John Kessler reports that The German Bakery, which sits floating in a sea of strip malls on a small side-street off Lawrenceville Highway up by the Home Depot, is closing its doors forever tomorrow after 48 years in business.

And judging by Kessler’s conversation with the owner, it doesn’t sound like a voluntary retirement…

“I hate to be leaving, but there’s really not much I can do,” said owner Gary Welshons, when reached by telephone. “It’s been a rough couple of years.”

Atlanta food maven, John Kessler, doesn’t have time to mince words…

J. Christopher’s in Decatur fails health inspection. “Employees seen washing hands with gloves on.”

It looks like the restaurant scored a failing grade of 62 during a December 14th inspection.

What happens now?  From the full report…

Voluntary Closure: A food service establishment that is graded as a “U” and does not earn at least a grade “C” within ten days of receiving the “U” will be requested to volunarily close untill all violations are corrected and/or have enforcement action taken to suspend or revoke the food service permit.

Though his assessment is based only on one takeout container, AJC food critic John Kessler echos a couple recent comments here calling Community Q BBQ “some of the best barbecue I’ve eaten in Atlanta.”

And lucky for Decaturites, it’s just a quick ride up Clairemont to Clairmont in the former Epicurian catering space!

The once starving (and now stuffed) once-again AJC food critic, John Kessler, recently invited me on a journey north of our cherished Decaturland to check out the Crawfish Shack Seafood up on Buford Highway.

Not that my opinion means much, but I must say that I wholeheartedly agree with Kessler’s rave review this morning.  I can’t say I’ve ever had such fresh, delicious shack-style seafood at a modest price anywhere on the Georgia Piedmont.

Who knew that the Atlanta spot that would most remind me of the clam shacks of my Northern youth would be tucked into a strip mall on Buford Highway?  (…other than the most-excellent EatBufordHighway blog of course.)

But please don’t take my unaccredited word for it. To see what we ordered – and unceremoniously “snarfed” – check out Kessler’s review HERE.  Thanks again for the fish revelation John!

When I first started reading John Kessler’s report from Billy Allin’s Cakes and Ale backyard garden, it sounded like he was being one those nosy Decatur neighbors, just wandering into people’s backyards unannounced…

Billy and Kristin Allin’s home seems like any other on its Decatur street — quaint and well-tended, with a mini patch of green lawn and neighboring houses crowding either side.

The backyard is another story. A patio, a sloping yard, a wooded backdrop and — hello — a path.

The path leads through a thicket of tall trees, meanders past a jungle gym and arrives at a sudden, sunny clearing. At the entrance, a hand-painted sign hanging from a trellis announces the “Cakes & Ale Garden.”

Umm, John?  I think that’s called trespassing.

Happily it turns out my fears of food-writers-gone-wild were unfounded.  Kessler does eventually relay some quotes from the Cakes and Ale chef himself (assumedly not given under duress).

Regardless of how the story was obtained, it’s a good piece and worth a glance by backyard gardeners, neighbors and Cakes and Ale fans alike.

In this morning’s AJC, fellow Decatur resident and recent not-just-a-food-writer, John Kessler, sits down with Paste’s editor Josh Jackson for an in-depth look at the “Save Paste” campaign.

In the article, Kessler discusses Paste’s long-standing mission, the not quite success of the Pay-What-You-Want campaign, their ties to Decatur, and throws out a few key numbers:

• 1 million uniques a month for PasteMagazine.com:

• 205,000 people subscribe to the print version of Paste

• The company has raised $240,000 of $300,000 needed to stay afloat

Kessler even gets some response from the Atlanta music community on Paste’s move to ask for money: Stomp and Stammer’s publisher is opposed (saying the effort “comprises you what you do”), while the owner of Criminal Records supports it.

Here in Decatur, we’ve been around this block before.  First it was Wordsmiths Books that asked for donations to stay afloat (though ultimately folded) and now Paste.  And though editor Nick Purdy informed me that Wordsmiths’ decision didn’t influence Paste’s fundraising idea, it seems more than mere coincidence that this idea is only being pursued here.

Why?  It might just be that community effectively blurs the idea of “charity” and removes it from it’s black-and-white context in the stark global economy.  As Wendell Berry wrote in 2001,

In a viable neighborhood, neighbors ask themselves what they can do or provide for one another, and they find answers that they and their place can afford. This, and nothing else, is the practice of neighborhood. This practice must be, in part, charitable, but it must also be economic, and the economic part must be equitable; there is a significant charity in just prices.

Good luck fellas.  In addition to much the music world, Decatur is behind you.

In a stunning reversal from earlier this week, the AJC announced yesterday that former food writer John Kessler has been allowed to return to the dinner table.

The startling about-face by the Atlanta daily from its earlier hardline that Kessler would no longer be allowed to consume any food henceforth, apparently had something to do with top brass at the paper not knowing the full details of Kessler’s new “assignment.”

The break down in communication came to a head on Thursday morning, when an unnamed AJC exec came upon Kessler in a hallway at the paper’s Marietta St. headquarters, already ghostly thin and scribbling on a napkin about the “subtle undertones” of a half eaten Lenders bagel that he had apparently pilfered from someone’s desk.

“I hadn’t heard of John’s newest assignment”, said the exec who’s name I’ve conveniently forgotten, “and when I saw him writing that stale bagel review from a fetal position my heart just melted.  I marched straight to the newsroom and demanded some answers.  When all I encountered was finger-pointing and something about a new “reality” column under that adorable weather report, I put the kibosh on it.”

With the surprising change of fortune, Kessler is back on the food-beat.  There are already reports this morning that he’s shaved the body-length beard he had grown and was again fitting snugly into his favorite polo shirts.

Asked if his experiences over the past week would influence his future writing, John replied, “I realized that I never really appreciated the fine art of cold, stale foods.  I think its uncharted territory.  Its a medium I hope to fully explore in the weeks ahead.  I already have a brain-full of ideas for articles on things like Chef Boyardee straight from the can, the complex aging process of a Hot Pocket, and the chocolicious flavors imparted to a piece of Hostess Cupcake chipboard.”

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The real story of the AJC’s reversal can be found here.

Thanks to Andisheh and Carl for pointing out John’s Facebook update.

Thoughtfully opinionated journalists and bloggers everywhere continue to scowl and salivate over their keyboards with news from the “fallout” of what’s become known among journalistic inner circles as “The AJC’s List of the Damned 74.”

The list was leaked earlier this week by a recent journalist turned blogger, and since then everyone who thinks they have a voice online is pissed about something.  Art critics gone.  Beat reporters reassigned to cover baby panda chewing.  Caged monkeys forced to write fake classified ads to fill space and save face.  Talk of moving the AJC back to its old abandoned location/eye sore, which once every couple years spontaneously bursts into flames.

And now this morning, the shocking news no one ever even dreamed of getting the opportunity to post/tweet outrage about:

The AJC has instructed food writer John Kessler to stop eating.

In a suspicious “leaked” note, the AJC writes “To Whom It May Concern, Food Writer John Kessler is no longer allowed to consume food or drink.  If you see Kessler eating ANYTHING or he asks you for food, please call the AJC’s “John Kessler is Eating Again” Hotline at 1-866-THIN-JOHN.  He knows what he did.  Sincerely, The AJC”

Already the sphere of blogs and tweets are puking up posts about the move, calling it “remarkably stupid” and “gut-kicking“.  “Doesn’t the AJC realize that humans need to eat to live?!” wrote one angry, yet still curiously alt & hip writer from Creative Loafing.  “If Kessler doesn’t eat, he will most likely die!”

Faced with these accusations, the AJC responded with the same five words that ended their first letter, “He knows what he did.”

As for Kessler himself, no one has seen or heard from him since word got out yesterday.  There were reports he was seen trolling Broad Street during lunch time Tuesday, but was chased off by a flock of angry, one-eyed pigeons. Others say he’s appealing to Facebook friends to send him flat foods like pita bread and Fruit Roll-Ups via his mandated, daily hardcopy of the AJC.

Only time will tell whether Kessler can survive this forced fast.  But don’t fret gentle readers.  You can be sure that both citizen and qualified opinionators alike will keep you abreast of Kessler’s future movements and impending weight-loss.  Even the AJC is getting into the act.  The paper has promised a new reoccuring front page feature, directly below the maddeningly cute 4-word front-page weather forcast called:

“Food No More with John Kessler”

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OK, I’ve had my fun for the morning.

But seriously, the AJC has taken Kessler off of food writing and moved him to “Sunday personality profiles.”  How Kessler feels about the move is still unknown, beyond the “Yowza” he reportedly wrote on his Facebook page.   (Seriously, I’m not making that up)

In my opinion, Kessler is one of the paper’s best writers, and THE best blog writer they have.  He gets the medium better than most at Marietta St.  Hopefully this new gig will open new creative doors for him and bring his witty, smart writing to an even larger audience.  Best to ya John.

Decaturite and AJC food critic John Kessler writes the sordid and complex history of Thumbs Up and Crescent Moon…and Thumbs Up restaurant over in Access Atlanta this morning.

Not that you need reminding, but when Crescent Moon blew up last year, DM inadvertantly became a clearinghouse of info and debate, thanks to frequent postings by wait staff like Looney Mooney and MyFavoriteWaitress, who eventually went on strike.  Hope they are much happier today!

The AJC’s John Kessler gives a little front page love to three Atlanta food bloggers in today’s Food & Drink section.  Imagine my surprise when I read that one of them is a “Decaturite”!

Tami Hardeman’s “Running With Tweezers” food blog is a revelation.  Her writing style is smooth and conversational and each recipe sounds easy and delicious.   Oh and the photos…

Not that I should be all that surprised by this.  Hardeman is a blog veteran.  She’s been writing Running With Tweezers since October 2005 and has since also started writing for Atlanta Cuisine.  She’s the real deal.

And she’s from the neighborhood!  So click on over and blog local!

h/t: Blissful Glutton