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One of Atlanta’s Most Popular Ethiopian Restaurants Opens on Marietta Boulevard

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen is now open at Westside Village. Plus, Graffiti Breakfast is closing at Chattahoochee Food Works and takeout kitchen Daily Chew now features a dining room

Goden tibs with prime short ribs.
Goden tibs with prime short ribs.
Desta Ethiopian Kitchen

A third location of Desta Ethiopian Kitchen is now open at Westside Village on the edge of the Bolton neighborhood. Desta, which is known for its tibs platters, fish dulet, vegetarian specialities like shiro fir fir (stewed chickpeas), and sambusas stuffed with beef or lentils, opened in early December at the Marietta Boulevard complex.

Owners Ash Nega and Titi Demissie, who were both born and raised in Ethiopia, first opened Desta in 2006 along Briarcliff Road. Since its opening, Nega and Demissie have turned Desta into one of Atlanta’s premier Ethiopian restaurants, landing it on several “best of” lists over the years. The couple opened a second location nearby at Emory Point in 2018, across from the CDC. However, Desta’s website currently lists that location as temporarily closed.

Desta joins recently opened restaurants the Woodall, from the team behind Marlow’s Tavern, and Vietnamese restaurant and bakery Juniper Cafe, owned by Lazy Betty chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips, at Westside Village. [IG]

Graffiti Breakfast closes January 7 at Chattahoochee Food Works because the stall is moving

Chef Marcus James Waller and Tonya Waller announced on Instagram the closure of their southern-soul food stall Graffiti Breakfast on Friday, January 7. The stall first opened inside the Underwood Hills food hall back in May 2021. But the Wallers plan to continue offering catering and tell Eater they are moving Graffiti Breakfast to a new location and to stay tuned for more details soon. [IG]

Piedmont Heights takeout window Daily Chew opens for indoor seating

Newly opened walk-up window Daily Chew on Liddell Drive in Piedmont Heights will soon include a counter-service cafe and seating inside. Beginning on January 11 (and dubbed “behind the window”,) the counter will offer Daily Chew’s full food and coffee menu as well as provisions from chef and owner Julia Kesler Imerman’s prepared foods business Stop Think Chew. Open Wednesday through Sunday, the takeout window and cafe serves coffee and light breakfast in the mornings, with rotisserie chicken pita wraps and bowls in the afternoons. Imerman opens all-day cafe Brash Kitchen later this year at the Works with Brash Coffee owner Chris McLeod. [IG]

Castleberry Hill gains a new coffee shop eventually serving cocktails, too

There’s a new coffee shop in Castleberry Hill. Located on Walker Street, Black Coffee ATL opened December 29 serving coffee, coffee and tea drinks, and pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Heartier sandwiches, fresh juices, and coffee cocktails are eventually planned for the menu in the coming weeks. Currently open for takeout only. [IG]

Big Dave’s will be whipping up cheesesteaks in Jonesboro soon

Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks owner Derrick Hayes plans to open a third location in Jonesboro. Hayes announced the latest Big Dave’s shop on Instagram. Locations are currently open in downtown Atlanta and in Doraville. Hayes also co-owns vegan takeout spot Dinkie’s with Slutty Vegan founder Aisha “Pinky” Cole inside her Ponce City Market restaurant Bar Vegan. [IG]

Ponce City Market

675 North Avenue Northeast, , GA 30308 (404) 900-7900 Visit Website

Chattahoochee Food Works

1235 Chattahoochee Avenue Northwest, , GA 30318 Visit Website

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen

3086 Briarcliff Road Northeast, , GA 30329 (404) 929-0011 Visit Website

Bar Vegan

675 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30308 (404) 600-6122 Visit Website

BRASH Coffee

1168 Howell Mill Road, , GA 30318 (404) 829-4389 Visit Website

Lazy Betty

1530 DeKalb Avenue Northeast, , GA 30307 (404) 975-3692 Visit Website

the Woodall

2260 Marietta Boulevard Northwest, , GA 30318 (404) 343-4424 Visit Website

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