Business partners Joe King and Rick Wahlstedt bring Le Colonial to Buckhead
STORY: Carly Cooper
Five years ago, restaurateur Rick Wahlstedt brought Le Bilboquet bistro and bar to The Shops Buckhead, and it quickly became an area staple. A few months ago, Wahlstedt and business partner, Joe King, opened their French-Vietnamese concept Le Colonial less than 100 feet away.
The new Le Colonial Atlanta joins sister spots in Chicago […]
EXECUTIVE CHEF JOE MACY LEADS HAVEN INTO A NEW ERA
STORY: Carly Cooper
When Haven Restaurant and Bar opened in Brookhaven in 2003, it was one of the first upscale restaurants in the area. Through the years, it has maintained its status as a reliable neighborhood staple with sister spots Valenza and Vero Pizzeria alongside. In early 2019, Joe Macy took the helm in the kitchen after former […]
WILLY’S MEXICANA GRILL FOUNDER WILLY BITTER SPICES UP THE LOCAL RESTAURANT SCENE
FUN FACT Willy Bitter plays guitar and once wrote a song about burritos that aired on a local radio station.
STORY: Carly Cooper
Willy Bitter worked on a tugboat in Alaska, built a school in Kenya and studied marine biology in North Carolina. But it wasn’t until the founder of Willy’s Mexicana Grill moved […]
Restaurant Eugene pastry chef Jen Yee carefully crafts three courses of dessert
STORY: Carly Cooper
Linton Hopkin’s Buckhead fine dining establishment Restaurant Eugene launched a dessert tasting menu in the spring. The mastermind behind it is executive pastry chef Jen Yee. An Atlantan by way of New York, London and San Francisco, the multiple James Beard Award nominee oversees the dessert programs at C. Ellet’s, Holeman and Finch […]
Queen of Cream’s Cora Cotrim brings her unique treats to Buckhead
FUN FACT: Cotrim is 32 years old but doesn’t drive.
STORY: Carly Cooper
Cora Cotrim, the woman behind Atlanta’s Queen of Cream artisanal ice cream, taught herself to make the sweet, scoopable treat. She had bartended at various restaurants and worked as a pastry chef at Paper Plane, a Decatur watering hole now known as […]
AS THE FACE OF AMERICAN CUT, MIT AMIN’S JOB IS TO MAKE GUESTS HAPPY
FUN FACT: Amin wears a red rose on his lapel every day to distinguish himself and break the ice with guests.
STORY: Carly Cooper
PHOTO: Heidi Geldhauser
Mit Amin is the face of LDV Hospitality, the parent company of American Cut steakhouse in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. And yes, “face” is his real […]
Let’s taco-bout the brand Carson Young built
STORY: Carly Cooper
In 2017, Buckhead native Carson Young opened Yumbii Taco Shop in Brookwood Village. But he had introduced Atlantans to Mexican- Asian street food flavors long before that. Touted as Atlanta’s first food truck, Yumbii was founded in 2010, bringing tacos and sesame fries to people around the city.
“I’ve always had an interest in the hospitality business and creating […]
Flower Child executive chef Matthew Schwab puts the ease in healthy eating
STORY: Carly Cooper
PHOTO: Christopher Watkins
Like the health-conscious restaurant that he leads, Flower Child executive chef Matthew Schwab is new to Buckhead. But that doesn’t mean he’s not embracing the local lifestyle from heart to stomach.
After working at busy restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory and Cooper’s Hawk Winery in Orlando and Nashville, Schwab joined Flower […]
For Bon Glaze’s general manager, the early bird gets the worm
STORY: Carly Cooper
PHOTO: Sara Hanna
Carmalita Pridgen, general manager of gourmet donut shop Bon Glaze, is not what you’d expect from a donut maker. A former quartermaster in the Army, she worked part-time in hospitality before graduating from Georgia State University. While working at a Pinkberry yogurt shop, she met Bon Glaze owner Kelly Keith. “Her card […]
BONNIE OWINGS MAKES CELIAC-FRIENDLY COOKIES, CAKES AND PIZZAS THAT ACTUALLY TASTE GOOD
STORY: Carly Cooper
Bonnie Owings started cooking and baking for her family at age 10. When she found out she was gluten-sensitive, she struggled to find gluten-free breads and desserts that actually tasted good. So she started experimenting.
“I would bake [gluten-free items] and bring them to my doctor’s office,” says Owings. “Everyone liked them, and my […]
