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traditional wood-fired pits for an extensive menu that includes whole hog, prime brisket,
salmon and turkey.
Drinks and Treats
◄ Halfway Crooks Beer
60 Georgia Ave.
(678) 705-5530, halfwaycrooks.beer
This local brewery is known for its well-balanced
beer selection — and for the rooftop seating area
that’s heated in cool weather. Some foods are also
offered — like burgers, poutine and pretzels — but
the beer is the star of the show here.
Big Softie
66 Georgia Ave.
bigsoftieatl. com
Big Softie uses local Georgia dairy and organic
cane sugar to create their soft serve ice cream.
Their sister company, The Little Tart Bakeshop,
makes the toppings and waffle cones in-house.
► Hero Doughnuts & Buns
33 Georgia Ave.
(470) 369-6800, herodoughnutsandbuns.
com
From its original outpost in Birmingham,
Alabama, FFero Doughnuts has broken into
new territories, including Summerhill. The
shop is known for its delicious brioche-style
yeast doughnuts, but the expanded menu
includes breakfast, burgers, sandwiches and
salads.
▼ The Little Tart Bakeshop
68 Georgia Ave.
(404) 348-4797, xt. 3, littletartatl.com
The French-inspired Little Tart Bakeshop
chose Summerhill for its first stand-alone
location. There’s a full espresso menu alongside a bakery case filled with delectable, freshly-
baked pastries.
Coming Soon
More restaurants are scheduled to come
to Georgia Avenue’s restaurant row. D
Boca N Boca plans to open at 39 Georgia
Ave. The taqueria and gastropub will
feature authentic Mexican fare and a full
bar. Also, Summerhillatl.com reports
that How Crispy will fill the space at
71B Georgia Ave. in late August or early
September. Flow Crispy is known for
crispy chicken sandwiches but plans
to serve other items as well. There will
be limited seating, since it’s primarily
designed for take-out. Q3
Now We’re Cooking:
Mitchell Anderson
By Collin Kelley
Before he opened the popular MetroFresh restaurants in Atlanta, Mitchell Anderson was
known for his roles on TV shows and films like “Party of Five,” “The Karen Carpenter
Story” (he played brother Richard), “Jaws: The Revenge” and most recently an Emmy-
nominated turn on the Amazon Prime series “After Forever.” When he’s not in front of the
camera, Anderson is in the kitchen and now behind the bar. FTis longtime partner is salon-
owner Richie Arpino. We caught up with Anderson to talk about the evolution of Bar
MetroFresh and his upcoming acting gigs. Plus, he shared his In the Mix playlist featuring
fab tunes by everyone from Elton John to K.T. Oslin — and The Carpenters, of course.
Q. You opened the first
MetroFresh in Midtown
Promenade almost 16 years
ago, which predates the farm-
to-table and “iresh” food trend
in restaurants. How did you
come up with the initial concept
and what’s the secret to the
restaurant’s longevity?
A. Honestly my inspiration came
from my mentor and friend Jenny
Levison, aka Souper Jenny. When
I decided to leave show business,
she took me into her kitchen and
taught me a very improvisational
approach to fresh food. I took to
it right away and MetroFresh was
born. Jenny was definitely ahead of her time, and, with her blessing and help, we brought
farm-to-table food to Midtown all those years ago. I think I responded to this kind of fresh
cooking because it’s what my mother did. We grew up in the farm country of Western
New York, where seasonal produce was specific. My mother visited the farm stand daily
in spring, summer and fall. Her menu was 100 percent based on what came in that day.
Somehow, corn brought from the field and into your boiling water within an hour just
tastes better!
Q. Tell us about the latest iteration — Bar MetroFresh — and what fans and newcomers
can expect?
A. MetroFresh Uptown opened in August of 2019 in the beautiful Midtown Plaza, a block
north of the High Museum. We copied our original location with breakfast and lunch
for the office crowd but added an after-work bar experience. Of course, that location
was impossible to operate for much of last year because of the pandemic. We closed for
six months and reopened in September. Since then, we have continued to do breakfast
and lunch for the hearty few who ventured into their office. I’m happy to report that
our determination and perseverance has paid off and we are beginning to see an uptick
as people finally return to the office. In January of this year, I decided to open the bar
on Thursday nights with me as the bartender. I never tended bar in my life, but like
everything about the last 12 months, you just sort of create and adjust. I realized that
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Velvet Taco has a second
location at The Interlock in
West Midtown, 1115 Howell
Mill Rd. Menu favorites
include Spicy Tikka Chicken,
Korean Fried Rice and Mexi-
Cali Shrimp Tacos. Details at
velvettaco.com.
Incoming
5Church: Second location coming to
3379 Peachtree Road in Buckhead.
(Fall)
Saint-Germain: Ponce City Market
favorite opening second location in
Buckhead Village (Late summer)
^Epicurean Atlanta: Midtown
culinary themed hotel will have
three places to wine and dine: Aerial
Kitchen & Bar, Office Bar and Rever
ence. (Late fall) 03
July 2021 IINT0WN 33