Plaza Fiesta, BrookhavenGA (pic courtesy of Al)

A new Q&A on Atlanta Magazine’s Covered Dish blog gives us the most information to-date about Makan, the Asian comfort food restaurant opening in the Courtyard by Marriott – including an opening date!  Wednesday, July 23rd.  Here’s the intro.  Click over to Atlanta Mag for more detail on the concept, the menu, the space, the bar list, etc.

Come mid-July, Atlantans will be able to order Asian street food in Decatur with the opening of Makan in the Courtyard Marriott at 130 Clairemont Avenue. Executive chef George Yu, formerly of Ecco, says he’ll serve small plates, noodle bowls, and family-style meals for lunch and dinner—and likely late night.

Yu and his business partner Michael Lo have been connecting with local farmers and purveyors to source ingredients, as well as doing test runs at a series of pop-ups at Parker’s on Ponce. “It’s been great. We’ve sold out every one,” Yu says.

We spoke with the duo about their menu and their bar program.

At our request, Decatur Police recently provided stats on bike theft over the past few years and a few items of interest standout.

First, bike theft is up a bit in 2014.  We’re only in July and there have already been 15 bikes stolen, which is already approaching the yearly figure over the past 4 years.

• 2013 = 19
• 2012 = 19
• 2011 = 15
• 2010 = 18

That’s reason enough to be a little more vigilant of your two-wheeled transport.  But there’s another element to this type of crime that may be of interest to you.

It’s likely that the time you’re most likely thinking about someone making off with your bike is when you’re securing it to a bike rack downtown.  But based on the data, that’s not actually when your bike is most likely to disappear.  Only one bike secured to a public bike rack has been reported stolen to Decatur Police since the beginning of 2013.  Your bike is actually far more likely to be taken while it sits unsecured at your residence.  Here’s a breakdown of the 2013/2014 bike theft data courtesy of Decatur Police Sgt. Jennifer Ross. As you can see below, since the start of 2013, 26% of stolen bicycles were secured, while 74% were unsecured.

2014 = 15 (so far)

• From a School = 2 secured and 1 unsecured
• From a public rack = 1 unsecured
• Taken from inside of a home during a residential burglary = 2
• Unsecured and taken from a residential porch/carport/yard/vehicle/apartment hallway = 9

2013 = 19

• From a School = 1 secured and 3 unsecured
• From a public rack = 1 secured
• Taken in a burglary = 4 from open garages or unsecured enclosed porches and 2 from locked bicycle storage unit at condo
• Unsecured and taken from a residential porch/yard/vehicle/apartment hallway = 7
• Secured and taken from a residential porch = 1

What can be done to reduce the likelihood of bike theft? Well, secure them obviously!  But there are other items.  Sgt. Ross reiterates…

This breakdown shows the majority of bicycles stolen in Decatur in the last year and a half were unsecured and stolen from the owner’s home. One of the key things we can do to prevent the theft of bicycles is secure them.  Also, in the event they are lost or stolen, it is important to have recorded the brand, model and serial number of your bicycles so they can be returned to you if located by the police.  The serial number is unique to each bicycle and located on the frame, commonly on the underside or near the seat post.  City residents can also register their bicycles with the Decatur Police Department.  An officer will record the brand, model and serial number of the bicycle, apply a small decal with a numerical identifier and take a photo.  This helps us reunite bicycles with their owners.  Bicycle registration events are held at various times and locations throughout the year and can also be organized for a neighborhood or group by contacting Sgt. Jennifer Ross at or .

Photo courtesy of Cheryl