Atlanta, GA
Piastra transforms into a community‑driven grocery called Asher & Rose
Courtesy of Asher & Rose
After more than 10 years serving lasagna and bolognese in Marietta Square, Piastra has closed its doors. Come January 22, it will reopen as Asher & Rose, a specialty grocery and cafe shaped by local sourcing, prepared foods, and the same hospitality the restaurant was known for.
The name reflects the middle names of mother-and-son ownership team Betty Bahl and Greg Lipman. They had been contemplating a second concept when Burger’s Market shuttered nearby. The arrival of multiple new restaurants on the Square encouraged Bahl and Lipman to reimagine the space.
“Marietta Square is a food desert. There’s not a grocery store within a little over a mile,” Lipman says.
Renovations were minimal, as they kept the bar, maintained the private dining room for events and meetings, and even left some of the local artwork on the walls.
Courtesy of Asher & Rose
The eight-seat bar will shift from Italian-focused drinks to about a dozen craft cocktails, plus rotating beer taps, and a strong zero ABV lineup. There are 109 wines on the menu, with each available by the glass (with a two-glass minimum).
“When was the last time you went grocery shopping with a martini in your hand?” Lipman exclaims. “We’re taking the Disney philosophy for our business. When was the last time you had fun grocery shopping?”
Patrons can dine at the bar and ring up their groceries there, too. “We’ll still be serving food; it just won’t be Italian,” he says. Bottled beer and wine will also be sold on the retail side.
A counter-service cafe will serve house‑made pastries, including croissants and cinnamon buns, as well as local eggs, sausage, pork, and stone‑ground grits. A separate “all‑day menu” will feature Piastra favorites like spaghetti bolognese and rigatoni, as well as vegan roasted tomato soup matzo ball soup, muffaletta and miso salmon on house‑baked Japanese milk bread.

Courtesy of Asher & Rose
The grocery will continue the restaurant’s commitment to local sourcing, from cheese and chicken to beef and pork. Lipman says prepared foods comprise at least half the offerings. Items range from mushroom ravioli to meatloaf, beef stew, lamb shank, fried rice, and dumplings, each with heating instructions. A Whole Foods-style prepared foods counter will offer fresh eats, in addition to the refrigerated and frozen sections. A variety of gluten-free offerings will be available with advance notice.
Lipman, who served as executive chef at Piastra and previously worked in pastry at Alon’s, will continue to lead the kitchen. Piastra general manager and lead bartender Jessica Lakos will fill those roles at Asher & Rose, too.
The team will collaborate with the Marietta Square Farmers Market through a weekly chef’s stage. The store will also host monthly “meet the maker” events to showcase local farmers, producers, and artists.
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Atlanta, GA
Firefighters battle blaze at Roswell apartment complex
ROSWELL, Ga. – Roswell firefighters and police officers responded to a massive apartment fire that broke out Thursday evening on Greenhouse Drive.
What we know:
According to the Roswell Fire Department, emergency crews responded to the blaze at the Enclave Apartments.
Officials say no one was injured.
Crews worked into the night to make sure all the hot spots were doused.
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters are working with community partners to assist everyone affected by the blaze.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the fire to start. It is also unclear exactly how many residents have been displaced or how many units within the building were damaged by the flames.
What they’re saying:
Adnan, a resident at the complex, said he heard a “bang noise” around 6:45 p.m. “Around that time, I heard a bang noise. It was pretty loud. I didn’t I didn’t think it would be something like this. Maybe I felt like something actually blew up or something that really paid that much attention,” Adnan said.
He described the scene as he escaped his room: “Next thing I turn around, there’s a huge, huge fire on the roof. It started from the back side, and then it just spread so quick.” Adnan added that it looked like a “huge explosion” and praised the first responders, saying, “I just think that the firefighters did a great job putting it down. So I appreciate them”.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Roswell Fire Department, the Roswell Police Department, and an interview conducted by FOX 5 with a resident at the scene.
Atlanta, GA
Braves bring back powder blue with new Nike City Connect jerseys
The Atlanta Braves debuted their 2026 Nike City Connect jerseys Thursday during a launch party at Truist Park.
nspired by the 6 states of the South that make up the Braves fan base, the vibrant powder blue color and bold typography with retro script make these jerseys look incredible
Inspired by the six states of the South that make up the Braves fan base, the powder blue uniforms pay homage to the team’s 1980s SuperStation era while updating the look for today’s fans with bold typography with retro script.
“The fans’ reaction has been great,” said Insung Kim, VP creative director for the Braves. “When we first revealed the jerseys, the sentiment on social media has been like, ‘oh, finally, the Braves are bringing back the powder blue jersey. Those are my favorite jerseyes that I saw growing up,’ so we just love hearing that.”
The jersey features a brighter powder blue, red piping, an updated “Atlanta” script logo, a new “ATL” block letter sleeve patch, and a 3D “ATLANTA BRAVES” wordmark near the jocktag. Players helped select a v-neck style for comfort and performance. A matching powder blue cap completes the uniform.
The team will wear the special jerseys when they face the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park Friday, throughout the series and then every Saturday home game for the rest of the season.
Fans can purchase the entire City Connect collection, which includes jerseys, hats, jackets, and t-shirts, at the Braves Clubhouse Store, MLBShop.com, Nike.com, and other retail locations.
The Braves are also bringing City Connect to fans across the Southeast with the Out of the Park mobile shop, visiting Kroger and Harris Teeter locations in Georgia and South Carolina.
Atlanta, GA
Reynaldo Lopez’s Suspension Reduced By MLB After Angels-Braves Brawl with Jorge Soler on Video
Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López reached a settlement with Major League Baseball to have his seven-game suspension reduced to five games upon appeal, according to Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
López and Los Angeles Angeles outfielder Jorge Soler were initially given identical seven-game suspensions after fighting during Tuesday’s 7-2 Atlanta win.
Soler also appealed his suspension and appeared in Wednesday’s matchup between the teams, homering for a second straight game.
The outfielder felt it was “intentional” when López threw up and in during Soler’s fifth-inning at-bat. He had homered off López in his first at-bat and was hit by a pitch in his second time at the dish. Soler has also raked against López during his career, going 14-for-23 with five homers and three doubles in those matchups.
“Obviously, I have good numbers against him,” he told reporters. “After the home run and getting hit by a pitch after that, and then he missed way too high and close to my head. At this level, you can’t miss like that.”
López denied trying to hit him.
“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” he told reporters. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So again, it’s just a shame.”
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss backed up López’s remarks.
“I know it didn’t look good because of Soler’s numbers against Lopey, and he hit a homer, he hit him. It didn’t look good,” he said. “Lopey’s not throwing at him. I don’t allow our pitchers to throw at people just because they can’t get ’em out. Our job is to get ’em out. But I understand why Soler got angry. And he’s a really mild-mannered guy. So I think the switch flipped for him. … There was no intent there. I just think that Lopey’s just overthrowing, because he’s had a hard time getting him out. But he’s certainly not trying to hit him.”
L.A. manager Kurt Suzuki, meanwhile, backed up his player.
“I don’t blame Jorge one bit,” he said. “You get thrown at your head, you have a family, a career. It’s dangerous. I know it happens. But if you ask any hitter and a ball gets thrown near their head, especially after hitting a homer, it’s not good.”
It remains to be seen whether Soler will have his suspension reduced on appeal. As for López, he’ll be eligible to make his next start on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.
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