News

BY: Ginger Strejcek

NEW BISTRO IN BUCKHEAD

NEIGHBORHOOD GATHERING SPOT THE CHASTAIN TICKLES TASTEBUDS

“When one door closes, another door opens” is par for the course in the restaurant business.

But launching an eatery during a pandemic is another matter entirely. Just ask Christopher Grossman, executive chef and operating partner of The Chastain, a New American cafe that now occupies the space where the shuttered Horseradish Grill served as a Buckhead institution for a quarter of a century.

“Opening a restaurant is always a huge challenge. I

French onion soup actually feel extremely lucky that we were in the construction phase when the pandemic hit,” says Grossman, former chef of Atlas at The St. Regis Atlanta. “It allowed us to weather the initial wave of uncertainty and use that time to reassess and adapt our plan to new legislation and guidance as it was implemented.”

The Chastain features a rotating selection of made-from-scratch dishes with a creative take on classic comfort food, from cinnamon date buns and avocado toast on the breakfast menu (with casual counter service) to French onion soup, fingerling sweet potatoes, lobster agnolotti and prime New York strip for dinner (with spirits aplenty). Some ingredients are sourced from the on-site garden.

Steps away from Chastain Park’s horse park and amphitheater, the restaurant takes full advantage of the scenic locale with plentiful patio seating and a 2,500-square-foot dining room that ushers in the outdoors with large iron-rimmed windows and doors. A neutral color palette with wood and leather accents lends itself to the quaint setting of

Croissant and pain au chocolat with espresso

the building, once home to a roadside country store. “It was the history, natural beauty and innate charm of the entire THE CHASTAIN property that helped me to realize this 4320 Powers Ferry Road N.W. is exactly where Atlanta 30342 I wanted to be,” 404.257.6416 thechastainatl.com Grossman says. n

NEWS CLIPS

ANNE FRANK EXHIBIT ON THE MOVE

Adding to its cultural and educational programming, City Springs in Sandy Springs will be the new home for the

“Anne Frank in the World”

exhibit, currently located in the Parkside Shopping Center. Efforts are underway to fund building construction, including an office for the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust that operates the exhibit documenting the story of the Frank family from 1929-45. The late Mayor Eva Galambos, who fled Germany during the Holocaust as a teenager, was instrumental in bringing the exhibit to Sandy Springs. holocaust.georgia.gov/exhibits/ anne-frank-world-1929-1945

ECONOMIC BOON FOR SANDY SPRINGS

Amping up Atlanta’s reputation as a fintech hub, Deluxe Corporation is expanding its local operations, relocating to a bigger space in Sandy Springs from Dunwoody Perimeter Center. The new financial technology and customer innovation center is set to open this April at 5565 Glenridge Connector. A pandemic pick-me-up, the center will bring roughly 700 jobs to the city over the next three years with an average salary of $91,500, according to Deluxe CEO Barry McCarthy. Founded as a check-printing company over a century ago, the Minnesota-based corporation works with other businesses to process transactions and payments through digital financial services. deluxe.com

LIFT-OFF AT PDK

An exciting project is taking flight at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee. The Air & Space Museum is under development by the nonprofit Inspire Aviation Foundation with the goal to create a dedicated space for aerospace education, history, research and development on a tourismfriendly campus. “We are fortunate to have this coming to PDK as it will add another dimension to our incredible aviation community,” says Chamblee Mayor Eric Clarkson, recently named to the IAF Board of Directors. atlantaairandspacemuseum.org

LOCAL SALUTE

BY: Mickey Goodman

Focus on Kids

Atlanta Hawk John Collins is a superhero both on and off the court.

Star on and off the court

John Collins, the Atlanta Hawks’ dynamic forward/center, is widely recognized for his accomplishments on the court, but he’s equally well known in the philanthropic arena. For his generosity, he was awarded the 2019-2020 Jason Collier Memorial Trophy as the Hawks player who most closely exemplified the characteristics of a community ambassador such as Collier, who passed away in 2005.

The NBA standout has been volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta since he joined the Hawks in 2017. “Both of my parents were in the military, and I spent a lot of time at recreation centers like BBBS,” he says. “I never met successful adults and wanted to help fill that gap.”

Nicknamed the “pied piper” by his mom, he’s lived up to the name by serving as an Honorary Big and Crayons, pencils and books Dunwoody cosmetic dentist Hugh Flax has a passion for education, and when he read about the struggle teachers are having due to COVID-19, he wanted to help. Fellow dentists Steve Gorman of Minneapolis, Rod Gore of Scottsdale, Arizona and Todd Goldstein of New York were of a similar mind.

They devised a contest via hosting scores of kids at games. With the onset of COVID-19, Collins has also been conducting virtual workout camps. In normal times, he’s a frequent visitor at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

A big supporter of the military, Collins works with the Veterans Empowerment Organization of Georgia that helps veterans on their road to self-sufficiency. “Being part of a military family, I saw how the military supported families by providing housing and other services,” he says. “When I visited retired vets recently, I realized how the military can also let troops down. The harsh reality of meeting them in person inspired me to keep on going.”

l For more information, social media and asked teachers to tell them why they needed an extra $500. “Each of us selected a teacher so we could hopefully help give kids a new dream for visit nba.com/hawks. Heather Schlesinger is helping lead the Atlanta Community Food Bank through one of its toughest challenges: COVID-19.

Feeding Folks

Ramping up

When Dunwoody resident Heather Schlesinger worked for Krystal, her kids told their friends, “Mom makes square hamburgers.” Today, they say with pride, “Mom works at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and feeds hungry kids.”

As chief marketing officer for the last three years, Schlesinger says that although the jobs are similar, her current position is a lot more rewarding—but also more challenging.

Those challenges have become exponentially greater during the pandemic that has generated a 300% increase in inquiries from people seeking food assistance in Georgia. “Food insecurity affects people from all walks of life, and we now provide 30 to 40% more meals every last year,” she says. “One in four kids goes to bed hungry, and school meals are likely the only food they get.” With so many students studying remotely, the Food Bank is working with districts and nonprofits to distribute meals to kids who are no longer in brick-and-mortar schools.

“Our biggest challenge in 2020 was having to close our doors to the 30,000 people who volunteer annually,” she says. “Fortunately, Governor Brian Kemp shared the Georgia National Guard, which allowed us to continue doing our work.”

A donation of $5 provides four meals, Schlesinger says. “Since families can’t currently visit loved ones, homebound seniors and people with disabilities rely on us and our network of partners, too. I hope people will consider giving generously.”

l For more information, visit acfb.org.

School Supply Surprise

week than we did at this time tion, Helling bought chair covers with multiple pockets. When the students returned to the classroom in October, they found them

Education is a high priority for cosmetic dentist Hugh Flax who donated needed school supplies to deserving young students.

themselves,” says Flax. “We opened the envelopes with the names of the winners online as if we were on an awards show. We’re hoping to start a movement and inspire others to do the same.”

Flax chose Rachel Helling, a kindergarten teacher at Glengarry Elementary School in Nashville where students have language and economic barriers. “While working virtually, I wondered how I would be able to buy the individual supplies dictated by the district for my 25 students with just the $200 allocation,” says Helling.

With a portion of the donaloaded with supplies selected by Flax. “They were absolutely thrilled,” she says. “Many had never owned crayons, pencils or books.”

l For more information, visit flaxdental.com.

Want to nominate a volunteer, company or nonprofit that makes Buckhead, Chamblee, Dunwoody Sandy Springs or Brookhaven a better place to live? Please contact: editor@simplybuckhead.com