The 13 Most Anticipated Restaurants in Atlanta, Fall 2017

College football returns this weekend, the Falcons’ preseason is underway, and the Braves’ first season at SunTrust Park is winding down. That means fall is right around the corner. The weather will mercifully (hopefully) cool down in the not-too-distant future, but Atlanta's restaurant scene is expected to stay hot. Several big openings have already come online this year, but it's time to take a look at the fall tracking guide, running through the most anticipated restaurants set to begin service in the coming season. These are listed in alphabetical order, and progress will be updated as they open. If you have a favorite not listed, do leave it in the comments below.

Bar Americano and Bar Crema

The team behind The Pinewood in Decatur and The Mercury in Ponce City Market has a couple of Italian projects in the works for the former Prohibition space. Bar Americano will serve lunch and dinner, and the adjoining Bar Crema will offer take-away items, desserts, gelato, and coffees. The beverage program will be inspired by classic cocktails and Italian aperitivos, and like those found at The Pinewood and The Mercury, it will focus on premium spirits and housemade ingredients.

Location: Buckhead; 56 East Andrews Drive NW.

Projected opening: October.

Bar Mercado

With The Cockentrice out at Krog Street Market, Castellucci Hospitality Group, the company behind The Iberian Pig, Cooks & Soldiers, and others, is in. Similar to other Castellucci restaurants, Bar Mercado will serve classic tapas dishes, meats, cheeses, and “traditional bar bites.” Diners can expect small plates with alcachofas (artichokes), idiazabal cheese-stuffed piquillo peppers, estafodo (Spanish beef stew), croquetas, and pimientos de Padron.

Location: Inman Park; 99 Krog Street NE, Suite V.

Projected opening: September.

C. Ellet’s

C. Ellet’s

Linton Hopkins, the chef-restaurateur behind Restaurant Eugene, Holeman & Finch, H&F Burger, and Hop’s Chicken, is opening a steakhouse at the Battery development adjacent to the Atlanta Braves’ SunTrust Park. Hopkins says C. Ellet’s will offer traditional beef cuts, and it will take significant inspiration from New Orleans and the rest of the South.

Location: Cobb County; 2605 Circle Parkway.

Projected opening: August 25.

Deep End

The folks behind The Pinewood Tippling Room in Decatur and Ponce City Market’s The Mercury have claimed the space that previously housed 4th & Swift. Deep End will be geared toward late-night service, giving PCM patrons a place to go after the Central Food Hall closes. The menu will be taco-centric, and with Julian Goglia on board, it’s safe to assume the cocktails will be excellent.

Location: Old Fourth Ward; 621 North Avenue NE.

Projected opening: September/October.

Golden Eagle and Muchacho

Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall owner Michael Lennox is planning two new BeltLine-adjacent ventures, and these will set up shop in the former H. Harper Station. Golden Eagle will be a full-service “workingman’s tavern in the spirit of mid-century lobby bars and American Legion halls.” Muchacho will be more casual and inspired by the West Coast, offering breakfast and lunch tacos, toasts, grain bowls, and poke bowls. Canned beer, wine, cocktails, and housemade agua fresca will be available to drink. Despite some consternation from locals, the old building will have a new look

Location: Reynoldstown; 904 Memorial Drive SE.

Projected opening: September.

Square Feet Studio

Mary Hoopa’s House of Fried Chicken & Oysters

One Eared Stag chef Robert Phalen’s new restaurant will take up residence at East Lake’s Hosea + 2nd development. The menu is still being finalized, but it will include a fried chicken sandwich with honey, pickles, cabbage, and yogurt; oysters with benne crackers; fried chicken; heritage minute chop with celery root, celery, curd, and fried eggs; and Sapelo Island clams with pork belly, tofu, kimchi, green onion, greenwave mustard greens, and broth.

Location: East Lake; 2371 Hosea L. Williams Drive NE.

Projected opening: September.

Molly B’s Kitchen

Named for Falcons and United owner Arthur Blank’s mother, Molly B’s is Concentrics Restaurants’s full-service project inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Chef Michael Bertozzi of Two Urban Licks created the menu, taking inspiration from some of Molly Blank’s recipes. The location can’t be topped, as it offers full-service dining with wide-open views of the playing field. Atlantans who aren’t sports fans will be happy to hear Molly B’s plans to open for regular dining hours, even on non-game days.

Location: Downtown; 1414 Andrew Young International Boulevard NW.

Projected opening: August 26.

The Mourning Dove

Revelator Coffee Company, which recently purchased local favorite Octane, has now taken over Corso Coffee at the Shops Buckhead Atlanta development. The Birmingham-based company is partnering with local pastry chef Andrea Kirshtein, formerly of Empire State South, on a new, standalone venture. Details are still in the works, but The Mourning Dove will offer Revelator coffee, alcoholic beverages, and “a really strong food program,” according to president Josh Owen.

Location: Buckhead; 3065 Peachtree Road NE, #210.

Projected opening: October.

New Realm Brewing

Mitch Steele, who spent a decade as brewmaster at celebrated California outfit Stone Brewing, is opening a craft beer destination along the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. New Realm will produce IPAs, lagers, and barrel-aged brews, and the space will showcase a BeltLine-adjacent beer garden and rooftop bar. The venue will also operate as a full-service restaurant, though menu details have not been released.

Location: Poncey-Highland; 820 Ralph McGill Boulevard NE.

Projected opening: November.

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Noona

Michael Lo and chef George Yu, the duo behind Taiyo Ramen, Suzy Siu’s Baos, and Double Dragon are opening a Korean steakhouse in downtown Duluth’s forthcoming Parsons Alley development. Noona, which translates to “big sister” in Korean (both Lo and Yu have big sisters), will focus on grilled meats, grilled and raw seafood, and seasonal produce. At the bar, look for local beers and Asian spirits such as Japanese whiskey, Korean soju, and makgeolli.

Location: Duluth; 3550 West Lawrenceville Street.

Projected opening: November.

Stats Brewpub

The Downtown sports bar staple is evolving and will serve house-brewed beer. A brewery is being installed in Stats’s lower-level events space, and once it’s up and running, it will host tastings, private parties, and beer dinners. Stats Brewpub will offer six taps for in-house brews, but it will continue to an expansive list of outside options. Austin Edwards, who has spent time as a cellarman at Alpharetta’s Jekyll Brewing, is on board as brewmaster.

Location: Downtown; 300 Marietta Street NW.

Projected opening: October.

• All Eater Tracking [EATL]