Restaurants and wine shops fretted over tariffs, a Buford Highway favorite announced it would be closing, Colony Square’s longest-tenured restaurant revealed a makeover and more happened in the metro Atlanta dining scene this week.
Chefs, restaurants and wine merchants voice tariff concerns
The tariff whiplash that has dominated headlines and roiled the stock market is causing concern around metro Atlanta’s dining scene. On Sunday, decorated chef Atsushi Hayakawa shared a message on his restaurant’s social media channels warning that the price for his sushi tasting menu, already the highest in town, could see an increase.
Speaking in his native Japanese with an interpreter behind the camera, Hayakawa said his distributors in Japan warned him that tariffs could increase the prices of many of his ingredients by 20% or more. He said that if tariffs are enacted, some of those costs would be passed along to customers despite his desire to keep the $315 prix fixe the same.
The wine industry is also bracing for tariffs. Bridget Brady, owner of Tucker wine shop Wine & Whimseys, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that 70% of her wine inventory is imported. She has concerns after spending recent years focused on building a stock of international wines at affordable prices, averaging $15-$21 a bottle.
Staplehouse team moves tasting menu to Uberto
The team behind Staplehouse, one of Atlanta’s most highly awarded and nationally renowned restaurants, is betting its success will travel south to Uberto, its restaurant at the Quercus resort in the town of Gay.
Staplehouse will discontinue the tasting menu that earned it a Michelin star in 2024, shifting to a more casual market configuration May 1. The tasting menu will instead move to Uberto, the restaurant on the grounds of high-end eco-resort Quercus, which is also helmed by chef Ryan Smith.
Uberto’s multicourse tasting menu will cost $255 per person (including gratuity), with many of its ingredients sourced directly from the Quercus farm. Wine pairings will be available for $125.
Staplehouse. 541 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-524-5005, staplehouse.com
Uberto Restaurant, 2 Jimmy Clark Road, Gay. 770-884-4434, worldofquercus.com
Other items of interest
Credit: Gabriel Viloria
Credit: Gabriel Viloria
Prefecture in Buckhead announced it would also shift concepts soon, according to a news release. The omakase-style Japanese steak restaurant from chef Sean Park will be rebranded as NoriFish Sushi and Izakaya. The change will tie the restaurant more closely to Park’s original NoriFish Sushi in Sandy Springs. The revamped location will feature sushi rolls and more casual izakaya fare.
“We listened to our clientele as they expressed their desire to enjoy NoriFish closer to where many reside,” Park said in a prepared statement. “We are excited to not only bring and serve the same delicious dishes that our guests have come to love from NoriFish Sandy Springs, but to add and offer favorite small plates from Prefecture.”
Prefecture. 2277 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 404-963-7865, prefectureatl.com
Chamblee Restaurant Week begins Sunday, featuring more than 20 restaurants showcasing signature dishes at a discount or offering fixed-price menus. Popular restaurants like the Alden, Bluetop, Hopstix, Southbound and the Bronx Bagel Buggy will participate. For more information and the full list of restaurants, visit chambleerestaurantweek.net.
Pendolino, the Italian restaurant in Sandy Springs, will flex its weekend lunch hours for spring and summer. Beginning Saturday, Pendolino will open from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, serving pastries, salads, brunch, lunch, fresh juices, espresso drinks and alcoholic beverages.
Pendolino. 4600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-937-3057, pendolinoatl.com
5Church, Colony Square’s longest-tenured restaurant, has gotten a makeover, the restaurant announced. In addition to new floors, lighting, furniture and artwork, the 5Church will debut a new menu later this month.
5Church Midtown. 1197 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-400-3669, midtown.5church-atlanta.com
Spring menus are sprouting all over town, including at El Super Pan at The Battery, Spiller Park Coffee, Serena Pastificio and Carmel. Five Daughters Bakery has introduced several new flavors of their layered doughnuts, including carrot cake, blueberry lemon and cream cheese sticky bun.
Credit: Haley Walsh
Credit: Haley Walsh
This week’s restaurant review
Ryokou, a new Japanese tasting menu restaurant in Atlanta’s Adair Park neighborhood, is as educational as it is luxurious.
Restaurant openings
Ruchi Bangladeshi Cuisine reopened in a new location in Chamblee on Tuesday.
5522 New Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 678-691-9270, ruchibangladeshi.com
Altona Burger & Beer Garden is now open in Norcross. Its sister restaurant, Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden, is located in Mooresville, North Carolina, where it claims to serve one of the best burgers in the state.
Altona Burger & Beer Garden. 3975 Holcomb Bridge Road, Norcross. 470-657-2307, altonaburger.com
Restaurant closings
J’s Mini Hotpot closed on April 1 after 21 years in business on Buford Highway, the restaurant announced on Instagram.
The Brookhaven gastropub There closed April 3 and fast-casual Indian restaurant NaanStop closed in Buckhead on April 9, according to Tomorrow’s News Today.
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