted duck leg confit cassoulet.)

Plus, I’ll tell you what’s currently on my radar, including two newly launched food publications featuring former colleagues from my days at Eater. 

Cheers! 

Beth 

Perched on the 17th floor of The Charles, this three-bedroom residence presents one of the building’s most desirable floor plans and sweeping skyline views. Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, enjoy curated custom upgrades, a designer kitchen, NanaWall doors, and a wet bar with 50-bottle wine storage. SPONSOR MESSAGE

Did You Miss These Openings?

 Despite January being one of the slowest months for dining out, it’s one of the biggest months for restaurant openings. January saw nearly two dozen restaurant and bar openings across Atlanta and the metro area, along with the announcements of 18 upcoming restaurants, most of which will open by the end of 2026. Openings also outpaced closures in January, another sign that, at present, our restaurant scene appears stable. 

I’ve compiled a quick, scannable list for you below, with links to our stories on specific restaurants, or with an establishment’s website so you can learn more.

 Click here to get the full list with mini bios on each January restaurant opening.  

 Now Open

Casa Bembe (Cuban)
Buckhead

Grindhouse Killer Burgers
Underwood Hills

788 Omakase Table
West Midtown

& Cheese (Grilled cheese)
Midtown

Dos Caminos (Mexican)
Midtown

Cuevacía (Oaxacan/Northern Mexican)
Colony Square, Midtown

Bar Lewis (Lewis Barbecue’s cocktail bar)
Ansley Mall

Bobo Izakaya
Toco Hills

Casa Coya (Peruvian)
Reynoldstown

Hippin Hops Brewpub & Oyster Bar
East Atlanta Village

Ruki’s Kitchen (Ethiopian)
Peoplestown

Zephyr and Bar Z (Southern-French)
South Downtown

Brews & Hops Taproom
Chamblee

Laylo Cafe (Korean/desserts)
Chamblee

Saffron Darbar (Indian)
Sandy Springs

Rosetta Bakery
Dunwoody

Foxtail Coffee Co.
Dunwoody

Asher & Rose Modern Grocers
Marietta

Season at Gabriel’s (Breakfast/lunch)
Marietta

 Upcoming Restaurant Openings 

The Victorian (Plant shop and wine bar)
Buckhead

Barrel Proof (Cocktail bar)
Westside Provisions District, Howell Mill Road

Eats at Wild Heaven Beer
West End

El Tesoro
West End relocating to Best End Brewing space

Ikara (Indian)
Atlantic Station

Taffer’s Tavern
Midtown

Name TBD Mexican steakhouse
Midtown

So. Fox (Wine/seasonal dishes)
Virginia-Highland

NoriFish and Okiburo (Sushi/ramen)
Ponce City Market

PopUp Bagels
Old Fourth Ward

Busy Bee Cafe
South Downtown

Estrellita (Filipino)
South Downtown, relocating from Grant Park

Wyld Bird (Pollo asado)
Reynoldstown, inside Home Grown

 “The Golden Girls” Kitchen
Kirkwood

{s}table (Southern)
Dunwoody Village

TESO Life (Japanese lifestyle market and grocery)
Chamblee

Smalls Sliders
Marietta

Reformation Brewery
Kennesaw

Lala (Panadería and cafe)
Lawrenceville

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The Move: A Meal at Halfway Crooks Beer

I’m just going to come right out and say it: if you haven’t been to Halfway Crooks Beer for a meal, you’re missing out. The Summerhill brewery has always served food, but early last year its kitchen underwent a little transformation. Today, Halfway Crooks operates more like a cozy European brewpub – full service and family friendly – rather than a brewery offering snacks while you drink. 

I don’t need to tell the beer lovers in Atlanta, or residents of Summerhill and Grant Park, about the food at Halfway Crooks. They already know what’s up. This is for everyone else. 

Along with trays of Belgian fries and soft pretzels accompanied by beer cheese and whole grain mustard, you can also order quinoa and cashew pate (vegan) made from winter herb pesto, mushrooms, curly endive, and shaved beets. Pulled pork sliders topped with pimento cheese and bread and butter pickles make worthy companions to a Czech-style pilsner like Var or a crisp kölsch like Farina. The cheeseburger here is in my top five (add Benton’s bacon). But keep your eye on the cafe specials served weekly at Halfway Crooks. That’s the real magic on this menu. 

 Nothing hits harder than a cassoulet on a cold afternoon. Props to Halfway Crooks for recognizing that fact recently, serving a duck leg confit cassoulet special ($30). A tender leg of duck crowned a pile of starchy butter beans and black lentils garnished with a petite salad of fresh parsley, red onions, and winter citrus for zest. I paired the cassoulet with a Farina (4.8 percent ABV) to help cut the fatty richness of the duck meat and to pick up the mild sweet notes of the butter beans.

Recipe: Tipsy Thaiger’s Fiery Collards

 This week, Tipsy Thaiger in Roswell shared its recipe for fiery collards, a dish inspired by pad pak boong fai dang (morning glory – aka water spinach stir-fry). It’s a late-night favorite in Thailand.

“After a fun night out, friends in Thailand often end up at rice-porridge [jok] shops, ordering made-to-order dishes to share — simple, fiery, and deeply comforting,” Tipsy Thaiger’s Birdie Niyomkun said. “Since we’re in the South and surrounded by beautiful local collards, we love using them as a substitute to achieve a similar texture and bold, leafy bite.”

Niyomkun said cooking the greens over high heat creates the signature “wok hei” flavor. “Wok hei,” which translates to “breath of the wok” in Cantonese, refers to the smoky caramelization found in Cantonese cuisine and stir-fried dishes.

 Get the full recipe here. 

Perched on the 17th floor of The Charles, this three-bedroom residence presents one of the building’s most desirable floor plans and sweeping skyline views. Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, enjoy curated custom upgrades, a designer kitchen, NanaWall doors, and a wet bar with 50-bottle wine storage. SPONSOR MESSAGE

On My Radar

1⃣ The revival of the defunct Condé Nast food magazine “Gourmet.” But this isn’t your mama’s “Gourmet.” After Condé Nast’s trademark lapsed last year, five independent journalists and food writers relaunched the brand, albeit as a newsletter with less pomposity and a lot more storytelling. Some of my former Eater colleagues are writing for the pub (shout out to Jaya Saxena), many of whom were caught up in two rounds of layoffs at Vox Media in 2025. You’ll need to subscribe (and pay) to read. 

2⃣Brand new food publication “Caper.”Speaking of former Eater colleagues, Emma Orlow is now part of a new food-writing venture called “Caper,” which promises no listicles, no reviews, and no service journalism. Instead, Orlow and her team will offer in-depth stories and scoops on the restaurants industry. I love a little inside baseball in my inbox, so I’m looking forward to “Caper” launching soon.

Get double the Atlanta food and dining coverage with “Family Meal,” edited by Beth McKibben, on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and “Side Dish,” edited by Sarra Sedghi, on Thursdays at noon. Subscribe to both here. 

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