Lazy Betty co-founder Aaron Phillips no longer executive chef, but retains ownership stake Lazy Betty co-founder Aaron Phillips is no longer executive chef, but retains ownership stake in the Michelin-starred restaurant in Midtown Atlanta.

Lazy Betty co-founder Aaron Phillips no longer executive chef, but retains ownership stake

Lazy Betty co-founder Aaron Phillips is no longer executive chef, but retains ownership stake in the Michelin-starred restaurant in Midtown Atlanta.

Unfinished Midtown office building renovation raises safety concerns A crane looming over the unfinished renovation of an office building at Peachtree and 14th streets in Midtown has raised safety concerns from nearby residents. Residents say the crane has been out of operation for four years, while renovations on the former Campanile building, now called The Midtowne, remain unfinished. Renovation and expansion of The Midtowne, owned by Dewberry Capital, began in 2019, before stalling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The building was gutted, but the bare-bones structure remains exposed to the elements. Midtown residents and businesses have complained that the work site is an eyesore and is decreasing property values.

Unfinished Midtown office building renovation raises safety concerns

A crane looming over the unfinished renovation of an office building at Peachtree and 14th streets in Midtown has raised safety concerns from nearby residents. Residents say the crane has been out of operation for four years,…

Quick Bites for April 16: new Japanese restaurant in Buckhead, Hotel Clermont bar makeover, Caribbean dinner in Reynoldstown In this week's Quick Bites, get the scoop on Koshu Club's opening in Buckhead, fresh menu additions at Brush Sushi, a bar makeover at Hotel Clermont, and new restaurants headed to Underwood Hills and ...

Catch up on Atlanta dining news, including Koshu Club’s opening, menu additions at Brush Sushi, and a Hotel Clermont bar makeover. Plus, add some food events to your calendar, like a plant sale/market in Chamblee and Caribbean dinner in Reynoldstown. roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/16/q...

Atlanta is in the midst of a matcha craze Increased demand for matcha drinks in Atlanta has led to the ground green tea trending up in a big way. Matcha is traditionally served with hot water, but it's now also found in layered lattes, lemona...

Increased demand for matcha drinks in Atlanta has led to the ground green tea trending up in a big way. Matcha is traditionally served with hot water, but it's now also found in layered lattes, lemonades, desserts, cocktails, and even soft serve. roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/15/m...

When we visit Brick Store Pub we love getting to check out the kitchen and the bathroom music which is always different then the dining room music. The kitchen always has the best music

Heard: Kitchen playlists from Atlanta chefs Max Hines and Jarrett Stieber Chefs Jarrett Stieber and Max Hines share insights on the importance of music in the kitchen, from prep to post-service, with playlists heard in the back of house at their restaurants. This story kick...

This story kicks off a series on restaurant back-of-house playlists, featuring music selections from Atlanta chefs/bartenders. Did you know what you’re listening to in a restaurant dining room is likely not what the chefs are listening to in the kitchen? roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/15/a...

Restaurants seem louder these days. Design, square footage, music, and even table material and shape all contribute to how sound travels in the dining room. But just how loud are Atlanta restaurants, and what are some restaurants doing to soften noise? roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/09/l...

In this week’s Quick Bites from Rough Draft ATL, get details on several restaurant openings, including in East Lake, Sylvan Hills, Inman Park, The Interlock, and Avondale Estates. Plus, peek at a slew of food events happening around Atlanta. roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/09/q...

Rough Draft Atlanta is among the founding newsrooms participating in Local News Day, a new nationwide effort launching April 9 to connect communities with local journalism. roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/09/l...

Team behind Michelin-starred Mujō open Koshu Club April 14 in Buckhead Koshu Club, a 46-seat Japanese restaurant backed by the team behind Michelin-starred Mujō, opens April 14 in Buckhead, offering a fusion of Western (yoshoku) and traditional Japanese dishes (washoku).

Japanese restaurant Koshu Club opens on April 14 at the 99 West Paces building across from the St. Regis hotel in Buckhead roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/08/k...

NASA Artemis 2 astronauts to make historic moon flyby today. Here's what to expect hour by hour (timeline) Four Artemis 2 astronauts will spend seven hours flying by the moon today (April 6), seeing lunar sights never before seen by human eyes.

Here’s a good hour-by-hour timeline for today’s Artemis II lunar flyby: www.space.com/space-explor...

Submit your questions related to LGBTQ+ issues for Georgia’s gubernatorial candidates Your Voice, Your Vote: Georgia's Gubernatorial Race As Georgia prepares for its upcoming gubernatorial primary on May 19, the stakes are especially high for LGBTQ+ residents whose rights, protections, and visibility continue to shape the political landscape.  Georgia Voice, in collaboration with Atlanta Pride, invites readers to submit questions for the candidates seeking to become the state’s next governor. All qualified candidates will receive a list of questions compiled from these submissions, and their responses will be published in a Q&A-style feature ahead of the vote. What issues matter most to you and your community?

Submit your questions related to LGBTQ+ issues for Georgia’s gubernatorial candidates

Your Voice, Your Vote: Georgia's Gubernatorial Race As Georgia prepares for its upcoming gubernatorial primary on May 19, the stakes are especially high for LGBTQ+ residents whose rights, protections, and…

Quick Bites for April 2: Ticonderoga Club named a top U.S. bar, 400,000 KitKats stolen, new Beltline brewery In this week’s Quick Bites, we have details on Ticonderoga Club landing a spot on a prestigious “Best Of” list and 12 tons of stolen KitKats. In restaurant news, Three Taverns Brewery will open a new ...

In this week’s dining news roundup, Rough Draft has details on ATL’s Ticonderoga Club landing a spot on 50 Best, the theft of more than 400,000 KitKats, and an update on the opening of Three Taverns Brewery w/ bbq on the Beltline roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/02/q...

Did you miss these March 2026 Atlanta restaurant openings? Nearly three dozen restaurants opened around Atlanta in March, including El Tesoro, Spread Bagelry, Barrel Proof, Jagger Suite, Eggslut, Ashland, Eats, Sassy's Cafe, Casi Cielo, Masala Times, Unkie's ...

Restaurant openings ramped up in March with the arrival of spring. Nearly three dozen restaurants opened for business around Atlanta and the metro area, with several more restaurants announced for the coming months. 
roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/04/01/a...

We're hiring a contract climate reporter The 19th is seeking a full-time contract reporter to report, write and produce climate coverage, focusing on how politics and policies impact women and LGBTQ+ people.

Exciting news: @19thnews.org is hiring a full time contract climate reporter to join our team for a few months! ♻️🌎
💻 Remote (US only)
📆 Late April-late July
💰 $50/hour
Apply by April 15!
19thnews.org/2026/04/cont...

Midtown International School's abrupt closure stuns parents Midtown International School in Druid Hills announces abrupt closure, leaving students and parents scrambling to complete the school year.

Midtown International School will close on Friday, April 3, with only a few days’ notice to stunned parents roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/31/m...

Check out the 2026 James Beard Awards finalists from Atlanta Here are the Atlanta chef and restaurant finalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards.

Here are the 2026 Atlanta finalists for the James Beard Awards roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/31/j...

The best dishes we ate in March 2026 Check out the best dishes Rough Draft ate from Atlanta restaurants in March 2026, including magic tacos from Da Cocinita, Black forest dacquoise from Brush, hamachi tiradito from Casa Coya, and oyster happy hour at Fontaine's.

The best dishes we ate in March 2026

Check out the best dishes Rough Draft ate from Atlanta restaurants in March 2026, including magic tacos from Da Cocinita, Black forest dacquoise from Brush, hamachi tiradito from Casa Coya, and oyster happy hour at Fontaine's.

PHOTOS: No Kings protests take place across Metro Atlanta Thousands protest Trump administration policies in Metro Atlanta's No Kings demonstrations. Speakers encourage standing up for democracy.

Thousands of protesters across Metro Atlanta turned out for Saturday’s No Kings demonstrations against the policies and actions of the Trump administration. Check out Rough Draft’s coverage of protests around the metro today. roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/28/n...

Metro Atlanta farmers market, MARTA fresh market guide Farmers market season officially kicked off in March, with multiple markets around metro Atlanta opening for the season or preparing to open for the season in the coming weeks. Check out this guide to...

Farmers market season officially kicked off in March, with multiple markets around metro Atlanta opening or preparing to open in the coming weeks. Here’s a guide to farmers markets around the metro. roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/27/f...

Here is the latest Atlanta dining news

More than 40 No Kings protests planned in Georgia on March 28 Join the No Kings protests, non-violent demonstrations against the presidential administration, in Atlanta and other cities across Georgia on March 28.

People in and around Atlanta will gather on Saturday, March 28, to participate in the nationwide No Kings protests roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/26/a...

Mushi Ni brings Peking chicken, soft shell crab bao, Thai tea martinis to Inman Park Asian-American comfort food restaurant Mushi Ni opened on March 24 in Inman Park. Expect bao like soft shell crab and chicken longanisa, snacks of umami fries and crab Rangoon puffs, and Peking chicke...

Asian-American comfort food restaurant Mushi Ni opened on March 24 in Inman Park. Expect bao like soft shell crab and chicken longanisa, snacks of umami fries and crab Rangoon puffs, and Peking chicken platters with cocktails at lunch and dinner. roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/24/m...

Mushi Ni brings Peking chicken, soft shell crab bao, Thai tea martinis to Inman Park Asian-American comfort food restaurant Mushi Ni opened on March 24 in Inman Park. Expect bao like soft shell crab and chicken longanisa, snacks of umami fries and crab Rangoon puffs, and Peking chicken platters with cocktails at lunch and dinner.

Mushi Ni brings Peking chicken, soft shell crab bao, Thai tea martinis to Inman Park

Asian-American comfort food restaurant Mushi Ni opened on March 24 in Inman Park. Expect bao like soft shell crab and chicken longanisa, snacks of umami fries and crab Rangoon puffs, and Peking chicken platters…

🍻 Open-container Downtown Table Talk: Open-container district + magic tacos March 17 — Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the table. In this week's "Family Meal," I talk Atlanta's first permanent open-container district launching next month near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Rough Draft contributor Laura Scholz brings you the next story in her restaurant regulars series. This time, you'll meet Courtney Bennett, an Atlanta film executive and longtime regular of Baraonda. Bennett followed the Italian restaurant as a regular in Midtown to its new location in Sandy Springs. For "The Move," I tell you why you need to pull up for magic tacos at Da Cocinita food truck parked at a gas station in Kirkwood.

🍻 Open-container Downtown

Table Talk: Open-container district + magic tacos March 17 — Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the table. In this week's "Family Meal," I talk Atlanta's first permanent open-container district launching next month near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Rough Draft contributor Laura Scholz…

Buckhead sushi hot spot UMI expanding to New York City A second location of UMI, the Buckhead sushi hotspot owned by Farshid Arshid and Charlie Hendon, will open on Madison Avenue in New York City this summer.

Buckhead sushi hot spot UMI expanding to New York City

A second location of UMI, the Buckhead sushi hotspot owned by Farshid Arshid and Charlie Hendon, will open on Madison Avenue in New York City this summer.

The Regulars: Film exec finds second home at Baraonda Ristorante & Bar Baraonda Ristorante & Bar relocated from Midtown to Sandy Springs in 2021, but people like film executive Courtney Bennett continue to be regulars at the cozy Italian restaurant, even after the move n...

For 21 years, Baraonda was a fixture at Peachtree and 3rd in Midtown. The lively vibe and blistered wood-fired pizzas made the Italian restaurant a favorite among Fox Theatre patrons and local residents, including film executive Courtney Bennett. roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/17/b...

The Regulars: Film exec finds second home at Baraonda Ristorante & Bar Baraonda Ristorante & Bar relocated from Midtown to Sandy Springs in 2021, but people like film executive Courtney Bennett continue to be regulars at the cozy Italian restaurant, even after the move north.

The Regulars: Film exec finds second home at Baraonda Ristorante & Bar

Baraonda Ristorante & Bar relocated from Midtown to Sandy Springs in 2021, but people like film executive Courtney Bennett continue to be regulars at the cozy Italian restaurant, even after the move north.

Veteran Atlanta chef Todd Richards opens Southern barbecue restaurant and grill room in McDonough Atlanta chef Todd Richards opened Que-Riosity in McDonough. The veteran chef and cookbook author refers to Que-Riosity as part barbecue restaurant, part grill room, paying homage to local farmers and ...

At his new restaurant in McDonough, Atlanta chef Todd Richards is on a mission to break apart the idea of barbecue as a monolith roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/16/q...

Publisher’s Note: Avoiding the news Rough Draft has grown from a three-times-a-week email to a portfolio of over 20 newsletters and 1.2 million email sends a month, providing a balanced digest of local news, while print remains the foundation of the organization.

Publisher’s Note: Avoiding the news

Rough Draft has grown from a three-times-a-week email to a portfolio of over 20 newsletters and 1.2 million email sends a month, providing a balanced digest of local news, while print remains the foundation of the organization.