Pastry Chef Christian Balbierer has opened the sleek new Chocolate Pink Pastry Cafe at 905 Juniper St. in Midtown in the wake of his successful wholesale business, Chocolate Nirvana, which has sweetened the menus of many restaurants, caterers and consumers through Zifty.com. The treats housed in 14 imported cases from Italy include cakes, tarts, individual desserts, petit fours, brownies and cookies packaged in pink boxes. The two-level eatery has space upstairs for special events and demonstrations. The cafe is open Tuesday Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (404) 745-9292 or www.chocolatepinkcafe.com.
Fresh continues to be a big buzzword in the Atlanta dining scene, and Pierre Panos is tapping into the market with the opening of two locations of f2o (fresh to order) in the Spire building at 860 Peachtree St. in Midtown and 6125 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Panos is no stranger to the Atlanta dining scene, having created Brookwood Grille and Stoney River. The menu will feature gourmet salads, panini sandwiches, specialty teas, wine and desserts. The locations are open for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and Sundays and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. www.f2o.com.
The annual Taste of Atlanta festival returns to Atlantic Station the weekend of Oct. 14 and 15. Restaurants and chefs from all over Atlanta (including Doc Chey’s, Eatzi, Mitra, Rathbun’s and The Globe), will be at the event, cooking up some of their best dishes for sampling. Tickets are 15 in advance or 25 festival weekend. Admission includes 10 "taste tickets" to sample food at the various stations. Additional tickets will be available for 1 each. A street festival will also be taking place with arts, entertainment and more. For a full schedule and list of restaurants, visit www.tasteofatlanta.net.
Fans of the film Babette’s Feast should make their reservations now at Babette’s Cafe named by owner Marla Adams after the film which will celebrate its 14th anniversary by faithfully recreating the sumptuous cinematic meal. The feast will be held Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. and include: Soupe de Tortue (Turtle Soup) and Quaille en Sarcophage (Quail in Puff Pastry) with Sauce Perigordine (Truffle Sauce). Each item will be paired with specific wines from the story. The dining room will be set in long tables with candles. This celebratory evening will be shared with the PKD Foundation (Polycystic Kidney Disease) in honor of Gage and Quinn Roberts, two children born with the disease; 20 percent of the evening’s revenue will be donated to the foundation. The cost is $90 per person without wine or $140 with wine. Reservations are required by calling (404) 523-9121.
Restaurants in Virginia-Highland, Morningside and Druid Hills will join forces on Thursday, Oct. 26, for the Patty Foell Dine-Out event. Foell, an active member of the Atlanta running community, was struck and killed by a car last November. The restaurants will donate 15 percent of the day’s proceeds to the Patty Foell Fund within the Atlanta Track Club Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to fitness, health and running for all ages. Participating restaurants include: Doc Chey’s at Emory and Va-Hi, Osteria 832, Murphy’s Food 101, Fontaine’s Oyster Bar and Highland Tap. A 5K road race in Patty’s memory, which will also raise funds, will be held Oct. 28. For more information, call (404) 822-6807.
Table 1280 at the Woodruff Arts Center has a new executive chef with a familiar face: Todd Immel. Many may remember Immel’s stint at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead and Mumbo Jumbo. Immel replaces Shaun Doty, who left in the spring to open the forthcoming Shaun’s in Inman Park. www.table1280.com.
Arby’s is testing a new concept in Atlanta called Arby’s Marketfresh, based on its line of popular sandwiches. The new upscale eatery is located in the new Lindbergh Plaza on Piedmont Road. The menu includes freshly prepared grilled sandwiches and a salad "tosserrie," in which a chef makes custom salads from more than 30 different ingredients.
Fans of Tamarind Thai Cusine don’t despair The restaurant will reopen in Colony Square in November. The original location at the corner of 14th and Williams St. had been a fixture for nearly a decade, but the building will be demolished as part of the 14th Street bridge reconstruction project. Those who can’t live without at Thai fix can visit Tamarind’s sister restaurant, Nan, on Spring at 17th Street.
Decatur favorite Mediterranean Grill has opened a new location at 985 Monroe Dr. in Midtown.
QUICK BITES: Morningside Baptist Church, 1700 Piedmont Ave., will host its annual Fall Fish Fry on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. featuring music and activities for children and adults.... Jake’s Ice Cream in Peachtree Hills has closed... . Crustacean, a favorite seafood eatery in Beverly Hills, has announced it will open a restaurant somewhere Intown in the next two years.... La Grotta on Peachtree Road in Buckhead recently celebrated its 28th anniversary.... For fine dining outside the Perimeter, Milton’s is now open in Alpharetta at 780 Mayfield Rd. Jay Pollock, former executive chef at Vinings Inn and Killer Creek, heads the kitchen in this gourmet bistro.... BED has introduced a new weekend tapas brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.... A sign has gone up in the Glenwood Park community in East Atlanta saying a new location of Vickery’s will be "coming soon," but restaurant officials did not have a specific opening date. Vickery’s has locations in Midtown and Charleston, S.C..... SoHo in Vinings is now serving Sunday brunch.... Tracey Growley, owner of Moe’s and Joe’s in Va-Hi and The Brake Pad in College Park, is set to open The Standard at 327 Memorial Drive, serving pub food and cold beer.... Fune Sushi Bar is coming to the Spire condo building at 860 Peachtree St. before the end of the year... Souper Jenny on Cain’s Hill Place in Buckhead is extending its closing hours on Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. for "Grilled Cheese Night," featuring the traditional favorite sandwich and some with twists, not to mention you can make your own S’mores.... Thai Chili at Colony Square and St. Charles Deli on Briarcliff Road have closed.
