UPDATED BELOW

• Cliff Bostock's iPhone

The circumstances here appear to be the accommodation of Shaun Doty's new chicken spot at Ansley Mall. Think Yeah! Burger clucking instead of mooing.

Work hasn't begun on the space apparently because of more circumstances: Doty needs the adjoining space. That's occupied by Scents and Suds, which has been there 20 years. The landlord has insisted they move to the next space down. Work on that began a couple of weeks ago, but it looks like slow going.

By the way, Doty told Wyatt Williams (see link above) that he has no plans to open another finer, chef-driven spot. That is a true loss, but understandable in an economy that has starved the restaurant scene.

UPDATE: Tomorrow's News Today reports Doty's withdrawal from Yeah! Burger and the name of his new chicken shop:

According to multiple well places sources, Shaun Doty, co-founder and chef at YEAH! Burger has sold his stake in the business to co-founder Erik Maier. YEAH! Burger's first location opened on the westside in the summer of 2010 and was soon followed by a second location in Virginia-Highland in the fall. Shaun closed his namesake eatery Shaun's in Inman Park in late 2010 to focus on YEAH! Burger. Later this year Shaun will open a new concept, Bantam & Biddy which he describes as a fast casual chicken concept that will be "rotisserie chicken with a lot of sides. It will basically be kind of like a [traditional southern] meat-and-three kind of experience."

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One departure from Tortillas is the decor. Tomatillos is lit brighter than a high-school cafeteria, whereas Tortillas was pleasantly grungy and gloomy. Another difference is the splashy art, including this sign dangling above the register. Is it the Phoenix rising from the ashes of Tortillas?

Another difference, at least last night, was music blaring so loudly that we moved outside to eat. But the external speakers were as ear-splitting. It was a first for me, but I asked the guy at the cash register to turn down the volume, which he did. Wayne, besides raging about the volume, was furious about the lyrics of one song. I have no idea. It turned out that a group of women inside had asked for the particular music. and the volume.

The aural ambiance aside, we had a good meal. I got my longtime favorite — a shrimp burrito filled with rice, roasted poblanos and pinto beans. Wayne got the same and we divided a basket of chips with salsa and queso, which we combined as usual. The burrito was a significant improvement over the last one I had here.

(Yes, I know that Bell Street Burritos, on Howell Mill Road and in Sweet Auburn Curb Market, also replicates the Tortillas menu.)

• Cliff Bostock's iPhone
• The dining room at Ilan Breeze

As the name suggests, the restaurant blends Caribbean and Southern cooking. Thus the menu includes jerk chicken and stewed oxtails as well as fried chicken and ribs smoked in a Mississippi-style mustard sauce.

I hope to check it out soon.

I also recently paid a visit to Morelli's for the first time in months. I didn't find my favorite ginger-lavender, but I could easily become as addicted to the ginger-Guiness. I liked it for the same reason somebody else rejected it after a sample taste. "That burns!" she exclaimed, fanning her mouth. Yes, fanning a mouth full of ice cream. Burning. Sad.

I also tried the coffee-caramel-crunch — not bad but certainly not as stimulating as the ginger stuff.

• Cliff Bostock's iPhone
• Could any two people eat this entire portion?

I've visited El Rey three or four times, but honestly haven't shared most people's overall enthusiasm. Still, when my Friday-night dining friends were in the mood for Mexican last week, I suggested we head there. It turned out to be a good choice for them. They liked it.

The big show-dish on our table was the parrillada meant for two ($29.95). Parrilladas feature grilled meats, and, as you can see, the dish would be adequate for three or four average diners. Among the contents were chicken, chewy beef, fat shrimp wrapped in bacon, and queso fundido with chorizo topped with four grilled jalapeños. Also: tomatoes, avocado, and radishes.

• Yes, they could.

At one point, someone at the table asked the server if she could eat the jalapeños. She seemed confused at first and then said, "Of course — with lime, very good."

I ordered an individual parrillada with carnitas, bacon, and half an inch of cheese. I couldn't eat more than half of it, but the leftovers made a good late-night snack. Truth be known, though, I'm putting parrilladas off my menu. No matter where I've tried them, I always find them overwhelmingly greasy.

Frank and Ryan managed to eat all of the gigantic parrillada except for a single, lonely radish. "It's a challenge," Ryan said. "You just make up your mind and say to yourself, 'There's not that much left. Go ahead.'"

A dish I've liked here in the past is the mojarra, fried and grilled. The worst I've eaten is the chile relleno, a falling-apart mess drenched with too much salsa. I scored a fantastic pumpkin-flower quesadilla a few years ago and I'd say my favorite taco there has been the suadero. Specials are often offered weekends.

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Speaking of locations, the restaurant has sold three franchises in Orlando, Charlotte, and Philadelphia. Only the Philly one is actively pursuing a location at this time. George Trusler, long called the Taco Nazi, is now director of franchise operations. That, owner Mike Klank told me, makes George the only person in the organization to have a title.

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• Open kitchen at Fuoco — a stolen idea?

The man who appeared to be the manager of Fuoco di Napoli nodded yes.

"So was it bad? Was it as bad as everywhere else?"

"Oh yeah," he said, looking away, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

I was asking about Enrico Liberato, the city's infamous pizzaiolo who migrated from Fritti to Antico to Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria and, most recently, to Fuoco. Police arrested him there when he allegedly threatened an employee with a knife. Police also charged him with marijuana possession and an unclear violation of immigration law. According to rumor, he has been deported. I couldn't confirm it today.

I'm not going to say I'm surprised. I have been hearing whispered stories since Fritti owner Riccardo Ullio brought him from Naples a couple of years ago. In fact, the reason I did not go to Fuoco when he landed there was because at one point he was calling me repeatedly to invite me to dinner at his house with his new wife. It was a nice gesture — the first six times.

• Cliff Bostock

He found the fastest Wifi at Starbucks. I don't know which Starbucks he visited but he sure as hell didn't travel to Atlanta and visit the Ansley Mall outpost.

The Wifi there, free and provided by AT&T, turned to sludge months ago. It's like the original dial-up days when every click gave you time to pour a drink. Even if you hit Ansley when it's fast enough to check your mail and browse around, it is almost always useless for streaming video.

No amount of calls to AT&T by customers or visits by their fix-it people have improved things. Usually, they blame the traffic and bid you a peppy sayonara. Until a few months ago, many people relied on the Wifi radiating from the smoothie shop across the courtyard. But that closed.

Speculation of course is that Starbucks has intentionally slowed the service in order to discourage us campers. Well, they've succeeded with many. If I'm doing something that requires a lot of Internet surfing, I go elsewhere now.

More after the jump

This apricot cobbler was my favorite sweet of the last few weeks. It didn't hurt that it was $3 for a big bowl of the crusty, sugar glazed treat, filled with gingery-tasting apricots. I did not allow myself to top it with a scoop of the shop's ice cream.

The cobbler is not always available, but any scone Belfield makes is also worth ordering. They're usually about $2.50 and pure comfort. The shop is now serving breakfast as well as lunch. A super-bargain is the $4 grilled cheese sandwich. Get it on the sour-dough bread.

Warning: space is limited in the coffee shop, but there's plenty of spill-over space on the patio. You get a view of the zoo and WiFi too.

• Cliff Bostock's iPhone

I'm talking about the the lunchtime food-truck encampment in Pershing Point (at the corner of Peachtree Street and Peachtree Circle). My mission was to finally try the arepas at the W.O.W. (Wonderlicious on Wheels) truck.

The truck's menu describes the arepas as Venezuelan sliders. I got two. The better one was filled with roasted pork and the other with smoked brisket. Both were topped with an easily addictive mayo-based green sauce that resembles chimichurri. The brisket one also included cheddar cheese — not an appetizing addition to my taste or orange-hating eye. I tend to compare arepas to the gorditas I used to scarf down in Mexico, but I actually like these better.

The truck has also been widely lauded for its miniature, $1 donuts. I concur. Absolutely try one. No, try 12.

W.O.W., by the way, is among those trucks trying to sort out its permits, so that the royal nitpickers downtown will allow the Atlanta Food Truck Park to reopen. W.O.W. works out of the kitchen of the delightful bakery and lunchtime bistro, Cosmic Duck Kitchen in Decatur.

I also grabbed a lemon-ricotta popsicle from the King of Pops while I was there. It was so good, I didn't even blink when I mindlessly sat down in a pool of water on the stoop of the old Shell Station there. Many thanks to the helpful policeman who pointed out my clumsiness.