Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Gossip Some gossip
Posted by Cliff Bostock @cliffbostock on Tue, Jan 15, 2008 at 5:13 PM
The Starbucks on North Highland Avenue in Virginia-Highland is scheduled to close soon.
Fat Louie's on Marietta Street has closed.
The Prince of Wales, on Piedmont across from Piedmont Park, has closed after many years in business.
Parish Foods and Goods, the latest restaurant from Bob Amick, will open in the early spring on North Highland Avenue, in Inman Park's Terminal Building. The three-level restaurant will feature New Orleans-style cooking, along with a specialty market.
Cakes and Ale is scheduled to open soon in Decatur in the space last occupied by Viet Chateau. Taking its name from a line in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the restaurant provides this description on its website:
Cakes & Ale diners can expect an eclectic, seasonal menu featuring only the freshest organic ingredients, non-endangered fish and the highest quality meats. For those diners who recognize that fresh, unfussy food must take center stage and be enjoyed in a casual, unpretentious atmosphere...
The building that once housed Harvest on North Highland Avenue has become a bridal shop, according to reports on Atlanta Cuisine.
Comments (12)
Showing 1-12 of 12
No more Fat Louie's?!?!?! No way!! I loved their turkey burger; they had some good Polish and Chicago dogs too... sad, sad day...
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I report with some sadness that it appears as though the rumors are true: Village Pizza has closed. I live a block away and for the past three days their restaurant has been dark. There is a sign--written on a carry out box in red Sharpie--that says that closed is indeed the case. Sigh.
Well that sucks. I liked it a lot and it usually seemed to have a good crowd. So I'm surprised. I'm sorry to report that Slice Pizza in Glenwood Park is closed too. I've heard this from two different sources but have been unable to confirm it....because the restaurant's phone is disconnected.
Fortunately, I will stopping by the Milltown Arms for a drink and the skinny on its passing. Wes is/was a frequent fixture and helluva nice guy so maybe I can find out. My fiance' was heartbroken as he loved their pizza. I wish we could get a really solid restaurant row on Carroll Street instead of more damn condos...
I'm heartbroken about Village Pizza - I thought it was the best for that type of pizza in town. When they started delivering it made movie night at my house so much better. Man, Glenwood Park is having a hard time getting off its feet. There's a sign on one of the other buildings there saying a place called "The Shed" is coming soon. I heard a rumor that the chef involved in that project had worked under Shaun Doty, but I don't know who or anything concrete.
Besha, I hear you. It was nice to know that Village Pizza--probably the premier of its kind that made actually delicious vegan pizza though I am no vegan--was there. It was a warm comfy space, the music eclectic, and the waitstaff the sort of balance between too-cool-for-school and nice that any intown eatery could envy. My drink at Milltown proved fruitless. It was merely remarked by the owner of Milltown that they didn't know and no one has seen Wes grace their barstools for a few days now. Not a good sign. The area around here--Glenwood Park included--could, nay, NEEDS, the sort of places that Village Pizza and Slice provide. A fairly inexpensive delicious meal that appeals to residents and OTP-ers alike. It makes the hood look good, to put a broad point on it. This ain't about gentrification, y'all; this is about putting money in the pockets of places that need it.
I got my initial report about Slice's closing from the owner of a popular Midtown restaurant who has been looking for many months for a location in the Grant Park area. He looked at Glenwood Park and says the rents are way out of range for his low-cost Asian food and he said another restaurant's closing in imminent. So, landlords seem to be a large part of the problem. That was certainly true in East Atlanta Village a few years ago, too.
Dammit, pardon my language, but these areas aren't going to shit gold immediately. In order to achieve success in these places, you have got to have patience and understanding. Apparently, this is something slumlords, I mean, landlords, in these areas are lacking.
Aw crap, we loved Village Pizza. Their tuna melt was a work of gooey, artery clogging art, and I loved the bread - it was halfway between a sandwich roll and pizza crust. The restaurant was stragely empty many nights I went, though. Maybe that just isn't a pizza area? I know the parking situation is weird there. Maybe people are willing to put up with the parking hassle for a more upscale hangout like Carroll St Cafe (which I like, particularly for breakfast) but not for a quick run to a pizza place. I hope the owner opens up a new place somewhere. We could use an alternative to Mellow Mushroom in the Brookwood area.
Mkay, I just got the scoop. Village Pizza is being taken over by Ria (of Ria's Bluebird). As I guessed, the closing was another landlord dispute, according to my source, and aggravated by the fact that the landlord was one of the owners of the restaurant. My source says Ria will be doing pizza but, of course, it will be different. Of course, this could be entirely wrong, too, since i haven't confirmed it with a second source.
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