Quick Bites

▲Tickets are on sale now for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, which returns for its 11th year Sept. 15-18. A celebration of Southern culinary culture, attendees can sample creations from an array of the finest chefs in the South – from Texas through Georgia, and all the way to D.C. – with proceeds benefiting Children of Conservation’s school lunch program, providing nutrient-dense meals for children in Africa. Tickets are $99 per day for the tasting tents, which include unlimited food, wine, cocktails, live chef demos, and more. The $150 VIP tickets offer priority access to the tasting tents. Find out more at atlantafoodandwinefestival.com. Cocktail haven The James Room will open a second location in Buckhead Village later this summer. Restaurateur Aaron Mattison, who operates Bar Vegan and Excuse My French at Ponce City Market, has partnered with Harold Brinkley, the owner of The James Room on the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, to open the new spot. Find out more @ thejamesroom on IG. Atlanta’s popular PeachFest returns to Peachtree Center in Downtown on July 26 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Plaza will be filled with the city’s best chefs, pastry chefs, and barkeeps for the fifth annual peach-filled extravaganza. Expect plenty of peach-centric dishes and drinks including an exclusive peach beer from Wrecking Bar Brewpub and the Vinoteca Wine Lounge featuring wines from Spain. This year’s culinary lineup will feature Atlanta’s best chefs and beverage artisans who are dedicated to supporting local farmers, including Stevenson Rosslow & Mikey

Staniewicz of Wrecking Bar Brewpub, John Short of Pearson Farm, Drew Van Leuvan of Farm Burger, Jon Jackson of Comfort Farms, Nolan Wynn of Banshee, Casey Burchfield of The Burch, Tyler Edwards of Elsewhere Brewing, Davis King of Betterstaff Brewing, Jason Waters of Georgia Routes, and Grant Wallace of Our Apothecary, to name a few.For more details, visit peachfest.org. Communion, the backyard-inspired outdoor beer garden, has reopened for the season behind Chef Kevin Gillespie’s Decatur restaurant Revival. Every Saturday and Sunday from 4 p.m. until closing, guests can enjoy a menu of down-home classics like cornbread with honey butter, pimento cheese, chopped pork sandwiches, smoked wings, pies, and more. And of course, there is a big selection of beers and cocktails to wash it down. Find out more at revivaldecatur.com. The James Beard Foundation named the Asheville, NC flagship location of Chai Pani its 2022 Outstanding Restaurant Award winner. A second outpost is located in Decatur. The Outstanding Restaurant Award goes to “a restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations while contributing positively to its broader community.”

Shake Shack’s Summer Comedy Series

is running every other Tuesday evening through Sept. 27 at the Buckhead location, 3035 Peachtree Road, of the burger joint. Tickets can be purchased at buckheadrooftopcomedyseries22. splashthat.com. ▼The Highlander bar and grill in Midtown Promenade closed suddenly on June 20 after 30 years in business. A favorite hangout spot after movies at Midtown Art Cinema, and known for its bingo, karaoke and trivia nights, The Highlander opened in 1992. The owners cited “unforeseen circumstances and hardships” as the reason behind the sudden closure.

Pop-up Gigi’s Italian Kitchen will permanently take over the Gato space in Candler Park on July 23. According to Atlanta Magazine, Gato owner Nicholas Stinson is closing the restaurant and moving to New Mexico with his family to write a book and start a new restaurant concept. Gigi’s founders Eric Brooks and Jacob Armando will be welcoming other pop-ups to the space every week. Virginia-Highland’s 8ARM, which was opened six years by the late Chef Angus Brown, shocked patrons last month when it announced it would close Oct. 8 after its property at the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Ponce de Leon Place was sold to a developer. 8ARM said it would end its current food program on July 2 and open its kitchen to a “variety of up-andcoming and established chefs.” Service will run each week from Thursday-Saturday, and include past chefs like Maricela Vega of Chico and Duy Huynh of Yee’s Vietnamese, plus Cleophus Heathington from Ebi Chop Bar, Molli Voraotsady from SoSoFed, Mike and Shyretha Sheats from Plate Sale, and more. For more details, visit 8armatl.com.

The James Room