The Most Anticipated New Atlanta Restaurants, Fall 2015

The kids are going back to school, football will be here before you know it, and Starbucks will soon be dishing out pumpkin spice lattes. It all adds up to one thing: Fall is right around the corner. With that in mind, it's time to take a look at the fall tracking guide, running through the most anticipated restaurants opening in Atlanta during the coming season. The restaurants are listed in no particular order, and we'll be updating statuses as they open this autumn. If you have a favorite not listed, please do leave it in the comments below.

Staplehouse

The purpose-driven restaurant helmed by Ryan Smith, previously of Empire State South, and dreamed up by the chef, Jen Hidinger, and the team at Local Three — Ryan Turner, Chris Hall, and Todd Mussman — has been delayed by the permitting process. But, a late-spring/early-summer opening is possible. Proceeds from the restaurant will go to The Giving Kitchen. Staff is in training, and the restaurant should open in the next couple of weeks. Old Fourth Ward: 541 Edgewood Avenue.

Projected opening: Imminent.

[Photo: Staplehouse/Facebook]

Noble Fin

From 4th & Swift's Jay Swift, the Peachtree Corners restaurant will serve contemporary Mediterranean and American cuisine, and Swift's son Jeb Aldrich will run the kitchen as chef de cuisine. The 200-seat restaurant will feature a full bar in the front with a 24-foot ceiling and skylights and a 15-foot "wine wall" in the dining room. The dinner menu will be seafood focused with a raw bar section; small plates; several fresh-market fish options; hand-cut pastas; and a section of steaks, chops, and poultry. The lunch menu will offer the addition of sandwiches, po' boys, and lobster rolls, as well as an "express menu" for dinners on their lunch break. Peachtree Corners: 5260 Peachtree Parkway.

Projected opening: By the holidays.

Venkman's

The combined rock venue/restaurant is a collaboration of chef Nick Melvin and Nicholas Niespodziani and Peter Olson, two of the men behind '70s cover band Yacht Rock Revue. The menu will feature Melvin's take on comfort foods such as trout beignets and chicken-fried tofu. At the bar, managed by Bradford Tolleson, look for classic cocktails, craft beers, rose on tap, and a variety of booze-infused slushies. Old Fourth Ward: 740 Ralph McGill Boulevard.

Projected opening: Mid-September.

Bar Margot

Ford Fry's newest venture is a bar and restaurant at the Four Seasons hotel in Midtown. Four Seasons chef Robert Gerstenecker will run the kitchen, serving "handmade pasta, charcuterie and cheeses, crudos, and more for lunch and dinner — all with bright flavors, and with plenty of small plates for sharing." Many ingredients will come from local farmers and the hotel's rooftop garden and apiary. There will be "craft espresso and high-quality coffee menus," as well. Midtown: 75 14th Street NE.

Projected opening: September 28.

[Rendering: Four Seasons Atlanta Hotel]

Il Giallo

With Veni Vidi Vici shuttered, chef Jamie Adams is opening a new Coastal Italian restaurant in Sandy Springs. Il Giallo will focus on a variety of hand-made pastas, and an open kitchen will allow diners to observe the process. The 8,200-square-foot restaurant will seat 125 guests in the main dining room and offer a private dining room for 50 guests. Sandy Springs: 5920 Roswell Road.

Projected opening: Mid-October.

Brush Sushi Izakaya

The Japanese restaurant comes from former One Sushi + executive chef and Craft Izakaya sushi chef Jason Liang, whose vision is "more inline with the traditions of the Japanese sushi-ya than Atlanta is used to seeing." Look for yakitori made from GrassRoots Farm free range chicken and Edomae-style sushi sourced locally and from the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. Decatur: 316 Church Street.

Projected opening: Mid-fall.

HIMITSU

The side project lounge from the Umi Sushi team will be "a place where James Bond and Sammy Davis Jr. would meet for a martini," according to co-owner Farshid Arshid. The idea is to have a place where people who are dining at Umi, or people who are known at the restaurant, can stop off before, or visit for an after-dinner drink. The roughly 1,300-square-foot space is too small for its own kitchen, but there will be a prep area, and food from chef Fuyuhiko Ito at Umi will be available. The menu will likely feature some specific dishes for the lounge, but a few popular items from the restaurant should make an appearance too. Cocktail gurus T. Fable Jeon and Shingo Gokan are creating the beverage program. Buckhead: 3050 Peachtree Road NE.

Projected opening: Early September.

Melissa Libby & Associates

[Rendering: Melissa Libby & Associates]

Dolce Italian

It's another Buckhead Atlanta restaurant from LDV Hospitality, the team behind Corso Coffee. The menu will include Italian staples such as housemade pasta, Neopolitan pizza, seasonal salads, and Veal Milanese. The Italian theme reigns at the bar, too, with beverages like an Aperol spritz and barrel-aged Negroni. The whole package is inspired by "the effortless elegance of Fellini's Rome of the 1960s." Buckhead: 3035 Peachtree Road NE.

Projected opening: September 18.

Cape Dutch

Justin Anthony of Yebo and 10 Degrees South is taking over the former Woodfire Grill space. Like his previous restaurants, there will be a South African influence, but this eatery will also include more global inspiration. The menu will focus on steaks, seafood, and vegetables. Morningside: 1782 Cheshire Bridge Road NE.

Projected opening: Late September.

Revamped Paper Plane

Yes, the Decatur favorite is shutting down and will reopen as a completely new concept. Co-owners Caleb Wheelus and Ian Jones aren't sharing too many details right now, but it seems that a tropical theme is in the works. Shanna Mayo, who currently is stationed at Victory Sandwich Bar's Inman Park outpost, may be in line to lead the bar. Decatur: 340 Church Street.

Projected opening: September

Ponce City Market

One of the country's most anticipated food halls is currently on track for a rolling launch throughout fall. There have been plenty of delays, but it appears the project is finally ready to get off the ground. Old Fourth Ward: 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE.

• Jia, serving Sichuan cuisine from Tasty China's Dahe Yang and chef Jiguo Jiang.
• Bellina Alimentari, an Italian market with "fresh ingredients and slow-cooked foods for consumption on-site and at home," helmed by executive chef Dave Berry.
• Dub's Fish Camp, a "Southern interpretation of a New England clam shack" from Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, the folks behind Bacchanalia, Little Bacch, and Star Provisions.
• Minero, the second outpost for James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock's Mexican restaurant.
• Ton Ton, a Japanese restaurant with yakitori, ramen, and sushi from Guy Wong.
• King of Pops Bar & Good Grub, heartier fare, "pops to the next level," and popsicle cocktails from the King of Pops folks.
• Jonathan Waxman's Italian concept, which will offer "appetizers around $7 to $15, entrees $18 to $25."
• El Super Pan, the revived Latin sandwich shop from chef Hector Santiago.
• H&F Burger, offering Linton Hopkins' famous Holeman & Finch double-stack burger.
• Hop's Chicken, Hopkins' fast-casual fried chicken concept.
• The Mercury, The Pinewood team's attempt to capture "the spirit of the classic mid-century American cocktail culture."
• Biltong Bar, Justin Anthony's counter-service restaurant that will serve gourmet pies, salads, craft beer, cocktails, and a full wine list, featuring a variety of South African blends.
• Boti, featuring grilled Indian street food from Chai Pani's Meherwan Irani.
• Spiller Park Coffee, coffee and Sublime doughnuts from Hugh Acheson and Dale Donchey.

Projected opening: Officials at the market say most restaurants will open in September and October. Jia, Bellina Alimentari, and Dub's Fish Camp should be the first eateries to open in the next few weeks.

[Photo: Sara Dorio]

Krog Street Market

Most of the development's restaurants and food stalls have opened, but there are still a few left waiting to get off the ground. Inman Park: 99 Krog Street NE.

• Greg Best and Regan Smith's still-unnamed project, which now includes Paper Plane alum Paul Calvert as a partner. There will be a small kitchen and walk-around bar, along with an upstairs mezzanine similar to Craft Izakaya's. Also, look for a lower-level terrace with a soft ceiling, offering somewhat of an al fresco experience inside the market.
• Urban pL8, focusing on paleo-centric cuisine and other health foods. There will be takeaway fare, as well.
• Nature's Garden Express, a green grocer offering offering milk, eggs, and bread, in addition to organic produce and cold-pressed juices. Specialty items, such as coconut wraps, nut butters, hummus, pasta sauces, kombuchas, dried grains, and olive oils, will be available as well.

Projected opening: Early October for the Best-Smith-Calvert project, late October/early November for Nature's Garden Express, late 2015 for Urban pL8.

Inman Quarter

The Inman Park mixed-use development is already home to MF Sushi and Bartaco, and more restaurants are on track to open in the coming months. Inman Park: 280 Elizabeth Street NE.

• Richard Tang's unnamed restaurant, serving traditional Korean barbecue and "out-of-the-box" cocktails. Update: The restaurant will be called Char Korean Bar & Grill.
• Ford Fry's unnamed restaurant, serving as a sister concept to Westside seafood house The Optimist.
• Amer, a cocktail bar that falls "between the esoteric and the playful," from Brian Lewis and David Durnell of Bocado.
• Hampton & Hudson, a 500-square-foot restaurant and patio from restaurateurs Billy and Jenn Streck. The concept aims to be a "true community bar and restaurant that redefines how diners look at pub food."
• Bread & Butterfly, an "all-day European cafe" from the Cakes & Ale team.

Projected opening: Inman quarter restaurants should see a rolling launch throughout fall.

Also tracking: O-Ku Sushi, Barcelona Westside, Bad Dog Taqueria Old Fourth Ward, Jim Stacey's Pallookaville Junior and more, Madre + Mason and the relocated Urban Cannibals, Stacey Eames' Virginia-Highland coffeeshop