Month: April 2017

Mezcalito’s Owners Open “Sotolero Comida Mexicana” Just North of Decatur

Tomorrow’s News Today announced back at the end of last year that Tikila’s on Clairmont Road, just north of the city limits, would soon be reopening as Sotolero Comida Mexicana.

What I didn’t notice at the time is that TNT also mentioned that Sotolero is owned by the same folks who own Mezcalito’s Cantina in Oakhurst.

It’s now been open for a few weeks, but according to a note on the Oakhurst message board, Sotolero has just received it’s liquor license.  So it may be time to check out their menu and head on up there!

Photo courtesy of Sotolero Facebook page

Free-For-All Friday 4/28/17

Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.

Zagat: Oak Brewpub and Smoke & Duck Sauce Among “Best New Restaurants in Atlanta”

It just opened a few weeks ago – and they aren’t even serving their own beers yet! –  but Oak Brewpub in Oakhurst is already garnering attention.  Zagat recently dubbed it one of the “Best New Restaurants in Atlanta”.  Here’s their blurb…

Decatur’s Oakhurst neighborhood now has a central brewpub of its own, with a handsome interior decked out in muted grays and neutrals illuminated by large windows, while the kitchen turns out modern American pub fare to complement the variety of traditional beer styles crafted in the onsite brewery.

Smoke & Duck Sauce in Suburban Plaza also made the list.  Zagat says…

With a split focus on both Southern American and East Asian traditions, this local mini-chain of barbecue restaurants finds common culinary ground with slow-smoked meats, savory sides and flavorful sauces, all in a casual counter-serve setting.

Photo courtesy of Oak Brewpub’s Facebook page

Decaturish Hosting Comedy Show at Avondale Town Cinema on May 25th That Supports CARE

From the good folks at Decaturish…

Decaturish.com is teaming up with Avondale Estates’ Towne Cinema, “Atlanta Explained” and Flying Giants to present “Folks to Give,” a charity comedy show benefiting CARE.

CARE is headquartered in Atlanta and is committed to fighting global poverty. Towne Cinema has graciously donated the space to us for the evening so that all proceeds from the event will go to CARE.

“Folks to Give” will be at 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 25. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $35 for VIP. The VIP ticket holders will get front row seats. To buy tickets, click here.

The show will feature a special edition of “Atlanta Explained,” a show that mixes news with improv comedy. There will also be sketch comedy performed by the Flying Giants comedy team.

The Flying Giants team includes our good friend Jared van Aalten who played an important role in starting Decaturish. His recent show, “The Internet is Trying to Kill You” was hilarious and played to a packed room.

Hodgson’s “Atlanta Explained” show is a unique take on how we consume news. People might remember Hodgson for his work on The Atlanta Banana, the ATL’s homegrown news parody website. The stories you’ll hear on “Atlanta Explained” are real, just funnier.

“Folks to Give” will be night of comedy that’s irreverent and timely. Please join us on May 25. It’ll be fun.

Independent Bookstore Day Is This Saturday!

From Dave at Little Shop…

Independent Bookstore Day is this Saturday, April 29th.  There will be exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day. Not before. Not after. Not online. Each participating bookstore will be offering a variety of different events. Come check us out your local bookstores including Charis Books and More, Eagle Eye Book Shop, and Little Shop of Stories!

And while you’re in the indie spirit, follow our friends at Decatur-based Indie Bookstore Tour on Instagram!

Disclosure: Little Shop of Stories is a long-time DM sponsor 

77 Acre Children’s Home Property Sale Agreement Signed

From the City of Decatur…

On April 25, 2017, City of Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, the UMCH President and CEO, Rev. Hal Jones, and Debby Stikes, Chair of the UMCH Board of Trustees, met to sign the sale agreement for the $40 Million purchase of the approximately 77 acre UMCH property adjacent to the southeastern city limits of the City of Decatur.

Mayor Patti Garrett said, “We are so excited to keep this project moving forward and I am proud to be able to represent the Decatur City Commission in executing the contract that will start the process of making the purchase happen.”

Proceeds of the sale will support the UMCH mission in new communities according to Rev. Jones, who said “we are committed to reaching out to, and serving, the alarming and growing number of children and families who are in crisis. The sale of the Decatur property helps us expand this ministry across North Georgia.” Board Chair Debby Stikes added that “preserving the Moore Chapel and the gravesite of UMCH’s founder Rev. Dr. Jesse Boring was very important to the Board, to members of our alumni group, and to countless others across North Georgia who partner with us in this ministry. We are delighted with the City’s support in honoring the memories created on this property.”

It is anticipated that the UMCH will vacate the property by late summer or early fall, 2017. Once the City owns and takes possession of the property, the City will annex the acreage and begin a community-based master planning effort engaging nearby neighborhoods, UMCH alumni and other stakeholders to help determine a vision and plan for future use.

U.S. News: Decatur High School Ranks 13th Best in Metro Atlanta

Another ranking that everyone loves to hate.

This time it’s U.S. News and World Reports, which ranked Decatur High School 13th in the Atlanta Metro area (according to the AJC), 20th in the state and 536th nationally.   Here’s the U.S. News blurb…

Decatur High School is ranked 20th within Georgia. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® course work and exams. The AP® participation rate at Decatur High School is 75 percent. The student body makeup is 51 percent male and 49 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 46 percent. Decatur High School is the only high school in the Decatur City.

What were the metro area’s tippity top high schools?

Some familiar faces from years past here – DeKalb School for the Arts, Walton High School in Coob County and Fulton Science Academy High School rounded out the top 3.

Last year, Decatur ranked 406th nationally and 13th in Georgia.

And before you ask: U.S. News uses a four step process to rank high schools.  Here’s a quick summary, stripped from their website…

  • Step 1: The first step determined whether each school’s students were performing better than statistically expected for students in that state.
  • Step 2: For schools passing the first step, Step 2 assessed whether their disadvantaged students – black, Hispanic and low-income – performed at or better than the state average for the least-advantaged students.
  • Step 3: For schools passing the first and second step, Step 3 required schools to meet or surpass a benchmark for their graduation rate. This is the second year U.S. News has included this step.
  • Step 4: Schools that made it through the first three steps became eligible to be judged nationally on the final step – college-readiness performance – using Advanced Placement test data as the benchmark for success. AP is a College Board program that offers college-level courses at high schools across the country.

Photo courtesy of Google Streetview