Over at The Decatur Minute, Cheryl reports one of Fox’s newest series, Past Life, will be filming in Decatur and Atlanta for the next eight months (!) before premiering the network next February.

From what I can tell there are no zombies associated with this show, though the premise seems just as out-there as Woody Harrelson going on a zombie-killing rampage.  Something about reincarnation and solving crimes.

That’s the bad news.  The good news is that it’s got Toby from West Wing!

Here, just watch the promo…

5th Earl Market co-owner David Bressler tells DM that the market/sandwich shop still has plans of reopening after a fire destroyed the shop earlier this year.  The open question right now is whether they will reopen in the same location or move to a new space.  It sounds like it all hinges on how quickly the current property can be rebuilt.

Couple these David statements with those made by his partner, Brian, posted July 1st on a neighborhood message board (forwarded by Winnona Park Stud) and you get a pretty decent picture of 5th Earl’s current issues and plans for the future.

We are trying to rebuild unfortunately it has been one headache after another. We are hoping they will get construction going soon. We are still waiting on plans to be finalized for the rebuild and plans still have to be submitted to the city for approval.

However, we are doing well, doing lots of research and planning for the future. David and I just returned from Spain. We literally ate our way through San Sebastian and Madrid. I am going through pictures this morning and will try and have a link up sometime soon. Thanks for thinking about us and we hope to serve you soon.

Feast is celebrating its fourth birthday tonight with live music from the Mike Zimmerman Trio and a coupon for a complementary glass of wine and chef-chosen appetizer. More details here!

Hattip to Leoghann (via Twitter), who also reports that the secret password “Moon Walk” will get you 20% off.

Happy Birthday Feast!

I can’t say that I’ve “eaten my way around Atlanta”.  Heck, I can’t even say that I’ve “eaten my way around Decatur”, what with my penchant for frugality and my fine-I’ll-do-it-myself desire to bake my own bread.  But I do eat my fair share of sandwiches.

And with that pointless background, I give you the backstory.  This weekend, for the first time in a few months, my wife and I journeyed to Alon’s (Morningside, not Perimeter) for a sandwich and a fashionable, carbonated beverage (btw, they sell Coke made with sugar there!).  And while I’ve always enjoyed Alon’s sandwiches, this particular one was noticeably lacking.  The roast beef was minimal, fatty, and as rare as a budget deficit.

Having lived within walking distance of this Alon’s for an entire year prior to my Decatur indoctrination, I know they can do better.  But this latest disappointing effort got me comparing this Alon’s sandwich to the many consistently excellent Sawicki’s sandwiches I’ve enjoyed recently; the roast beef, the shrimp po-boy, the turkey with avocado.

And I wondered, where can one purchase the best sandwich in Atlanta?

An elusive question no doubt.  Eliminating every place that doesn’t use freshly baked bread is probably a good start.  Within Decatur, I’ve eaten my personal favorites at Sawicki’s and Duck’s.  But how do these two places stack-up to the rest of Atlanta?

In light of 11 year-old Sydney Rhame’s recent effort to claim the top prize in Kudzu’s “Amazing Kids” contest, Betsy writes in to let us know about Girls Rock Camp ATL, a start-up non-profit founded by “long-time Decaturites” that assists young girls in starting bands and creating original music.  It’s also where Sydney’s band “The Lock Outs” got their start last year, and according to Betsy, they’ll be returning this year.

Major supporters of the Atlanta branch include the Indigo Girls and Sugarland, along with Atlanta merchants like the Brick Store, Noodle, Criminal Records and Highland Bakery.

What can you do to support them?  Help them perform to a sold-out audience at Variety Playhouse.  Betsy continues…

Girls’ Rock Camp (ATL) will rock Atlanta with new talent during its second annual Camper Showcase held at 7:30 p.m., July 25, 2009 at The Variety Playhouse. The showcase culminates a five-day camp during which a diverse group of 40 girls, ages 10-16 form bands, learn to play instruments, write original songs and rehearse for their public debut.

Tickets are only $12 and can be purchased on Variety’s website.

And if you can’t make the showcase, you can also donate old gear, time or money to the cause according to the website.