Two new restaurants with huge footprints were announced in West Midtown, local kitchen retail chain Cook’s Warehouse celebrated its 30th birthday and a group of local restaurateurs opened their Italian villa to guests in this week’s metro Atlanta food and dining news.
F1 Arcade taking over huge Interlock space
West Midtown will get a taste of the pinnacle of motorsport later this year when F1 Arcade opens at the Interlock.
F1 Arcade will fill a 15,000-square-foot space with nearly 70 full-motion racing simulators, according to a news release. The arcade is set up for “social racing,” allowing groups to race against each other or for drivers to compete in team races.
Though the announcement said F1 Arcade would open in 2025, representatives would not share a specific timeline.
This is the latest “eatertainment” concept announced at the Interlock, joining Puttshack and the Gathering Spot’s forthcoming second location. In the same week, popular Eastside Beltline hangout Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall announced it would open a second location on an acre of real estate in the nearby Star Metals District.
F1 Arcade will serve a “globally inspired” menu with items like Wagyu beef sliders, ahi tuna tostadas and seafood towers. There will also be a full bar and a set of Designated Driver mocktails.
Credit: F1 Arcade
Credit: F1 Arcade
Photos of the Washington, D.C., location show a dark, highly stylized space with busy, geometric carpets and lots of neon light. The outlines of famous racetracks glow on the ceiling, a design cue also seen at Yeppa’s Formula 1-themed Dryver Bar in Buckhead. Preview photos of F1 Arcade did not feature any exterior windows, but customers will be able to grab some fresh air on a large patio, the news release said.
Atlanta’s F1 Arcade will be the concept’s sixth U.S. location and its first in the South, according to the announcement. The officially licensed arcade chain is another sign of Formula 1’s expansion into the country after it was bought by Liberty Media, the conglomerate that formerly owned the Atlanta Braves and still remains deeply entwined in the team’s management.
1115 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. f1arcade.com/us/atlanta
Credit: Cook's Warehouse
Credit: Cook's Warehouse
Local retailer hits 30-year milestone
The Cook’s Warehouse, known for its cooking classes and as a source for high-end cooking tools for home chefs, turned 30 on Friday, the business announced.
Professional chef Mary Moore opened her first store in Ansley Mall in 1995 and built a robust business as an online retail pioneer. The retailer gained a following with its curated selection of high-quality kitchen equipment, including European and Japanese products that were difficult to find at the time.
Cook’s Warehouse opened several other brick-and-mortar stores as it grew, but only the Ansley Mall location survived the decades, albeit with an expanded footprint. The store remains relevant to home cooks through its hands-on product demonstrations, accessible cooking classes and knowledgeable employees. The flagship store holds more than 350 in-person events each year.
“We have shoppers who have been with us since the beginning, and now their children and grandchildren are learning to cook with us,” Moore said in a press statement.
Moore continues to invest in the Cook’s Warehouse, planning a partial renovation at the flagship store that will include grab-and-go food options.
1544 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-815-4993, cookswarehouse.com
Credit: Brasserie Margot
Credit: Brasserie Margot
Other news of interest
Villa Yeppa, a villa in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region from the team behind Storico Fresco, Forza Storico and Yeppa & Co., is now available for booking. The eight-room villa can accommodate parties of up to 14 people and is next door to a winery that makes some of the bottles served at Yeppa.
Brasserie Margot, the new French restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown, is now offering weekend brunch. Presented as a “refined yet playful” take on brunch, the menu will include duck confit and waffles, a savory crepe with truffle bechamel, smoked salmon tart with caviar and more. Brunch will be served Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
75 14th St. NE, Atlanta. 404-253-3840, brasseriemargot.com
Credit: AltaToro
Credit: AltaToro
Midtown tapas restaurant AltaToro will temporarily transform its enclosed patio into the Secret Garden, decking out the space with flowers and other spring decor. The pop-up, described in a news release as “a breathtaking springtime escape,” will run from March 20 to May 18. The restaurant is also introducing a new weekday lunch deal of $15 entrees with any soda, tea or coffee.
33 Peachtree Place NE, Atlanta. 470-995-8676, altatoro.com
Run The Jewels, the rap duo of Brooklyn-based producer El-P and Atlanta native Killer Mike, has released its own ready-to-drink canned cocktail brand called Juice Runners. The musical act previously found a foothold in craft beer with a dozens of brewery collaborations before releasing their first Juice Runners product, the Paloma Remix. The drink is now available at Whole Foods and will expand with more flavors this year as Run The Jewels promotes the brand while touring with Wu-Tang Clan.
runthejewels.com/pages/juice-runners
Chicheria Mexican Kitchen at the Works in Atlanta’s Upper Westside will be offering $1 Baja fish tacos from March 15 to April 15. The restaurant is running the promotion after its Baja fish taco was named best in the city by a local media company, according to a news release.
202 Chattahoochee Row, Atlanta. 404-343-0134, chicheriamx.com
New restaurant openings
Steak & Grace opened Friday in Dunwoody. The new steakhouse is run by Barry Mills, the restaurateur behind Big B’s Fish Joint in Sandy Springs, serves a menu meant to be approachable and affordable.
1317 Dunwoody Village Pkwy., Dunwoody. 470-657-5827, steakandgrace.com
Prime Express Bar, a sister restaurant to Prime on Peachtree and the Boiler Seafood, opened Tuesday in the former Pijiu Belly space in West Midtown. The restaurant serves a “signature Midwest menu,” according to a news release, and will feature live entertainment.
678 10th St. NW, Atlanta. 404-963-7112, primeexpressbar.com
Omakase Table opened for reservations this week after the Michelin-starred sushi restaurant moved from West Midtown to its new location in Buckhead. The menu, format and timing of the experience will remain the same, but the 2,000-square-foot restaurant will have two rooms with 10 and eight seats, while an additional cocktail bar will offer 10 seats for diners before their meals.
3300 Piedmont Road, Atlanta. omakasetableatl.com
More new restaurant announcements
Cuevacía, a high-end Mexican restaurant from the owner of Saints + Council, will open in Colony Square at the end of the year.
Hal’s Ice Cream will open at Halidom Eatery in southeast Atlanta on Tuesday, according to a news release.
Second Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall location to nest in West Midtown
Truist Park adding 8 new dining options, including a famous ‘gas station burger’
New wine and amaro bar Fawn promises ‘snacky’ yet ‘adventurous’ dining in Decatur
10K-square-foot mystery restaurant planned for CNN Center reboot
A second location of Zeus Greek Street Food will open in Roswell later this spring, a restaurant called Code Red Bar & Grill is planned on Memorial Drive near East Atlanta Village and a heath-focused restaurant called Duluth Nutrition is coming to Gwinnett County, What Now Atlanta reported this week.
Greenville-based sandwich franchise Sully’s Steamers is coming to Marietta, while the former chef of popular Brookhaven gastropub Kaleidoscope will open a new restaurant called Mosaic Bistro & Pub in Chamblee, according to Tomorrow’s News Today.
More food and drink events
10th Annual Gwinnett Burger Week, various locations, March 17-23
The Southern Gentleman Winemaker Dinner with Paula Kornell & Sangiacomo at Southern Gentleman, March 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Susan G. Komen 12th Annual Bubbles & Bling Fundraiser at the Foundry at Puritan Mill, March 21, 6 p.m.
Chamblee’s 3rd Annual Atlanta United Watch Party at Plaza Fiesta, March 22, 1:30-5 p.m.
Make Your Own Fresh Pasta Class at Bella Cucina, March 22, 1-3 p.m.
Atlanta Braves Opening Day Block Party in Summerhill, March 27, from 3:30 p.m.
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