Decatur restaurant mainstay, Cakes & Ale, is shifting the focus of its secondary neighboring space next to its flagship location from a bakery to a cafe, which also will serve wine and small plates in the evening.

Co-owner Kristin Allin explained to us this afternoon that with the majority of the Cakes & Ale bakery team moving from Decatur to the forthcoming “Bread & Butterfly” location in Inman Park, the Allins “felt this was a great opportunity to expand the wine & beverage services we can offer our guests”.

Allin continued, “The cafe will still offer pastries and coffee/espresso bar during the day but will expand at night to a wine and small plate bar.  Lunch will move into the Cakes and Ale restaurant side next week to allow us to expand our lunch service.”

As for the “wine shop” that was originally rumored, Allin says while they have a retail wine license, they are selling retail wine only by request at this time.

Photo courtesy of Cakes & Ale website

Maker Faire Atlanta in Decatur this weekend!  Iman writes in…

With inventors of all types descending on downtown Decatur this coming weekend, Maker Faire Atlanta will bring 20,000 visitors and “makers” from across the country.  The local Decatur Makers will have a prominent presence with several booths to showcase a flaming Ruben’s Tube, a human foosball table, a wood craft for kids as well as two cars in the Power Racing Series.

 

To coincide with this maker paradise, Decatur Makers has launched a Kickstarter campaign that’s brought in over $5,600 in their first two days.  That’s 37% of their $15K goal which will fund workshop construction and additional equipment to aim for a Fall opening.  Lew Lefton, executive director of Decatur Makers, says their space is 80% complete and the Kickstarter is needed to carry them the final mile.

 

“There’s no better time for a Kickstarter campaign,” says Lefton.  “We’ve just completed a successful initial fundraising effort that enabled us to repair and renovate our space.  And this weekend is an excellent opportunity to introduce Atlanta’s first all-ages makerspace to a broad cross-section of experienced and novice makers.”

For more info, go to Kickstarter.com/DecaturMakers.

To volunteer at Decatur Makers’ booths at Maker Faire Atlanta, sign up at DecaturMakers.org.

Interesting article up on the AJC.  Here’s how it gets started…

Some neighborhoods in unincorporated DeKalb County near Emory University are unlikely to be annexed by the city of Atlanta, said county schools superintendent Michael Thurmond.

Fielding questions after giving a speech about the state of the school system Tuesday, Thurmond told a crowd at Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston that he’d inquired about the annexation interest of the Druid Hills Civic Association.

Peter sent in this picture and notes that Wahoo! restaurant is announcing (via window signs) that they will be opening a “Wine and Provisions” shop in the old Ink & Dagger Tattoo Parlor next door.

No further details out there yet, but we’re going to hunt around and see what we can find out.

• Small homes are the next big thing [Atlanta Magazine]
• Atlanta’s Second Self Beer releases four flagship brews [ABC]
• Place on Ponce has leased 5 of 27 units already [Decaturish]
• October bike rides in Decatur [Be Active Decatur]
• The uncertain future of the old Atlanta Prison Farm [CL]
• Poem: November Night by Adelaide Crapsey [Poetry Foundation]
• I Miss Kentucky Always – wonderful photos, reflections [The Bitter Southerner]

Photo courtesy UGArdener via Flickr