Atlantic Station Update

The Atlantic Station logo; a worthy representation of the developement...

As much as I hate Atlantic Station I ended up being dragged there to a movie at Regal Cinemas, the one bright spot of the development. After the film I walked around a little to see what I had missed in the time since I'd last been to this sad excuse for a development, turns out a lot. Pier 1, closed as did Tahitian Noni Cafe, an eatery run by people that make exotic juice. One the bright side if you can call it that, Subway opened as well as Kilwins, a Michigan based chocolate and ice cream eatery. PJ's Coffee & Lounge has a new far more generic name "Cafe 19" while apparently being run by the same management as before. If you were already aware of these changes, consider this old news, just like Atlantic Station. Repeat Atlanta!

A New "Star" Is Born, Abattoir

Abattoir, the latest concept by the Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison will open later this year in White Provision. Originally set for an "early 09" opening, the construction has not progressed as planned and the opening may not occur till early summer. Owners of the legendary Bacchanalia, Star Provisions and Floataway Cafe among others, this is said to be the most innovative concept yet! French for slaughterhouse, Abattoir is said to be a "meat-centric" eatery, all efforts will be made to utilize all "functional pieces of an animal", yes I said ALL! Tongue and head, yes, those are functional even if dead. In true form, not to conform that is, the signage will be minimal, quite possible only one cow statue outside. Repeat Atlanta!

DeathWatch Claims First Victim - Chima Steakhouse

General manager, Amyn Bana is shown as workers pack up Wednesday afternoon

Chima Steakhouse, located on land that once housed Kudzu Cafe and most recently Boi Na Braza, has closed. Just over a year after completing an extensive remodel and a far-reaching marketing campaign, the restaurant had trouble in attracting the same clientele as neighboring Fogo de Chao. As both churrascaria's offered similar pricing and menu, it was an uphill battle from the beginning. The fact that so much money was spent in remodeling the space and advertising everywhere from MARTA buses to The Atlantan magazine made it that much more difficult to make it work. Chima was one of the original members of our "DeathWatch" and the first to close. Repeat Atlanta!

Kimpton's Hotel Palomar Atlanta Poppin Off April 29

San Francisco based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurant Group will open their sixth Hotel Palomar this April in Atlanta. Located at 866 West Peachtree Street, the hotel is within a short walk of Georgia Tech and even closer to the often frequented, Tech Square. With Hotel Paolmar and Hotel Monaco and others, Kimpton is the largest boutique hotel operator in the U.S. The exterior of the Atlanta property looks done, so it would seem all that remains is hiring additional front of house employees and training. Though the pictures provided on the site appear simulated, I think its safe to say the rooms will be modern and fun. Repeat Atlanta!

Why Would One Stay at the Wonder(less) W Buckhead?

Noble Investment Group recently opened their second W property in Atlanta, this one in Buckhead. Taking the space of what was most recently a Crowne Plaza, this W looks unique and inviting from the outside, but don't let its exterior fool you. While it may be unique, it is not unique in the way you might hope. A glance at recent reviews for the property on TripAdvisor.com show the majority of guests feel as though the hotel is first a club, and second a hotel. This string of poor reviews has led to their rating of Atlanta hotels to drop from #3 to #92 out of 209 within the past three weeks. The Intercontinental Buckhead, on the other hand, has been ranked #2 in the Atlanta area for upwards of 2 years and has close to 200 reviews versus 19 reviews in for the W Buckhead. One recent review asks "Could this be the Worst W in the world?" while others "Wanted to love it, but didn't..." or simply "Hated It". With hotels fighting for every guest and dollar possible, how long will the W Buckhead, with their mandatory $30 valet and poor service last? It is anyone's guess, but mine, well, lets just let you wonder ;) Repeat Atlanta!

Panos & Pauls Still Open In Strip Center, But For How Long?

This past January, Buckhead Life Restaurant Group announced that their namesake Panos & Pauls restaurant would close its current location. This closure would have been in the anticipation of their March opening at the St. Regis Hotel as simply Panos. However, Pano's and Paul's remains open. Panos stayed open till their second closing, Valentine's Day. The resturant was then extended to stay open until February 28. After an attempt to make a reservation for as late in the year as possible and after some playing around with some dates, it was possible to make a 7PM reservation for a party of 2 as late as August 29th using OpenTable.com.

It has been said that construction has stopped on the new location within the St. Regis, possibly pushing what was already delayed till November or even later. I'm not a marketing major, but Buckhead Life seems to be pretty darn smart in making numerous curtain calls for a restaurant so many Atlantans and especially Buckhead Beaus & Betties hold dear to their heart. Repeat Atlanta!

Have you made an attempt to experience Pano's & Pauls one last time? Maybe a first? Leave a comment about your experience!

West Midtown's 1*FIVE*0, Reinvented, Now a Studio and Events Space

With the souring economy, Lanny West (husband of WRXP's Leslie Fram) got creative and has relaunched 1*FIVE*O as a photography and events studio. As a retail concept, the idea behind the name was that all items were priced below $150. It is unclear if there will be any significance now that its a studio. A drop by the space this week showed promise as they already have numerous bookings this week and next. Repeat Atlanta!