Dunwoody Gains an Italian Restaurant and Neapolitan Pizzeria From a Prolific Atlanta Restaurateur

Italian restaurant and Neapolitan pizzeria Grana is now open at the Ashford Lane development in Dunwoody. It becomes the second location for the restaurant, which first opened on Piedmont Avenue in Piedmont Heights three years ago.

Own by Atlanta chef Pat Pascarella, Grana features a menu of wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, handmade pastas for which Pascarella is known, entrees like roasted chicken and whole branzino, and a section dedicated to meatballs. There’s even an option to order a meatball tasting and to build your own cannoli for dessert. Food is meant to be shared family-style, with many recipes inspired by Pascarella’s family. Look for classic cocktails, Italian wines, and beer from the bar.

In addition to its sunny patio and outdoor counter seating facing the bar inside, Grana also features a takeout window for frozen drinks, a private events space, and catering services. Pascarella hopes to begin hosting ticketed classes soon on pasta and pizza making, cocktails, and butchery.

Pascarella has become a prolific restaurateur since opening the White Bull in Decatur over five years ago. The chef then went on to open Grana in 2020, followed by Italian restaurant and mozzarella bar Bastone last year in the former Bocado space on Howell Mill Road, and Italian seafood restaurant and oyster bar Alici at Midtown Promenade in January. And Pascarella isn’t finished opening new restaurants around Atlanta. A third location of Grana will open in Roswell at the Southern Post development by the end of the 2023. It’s slated to be the largest location of the restaurant yet at 275 seats with an expansive bar and covered patio.

Grana

Grana joins locations of Hawkers Asian Street Food, Paris Baguette, Hobnob, Sweetgreen, Brown Bag Seafood, Superica, Nawabi Hyderabad House, and Jeni’s Ice Creams already open at Ashford Lane. Omakase by Yun and Culinary Dropout should open in the coming months.

This summer saw the sudden closure of short-lived food hall the Hall at Ashford Lane at the complex. The Hall at Ashford Lane opened at the end of May, only to close less than two months later under somewhat dubious circumstances. Former employees accused food hall owner Jamal Malek Wilson of not paying wages owed them and hiring undocumented workers to keep the business afloat prior to closing. Wilson claims to have paid all of the Hall’s employees. Representatives from Ashford Lane had no comment on the closure when reached by Eater in July.

1210 Ashford Crossing, Dunwoody. granaatl.com.

Open Sunday - Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.