King of Pops Mural Removed

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

As I pulled up to the intersection at North Avenue and North Highland today, I started freaking out a little bit. My favorite mural in the city was no longer staring me in the face. At first I looked around to make sure I was at the right spot. As the green light changed, I whipped it into the Midtown Cleaners & Laundry and stormed inside like a mad man. ”What happened to the King of Pops Mural?!?” I demanded. I assumed they were the ones behind it. The nice lady behind the counter said that someone had painted over it and that they were all sad. She didn’t know who. So I went next door to talk to the emissions guy thinking he might have had something to do with it…I was ready to blame anyone. He said that the City of Atlanta had come by recently and painted over it. He seemed all bummed out about it too.

So I tweeted this out:

I then called Nick from the King of Pops to find out what happened. Nick explained that the City of Atlanta had come by while he and his brother and the rest of the company were on a trip to Mexico and painted over it. The city said it was in violation of some code.

I wish I had more detailed info to share with you but this is all I know right now. I also know that it’s a sad day for anyone that drives by that spot on a regular basis. No matter how crappy of a day I was having, this mural always cheered me up. I hope that we’ll see another one of these murals pop up soon.

If you’ve never heard of the King of Pops and have no clue what I’m talking about then read about these amazing frozen pops here.

UPDATE (6:10PM)

Creative Loafing uncovered more truth about the story. Apparently, the City of Atlanta did not paint over the mural. Jeff Vantosh who owns the building had it covered up after he claims he was cited by code enforcement. Read about it here on Creative Loafing.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 34 Comments

Is Sandy Springs Becoming A Hot Area for New Restaurants??

Posted on December 11, 2011 by

Photo Credit: DoubleZeroAtl.com

Sandy Springs may never become a dining destination neighborhood like Inman Park or Decatur, but I can’t help but notice all the new restaurants opening in the area recently with more on the way.

In the past year, Sandy Springs has welcomed Double Zero Napoletana, Cibo e Beve, Peter Chang’s and Canton Cook II with additional restaurants such as Smashburger, Egg Harbor Cafe, Blue Moon Pizza and Hudson Grille opening soon. Some other notable restaurants opened in Sandy Springs in 2010 including {Three} Sheets, Tin Can Fish House & Oyster Bar and Breadwinner Cafe. Bishoku, one of the top sushi restaurants in Atlanta, opened in Sandy Springs at the end of 2009.

Why are so many restaurant owners choosing Sandy Springs? I would imagine that its proximity to one of America’s richest zip codes, 30327, doesn’t hurt. It’s also the second-largest city in Metro Atlanta, home to over 8,000 businesses, and the headquarters of more Fortune 500 companies than anywhere in the State including Atlanta.

It’s anyone’s guess if the restaurant scene in Sandy Springs will ever emerge as a destination dining city, but as a recent new home owner in Sandy Springs, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will.

Would any of you ITP’ers ever drive to Sandy Springs for dinner? Nevermind, I already know the answer to that. Part of Sandy Springs is actually inside the perimeter though, just saying.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party at Corner Tavern

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

Pick out the tackiest Christmas Sweater in your closet and wear it proudly to the Corner Tavern Ugly Christmas Sweater Party on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 8 p.m. All four Corner Tavern locations will be giving away a $100 cash prize at 11 p.m. for the ugliest sweater.

If you want to attend all four parties, you can bar hop on the Corner Tavern party bus for $10/ person or $15/ couple. The bus is going to leave from the Little 5 Points Corner Tavern at 8:30 p.m. and swing by all the Corner Taverns before returning around 12:45 a.m. Beer and snacks will be provided on the bus. Seating is limited on the bus so email cornertaverns [at] gmail [dot] com to reserve a seat before they are gone.

Corner Tavern has locations in East Point, Old Fourth Ward (Edgewood), Little 5 Points and West Midtown. Everyone is encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots. Check out www.TheCornerTavern.com for more information.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chuy’s Opens In Dunwoody

Posted on December 6, 2011 by

It’s not often that I get excited about a chain restaurant coming to Atlanta. But Chuy’s is an exception. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Chuy’s has developed an almost cult-like following for its Tex-Mex while expanding across the south. Texan’s love it, and now we can too with its first location in Georgia opening today at 118 Perimeter Center West in Dunwoody.

I attended a preview event last night at Chuy’s with my wife and a few friends. The food and drinks were VERY good. I had the Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom Enchilada which was exceptional for the $9.59 price tag, and the margaritas were fantastic. The fun, casual atmosphere is very laid back and inviting.

I have no doubt that Chuy’s is going to do great in this location. I really don’t think anyone could have picked a more perfect restaurant to go in this space. Cheers to Chuy’s!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hot Wings For A Cause At Tavern 99

Posted on November 29, 2011 by
Tavern99.com

Tavern 99, a sports bar in the heart of Buckhead, will be donating $1 of every order of HOT flavored buffalo wings sold between December 1, 2011 and January 31, 2012 to Bert’s Big Adventure.

Bert’s Big Adventure is a non-profit organization founded by Q100′s Bert Weiss and his wife Stacey that provides a spectacular five day journey to Walt Disney World® for children with a chronic and/or terminal illness and their families.

Executive Chef Darrell Rice takes great pride in his buffalo wings which are definitely some of the best in the area. Tavern 99 also has 27 different beers on tap including local favorites Sweetwater, Terrapin, Monday Night Brewing and Red Hare. Tavern 99 is located at 128 East Andrews Drive, Atlanta, GA. 30305.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Win Free Pizza for a Year at tre’za Grand Opening

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

The first 33 people in line at the tre’za Grand Opening at TOWN Brookhaven on November 19 will win free tre’za for a  year according to their Facebook page.

tre’za is a fast-casual restaurant offering Wood-Fired Pizza, Fine Salads and House-Made Gelato. While this is the first tre’za in Georgia, they hope to have 100 franchise units in the Southeast by 2015.

tre’za is located  at 804 Town Boulevard, Atlanta, GA. 30319.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Watershed to Open at The Brookwood in Spring 2012

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

Watershed restaurant has found a new home. As previously rumored, the award-winning Decatur restaurant is re-locating to The Brookwood, a 219-unit, mixed-used condominium community in South Buckhead.

According to the official press release (released by the PR firm that I work for in my day job - full disclosure), Watershed plans to open in Spring 2012 with a refined editing of the menu. Chef Joe Truex plans to update Watershed’s Southern-inspired cuisine with flavors from the Georgia Coast to the Louisiana Bayou and everything in between including the diverse ethnic flavors found throughout the South.

The Brookwood provides plenty of parking in a location in need of some good southern cooking! I’m already looking forward to Fried Chicken Night returning.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hugh Acheson Chef Demo at Grant Park Farmers Market

Posted on November 6, 2011 by
Photo Credit: Rinne Allen

Chef Hugh Acheson from Five and Ten in Athens and Empire State South in Atlanta is holding a chef demo and book signing at The Grant Park Farmers Market TODAY, Sunday, November 6 at 11:30 a.m.

His new book, A New Turn in the South offers over 100 recipes that you can use in your home kitchen with dishes such as Fried Chicken with Stewed Pickled Green Tomatoes, Yellow Grits with Sautéed Shiitakes, and Braised and Crisped Pork Belly with Citrus Salad.

In addition to running amazing restaurants and writing a book, Acheson is currently a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef: Season 9. For more information on today’s chef demo, visit the Facebook event page here.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hudson Grille Opening in Sandy Springs

Posted on October 28, 2011 by

Hudson Grille is planning to open its fourth location this December in Sandy Springs at 6317 Roswell Road. The restaurant will open in the former KC Pit BBQ space which was closed in 2010 after the Internal Revenue Service and Drug Enforcement Administration raided the restaurant.

Hudson Grille closed its Perimeter Mall location just a few miles from this new space in April 2010. I personally like the Roswell Road location much better than Perimeter Mall. Parking was always a pain at the mall with valet taking up all the convenient spaces (even though valet spaces were only about 20% full.)

For more information on Hudson Grille Sandy Springs, check out their Facebook page here.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Wear a Costume, Get a Free Cupcake at Piece of Cake on Halloween

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

If you’re planning on dressing up for Halloween and just happen to be near a Piece of Cake then stop in for a FREE small cupcake as long as you’re wearing your costume (Halloween Day Only). Piece of Cake now has five locations – Atlanta, Roswell, Decatur, Dunwoody and Vinings.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment