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under contract
941 CLIFTON ROAD
5 bedrooms | 4 full and 1 half bathrooms
offered for $1,200,000
578 MONTGOMERY FERRY
3 bedrooms | 2 full bathrooms
offered for $599,000
carmen pope
c. 404.625.4134 o. 404.874.0300
carmenpope@atlantafinehomes.com
atlantafinehomes.com // sir.com
Atlanta Fine I Sotheby's
Homes INTERNATIONAL REALTY
©MMXVII Sotheby's International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered
(or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
CHOW KING
GRILL & BUFFET
2400 Cobb Pkwy
Smyrna, GA 30080
Next to Best Buy
470-308-3333
www.chowkingcobb.com
Three Private Rooms
for 40, 80 or 100 people!
Corporate Catering Available
Serving Chinese, Japanese, Korean & American
Featuring 15 Bars, 250 items, Steak, Ribs, Jumbo Shrimp, Catfish, Sushi Bar,
Hibachi Grill, Noodle Soup Bar, Salad Bar, Dessert Bar, Hot Bar-B-Q Grill, Open Kitchen
OTHER LOCATION (NORCROSS)
2055 Beaver Ruin Road • Norcross, GA 30071
ChowKingNorcross. com
Milestone
The Highlander in Midtown marks 25 years
Courtesy The Highlander
Patrons and staff, including owner Jeff Merback (third from left in back row) gathered in April to mark
The Highlander’s 25th anniversary in Midtown.
ByShandra Hill Smith
When Jeff Merback and his partners
opened The Highlander in Midtown
Atlanta, they set out to serve up “really
good restaurant food, not typical tavern
food” — and they’ve been at it now for
two decades. The Highlander celebrated
its 25th anniversary in April, with a
four-day party to commemorate the
milestone.
The late-night establishment for
adults only, located at 931 Monroe
Drive, is open for lunch and dinner. It
features a full bar as well as a game room
— an area where you may host a private
meeting or party — with pool tables, air
hockey, pinball and video games.
“We cater to people within a five-
mile radius of the tavern,” said Merback.
“We’re not a conventioneer spot or a
spot where we expect people to travel to
from Cobb County or when they’re on their way to the Symphony. We’re a neighborhood
tavern that has always taken care of our neighborhood family and customers.”
The Highlander looks after local artists, too, displaying and selling their artwork,
which is changed out quarterly. Merback is proud of such unique touches and the pub’s
focus on providing high-quality food.
“We were one of the first people in the bar industry to do all the food from scratch,”
said Merback.
Around 10 years ago, the establishment received national recognition for some of its
homemade fixings. During the second season of the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins
and Dives,” The Highlander’s Pasta-Rella Sticks — mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce —
and Jamaican Jerk Chili were spotlighted.
While bestsellers have changed since the 1992 opening, staples have included burgers
and chicken sandwiches. For the April celebration, The Highlander kicked off a new art
show, hosted a barbecue and band performances, along with its weekly Sunday trivia —
this time with the questions focused on The Highlander and city of Atlanta developments
over the past 25 years.
Merback, who was 24 when he opened the pub with two original partners, said “it
feels amazing” to mark 25 years. Since the original partners left, minor partners have
been on hand. They include Brannon Amtower, Darby Yale and Gregg Taylor. Taylor
and Amtower have been with Merback the longest. Long-time staff include a pair of
bartenders who have been employed more than 20 years — Marco Gollarza and Chris
Jackson — and daytime manager Ali Reed.
Merback said he always hoped The Highlander could keep its doors open as long as
possible, and he’s looking either to sell or close the business when he retires in the future.
For now, he operates The Highlander, along with Fabiano’s Pizzeria, with locations in
Douglasville and Newnan, and The Alamo, a neighborhood tavern performing space, in
Newnan. His wife Laura is bookkeeper for each of the businesses.
“We have our hands full,” said Merback. “We stay busy, but we’re going to be around
as far as possible in the near future.”
For more information, visit thehighlanderatlanta.com. QZI
42 May 2017 | [d
AtlantalNtownPaper.com