Each week, Punk Foodie highlights eight Atlanta pop-ups worth catching before they disappear, helping readers find the city’s most interesting chef-driven dining concepts, food trucks, supper clubs and limited-time food events.
Why? The independent chef scene often reveals how immigrant traditions, first-generation entrepreneurship and local ingredients are merging into a new Southern food identity. Atlanta offers a unique laboratory where chefs test ideas to determine if temporary kitchens can transform into revolutionary restaurants.
Credit: Frekan Kwizin
Credit: Frekan Kwizin
Haitian fusion from Frekan Kwizin
Who: Frekan Kwizin (@frekanatl) from Emerson Belizaire.
When/Where: Sceptre Brewing Arts (@sceptrebeer). 630 E. Lake Drive, Decatur. Tuesday-Friday, April 21-24, 3-9 p.m.; Saturday, April 25, noon-9 p.m.; Sunday, April 26, noon-8 p.m.
Why Go: Emerson Belizaire’s Frekan Kwizin blends authentic Haitian ingredients, marinades and cooking techniques with globally inspired street food (think jerk-flavored burgers). The pop-up menu offers creative street food inspired by Haitian recipes passed down through generations of Belizaire’s family, and the dishes served in his mother’s former Haitian New York restaurant.
What to Get: The rude stack with double smash patties, a crispy cheese crust, caramelized peppers and onions, melted cheese and signature rude sauce on fried plantain buns; and the Frekandilla, jerk-style grilled quesadilla loaded with melted cheese, caramelized peppers and onions, a protein and finished with the signature avocado crema sauce.
Elsewhere on the menu, find the djon djon fried rice with savory Haitian black mushroom rice, stir-fried with peppers, onions and teriyaki sauce, your choice of protein and rude sauce.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Lebanese and global flavors from Habibi’s
Who: Habibi’s (@habibisatl) from Fadi Alkaasamani.
When/Where: Friday, April 24, 12-5 p.m. Chow a la Carte (@chow_a_la_carte). 2440 Piedmont Road NE, Buckhead.
Sunday, April 26, 1 p.m. until sold out. Little Cottage Brewery (@littlecottagebrewery). 120 Olive St., Avondale Estates.
Why Go: Fadi Alkaasamani’s food has Lebanese roots with global flavors. He was born to a Lebanese father and Russian mother in St. Petersburg, Russia, and grew up in Lebanon. He started helping in kitchens at age 13, trained in Lebanon and Switzerland, gained high-level experience working at the Old Edwards Inn & Spa in North Carolina and various restaurant groups across Georgia. Alkaasamani uses his classical culinary training and experience to elevate the traditional Lebanese and Middle Eastern dishes he grew up with. I wouldn’t be surprised if Habibi’s followed a path similar to Secret Pint (now Misfitsss), Soupbelly, Smiley’s Burger Club and Mother’s Best: pop-ups that built early momentum before becoming pop-up mainstays or transitioning to brick-and-mortar restaurants.
What to Get: the pork ribs, which are braised then fried and glazed with pomegranate molasses and zaatar, served with pickled onions or the charred cauliflower, served with herb yogurt, slivered almonds, fried onions and pickled onions.
Also on the menu are chicken croquettes made with a creamy truffled center, served with harissa yogurt; grilled chicken served with Swiss butter sauce and french fries; chicken tawouk skewers served with batata harra, pickles, pita and toum and more. Punk foodie tip: Ask for the off-menu or “secret” dishes that Alkaasamani tests in limited quantities.
Credit: Morgan Perkins
Credit: Morgan Perkins
French American bakery-forward bites from Galette
Who: Galette (@galetteatl) from Ashley Thomas and El Westover.
When/Where: Friday, April 24, 5:30-8 p.m. Galette, 110 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates.
Why Go: Thomas and Morgan Perkins founded Galette as a daytime bakery. However, once a month, they host Le Soir, a night pop-up showcasing lead baker El Westover’s creative talent. You may have enjoyed Westover’s work at Kimball House, Golden Eagle and Atmosphere in the past. Compared to the regular daily menu, the pop-up menu offers more dinner items, which can be combined to create an entire meal.
What to Get: The pimento cheese and bacon jam profiterole is the signature Le Soir item and includes house-made pimento cheese and house-made bacon jam featuring Pine Street Market bacon. Make it vegetarian by requesting caramelized onions instead of bacon jam.
Some of what else is on offer: salad with greens and local strawberries, a duck rillette with crostini and cherry mostarda, ricotta dip with green garlic pesto and baguette, deviled ham tea sandwiches with milk bread and pickles, and chocolate hazelnut mille-feuille.
Credit: Claire Li
Credit: Claire Li
Chinese street food from Ronlaire
Who: Ronlaire (@ronlaire) from Claire Li.
When/Where: Sundays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Avondale Estates Farmers Market (@aefarmersmarket). 64 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates.
Why Go: Claire Li’s Ronlaire tweaks Chinese street food by focusing on texture and the eating experience. Born in Guiyang, China, Li keeps the formats traditional with baos, shumai and potstickers, but aims to make each bite more satisfying, with juicier fillings and unique flavor combinations like Sichuan mala within a jumbo shumai.
What to Get: One of the steamed baos: Hong Kong-style char siu bao with Cantonese-style barbecue pork filling; green onion pork bao and vegan tofu bao made with tofu, carrot, bell pepper and cabbage.
Also on the menu: chicken potstickers served with garlic soy sauce and shumai made with classic pork, pork and shrimp or spicy Sichuan mala beef.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Indo-Korean pop-up from Dhaba BBQ
Who: Dhaba BBQ (@thedhababbq) from Jay Patel
When/Where: Sunday, April 26, 6-8 p.m. Minhwa Spirits (@minhwaspirits). 2421 Van Fleet Circle, Doraville.
Why Go: Dhaba BBQ’s Jay Patel, a self-taught pitmaster and former vegetarian, was raised in a Gujarati vegetarian household. He taught himself the craft of barbecue, applying Texas techniques to flavors he grew up with. Now, Patel is building a supper club series in partnership with Minhwa Spirits. The series is a ticketed event focusing on elevated Indo-Korean dining with drink pairings from Minhwa Spirits.
What to Get: The set menu will feature lemon-pepper Chilean sea bass as well as the debut of five new dishes: ube chaat puri, tikka soy pork tostada, gochujang garlic oxtails, gulab jamun cheesecake and ghee-roasted bananas.
Korean-ish fare from Smoking Tiger Club
Who: Smoking Tiger Club (@smokingtiger.club) from Steph Watson.
When/Where: Sunday-Monday, April 26-27, 6:30-9 p.m. Private residence (revealed with ticket purchase), Midtown.
Why Go: Steph Watson’s “Korean-ish” Seoul Chikin was a pop-up scene regular during the pandemic. Her new Smoking Tiger Club supper club is a casual, no-frills evening held in her home, offering “playful, nostalgic Korean-ish dishes shaped by memory, curiosity and fun twists.”
What to Get: The set menu includes galbi-jjim mandu (dumplings) with corn tofu cream and date tamarind chutney; duck tteok kkochi (skewers) with smoked duck and rice cake skewers, strawberry gochujang and collard kimchi; trout and kelp cake (eomuk) po-boy with a buttered milk bun, black garlic and kimchi remoulade; honeydew melon sorbet and Sugar + Air’s corn brulee.
A welcome drink will be provided, sponsored by Minhwa Spirits. The event is also BYOB.
Credit: Vince Pellegri
Credit: Vince Pellegri
Italian American pop-up from Vinny’s
Who: Vinny’s (@vinnys_mutualaidbakery) from Vince Pellegri.
When/Where: Monday, April 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Ollie’s Market & Deli (@olliesmarketatl). 891 Cherokee Ave. SE, Grant Park.
Why Go: Vinny’s is a queer-owned pop-up from Vince Pellegri centered on community support, Georgia produce and Italian cooking. A self-taught baker, Vinny grew up on his family farm in Northern California. After moving to Atlanta in 2019 and diving into the food scene, Vince was inspired by the chefs and bakers who used local Georgia produce in their menus. Pellegri’s menus are simple with an intentionally seasonal approach, like cannoli and lasagna with seasonal fillings and sourdough focaccia with seasonal toppings. Ten percent of the proceeds from this pop-up will benefit Second Helpings Atlanta.
What to Get:
A slice of seasonal mushroom lasagna with green garlic and basil dough, blue oyster and shiitake mushroom bolognese, bechamel and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Also on the menu are sourdough focaccia, seasonal salad and a dessert. Order ahead to ensure you get what you want.
On Our Radar:
- April 25: Garden Harvest and Chef Demo with Talat Market’s Parnass Savang at Ramsden Lake in Stone Mountain
- April 25: Global Grower’s A Meaningful Feast
- April 26: 5-course dinner series in the Vinyl Room at Marcus Bar & Grille with chef Demetrius Brown
- May 3: Soba noodle workshop with Kiyoka Nishikawa of Cheffrey’s Kitchen and Brad Swancy of Artisan Milling Company
Know a pop-up we should check out? Punk Foodie is always looking for chefs and pop-ups shaping Atlanta’s underground food scene. If there’s a pop-up you love — or if you’re a chef running one — send us a tip. Email a.big.fan@punkfoodie.com or message @punkfoodie.atl on Instagram.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article included a pop-up from Keenan’s Pit Bar-B-Que, which has since been canceled.
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