Mexican restaurant Alma Cocina’s downtown Atlanta location at 191 Peachtree St. NE is set to reopen April 30 after being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic. A Buckhead location that debuted less than two months prior to the March 2020 shutdown remained open.
The downtown restaurant reopens with new executive chef Juancarlos “JC” Colon, a California native who worked at several restaurants in that state before moving to Atlanta and serving as executive chef at Midtown restaurant Publico.
New menu additions include crudo with burnt nori-avocado puree and chile powder anaheim peppers; guajillo grilled octopus with ancho carrot, citrus, fermented chile and miso aioli; and pork belly with achiote, charro beans, pineapple and Monterrey tortillas.
Alma Cocina is part of Fifth Group Restaurants, which also includes La Tavola, Lure, South City Kitchen, Ecco and the Original El Taco.
In other Fifth Group news, the group’s Bold Catering & Design announced several promotions: Deanna Johnson was named executive pastry chef; Dustin Ward was named executive sous chef; and Aldy Lopez was named director of operations.
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Saint-Germain French Bakery is now open at 3014 Bolling Way in Buckhead Village, marking its fourth Atlanta location. The all-day cafe, which offers French pastries, macarons, croissants, chocolates, sandwiches, quiches, boards, tea, coffee, espresso, wine, champagne and custom cakes, is named after the Parisian neighborhood Saint-Germain-des-Prés and comes from husband-and-wife team Mathieu and Heather Jourdan-Gassin.
The 950-square-foot bakery features a Parisian-style interior with marble topped-tables. The counter-service cafe has cafe tables in its dining room and will soon debut an outdoor patio.
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Alpharetta coffee shop Valor Coffee is expanding with a second location in Dunwoody.
Set to open by the end of the year, the 2,000-square-foot space in the Dunwoody Village retail center will be around three times the size of the original Valor, and will also offer 900-square-feet of patio seating.
Then 19-year-olds Ethan Rivers, Ross Walters and Riley Westbrook started Valor in 2016 as a mobile espresso cart that catered weddings, film sets and other events. The Alpharetta location opened in 2019, followed by a headquarters and roastery in Roswell in 2020.
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Fayetteville mixed-use development Trilith, adjacent to movie studio Trilith Studios, will soon be home to Northern Italy-inspired steakhouse Enzo. Set to debut this summer, Enzo comes from Andrea Montobbio and Carmine Noce.
Montobbio, a native of Italy, has worked as executive chef at Atlanta’s Fifth Group Restaurants, STK Atlanta, and New York’s Gansevoort Hotel. Noce, who was born in Italy, is a longtime COO and CFO in New York City’s fashion industry. Montobbio will serve as executive chef, while David Gibbs has been tapped to serve as chef de cuisine.
The menu will offer steaks and other grilled meats, handmade pasta, and seasonal plant-based dishes.
The 150-seat restaurant will feature a “giostra” (carousel) bar and lounge, plus a large patio and expo open kitchen. An offered membership will allow access to a chef’s table and private dining room, accessed through the kitchen.
Enzo also will have a wall dedicated to showcasing the work of local artists. Art will be available for purchase and rotated monthly.
Before opening, Enzo will debut its food via catering services, pop-ups, special events and take-home dishes available through retail partners.
Enzo will join several other food and beverage concepts at the 235-acre master-planned Town at Trilith development, including Woodstone Bakery & Cafe, Honeysuckle Gelato, Amici Italian Cafe, Nourish + Bloom Market, Barleygarden Kitchen & Craft Bar and Hop City Craft Beer & Wine.
Set to open in the coming months are Sensu Sushi Restaurant and Bar, Trilith Food Hall and Braise.
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Park 82 will take over the former Adalina space in the MAA Riverside apartment complex at 4403 Northside Pkwy NW in Buckhead, What Now Atlanta reports.
The restaurant, which comes from Safari Hospitality Group and is set to open next month, will offer menu items including pizzas, hot honey fried chicken, steaks, seafood and wings.
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Marietta bubble tea and bowl spot Nom Station has expanded. Vicky and Brian Odum opened the business in 2020, and recently purchased Perks Coffee at 3000 Windy Hill Road in Marietta, two doors down from Nom Station. Known now as Perks Coffee & Nom Station, the business offers smoothies, boba, rolled ice cream, protein bowls, coffee, sandwiches and catering.
The 1,675-square-foot location, open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, offers a covered patio and free wi-fi.
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A location of Beto’s Tacos will open this summer at 6385 McGinnis Ferry Road in Johns Creek, What Now Atlanta reports. The restaurant will join existing locations in Suwanee and Lawrenceville.
More restaurant news
New pizza, burger stalls open at Chattahoochee Food Works
Marietta Melt Yard coming to Cobb County
New food options coming to Truist Park
Babette’s Cafe closing in Virginia-Highland
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