🍕Nina & Rafi closes on Beltline

Big Beltline Restaurant News NFA Burger UpdateApr It s Thursday Time for a little Side Dish For in the current era s Side Dish we re offering two recipes including one for making a tofu banh mi using in-season herbs and vegetables from the farmers arena Our transit-oriented dining guide to cities and neighborhoods along MARTA rail lines continues this week with restaurants within easy walking distance or a quick bus ride from the Chamblee MARTA station Plus get details on the closure of Nina Rafi on the Eastside Beltline and its replacement Eclipse di Luna Did you miss the story on the Busy Bee Cafe opening at Atlantic Station next year Catch up on that exciting news too As inevitably expect the latest Atlanta dining intel like more details from NFA Burger owner Billy Kramer on why he pulled up stakes at Truist Park s new Outfield Sphere food hall after just a meager Braves games In affair you missed it in your inbox on Tuesday evening here s a link to the latest edition of Family Meal It features a profile on local baker Loan Ly the owner of Asian dessert and custom cake company Lonely Sweets and her recipe for ube banana pudding Cheers from the Rough Draft dining squad Beth and Sarra The Historic Druid Hills Home Garden Tour is back May - We re celebrating the personality of Frederick Law Olmsted s remarkable neighborhood with seven must-see homes each curated to reflect the owners unique style and passions Grab your tickets at present SPONSOR MESSAGEHave You Heard Photo by Isadora PenningtonWhy NFA Burger shut down operations at Truist Park It s already been widely released that NFA Burger is no longer at Truist Park a departure coming three weeks after opening at the new Outfield Domain food hall And while owner Billy Kramer understands people are a bit bewildered by his decision to close down the NFA Burger stall so promptly he described Rough Draft nothing nefarious led to the closure nor is he in dispute with concessions operator Delaware North The decision Kramer revealed came down to prioritizing NFA Burger s upcoming Alpharetta location and not spreading himself too thin We weren t running the booth It wasn t our people We were supplying the ingredients and the recipes We were supposed to supply oversight too making sure everyone was trained and doing things the right way Kramer revealed But it became apparent that we were going to be spending more time there than we thought and then the opening of the Avalon location was accelerating more hurriedly than anticipated Kramer approached Alex Brounstein of Grindhouse Killer Burgers who already operates two stalls at the ballpark to replace NFA Burger Then Kramer pitched the idea to Delaware North Once an agreement was reached between Kramer Brounstein and Delaware North the transition of the stall from NFA Burger to Grindhouse took place in just a insufficient days Having never done this sort of thing before I thought it would be a little easier to manage this location But with Alpharetta opening faster than we thought I had to make a call Kramer commented I thought it was going to take three to four months to get my liquor license for Alpharetta The attorneys got it in days if Alex had not been on board or Delaware North had not been okay with this NFA Burger would still be there he added Located in the former Rina space at Avalon NFA Burger in Alpharetta will include indoor and outdoor seating with TVs a walk-up window for takeout orders an expanded food menu and a full bar Kramer anticipates a late-spring opening A Dunwoody resident Kramer first began popping up with his smashburgers at area restaurants before opening a permanent location of NFA Burger six years ago inside the Chevron region on Chamblee Dunwoody Road Since then Kramer s burgers have racked up accolade after accolade and been recognized by national and local publications Food stall change-ups at Sweet Auburn Curb Domain Phew s Pies a popular pizza delivery utility owned by Matthew Phew Foster will open next month at Sweet Auburn Curb Area Foster posted an Instagram reel showing work in progress on the pizza stall including the installation of a new pizza oven Foster leans into Atlanta for the flavors of his pizzas like a lemon pepper wet pie topped with lemon pepper wet wings and an oxtail and ricotta cheese pizza topped with stewed carrots butter beans green and yellow onions and Scotch Bonnet Sadly South African food stall Panbury s Pies next door will close on April after years at Sweet Auburn Curb Region Like a multitude of small businesses we ve faced increasing challenges from inflation to rising food costs and the ongoing pressures of running a labor-intensive business in an uncertain financial sector that is increasingly unfavorable to small family businesses the Instagram post reads But this may not be the end for Panbury s Pies as the post also indicates owners Lauren Duxbury and Adam Panayiotou are working on a way to continue selling their hand pies in Atlanta Stay tuned It s festival szn It s another big festival weekend in Atlanta with the Inman Park Festival and parade the Atlanta Film Festival Amplify Decatur music festival the debut of Taste of Marietta and the return of Streets Alive to Peachtree Street on Sunday Food will be an integral part of all five festivals whether through local restaurants in these neighborhoods or food trucks and pop-ups serving at the events Restaurant Quality Produce Delivered to your DoorSPONSORED BY FRESH HARVEST We are Fresh Harvest Metro Atlanta s online farmers domain delivering Georgia-grown organic produce right to your doorstep With us you get access to the same top-quality seasonal ingredients trusted by your favorite Atlanta chefs delivered straight to you We take the guesswork out of sustainable sourcing and the upshot An online marketplace full of options you never have to second guess Because whether you re cooking in a restaurant or at home you deserve the best Cook like your favorite chef Try us out Learn more at FreshHarvest com Top Stories from the WeekPhoto by SouthboundA MARTA dining guide to ChambleeThis Rough Draft dining series will continue throughout highlighting restaurants in cities and neighborhoods within easy walking distance or a short bus ride from MARTA rail stations Once famous for dairies Camp Gordon and its proximity to the railroad Chamblee has evolved into a suburban arm of Atlanta with a picture-perfect railside downtown and an ever-increasing collection of restaurants along its historic main drag An outcropping of newer restaurants on Peachtree Boulevard and Peachtree and New Peachtree roads makes downtown Chamblee all the better these days In addition to restaurants and bars Chamblee also features a small but mighty downtown shopping district with stores selling antiques specialty clothing housewares and consignment items and clothing This dining guide highlights eight restaurants easily accessible from the Chamblee MARTA station on the Gold Line located on New Peachtree Road Read the MARTA dining guide to Chamblee here Photo by Nina RafiEclipse di Luna replacing Nina Rafi on the Beltline Nina Rafi closed earlier this week after nearly seven years on the Eastside Beltline The space will become a fourth location of tapas bar Eclipse di Luna known for its live music and salsa dancing Nina Rafi was sold to Rreal Tacos owner Damian Otero who certified he will open a new Beltline location of the tapas bar there this summer in partnership with the owners of Eclipse di Luna In a announcement sent to Rough Draft Nina Rafi owner Billy Streck cited the continued challenges faced by the restaurant industry since the start of the COVID- pandemic as leading to his decision to close his Beltline pizzeria Read more details here Photo by Busy Bee CafeBusy Bee Cafe will expand to Atlantic Station ICYMI last week a second location of acclaimed Atlanta soul food restaurant The Busy Bee Cafe will open next spring at Atlantic Station featuring outdoor seating an expanded menu and a full bar Owner Tracy Gates announced the Atlantic Station location is a win-win as its current location resides in a well-established neighborhood near downtown Atlanta and the second location will become part of another well-established area sandwiched between neighborhoods to the west along Howell Mill Road and Midtown to the east Opening at Atlantic Station Gates declared provides an opportunity for Busy Bee Cafe s business to grow and have a broader reach and for its legacy to continue in Atlanta Read Sarra s story on the Busy Bee Cafe expansion here Join Move For Grady on April With three cycling distances and two run walk options there s something for everyone Then celebrate your accomplishment and help for Grady with a fun finish line celebration at Georgia State s Center Parc Stadium SPONSOR MESSAGEAt the Arena Two RecipesIN PARTNERSHIP WITH POPULATION FARMERS MARKETS Rough Draft Atlanta and Society Farmers Markets are bringing you two tasty recipes that you can make using ingredients from your local farmers arena This week it s all about vegetables Whether you re itching for a tofu banh mi or crunchy vegetable fritters we ve got you covered Check out both recipes here The post Nina Rafi closes on Beltline appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta