🅰️ | Chili Season Is Here

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Happy Chomp n Stomp weekend to those who celebrate!

The big event caps off an incredible year of neighborhood festivals. I may (definitely) be biased, but I’m not sure there are other cities that have such unique and awesome neighborhood festivals — and we’re even luckier that almost all the great ones are here on the Eastside.

Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

Alright, so using this as inspiration, I’ve got two questions for you:

Shoot us an email and let me know. - James

Ok, here’s this week’s Anthem 👇

🥧 Vinny’s Mutual Aid Bakery opened Thanksgiving pre-orders for pickup in Edgewood on Wednesday, 11/25 from noon to 4 p.m. The seasonal Italian menu includes a nine-layer lasagna, sourdough focaccia, bomboloni, cannoli, and a buttermilk ginger panna cotta tart. Quantities are limited, and 10% of food sales go to Second Helpings Atlanta.

🥩 Tony’s Chicago Beef turns 4 and is celebrating with a one-day-only anniversary item on Saturday, 11/7 at Sceptre Brewing. The updated menu still has the Ditka, Maxwell dogs, and pizza puffs.

☕ Apparently Fall ends early this year.... Little Rat Coffee says November is the final month for its seasonal menu, and the cart is at Mikkelson’s most days through 11/19. Check the full calendar before you go; they’re out of town 11/20 to 11/24.

🍝 Fall comfort food has landed at Poor Hendrix. The new entree is pasta fazool, and it’s on the menu now. Now that’s more like it!

🌮 Muchacho opens its new Downtown Decatur location at 129 Church St. on Friday, 11/6 at 8 a.m. Opening weekend runs through Sunday with burritos, coffee, matcha, cocktails, live music, and giveaways.

🥟 Rising Son’s famous breakfast dumplings have a second home. Babygirl put them on the menu, fried crispy and topped with soy maple glaze, chili crisp, cilantro, and chive.

🍟 Italian beef egg rolls? They’re part of Small Fry’s new menu, along with chicken pot pie empanadas and a Crimson & Clove cocktail made with gin, sorrel, and cinnamon.

🍺 Moe’s & Joe’s is celebrating four straight years as the world’s top PBR seller with a party on Sunday, 11/8 from 2 to 6 p.m. Expect $5 PBR pitchers, live music, games, and limited-edition 4PEAT merch.

🍝 Besto in Decatur now runs Sunday Spaghetti Night: a huge plate of spaghetti with a big salad and bread service.

🧅 The Porter brought back French onion soup for lunch and dinner, available until the chef says otherwise.

🎃 All hail the Pumpking, Brainwave’s November pie with pumpkin, lemon ricotta, and kale chips.

🍔 Jack Brown's Burger & Beer Joint opened in the old Taco Mac location in VaHi. I’ve been to their Birmingham location and thought the burger, beer, & vibe were all great. -Connor

☕ Catch Sojourner Mobile Coffee at Intown Ace in Decatur, 11/6 and 11/7, 8 a.m. to noon. They’ve also updated their website with a real-time calendar and are taking requests for special events.

🔥 Side Saddle’s patio now has heaters and a fire pit. Wine by the fire, anyone?

🍚 Tasty Koji teams up with Japanese kaiseki chef Kiyoka for a koji rice bowl pop-up at the Morningside Farmers Market on Saturday, 11/7, until 11:30 a.m. Bowls feature koji-seasoned seasonal vegetables and your choice of protein, with recipe cards to take home.

🍲 Gumbo is back at Gene’s. The dark roux version comes loaded with sausage, smoked chicken, and the holy trinity, with potato salad or white rice on the side.

🍪 A fan favorite returns. Sugarloaf brought back its Ginger Toffee cookie, a warm ginger molasses cookie loaded with candied ginger and house-made salted toffee.

🍕 Avondale Estates has a new neighborhood tavern. Ophelia Tavern is serving wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta, house-ground burgers, and handcrafted cocktails, and it’s making things official with a ribbon cutting on Monday, 11/9 at 11 a.m.

🍸 A dirty martini with a fresh-shucked oyster is coming to Fontaine’s, part of a new cocktail lineup in the works.

🥕 Carrot cake, but make it a latte. Peoplestown Coffee’s new seasonal drink blends carrot juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then finishes with cream cheese cold foam standing in for the frosting. It’s the first of a month of comfort-food-inspired drinks.

🍺 If you’re a fan of cask beer, head over to Sweetwater Brewing this Saturday to sample 30 one-of-a-kind beers, with live music and local vendors.

🎅 Plan ahead: Miracle Bar returns to Apres Diem on 11/27.

🧩 11/5 - Speed Jigsaw Puzzling - Competitive puzzling is back at Jolene Jolene. Grab a team of up to four and race to finish a new puzzle starting at 7pm. First place lands on a national leaderboard. Bring a fifth and you eat a 10-minute penalty. Flying solo? Grab a Puzzle Pairing ticket. | Tickets

🎉 Thursdays, 11/5 to 11/19 - You’re Invited! at Dad’s Garage - Dad’s Garage opens a new improv show where the audience picks an obscure holiday and the cast invents traditions for it on the spot. Runs every Thursday through 11/19. | Tickets & Info

👕 11/5 - Second Shift: Clothing Swap - Taproom is hosting one more clothing swap before the year wraps up. Bring gently used fall and winter items, or pay $5 to fill a bag. Leftover donations go to Lost-N-Found Youth Thrift. 7-9:30pm. | More Info

🥂 11/5 - Terrific Thursdays at Hearsay Goods - The quirky gift shop formerly known as Odd Bird is now Hearsay Goods, and it’s kicking off the holiday season with free cookies, sparkling wine, and a featured local maker, steps from the Decatur MARTA station. It happens every Thursday through December, except Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. | FREE | More Info

🥂 11/7 - 3 Parks Turns 3 - Champagne, cocktails, and caviar are all $10 all day as 3 Parks Wine celebrates three years at its Old Fourth Ward location, with a party from 2 to 5 p.m. | More Info

🍷 11/7 - Decatur Wine Festival - More than 350 wines at around 70 tasting tables take over Decatur Square from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tickets come with a commemorative glass, plus ciders and non-alcoholic options. Food is sold on-site from Farm Burger, The Iberian Pig, Taqueria del Sol, Parker’s on Ponce, and more. A DJ keeps the dance party going, and proceeds benefit the Decatur Arts Alliance. 21+, rain or shine. | Tickets & Info

🌳 11/7 - VaHi Tree Tour - A free two-mile Trees Atlanta walk through one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, 10 a.m. to noon. Register ahead. | FREE | Register

🏃‍♀️ 11/7 - Festive 5K - Lace up for a good cause. Girls Who Run ATL is hosting the Atlanta leg of FP Movement’s nationwide Festive 5K, benefiting Girls Inc. RSVP through their bio. | More Info

☕ 11/7 - Mini Market at Park Grounds - Quite the “mini” market… 11 vendors plus a live set from DJ Taylor Alxndr, running from 10am - 4pm. | More Info

👢 11/7 - Chomp n Stomp - It’s the big one folks. Chomp n Stomp begins with a 5k, includes a market and lots of live bluegrass music. But the headliner is the famous Chili Cookoff. There are literally over 100 chilis you can try, all competing for the grand prize of best chili in ATL. | More Info

📸 11/7 - Product Photo Class - Learn to take great product shots with your phone at Decatur Makers, 2 to 4 p.m. | $25 | Register

🤘 11/7 & 11/8 - Atlanta Punk Flea Market - The Southeast Punk Flea Market takes over the Yaarab Shrine Temple on Ponce from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days, with small vendors and a head start on holiday shopping. One ticket covers both days, and kids 12 and under get in free. | $10 | More Info

🐌 11/9 - Snail Trail - Three kitchens, five local producers, one table. Slow Food Atlanta’s annual collaborative dinner pairs chefs from Jen Chan’s, Pure Quill Superette, and La Semilla for a farm-sourced meal with Cathead Vodka cocktails and stories from the farmers behind each course. Tickets support Slow Food’s community grants. 6:30 p.m. | Tickets & Info

🍷 11/10 - Off Menu Wine Pairing Dinner at Ruby Chow’s - Ruby Chow’s hosts a one-night-only, four-course dinner from Executive Chef Phillip An, with wines picked by Beverage Director Brian Seo. The menu includes salmon crudo, grilled lamb chops with South Indian curry, and a Korean sweet potato mousse cake paired with Champagne. Seats are limited. | Reserve

☕ 11/10 - Book Launch at Opo Coffee - The perfect place to talk coffee is over a cup of it. Opo Coffee in Decatur hosts Emory professor Peter Roberts for the launch of his new book on the economics of specialty coffee, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Heads up for regulars: café seating closes at 5 p.m. that day, with drinks to-go only. | Register

Neighborhood: Reynoldstown

About: Albert is an 11 yr old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet. He loves people more than other dogs, and is very tolerant of his 3 cat housemates. He has a bit of a jaw defect which causes his tongue to stick out most of the time, but that just makes him extra cute!

Fun Fact: Albert’s favorite walking route is through Breaker Breaker’s patio.

Thank you to Katie & Jim for sharing Albert with us.

If you want your pet featured in the Park Pet Supply Pet of the Week section of the Anthem, fill out this form!

🎷 Decatur’s new jazz club is open and in full swing. Churchill Grounds has live jazz every night in downtown Decatur, with a full dinner menu and bar from Clave. This weekend brings a Bill Evans tribute from the Sammy Hanson Trio on Friday and Dashill Smith & the Astral Pocket on Saturday. Lineup & Tickets

🧩 Bookish has Birdie Puzzles back on the shelves, with 10 designs and a few dozen more puzzles from other brands.

⭐ The end of an era: Star Bar in Little 5 Points is closing at the end of the year after a 35 year run. Red Light Cafe, known for its jazz and burlesque shows, will move from VaHi to take its place.

🍺 Three Taverns is closing its flagship brewery and taproom on New Street in East Decatur after 13 years, citing finances. No last day has been announced. The Imaginarium in Reynoldstown and the Ponce Brew Terminal on the Beltline stay open, and core beers will keep hitting shelves through a brewing partner. More Info

👕 Another week, another Outkast collab. The latest is with Parks Project, and the new collection asks you to keep Georgia parks so fresh, so clean. It also comes with a $10,000 donation to Park Pride for Atlanta’s local parks. It’s a limited run, so don’t wait.

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