One Star for 5Church, Which Doesn’t Meet Midtown’s Standards

Atlanta Journal-Constitution food editor Ligaya Figueras reviews 5Church, the Charlotte-based restaurant that opened at Midtown’s Colony Square in June. Figueras assigns a "good" rating of one out of four stars, but says the restaurant has a lot of room for improvement:

The new American menu at 5Church grates me for what it takes from — without giving back to — the culinary universe. It grabs all sorts of global flavors, plops them into familiar dishes and jumbles them onto one menu. ... 5Church got its name from its original location at Fifth and Church Streets in Charlotte, N.C. If this concept wants to build a foundation in Atlanta, and on Peachtree Street in the vicinity of myriad other restaurants in Midtown, it has work to do.

THE ELSEWHERE AND THE BLOGS: The AJC’s Bob Townsend takes a first look at Two Birds Taphouse, a new gastropub in Marietta. Atlanta Magazine’s Christiane Lauterbach has good things to say about Tupelo Honey Cafe, Jinya Ramen Bar, Spring, and Richards’ Southern Fried. Fried Chicken Lips says Krog Street Market’s Ticonderoga Club "kicks all kinds of ass." Hunger Pangs in Atlanta finds sublime pizza at Peyton’s Pie in Suwanee. Burgers, Barbecue & Everything Else likes the white pizzas at Shorty’s in Tucker.

• All Week in Reviews [EATL]