Drew Van Leuvan has been named the executive chef of the Atlanta location of Indaco, the Eastside Beltline restaurant that opened last month with an Italian-inspired menu.
Drew Van Leuvan has spent nearly 30 years in the hospitality industry. After earning a degree in culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, he moved to Atlanta, working in the kitchens of restaurants including One Midtown Kitchen, Seven Lamps and Ecco Buckhead. Most recently, he oversaw menu planning and culinary direction for Farm Burger and Farm Bird.
Van Leuvan, who also, owned a handmade pasta company called Pain de Mie, said in a statement shared with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s looking forward to sharing his pasta experience with the staff at Indaco.
“My plans for the food menus at Indaco will be centered around showcasing what I call eclectic comfort foods,” he said. “I want to showcase well-crafted varieties of extruded, laminated pastas as well as old-school traditional shapes and noodles that are not often seen in the (U.S.). I look forward to utilizing well-sourced vegetables and proteins and to keeping up the tradition of serving killer pizzas out of our wood-burning oven. I am really looking forward to developing a culture that is centered around a learning environment and having fun playing with food.”
Indaco Atlanta opened Oct. 6 at 725 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, joining other Indaco locations in Charleston and Greenville, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. The restaurant is part of the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which has had a presence in metro Atlanta for several years with restaurants including Sukoshi at Colony Square in Midtown; O-Ku in west Midtown; and Colletta and Oak Steakhouse at Avalon in Alpharetta.
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Atlanta restaurants Char, Girl Diver and Bar Diver have announced two recent appointments to their leadership team.
Leo Rivera, a 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, will serve as beverage director for the restaurants. He previously worked at metro Atlanta bars and restaurants including Seven Lamps, Article 14, and Red Phone Booth, where he served as head bartender. The U.S. Army veteran also graduated from Berklee College of Music and has worked as an actor in movies including “Black Panther.” graduate, Army veteran, and actor—most notably as a bartender in “Black Panther”—complements his multifaceted approach to the drink experience.
In addition, chef Matt Marcus will serve as culinary director for the three restaurants. Marcus, who has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years, previously served in the kitchens of Atlanta restaurants including Rooftop L.O.A, Portofino and Watershed, which he owned before it closed in 2019.
Char, Girl Diner and Bar Diver are all owned by restaurateur Richard Tang, who also has plans to open a sandwich shop on the Eastside Beltline in the coming months.
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Enzo’s Pizza has opened at 4279 Roswell Road NE in Buckhead, joining an existing location in Tucker.
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Morningbirds, which dubs itself as “where unique Southern food meets English tea in an upscale, whimsical setting,” has opened at 10930 Crabapple Road in Roswell.
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Credit: Paula Pontes
Credit: Paula Pontes
Atlanta-based chain the Original Hot Dog Factory is under new ownership.
Founded by Dennis McKinley, the Original Hot Dog Factory originally opened in 2010 but rebranded in 2015. The eatery has been featured several times on the Bravo series “Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
The restaurant, which serves a variety of hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, burgers and wings, has been purchased by Ismael “Izzy” and Charity Ramos, who pwn a franchise location of Original Hot Dog Factory in Marietta, and Benjamin Engel and Jonavon Stephens.
Original Hot Dog Factory has several locations throughout metro Atlanta, as well as Alabama, Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
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V Restaurant and Lounge has closed at 710 Peachtree St. NE in Midtown. The 7,000-square-foot building has been purchased by Shirley Hayes, who will open a concept called Belly Restaurant & Lounge in the space. Steve Josovitz of The Shumacher Group, Inc. brokered the deal.
Hayes did not immediately respond to the AJC’s request for more information on Belly.
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Breakfast spot Hot Betty’s, which opened in Tucker in 2020 and closed in 2022, is set to reopen in the Stone Mountain Square development at 5370 Stone Mountain Freeway in Stone Mountain, Tomorrow’s News Today reports.
More restaurant news from the week
Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar closing in East Cobb
Toast Noir Cafe to replace Garnet Gal’s on Lenox Road
Hen Mother Cookhouse to open in Alpharetta, Restaurant Holmes closes
Common Roots Farmers Market closes in Avondale Estates
Block & Drum bringing culinary incubator, distillery to Chamblee
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