Thursday gifts
Dec. 12 — The Peach Drop will return to Underground Atlanta on New Year’s Eve to ring in 2025 with music from Big Boi, Neon Trees, RES, and more.
☀️ Sunny and 51° today.
? The Atlanta Board of Education will appoint a new member to serve the remainder of Eshé Collins’ four-year term after she was elected to the Atlanta City Council.
? The State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) has hit the pause button on a refresh of the Peach Pass website and mobile app ahead of the previously announced Dec. 17 launch.
? Brookhaven is revising its street light policy to make fees more equitable across the city.
✨ In other street lighting news, the Tucker City Council heard a proposal for installing more lighting in the Tucker Summit business and industrial district.
? Weather permitting, Sandy Springs motorists can expect Long Island Drive under I-285 to close on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. to set bridge beams.
? Dunwoody Public Works has created an Adopt-A-Stream program that’s open to volunteers.
? Sammie spoke with the creators of the new movie “Festival of Trees,” which is set at the annual Metro Atlanta holiday event and tradition. The movie is streaming on Apple TV, and special theater screenings are happening tonight and this weekend.
ELSEWHERE
? President Biden commuted sentences for nearly 1,500 people and pardoned 39 others for non-violent crimes today, marking the largest single-day clemency grant by a U.S. president.
➡ FBI Director Christopher Wray plans to resign at the end of the Biden administration.
?️⚧️ The U.S. House passed the annual military appropriations bill with a rider prohibiting children of service members from accessing gender-affirming health treatments.
? Grocery chain Albertsons filed suit against Kroger for breach of contract after a federal court blocked the merger of the two chains.
? Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Local gift guide
• Restaurant merch
• CleanTech jobs
AND
• Quick Bites
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie
?️ Experience unparalleled high-rise luxury at The Charles in Buckhead. This two-bedroom unit, listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, features an office with breathtaking views, a Nanawall to a balcony with a fire pit, and a chef’s kitchen. Enjoy smart Lutron lighting, custom closets, and resort-style amenities, including a pool. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Gift ideas: shop local for the holidays
? If you’re looking for unique gifts for the holidays, the Rough Draft staff has some shopping suggestions for a few of their favorite things.
Whether you’re looking for artisan gifts, fashion luxuries, Atlanta-themed holiday knickknacks, wine, candles, jewelry, or whatever else it may be, there are plenty of ways to support local businesses this holiday season.
? Check out Rough Draft’s full local gift guide here.
Masterfully reimagined Whitewater Creek residence
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA FINE HOMES
? Designed by renowned architect Norman Askins, this reimagined Whitewater Creek home blends timeless elegance with modern amenities. Features include a chef’s kitchen with beamed ceilings, a vaulted fireside keeping room, and an enclosed fireside sunroom opening to a veranda. The main-level primary suite is a tranquil retreat with a spa-inspired marble bathroom and dual closets. A finished terrace level offers a wine cellar and guest suite. Outside, enjoy a resort-quality pool and spa, lush green spaces, and multiple hardscaped terraces.
Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty is Metro Atlanta’s No. 1 residential real estate company and No. 1 in luxury home sales above $1.5 million.
?? Check out our current listings here.
2. Atlanta’s restaurant merch game is strong
? From trendy dad and trucker hats to voting pins and tie-dyed t-shirts, repping Atlanta restaurants has never been more fun – or fashionable.
“For small establishments without huge marketing budgets, creating and selling merchandise [merch] is a savvy way to reach potential customers and build brand buzz,” explains Rob Birdsong, owner of Glide Pizza.
Birdsong, who owned a small Atlanta-themed t-shirt company before he launched Glide in the Old Fourth Ward four years ago, says more restaurants are getting into the merch game because owners can get creative with promoting their establishments beyond social media and the dining room.
☕ Learn more about Atlanta’s restaurant merch scene here.
3. The state of Georgia is a leader in CleanTech jobs. How did the ecosystem grow in 2024?
?? The State of Georgia leads the country in planned work around CleanTech jobs, driven by investments in e-mobility, renewable energy, and new infrastructure projects.
30,661 new jobs have been created in the state alone over the last two years in sectors like battery innovation, electric vehicles (EVs), grid transformation, solar, wind, and hydrogen, according to a 2024 report from Climate Power.
Georgia startups are also part of driving CleanTech growth across the Peach State. The state is currently home to 47 startups in the CleanTech and sustainability space.
➡ Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.
? Discover luxury and tranquility in The Manor Golf and Country Club in Milton. This custom home, listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, is on the 12th hole and features a chef’s kitchen, spa-inspired primary suite, theater, gym, bunk room, and resort-style pool with a swim-up bar, a waterslide, and an outdoor kitchen. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Quick Bites
VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE
? In celebration of O-Ku’s ninth anniversary on Howell Mill Road, check out the Nigiri Flight, available only during the week of Dec. 15-21. Highlights include the yakiniku A5 wagyu with shiitake mushroom “bacon” and Japanese barbecue sauce; the smoky hamachi with smoked yellowtail, tomato, pesto, and ponzu; the crème de la crème featuring otoro, black truffle, and caviar; and the snow king – blue crab, garlic butter and yuzu koshō. The Japanese fried chicken with a sriracha-inspired twist is also on the menu through the end of January. You can make reservations here.
? Westside Motor Lounge now includes a new bar. Echo Room – an all-vinyl listening lounge – is in full swing. Curated by four Atlanta DJs – DJ Kemit, Kai Alcé, Salah Ananse, and Mike Zarin, along with WML’s Kelly Campbell – you can stay updated through their Instagram.
? Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream opens its 150th U.S. location in Buckhead today. The first 150 guests receive free ice cream for a year. For updates and to check out the flavors of the month, visit their Instagram.
? Soberish locations in Kirkwood and Serenbe are offering two spirit-free tasting events this month. On Dec. 14, you can explore botanical blends from Drømme with adaptogens and nootropics, and on Dec. 21, you can sample non-alcoholic bitters by All the Bitter. For more details on how to participate, visit their website.
? If it’s Christmas takeaway you are after, check out what Decatur’s Wahoo! Grill has in store. Their three-course Christmas to-go menu feeds up to 10 people, spotlights turkey or ham, and offers a selection of sides including mac-and-cheese, collard greens, and mashed potatoes. Salad and dessert options are also included. One caveat: be sure to place your order by Sat., Dec. 14.
☕ Attention Tim Hortons fans! If you are one of the first 50 cars in line for the grand opening of Tim Hortons at 110 Vaughan Rd. in Suwanee this Saturday, you might just land free coffee for a year. Celebrations for the new location include 10-packs of Timbits for $1 (while supplies last), and a visit from Santa starting at 1 p.m. Keep tabs on updates by following their Instagram.
? Get ready for an Ugly Sweater Holiday Contest as part of Vesper’s Old Fashioned Holiday Party on Dec. 18. The Glenwood Park restaurant will feature riffs on traditional cocktails and zero-proof selections along with special prizes and surprise giveaways. Festive attire is encouraged. For more information visit here.
?️ SAVOR – an inaugural community dinner – showcases the culinary talents of The Works, features live music, and raises proceeds for Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit supporting hospitality staff in need. The event – featuring a multi-course dinner and dessert, complete with appetizers and festive drinks – will kick off at 6 p.m. on Dec. 19. You can make your reservations here.
? Craving breakfast for dinner? The Alpharetta location of Snooze is hosting a Snooze After Dark holiday event on Thurs., Dec. 19 featuring an appetizer, entree, dessert, cookie decorating, and two drink tickets. Plus, 100% of ticket sales will also be donated to Giving Kitchen. You can purchase your tickets here. Snooze is also running a nationwide Pancake It Forward initiative throughout December. Fill out the form and gift a free pancake to a family member or friend.
? ?️ All four of Sugar Shane’s locations in Atlanta are featuring Cookie for a Cause throughout December. Sales from the limited-edition Turtle Dove cookie – a combination of dark chocolate, pecans, milk chocolate chips, and caramel – will benefit Life Interrupted, an organization offering financial, emotional, and mental support to those recovering from unexpected loss.
? ? Going, going…Lingering Shade’s Holiday Cocktail Class has proven so popular that they are adding an encore edition on Dec. 22; you can register here while spots remain. And be sure to check out their menu of other festive cocktails – including the Campfire Manhattan, Blitzen’s Warm-Up, the Santa-Rita, Prancer’s Eggnog, Donner’s Cider, and the classic Peppermint Martini. For more updates follow their Instagram here.
? Here are a few holiday highlights for Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood:
Boevenmarkt Holiday Markets are live at the Halfway Crooks Biergarten on Dec. 14, Dec. 15, and Dec. 21. Guests can shop local vendors and enjoy seasonal beverages and live performances. You can also sample two limited-edition holiday beers: Descent – a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout – and Boeven, a Flemish-style winter ale.
Holiday cookie boxes are back at Little Tart Bake Shop. You can place your order via their website. And, while their Buche de Noel offerings are sold out, you can still nab a buttermilk chess pie with cranberry jam or a maple pecan pie with dark chocolate. Check out the full list of Christmas offerings here.
Even though the Jewish Chinese Christmas prix-fixe dinner at Little Bear is booked for Dec. 25, you can join the waitlist here in case cancellations arise.
? Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
