An Atlanta Restaurateur Is Bringing Mediterranean Beach Vibes and Street Food to Alpharetta

Atlanta restaurateur Tal Baum (Aziza, Atrium, Falafel Nation, Bellina Alimentari) is bringing a second location of her Tel Aviv-style street food restaurant Rina to Avalon in Alpharetta this summer. The restaurant takes over the former Goldbergs Bagel space at the complex.

Baum opened Rina three years ago at the Ford Factory Lofts along the Eastside Beltline trail on Ponce De Leon Avenue in Atlanta serving a menu of mezze, hummus, pita sandwiches, falafel, and kebabs paired with frozen cocktails and boozy milkshakes. The opening in Alpharetta not only marks an expansion of Rina, but the first restaurant Baum has opened outside the city of Atlanta.

Rina is named for Baum’s grandmother, the person she credits for her passion for cooking. She’s also the inspiration behind the design and menu for Rina, with food taking cues from family recipes and childhood favorites Baum enjoyed at beach cafes and street vendors in Tel Aviv. The falafel recipe is based on those served at a food stand the family owned back in Israel during the 1950s.

The design for Rina in Alpharetta will lean into a Mediterranean color palette of blues and crisp whites, with ceiling flags and fresh plants throughout the dining room and bar. Glass doors will roll open to offer an indoor/outdoor vibe during the warmer months. As in Atlanta, a to-go window is planned serving the full food menu and cocktails.

Rina won’t be the last restaurant Baum opens in 2023. Carmel, a restaurant centered on coastal cuisine and wood-fired dishes, opens at Buckhead Village later this spring.

Rina

Rina

Future hours in Alpharetta: Sunday - Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday - Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

3180 Avalon Boulevard, Alpharetta. rinakitchen.com.