Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Angry Chef Ponders Pizza in Morningside?

Ron Eyester, AKA @TheAngryChef, may be looking to expand his growing empire of well placed, mediocre restaurants.

Last fall, I was first to report the sudden closure of Waffold in Morningside.  When I photographed the space early in the morning (the day after the restaurant had closed), I spotted Eyester scoping the space out as well.  Soon after, I received word from a well placed source that Eyester was looking to take over the space and open a pizza restaurant, because after all, Atlanta is running perilously low on pizza options.

This scoop had remained in my ever growing "draft" folder for months until last week.  I was forwarded a twitter exchange between a ToNeTo Atlanta reader and  Chef Eyester, in which the the chef all but confirmed my intel:

@thefamilydogatl You all are always so crowded; you need overflow alter-ego bar in the old Caramba space as The Lonely Cat.

@sbarruf Great name! Hopefully soon. #Pizza


Given chef Eyester's unaccommodating attitude and  overall inhospitable demeanor,  I was thinking a more appropriate name for the eatery might be "The Pretentious Pig"

What are your thoughts on Chef Eyester and his potential upcoming pizza parlour?  Do you think Chef Eyester's rude and at times inappropriate tweets and retweets are getting old, or is it all part of the schtick?  Do you think a pizza joint would be a success in the space where so many have recently failedPlease share your thoughts below. 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pretty Obvious you don't like RE. Any disclaimers you want to share?

AJ said...

I ate at Rosebud with my BF who has Celiac's. I had read about Eyester's attitude about making changes to menu items. Happily, they accommodated us. However, the waiter informed us that we'd have to pay the price for a side dish to sub out the side with gluten for a side without. I think that's crazy. We agreed, but when the bill came, the waiter didn't charge us for our 2 Cokes (which was more than the side dish). So I was happy that the waiter understood the idiocy of the surcharge. I just wish the chef understood that whether by choice or because of a disease, people have dietary issues and the best restaurants will accommodate. And do so happily. Why? Because repeat business is the best business to have and word of mouth is the best advertising too.

nsk said...

I think a significant reason that people have an issue with Eyester is because he's so damn big. It's intimidating to have a 270lb guy who literally owns the place get in your face.

I was at Rosebud for brunch last Sunday. Eyester came to chat with the party next to us, and sat on the bench between me and them. Every time he shifted in his seat, the whole bench rocked back and forth. Getting sandwiched between a wall and a fat man is one thing, being rocked back and forth is another.

Maybe consider either not squeezing into tight spaces, or spreading out the tables...

Anonymous said...

Ron has done a lot for the Morningside neighborhood, from helping the farmers' market to local events to running 2 places that people happily spend money at. Maybe you don't like his sense of humor, but he treats his customers well and his regulars extremely well and he clearly invests a lot of time and effort into the quality of what he sells. Personally, I love that he won't kiss up to someone like you just because you have a douchey little blog. And saying his restaurant and bar are mediocre takes away your credibility as a judge of quality. Stay out of Morningside, deadbeat.

Anonymous said...

i live in Morningside and agree that TFD is mediocre at best. great scene and it is always hopping, but the food is bleh and i do find the attitude of "this is the only way we make it" to be very petty. Rosebud is fantastic, however.

My main problem with these places is the incredible number of people--including RE himself and much of his staff--that constantly jaywalk between TFD and Rosebud. A cross walk and light are fifteen yards away, but he and his staff are in the road causing traffic slowdowns more often than not in what is already a congested stretch. may sound petty, but it won't be too long before someone is hit.

Anonymous said...

TFD is good for those (like me) who can walk to it, drink a few tall glasses of undiluted Bavarian wheat beer on the patio, have a burger made with local, organic meat, and walk back home. It's a perfect neighborhood (gastro)pub serving quality draft beer and good pub food.

Conversely, my main problem with that location is the cars, not the pedestrians. I say the more pedestrians the better. Think of Ponce in downtown Decatur, between Clairemont and Church. There is a designated crosswalk in the middle, yet either traffic light is only a few yards away.

AJ said...

@Anon (2/23@5:17) - Perfectly valid statement re: crosswalk. It would be great if one was added, but until there is one, it is a hazard and commenting on this site about the one in Decatur won't get one in Morningside. Probably something Eyester (& the other business owners) should work on getting. It would help that area.

Anonymous said...

@Anon at 2/22, 10:30 - BRAVO! My thoughts exactly!

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