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Atlanta Chef Will Compete on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship

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Atlanta Chef Will Compete on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship


Food Netwrok is tapping Atlanta for desserts. Local pastry chef Jon’nae “Jaye” Smith will compete on season 11 of Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship. This follows season 10, when Atlanta pastry chef Nickey Boyd was a finalist on the show.

“When I got the call, I remember running out into the living room, and I leaped so high, I could’ve flown through the roof,” says Smith, who grew up watching Food Network shows with her father, an avid cook.

“I got into baking out of curiosity,” says Smith. “I remember I made a dense cake, and I didn’t know why that cake was coming out so hard. Like, why are we eating rocks?”

That curiosity led her to culinary school at Johnson and Wales University in 2017. Since graduating, Smith has worked in and around Atlanta as a pastry chef, including at Canoe under pastry chef Jennifer Paul, the Loews Hotel, the Hill at Serenbe, and with executive chef Demetrius Brown (also a Hill at Serenbe alum) on supper clubs at Bread and Butterfly. Smith began her baking career by interning at the Four Seasons in Atlanta and then at Disney’s Four Seasons in 2017. She is part of The New South, a collective of Black chefs who host dinners around Atlanta. She does not make dense cakes anymore.

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Chef Jon’nae “Jaye” Smith is one of 13 contestants on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship.
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“It’s been overwhelming to receive the amount of support I’ve been receiving from my peers,” says Smith. “I’m so grateful for my community. I consider it a luxury.”

Chef Smith loves “drama”

Though she wasn’t allowed to reveal dish details from the show, Smith has a distinct baking style.

“I like flavors from the Caribbean or the South — I love mago. Crunch is a big feel for me — a crumble, a twill, a cookie, or a macaron,” says Smith. “I’m a sauce girl for life. Even if it tastes good without a sauce, no girl, put the sauce on there. I use a lot of infused chantilly, especially with alcohol. And then drama. I love drama.”

Smith says her culinary training at Disney prepared her for speed, volume, and accuracy on delivering thousands of plated desserts. But even that didn’t prepare her for the time restraint on the show’s challenges.

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“Filming on the show was a blur. You’ve got to put an eight-hour shift into an hour and a half to do the challenge,” says Smith.

Plus, Smith says, the pantry on the show lacked a key ingredient. “There could’ve been a better variety of types of chocolates. It wasn’t the best,” says Smith, laughingly. “And the heavy cream wasn’t great.”

As for judges’ critiques, Smith says she got one token of advice she will carry with her throughout her career.

“A pinch of salt,” says Smith. “A pinch of salt goes a long way.”

The new season of Spring Baking Championship will premiere on Food Network on March 10 at 8 p.m. ET.

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Atlanta, GA

Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles

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Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles


A man was arrested at a concert last week after he shoved two kids off their bicycles, causing one of them to fall into a fountain, Sandy Springs police said. FOX 5 Atlanta’s Brittany Edney reporting. 

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Atlanta, GA

Same DNA, new address: Muchacho expands to West Midtown

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Same DNA, new address: Muchacho expands to West Midtown


Photo by Luke Beard

When Muchacho first opened along the Atlanta Beltline and Memorial Drive, it became known as a place shaped as much by its surroundings as by its menu. That site, housed in a 100‑year‑old train depot, set the tone for how the brand approaches expansion: start with the bones of a building, then let the space tell the story. The newly opened Muchacho West Midtown follows that same philosophy.

“We like to celebrate unique attributes of each property and work with the palette we’re given,” says founder and owner Michael Lennox. While the original Muchacho is defined by its long, narrow footprint and Spanish tile roof—features reminiscent of its former life as a train depot—the West Midtown location leans into an industrial past rooted in automotive culture: a former Meineke car care shop. Big windows reference former garage doors, while retro racing details appear inside.

Inside Muchacho on the Westside

Photo by Luke Beard

Still, the connective tissue between the two locations is clear. Both spaces draw heavily from Muchacho’s Southern California skate‑and‑surf roots. At Muchacho West Midtown, familiar playfulness appears via a blue‑orange‑yellow racing stripe pattern, a three‑dimensional pegboard gallery wall used to hang art and plants, and vintage Meineke signage. A life‑size cardboard cutout of George Foreman, once the pitchman for Meineke, underscores Lennox’s willingness to lean into humor and nostalgia. “It’s a playful brand,” he says.

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A functional halfpipe for skateboarding anchors the outdoor experience and will double as a performance space for bands and DJs. In about a month, a 4,000‑square‑foot “tropical secret garden” with tall bamboo lining the perimeter will open on the south side of the property. Another 1,500 square feet of patio space wraps the west and north sides, currently welcoming about 80 guests. Altogether, the West Midtown location will accommodate about 215 guests, making it comparable in size to the original, with a little more outdoor space.

Crispy chicken sandwich

Photo by Luke Beard

Muchacho West Midtown opened with the same core menu that made the Beltline location a staple: tacos, breakfast burritos, coffee, cocktails, and beer. Standouts like migas, chilaquiles, carne asada, and al pastor continue to be available. Over time, however, Lennox says each location is expected to develop its own personality, driven by the chefs who have “a pretty wide creative latitude.” Chef Betty Aparicio, formerly of Chido & Padre’s, steers the kitchen on the Westside.

“We want to nurture some immediate familiarity while providing space for some special moments you can only have at each location,” Lennox says.

Margarita

Photo by Luke Beard

One of these special moments will take place April 4 at a grand opening party dubbed MuchachoFest. Expect bands, a fortune teller, a mini skate park in parking lot, food and drink specials, and giveaways. “It’s going to be a fun day in West Midtown,” Lennox says.

A third Muchacho location will debut in the old Revival space in Decatur this summer. In addition, the Electric Hospitality team is bringing Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall to the Westside. Slated to launch in May on 11th Street, the convivial restaurant and bar will feature a 5,000-square-foot courtyard with an airstream bar, stage, and Crepe Myrtles, and a 45-seat island bar inside. Formerly a single-story warehouse from 1950s or ’60s, Ladybird West Midtown will offer the same food and beverages as its Eastside sibling with room for the chef and mixologist to add their unique touches.

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Atlanta, GA

Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels

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Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels


A Buckhead apartment building was evacuated for a time late Tuesday night due to a carbon monoxide alarm. 

What we know:

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The incident occurred at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Pharr Court South. 

According to Atlanta Fire Rescue, firefighters are investigating elevated carbon monoxide levels.

The entire building was evacuated as a precaution. 

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One person was evaluated at the scene for possible carbon monoxide exposure. 

Crews ventilated the building while they looked for the source.

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Firefighters say they were able to finally locate the source and contain it.

Once readings were back to a safe level, residents were allowed back inside the apartments.

What we don’t know:

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It remains unclear how many residents were displaced by the evacuation. 

The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Fire Rescue.

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