News You Can Eat

Legacy Properties, radio station 790 The Zone and Concentric Restaurants (Bob Amick of One.midtown kitchen and Trois) opened the sports-themed STATS at 300 Marietta St. Downtown last month. The restaurant is serving a "gourmet American" menu in the midst of 70 high-definition televisions airing every kind of sport. Executive Chef James Corwell will head up the kitchen. STATS is the second restaurant in the world to have Table Tap, which allows diners to pour their own beer via computer. 790 The Zone will broadcast on select game days from a glass-enclosed studio at the heart of the space. A rooftop patio with retractable awning – and full bar service and HDTVs -- will be open year-round. STATS will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. www.concentricsrestaurants.com.

AquaKnox opened in November in the Terminus building at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Piedmont Road in Buckhead.†The chic seafood and steak restaurant has been a hit in Las Vegas in the swank Venetian Hotel. The centerpiece of the space is a wine tower with more than 500 selections surrounded by waterfalls. The restaurant is open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner Sunday through Friday from 5:30 to 10 p.m. and Saturday until 11 p.m. William Sigley is executive chef. www.AquaKnox.net.  

Boston-based Legal Seafood has announced it will open on the ground floor of the under-construction Hilton Garden Inn in the Downtown Luckie Marietta district. The extensive chain started 60 years ago as a fish market and now has restaurants in Baltimore, West Palm Beach and Washington, D.C., among other cities.

International sandwich shop Pangaea, which started on Huff Road on the WestSide, has opened a second location in Decatur, 2752 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Cafe Circa, a bar, restaurant and lounge, has opened at 464-B Edgewood Ave. Executive Chef William Linares will be preparing a fusion of Caribbean-, Asian- and Spanish-influenced food. Cafe Circa is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. www.cafecircaatl.com.  

Lunch is now being served at Mosaic, 3097 Maple Drive, in Buckhead from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Executive chef Darrell Rice is turning out soups, salads and sandwiches. www.mosaicatl.com.

Steinbeck’s Oyster Bar in Oakhurst Village, 659 East Lake Dr, Suite B, is now offering Saturday and Sunday brunch that includes pumpkin pancakes, andouille sausage omelets and crab cake Benedict. Brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.steinbecksbar.com.  

A taste of Manhattan is coming to the W Midtown Hotel at Colony Square. Hot spots Whiskey Bar and Spice Market are set to open in 2008. The original Whiskey is located in the Paramount Hotel in New York, while Asian-inspired Spice Market is one of New York’s top-grossing restaurants.

Geoff, Katie and Wendy Melkonian, the husband-wife-sister team, started baking bread in their home, and it became such a hit at Souper Jenny they decided to open their own restaurant, Breadwinner, in Sandy Springs. Seasonal selections of whole loaves, platters and slices for dining in or to go are offered, along with private-blend coffee, specialty desserts and tea. There is also a retail store attached to the cafe. 175 Mt. Vernon Hwy, Suite E (Lower Level). www.breadwinnerbreads.com.

 News & Notes

The 12 Atlanta-area Ted’s Montana Grill restaurants donated more than $5,000 to The Clean Air Campaign during a special event in September that encouraged patrons to reduce air pollution. Ten percent of all sales from Sept. 28, totaling $5,142, was given to the CAC. www.cleanaircampaign.com

Delia Champion & Company of The Flying Biscuit will be at Bloomingdale’s at Lenox Square on Saturday, Dec. 22 to share their innovative recipes. 1 p.m. Home Store, lower level.

Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant will re-open its new location at the corner of Buckhead and North Fulton avenues in January. The new building, which will feature 6,000 square feet on the ground floor and 2,000 in the basement for special events, will be incorporated into Ben Carter Properties’ The Streeets of Buckhead project. Many elements from the current pub will be moved to the new site. www.fadoirishpub.com.

Esquire magazine heaped some love on three Atlanta eateries in its "Best List" in the November issue: Shaun’s in Inman Park and Trois in Midtown made the Best New Restaurant List, while East Atlanta watering hole The Earl, was named one of the best bars. Congratulations to all three.

Grandma Lukes in Little Five Points; Mick's in Decatur.