Photo courtesy of MF

After filing for bankruptcy in November, the owners of MF Buckhead have been court ordered to a “full liquidation” of the Buckhead restaurant, the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s John Kessler first reported.

MF Buckhead will close after dinner service tonight, February 2.

“It was a difficult decision,” Sa Kinjo, co-owner of the sushi restaurant, told Kessler Thursday. “We had filed Chapter 11 and had hoped to work through this, but a judge has just signed the papers on Chapter 7 for a full liquidation.”

According to Kessler’s report, MF Buckhead’s owners are “working with a new partner and hopes to begin building a sushi bar in a smaller Buckhead space as soon as possible.”

MF Sushibar and NAM, two other concepts from the owners of MF Buckhead, both closed last year.

Photo courtesy of Morton's on Facebook

Morton’s The Steakhouse has closed in Buckhead.

Justin Craft, general manager for the steakhouse at 3379 Peachtree Road, told What Now Atlanta over the phone Thursday, Morton’s closed its doors for good on Wednesday.

He would not comment on why the steakhouse closed its Buckhead location.

Concierges at neighboring hotels where notified Wednesday that Morton’s in Buckhead had closed “effective immediately.”

Morton’s has a location Downtown that will remain open. The Buckhead location has already been removed from the steakhouse’s location listings on its website.

The Company owns and operates 77 Morton’s steakhouses located in 64 cities in 27 states, and in Puerto Rico and six international locations (Toronto, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mexico City), as well as Trevi, our Las Vegas Italian restaurant, according to its Facebook page.

Morton’s was not immediately available for comment.

Photo courtesy of SweetJack.com

Evos has closed its Midtown location, again.

The “healthy and environmentally sound” fast food chain located in Viewpoint, at 855 Peachtree Street, posted a sign on its entrance Wednesday announcing it had closed.

“We regretfully inform you that as of February 1, 2012, we will no longer be serving from the Evos Viewpoint location,” according to the sign. “In this tough economic climate the decision to cease operations was not taken lightly.”

This isn’t the first time Evos’ Midtown location has shuttered. The original franchisee closed the restaurant in October, 2010 with similar excuses.

According to Beth Hawks, a spokeswoman for Evos Midtown’s most recent franchisee, David Esmie, Evos closed the first time around “due to a legal situation with the lease during the change in ownership.”

“Everyone wanted to keep it open and have a seamless transition but it just wasn’t possible,” Hawks said in an email to What Now Atlanta when Evos closed for the first time. “The previous franchisee had some family obligations that made it where he needed to get out of a business that was so demanding of his time.”

Evos was not immediately available for comment.

Photo courtesy of American Roadhouse on Facebook

Restaurant to join growing retail mix at Pencil Factory Flats & Shops.

American Roadhouse is opening a new location Downtown.

The restaurant will open early spring 2012 in the Pencil Factory Flats & Shops, at 349 Decatur Street, according to a press release Tuesday from Perennial Properties, Pencil Factory’s developer.

“American Roadhouse is poised to become the center of the Pencil Factory community,” Aaron Goldman, president of Perennial Properties, said in the release. “This is an ideal addition to a perfect tenant mix at the Pencil Factory.”

American Roadhouse will join Caramba Cafe, Melange Salon, Intown Market, Village Theatre and Hill Street Tavern at Pencil Factory Flats & Shops, located at the historic intersection of Hill Street and Decatur Street.

American Roadhouse’s original location, at 842 North Highland Avenue, has been a mainstay in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood for 23 years.

“[Pencil Factory Flats & Shops] provides the perfect mix of communities (Inman Park, Candler Park, Edgewood, Downtown), offering a very cool edgy vibe,” Ed Udoff, the founder and proprietor of American Roadhouse, said in the release. “We are thrilled to open in this unique cross section of Atlanta.”

ADAC - Photo courtesy of KevinRathbun.com

Kevin Rathbun, owner of  foodie favorite’s Rathbun’s, Krog Bar and Kevin Rathbun Steak, is opening a new concept in the Peachtree Hills area of Buckhead, according to a press release Tuesday.

The new restaurant will be called KR SteakBar and will open under the direction of Rathbun, his wife Melissa and business partners, Cliff Bramble and Kirk Parks, according to the release.

“Sixteen years ago I was welcomed to Atlanta with overall warmth and I am happy to have found a great neighborhood for my next restaurant,” Rathbun said in the release.

The restaurant, at 351 Peachtree Hills Avenue Northeast, will offer a menu of “small plate steak meets Italian fare” and will be designed by The Johnson Studio.

KR SteakBar will have one-hundred and twenty seats, a full bar, and an outdoor patio and is slated to open August 2012.

Photo courtesy of Atlanta - Metromix

Benihana Japanese restaurant is about to undergo extensive renovations.

The Japanese Restaurant, at 229 Peachtree Street, filed a permit with City of Atlanta for an interior remodel to its sushi bar, bar and lighting as well as to its storefront.

What Now Atlanta spoke with Jeannie Means, vice president of marketing at Benihana, about the project. She would not disclose any details about the renovations.

“Thank you for your request but we are not releasing details on any renovations plans at this time,” Means told What Now Atlanta in an email. “I would be happy to work with you once we are ready to do so.”

Renovations to the 20-year-old Downtown restaurant will cost an estimated $200,000.

Developing…

After its temporary liquor license was put in front of the city’s License Review Board in December, Kirkwood Bar and Grill will not be granted a liquor license in 2012, East Atlanta Patch first reported.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed denied the controversial Kirkwood restaurant’s liquor license application after “carefully considering neighborhood concerns that have been brought to him,” Sonji Jacobs Dade, Reed’s spokeswoman told East Atlanta Patch.

David Johnson, owner of the restaurant at 1963 Hosea Williams Dr. SE, was first made aware of the Mayor’s decision when he was contacted by Patch for an interview.

Johnson argued that complaints from the neighborhood of him violating city codes governing his temporary liquor license were made only because he is black and that racists have been trying to run him out of Kirkwood.

Tweets were sent from Kirkwood Bar & Grill’s Twitter account touting the complaining neighbors as racists.

Johnson was not immediately available for comment.

East Atlanta Patch has more details here.

The corner of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in Midtown is going to have a very different vibe than its had for the past 15 years come Friday morning.

That’s because the corner’s iconic Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse has permanently closed, the bookstore announced in a letter Thursday.

“Since we shared our financial struggles with you nine months ago, we have been very encouraged by the strong show of support. We have listed to your insights and your desire for us to stay in business,” Philip Rafshoon, owner of Outwrite said in the letter. “Unfortunately, we have run out of time and money to make that transformation.”

Outwrite, which was in business for 18 years, spent 15 of those years in its prime Midtown location, at 991 Piedmont Avenue.

Rafshoon first announced Outwrite would most likely close in an email to patrons this past November. In that same email he said the bookstore would relocate and open for business elsewhere.

Outwrite will not relocate, according to Midtown Patch who spoke with Rafshoon Thursday. He reportedly filed for bankruptcy.

“We’ve been trying for months,” Rafshoon told Midtown Patch. “The hole is just way too big.”

At this time, nothing has been confirmed to be replacing the bookstore and coffeehouse.

Developing…

Photo courtesy of Bearings Atlanta

Southern-inspired clothing store takes space at Westside Provision District

Billy Reid is opening its seventh shop in West Midtown, Bearings Atlanta first reported. The Southern-inspired clothing boutique will open at Westside Provision District , according to the report.

The 2,500 square-foot space, at 1170 Howell Mill Road, will reportedly offer both mens and womens collections.

Reid told Bearings he and his team “spent nearly four years with numerous on-again, off-again, real estate visits” to Atlanta. “White Provision was one of the first places we visited on our search and we’re thrilled to be there.”

Billy Reid has a store in Florence, Nashville, Charleston, Dallas, Houston and New York. Its expected to open its Atlanta location in April.

Photo courtesy of Little Alley Steak on Facebook

Historic Roswell is getting a new steakhouse.

Little Alley Steak, an all-American “butcher-inspired neighborhood steakhouse,” announced in a press release Wednesday, it will open Monday, February 27.

Little Alley, at 955 Canton Street, is the brainchild of restaurateurs Hicham Azhari and Fikret Kovac, who own and operate INC. Street Food and Salt Factory Pub of Downtown Roswell.

“We have created an old-world-meets-present-day eatery with an affordable and select menu,” Azhari said in the release.

Little Alley will open in space formerly belonging to Roswell Clock and Antique Co. Roswell Clock relocated to 945 Mid Broadwell Road last May.

Here’s the low-down on the cuisine, beverages and design straight from the release:

(WARNING: PR speak ahead!)

Cuisine:

Little Alley Steak’s refined and approachable menu will showcase an array of custom-sliced American charcuterie including housemade pots, meats and cheeses, a selection of fine and butcher’s cut meats and boutique oysters and shellfish cocktails, as well as regional favorites. To ensure the thickest and perfectly aged proteins, Azhari chose notable Chicago butcher Meats by Linz to hand select and cut each USDA Premium Gold Angus wet- and dry-aged steaks and USDA Prime steaks to the restaurant’s specifications, all of which are available exclusively to Little Alley Steak. A variety of homemade sauces including yuzu béarnaise, horseradish cream, bone marrow butter and black truffle butter round out the menu into a seamless blend of McDonough’s progressive techniques with traditional American steakhouse dishes.

Incorporating Azhari’s cultural background, Little Alley Steak’s homespun appetizers include Moroccan specialties porcini-crusted Dayboat scallops with parsnip puree, pork belly, spinach and truffle-scented walnut froth and Moroccan-style shrimp with garlic tomato along with tagine of escargot and preserved lemon with pernod, ras al hanout spice, garlic and a batboute flat bread.

From the menu’s “Butcher’s Cuts,” diners will choose from the freshest and most tender beef available from Meats by Linz, including hand-picked USDA Premium Gold Angus beef cuts such as center cut filet mignon, New York Strip, bone-in ribeye and porterhouse. Guests can enhance each cut with a side of jumbo shrimp, crab Oscar or a lobster tail. All steaks and chops are charbroiled at 1800 degrees and served tableside in hot, cast iron skillets and finished in garlic-herb butter. Patrons opting for lighter choices will enjoy market fresh sea fare including Scottish salmon and Branzini broiled and served with wild mushroom dumplings, bok choy, shitake and dashi consommé…

Beverage:

With an emphasis on boutique and vintage wines and a variety of classic bourbon and whisky, Little Alley Steak’s full bar complements its expansive menu. Savor an extensive and exclusive collection of 19th century cocktails as well as perfect 100-scoring wines and more than 300 of the finest spirits including more than 200 unique whiskys. Delight in the richness of the 2006 Cardinale Bordeaux-style blend from Napa, which scored a 100 on Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate list. For the best flavors, guests can take advantage of “call ahead decanting” on their favorite bottle of wine. Each wine will be held in the wine cooler at the precise temperature it should be served and decanted upon order unless otherwise specified. Little Alley Steak is also at the vanguard of offering rare and small-batch bourbons such as Pappy Van Winkle and Parker Heritage and privately bottled scotches such as Signatory Vintage and Murray McDavid. Savor Industrial Revolution-inspired whisky cocktails from across the globe served in exclusive crystal glassware to maximize the drinking pleasures of top-quality bourbons. With a short stem and elongated body, the glass lip bends outward to enhance the characteristic fragrance of the liquor. History buffs can revel in classic cocktail creations such as sangaree, created with port, red wine, refined sugar, housemade flavored syrups and a touch of nutmeg and inquire about bourbon pairings from barkeep Mark Norman, a neighborhood favorite who previously kept shop at Salt Factory Pub.

Design:

Inspired by American butcher shops and charcuteries, Little Alley Steak’s design utilizes natural colors to evoke a classic feel. Perched above the front entrance, a replica of a cast-iron 1865 Belgian bull’s head engages guests in a rustically elegant experience. A dark concrete floor is illuminated by soft lighting and complemented with wood paneling created by original pieces of reclaimed wood from the building to create the feel of antique meat lockers. American-inspired with true Southern character, every light fixture is made with meat hooks and welded in house. The casually elegant interior walls utilize the building’s original brick alongside refurbished brick and crisp, white tile. Rustic wooden tables and the bar top made from the building’s original wood floors provide an intimate seating for guests, while additional seating is available at the bar and on the outdoor patio alongside bustling Canton Street in Historic Roswell’s shopping district.

You made it out alive!

Photo courtesy of Michael Kors on Facebook

Michael Kors, an American luxury lifestyle retailer, is opening its fourth Georgia location.

It will open at Phipps Plaza, across the street from the existing Michael Kors boutique at Lenox Square Mall.

Michael Kors filed a permit with City of Atlanta Monday for tenant finishes at its new Buckhead location. It will replaced the recently shuttered Theory, space 1083-B at the mall.

Construction will cost an estimated $250,000, according to the permit.

The American luxury lifestyle retailer also has a Perimeter Mall location and an outlet in Dawsonville, according to its website.

Michael Kors was not immediately available for comment.