June 11 Quick Bites: Aria’s new executive chef, Downtown restaurant openings galore, another wine bar

In this week’s Quick Bites, we’ve rounded up some new restaurant openings, including several near Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta and another wine bar headed to East Atlanta Village. Get details on Aria’s new executive chef, who takes over for Joseph Harrison in the kitchen of the award-winning restaurant in Buckhead. Plus, we have an update on an Atlanta restaurateur’s battle with cancer.

Openings

Sweet Auburn Curb Market added four new restaurant stalls last week.

Hell Yeah! Gluten Free launched a pop-up inside Sweet Auburn’s Daily World Building. The initiative is part of the Downtown Pop‑Up Opportunity Fund.

CTR Food Works, downtown’s newest food hall, is now open.

Local doughnut business Dough in the Box opened its South Downtown location last week. El Tesoro’s South Downtown location is also now open.

Kathryn Fitzgerald, Josh Fryer, Chris Marconi, and Patrick Daugherty’s Last Dance will open for limited service June 11-13 and June 18-20. Reservations are encouraged for these dates, with walk-in service starting June 25.

The Irish Exit Pub, backed by the team behind award-winning New York City bar The Dead Rabbit, opens on June 12 at Centennial Yards.

Highland Bakery & Bar’s pop-up, offering sandwiches, snacks, and drinks, opens at 131 Walker Street on June 12. The pop-up will run through July 20. Joystick Gamebar will also open a pop-up here through the World Cup.

Cocktail bar and listening room La Cueva will open in the former Root Baking Co. space at Ponce City Market on June 12. The bar, which specializes in mezcal cocktails, will feature live music and dishes like shrimp empanadas, ceviche, and a short rib served with mole verde.

Coming attractions

A number of restaurants, including Broad Street BBQ and Mule Train, will open in South Downtown in the next few weeks.

Pick and Choose, a new convenience store, is coming to Grant Park this summer.

Sagra, a new wine bar from Bacchanalia sommelier Eric Di Nardo, will open in East Atlanta Village in late July or early August. In addition to wine, Sagra will offer sourdough focaccia and pizzas, Di Nardo told Rough Draft.

207 Peachtree, downtown Atlanta’s newest mixed-use center, opens soon. Upscale sports bar Peachtree Sporting Club and dive bar American Dive will also open very soon here.

Rough Draft will continue tracking restaurant and bar openings in downtown Atlanta, at South Downtown, and at Centennial Yards over the coming weeks.

Closed for vacation

Pho Roswell is temporarily closed while the owners vacation in Vietnam.

Industry updates

Former Lazy Betty Chef Du Cuisine Austin Goetzman has signed on to lead the kitchen at Aria in Buckhead. Goetzman replaces Joseph Harrison, who joined last summer but left for personal reasons. It’s a full-circle moment for Goetzman, who worked at Aria as a line cook more than a decade ago.

“What I remember the most about [Goetzman] is his kind of curiosity and his discipline. He always loved being in the kitchen. He would see a busy night and just wasn’t afraid of that,” said Aria owner Andrés Loaiza.

Earlier this spring, Goetzman departed the kitchen at Lazy Betty. Chef Aaron Phillips also left Lazy Betty, but still retains his ownership stake in the Michelin-starred restaurant in Midtown.

In other industry news, JenChan’s is currently raising money for a July 20 “thank you” gala to benefit co-owner Jen Chan. Earlier this week, the restaurant shared an update on her battle with cancer, which now includes further treatments and more financial hurdles. The restaurant launched a GoFundMe to help pay for some of Jen’s medical bills. Beyond the planned gala, donations are welcome.

Add to your calendar

The Grant Park Conservancy will host a final spring market at Boulevard Green on June 14. The send-off will feature local vendors, free kids’ soccer, and a community yoga class. Food vendors include Hermanita, Big Softie, Georgia Proud Provisions, and Ticket to Tokyo.

Swedish candy cart Sweetish Sister will pop up at Ameline Shoppe in Milton on June 18. The candy shop will also be at Halcyon on June 19, from 7 to 10 p.m., and West + Peak in Roswell on June 20, from noon to 2 p.m.

The post June 11 Quick Bites: Aria’s new executive chef, Downtown restaurant openings galore, another wine bar appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.