7 must-try pop-ups in Atlanta
The Plate Sale: When Mike Sheats isn’t cooking at Staplehouse, he and his wife, Shyretha, curate an “evolving dinner series” called the Plate Sale. The Learning Kitchen, which launched this past January in the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, welcomed the Plate Sale’s fifth pop-up dinner in May. The event was so successful, with dishes crafted by Sheats and tunes by Jay Simon of Must Have Records, that they decided to make it a bi-monthly fixture of the market. Save the date for the next Plate Sale, Mon., July 24 at 209 Edgewood Ave. S.E. www.preservingnow.com
Chow Club Atlanta: This members-only supper club (that anyone can join) introduces Atlantans to a bold lineup of underrepresented cuisines. Chow Club meets monthly at a different private residence where home chefs whip up a meal demonstrative of their native culture. Past meals have focused on Saudi Arabian, Antiguan and Syrian food, and this July they’re doing a five-course Filipino meal. www.chowclubatlanta.com
No value assigned#ChopItUpATL Collective Impact Dinner Series: Organized by Quianah Upton, founder of the home decor store Arbitrary Living, the Collective Impact Dinner Series is a five-part event connecting diners to growers in an effort to understand and end food insecurity. The dinners are driven by conversation and double up as fundraisers for food nonprofits in the community. www.arbitraryliving.com/chopitupatl
Pop Up Brunch Atlanta: Inspired by the Sunday mornings of his youth, chef Patrick Joseph Boston started Pop Up Brunch Atlanta in hopes of bringing people together for a healthier alternative to restaurant brunches. An event organizer by trade with Hungarian roots, Boston creates a formal experience with passed bites and specialty coffee drinks made with local roaster, Valor. Brunches are held at private residences with the address released upon ticket purchase. www.patrickjosephboston.com/popupbrunchatlanta
Upper Room: Filipino food is scarce in the A, so when chef Andrew Bantug, the son of Filipino immigrants, and his partner, Joyce Lau, were given the chance to show our city the light, they pounced. Named after its original host venue, the upstairs room of Tomo in Buckhead, Upper Room has wowed a limited number of lucky diners with its traditional kamayan presentation. Dishes like noodles, adobo pork and egg rolls are splayed on banana leaves and then eaten without utensils. The pop-up has since relocated to Taiyo Ramen in Downtown Decatur, and the next event is slated for sometime this summer. Keep an eye on their website for updates. www.upperroomatlanta.com
No value assignedBBQ Biscuit Pop-up: When pitmaster Bryan Furman of B’s Cracklin’ BBQ and Southern Souffle’s Erika Council teamed up earlier this month for a breakfast pop-up at Furman’s Riverside eatery, we knew something special had arrived. On July 15, the dream team is back again, serving Council’s famous fluffy biscuits with your choice of apple butter, egg and cheese, Furman’s buttermilk fried chicken or his fried pork tenderloin with sausage gravy. www.bscracklinbbq.com
Eat Me Speak Me: The darling of Atlanta’s pop-up scene, Jarrett Stieber’s long-running Eat Me Speak Me weekend dinners recently found a new home at S.O.S. Tiki Bar in Decatur. You’ll find the same whimsical plating, clever menu names and omakase (aka the entire menu for $40) as the old location, only now you can order tiki drinks, too. Pro tip: Get there early; t[]here are no reservations. www.eatmespeakme.com