Up on the Roof

RFD Social to open inside Ponce City Market tower

The iconic tower of Ponce City Market is being transformed into a new lobby bar and event space called RFD Social, which is set to debut next month.

Slater Hospitality – the owner/operator of Skyline Park, Nine Mile Station and Rooftop Terrace event space – began restoring the tower last fall and will unveil the new experiences to the public this March. Local design firm, ASD | SKY used Ponce City Market’s industrial roots to define the design palate for each level of RFD Social.

Upon arriving from the freight elevator’s 10th floor entrance to The Roof at PCM, guests will now be welcomed by The Parlour, which will feature a full bar and lounge with 77 seats, vintage French chandeliers, bistrostyle tables, custom brown leather banquettes and a display of oldfashioned radios and photography. The Parlour will offer early century style games including bumper pool, tabletop shuffle board and an antique poker table. Open to the public during Skyline Park’s regular hours, the expanded lobby area will also be available for private event bookings.

The newly restored 11th floor will boast 3,970 square feet of private meeting and fully private event space called the Roebuck Room that can host 175 guests for a variety of gatherings including team building, training, off-site meetings and social events. The Roebuck Room houses both a small and large conference room, as well as a much larger flexible event room, and will feature vintage touches that celebrate the building’s history.

“With RFD Social, we are hoping to preserve the vintage feel and history of the tower, while offering two new event and entertainment experiences for our guests on the Roof,” said Mandy Slater, owner of Slater Hospitality. “This expansion has been a project of passion and dedication for our team and we look forward to unveiling the finished space next month.”

The name “RFD Social” was inspired by Dinner Bell R.F.D. (Radio Farmer’s Democracy), a local radio show originally broadcasted from the tower’s 11th floor in the 1920s. Sears & Roebuck would air the show three days a week at noon, when rural farmers and housewives took a break from their day to gather around the table. At the start of each program, host and harmonist Dewey Burnett would ring a dinner bell, followed by a show full of farming and homemaking advice and music by local musicians of the time, from John Carson to the Wompus Cats.

For more information on RFD Social’s progress, visit poncecityroof.com.

Quick Bites

Castellucci Hospitality Group, – the team behind Cooks & Soldiers, Double Zero and The Iberian Pig – has opened Recess at Krog Street Market in Inman Park. The food stall features a menu of mostly plant-based dishes including salads, grain bowls, sandwiches, toasts and vegetable sides, with a handful of optional meat, seafood and vegetable add-ons. Visit recessatl.com for more information.

Golden Kombucha creator Melanie Wade will open Cultured South, a kombucha bar and fermentation marketplace, on the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail in the spring. Cultured South will offer fermented food and beverage products to taste and take home at a 6,000-square-foot warehouse space in the Lee + White development at 1038 White Street. Visit culturedsouth.com for more details.

BRASH Coffee is now open inside the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead, sharing space with Souper Jenny and the museum’s bookshop and gift store. Visit brashcoffee.com for more information.

Phipps Plaza in Buckhead is getting new eateries including Grand Lux Café, Ecco, Genuine Pizza and Daniel Reed’s Public Kitchen and Bar.

Chef Nick Leahy will open adjoining French-inspired concepts Aix restaurant and Tin Tin wine bar at the Stockyards development in West Midtown.

Hop City Craft Beer & Wine has announced it will open a new location at the Lee + White development in West End this fall. The nearly 6,000 square foot location will include a second floor restaurant with an expansive deck. Visit hopcitybeer.com for more details.

Chef Ian Winslade and local restaurateur Jonathan Akly will open Mission + Market, serving up American cuisine and cocktails, inside the new Three Alliance Center building in Buckhead this month. For more information, visit missionandmarketatl.com.

Five Daughters Bakery, a family-owned shop founded in Franklin, Tennessee, will open at Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall this spring. Daily made baked goods will include 100 layer doughnuts (a cross between a croissant and doughnut) and paleo doughnuts, which are gluten-, dairy- and refined sugar-free, and made with almond, coconut and tapioca flour. For more information, visit fivedaughtersbakery.com.

The Atlanta Spring Food and Wine Crawl returns March 31 with visits to local restaurants and wine bars. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.com and cost $135 each, which includes transportation, food and wine.

The 3rd annual Atlanta Brunch Fest will be held on March 10 from noon to 4 p.m. at Atlantic Station with nearly 40 participating restaurants. Tickets are $25 for general admission, and there are various VIP packages available. Get tickets at atlantabrunchfestival.com.

The White Bull is expected to open this month on East Court Square in downtown Decatur. The menu will include seasonal dishes made from ingredients sourced from Georgia farmers and purveyors, including pastas made with flour milled at the restaurant. Visit whitebullatl.com for more information.

“Urban food hall” Caravaca Market is now open in Midtown at 782 Peachtree St. featuring Harry Bake’s Café, Taste Bar, Wine & Charcuterie, Beer & Pizza and Provisions. For more information, visit caravacamarket.com.

Brezza Cucina, Chef Jonathan Waxman’s restaurant and bar inside Ponce City Market, announces Waxman & Friends, a collaborative Sunday dinner series with a lineup of notable chefs from around the Southeast. At each dinner, Waxman and a guest chef will prepare a four-course, family-style meal, including wine pairings, hors d’oeuvres and dessert. Proceeds will be donated to a nonprofit selected by the guest chef. The inaugural collaborative dinner will be with Chef Steven Satterfield on Sunday, March 18, at 6 p.m. Seats are $75 per person. For reservations, call (404) 724-9700.

Songs for Kids Food Fest will be held March 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Park Tavern in Midtown. The event brings together some of the area’s top restaurants/chefs (including DBA Barbecue, Wrecking Bar, St. Cecilia and Revival), with live music and entertainment to raise money for charity. Tickets are $45 for adults, $10 for children 16 and under. For tickets, visit songsforkids.org/foodfest.

Dad’s Garage Theatre Company will host its annual BaconFest fundraiser on March 31 from 1 to 6 p.m. at 569 Ezzard St. in the Old Fourth Ward. This year’s festival will feature a literal ton of bacon, wacky carnival games, booze, a silent auction and other surprises. Tickets start at $45. For more information, visit baconfestatl.com.