Quick Bites: Linton Hopkins update, changes at Kimball House, and more

• CL File
• Co-executive chef Phillip Meeker departs Kimball House

Co-executive chef Philip Meeker has left Decatur restaurant Kimball House, citing desires to pursue “a few other projects.” In the wake of his departure, his counterpart Jeffrey Wall is running the kitchen autonomously. Partners Miles Macquarrie, Bryan Rackley, Matthew Christison, and Jesse Smith remain.

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Big Tex Decatur shuttered at 308 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. Monday, after three and a half years of operation. The Tex-Mex concept from the Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q founders was beginning to distract owners Jonathan and Justin Fox from the growing demands of their eponymous barbecue concept in Candler Park (1238 DeKalb Ave.). While the Big Tex Decatur real estate remains in their hands, the brothers will continue to pour efforts into their new catering/commissary facility on Ottley Drive, which helps them “meet the needs of current and future Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q restaurants,” signaling a possible Fox Bros. 2.0 on the horizon.

Besides the announcement his famed H&F burger is now a regular menu item at Holeman & Finch, chef Linton Hopkins has confirmed more burger news: His standalone H&F Burger is officially coming to Ponce City Market in the spring of 2015. The new burger bar will offer far more than the classic stack and fries; there will also be a veggie burger option, hot dogs, High Road Craft ice cream malts and shakes, old-fashioned sodas, duck fat fries (possibly), and a destined-to-be-iconic salad. Hopkins will follow it up with Ponce City Market neighbor the Bread Box, which will offer fresh-baked goods (breads, croissants, pastries, cookies, biscotti, and more) Cuban sandwiches, grilled cheeses, BLTs, and possibly even a meatball sub with mozzarella.

Jeni’s Spendid Ice Creams opened its second Atlanta-area location Nov. 6 in Decatur Square (545 N. McDonough St.), offering flavors like lime-cardamom-buttermilk frozen yogurt, riesling-poached pear sorbet, and brown butter-almond brittle ice cream. The craft creamery’s third metro location will open later this fall at Krog Street Market.

Dish Dive, a BYOB Kirkwood concept from Jeff Myers (Sound Table and Top Flr) opened Tuesday. Featuring house music tunes, patio views of MARTA and CSX trains, neighbors like Sun in My Belly and Ale Yeah!, and seating for only about two dozen diners, the new eatery at 2233 College Ave. is, in a word, intimate. Chef and business partner Travis Carroll, formerly of Top Flr, has created dishes such as bacon-wrapped monkfish served on a bed of mustard greens; kale salad with pretzel croutons, caramel spiced pecans and crispy pancetta; chicken pot pie with sweet potato biscuit; lamb sausage dogs; and duck confit fries.

Peter Chang’s cult-favorite Tasty China II has closed in Sandy Springs (H/T to Savory Exposure). The Szechuan restaurant opened in 2009 at 6450 Powers Ferry Road as a followup to Chang’s original Tasty China location in Marietta, which continues to operate at 585 Franklin Road. Chang also plans to open a new eatery, Jia, in the Central Food Hall of Ponce City Market during early 2015. In related news, Atlanta institution Rio Bravo will resurface after a 12-year absence in the form of Ray’s Rio Bravo, a Tex-Mex restaurant that will assume the Tasty China II vacancy. It should open sometime in May 2015.

In case you missed it, Angry Chef Ron Eyester was asked to pack his knives and go in last week’s episode “Top Chef.” That week’s panel of judges included locals Richard Blais and Hugh Acheson. The 12th season, based in Boston, has been airing since early October, and Eyester was the fourth chef to be ousted so far. For a baseball-themed challenge, Eyester served up a baseball-sized fish croquette in a bowl of popcorn soup, which left the judges unimpressed.

Nick Poulous has said farewell to his 20-year-old, eponymous Grant Park sandwich shop, Nick’s Food to Go, leaving operations in the hands of his wife, Eleni Poulos, and daughter, Evie Poulos. In an interview with Atlanta magazine, Evie explained that her aging father is simply “taking a back seat for now,” but will still frequent the Greek restaurant to interact with the customers he’s come to know so well. As changes to the 240 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive eatery slowly come to pass, new menu items will appear soon: Look for items like falafel and roasted potatoes with chicken. A patio expansion could be on the horizon.

Lure has named a new executive chef, Brent Banda, following the departure of chef David Bradley, who left in August for a position as chef and nutrition director for the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School. Banda comes to the Midtown seafood restaurant via fellow Fifth Group Restaurants concept La Tavola Trattoria, while former Lure and Ecco sous chef Justin Jordan has been named La Tavola’s new executive chef.

Deborah VanTrece, of the Catering Company by VanTrece, will assume the vacancy at Decatur’s recently shuttered Marbar Beachside Cantina space. Having recently closed her East Atlanta restaurant Edible Art Cafe, VanTrece has announced plans to open Twisted Soul, a restaurant with “Southern flair,” in the space at 314 East Howard Ave.