💁‍♀️East Lake restaurant exclusive

Table Talk Exclusive: Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurant Owner + New East Lake Cafe

Aug. 13 —  Happy Tuesday, and welcome to the table!

In today’s “Family Meal,” I’m bringing you an exclusive story on a new restaurant headed to East Lake from Chef Hudson Rouse, one of the owners of Michelin Bib Gourmand Whoopsie’s in Atlanta. 

➕ For “The Move,” I’m singing the praises of the Publix bakery and its flourless chocolate torte. And Rough Draft Dining Reporter Sarra Sedghi provides you with a recipe for the red snapper ceviche from CT Cantina & Taqueria in Dunwoody. 

Cheers!

🍸 Beth

🏞️Enjoy direct riverfront access in this beautifully renovated end-unit townhome with sweeping views of the Chattahoochee River. Located in gated Chattahoochee Trail and listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, this rare find offers walkability, kayak access, trails, and designer finishes throughout. SPONSOR MESSAGE

The Move: Flourless Chocolate Torte From Publix

🍫🎂 While I always prefer purchasing desserts and baked goods from a local bakery, sometimes convenience wins out. You promised to bring dessert to the party, but you’re running late or haven’t had time to preorder from your favorite local bakery, so you pop into the nearest Publix.

After a taxing week at work, a friend arrived for a Friday night dinner party at my home with two tortes from Publix in tow: a European cream and triple berry torte ($14), and the other a flourless chocolate truffle torte ($14). The former was light and fresh with puckery berries crowning the top. The latter (the darling of the dinner party) was rich and dense, a super chocolatey, decadent delight that paired beautifully with a glass of Broadbent Rainwater Madeira, a medium-dry fortified wine with nutty complexity and a clean finish. 

✅ I’ve attended more than a few weddings over the years in which the cakes were custom-made by the local Publix. And how about the countless parties where platters of petit fours, mini tarts, brownies, and slices of crème cake from a Publix bakery graced the tables? Let’s face it, the Publix bakery rarely disappoints. It certainly didn’t on that Friday night. 

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Owner of Michelin Bib Gourmand Whoopsie’s Opening an All-Day Cafe in East Lake

🍽️ A new restaurant from Chef Hudson Rouse will open next spring in East Lake, giving the neighborhood an all-day cafe serving breakfast and lunch daily.

Called Babygirl, the restaurant will take over the former Mix’d Up Burger space at Hosea & 2nd behind Gene’sand Poor Hendrix.

Rouse, who owns Rising Son in Avondale Estates, Michelin Bib Gourmand Whoopsie’s in Reynoldstown, and Pure Quill Superette in Edgewood, hopes to open Babygirl by April 2026. But don’t expect the menu here to mimic the breakfast and lunch dishes found at Pure Quill or Rising Son.

Opening at 8 a.m. each day, Babygirl’s menu will skew vegetable-heavy and “health-conscious,” Rouse said, rather than the typical Southern breakfast fare found at Rising Son and Pure Quill. That doesn’t mean, however, that there won’t be dishes like a biscuit sandwich or a carby blue plate special at Babygirl. 

🥗 “This may have more of an intercontinental breakfast and lunch feel, with salads, soup and sandwich combos, that sort of thing,” Rouse told Rough Draft. “[Babygirl] is more cafe or bistro-inspired, kind of a modern diner and snack-oriented with small, concise plates.”

Rouse will eventually relocate the soft serve machine at Pure Quill to Babygirl, where he’ll offer a tight menu of desserts throughout the day. Along with coffee and smoothies, look for cocktails, beer, and a robust wine list from the bar. 

He likens Babygirl to a cafe with diner-esque menu options. That might include a burger and fries, a club sandwich, or pasta. Those reliable constants you can always find on the menu. Some dishes will reflect elements of cuisines enjoyed during Rouse’s travels abroad.

“I recreate food that I love and draw inspiration from other chefs and restaurants and from my travels. Pure Quill and Whoopsie’s menus are limited by the size of the kitchens, so they don’t change as much as I would like them to,” Rouse said. “The Babygirl kitchen is much bigger, and I will have an actual hand in designing it, which will allow me to get more creative with the menu.” 

🍳 Babygirl is meant to fill the gap in hours before restaurants like Gene’s and Poor Hendrix open for dinner and drinks later in the day. The point, Rouse said, is to give East Lake residents a place to grab breakfast and lunch without leaving the neighborhood, and provide a hangout spot for a glass of wine and snacks in the afternoon. 

Rouse hadn’t settled on the name until a few days before pulling permits for Babygirl. Like the story behind Pure Quill Superette, inspired by his grandfather’s former hardware and grocery store in West Virginia, Rouse wanted to incorporate some sort of family connection in the name for the East Lake restaurant. 

He has two baby girls and a son, and the name of his restaurant group is Rising Sons and Daughters. Rouse also likes how “babygirl” rolls off the tongue, a term of endearment you’ll hear frequently at Whoopsie’s, used by the staff to greet one another as well as some of the regulars there.

Leaning into that sense of familiarity and informality, Rouse will keep the vibe at Babygirl relaxed and casual, opting for a Danish or Japanese design aesthetic with clean lines and a neutral color palette. 

Inside, Babygirl will feature a 10-seat bar with two- and four-top tables seating up to 50 people. A covered patio and an outdoor area on the side of the restaurant will offer additional seating.

💕 “I love that corner of East Lake. I have history there since I sold my first vegetables at the East Lake Farmers Market across the street, where the townhomes are now,” explained Rouse. “I helped clean up the back area of the parking lot, which has become the neighborhood garden behind it.”

“I’ve been a big fan of Poor Hendrix since it opened and knew the owners of Mary Hoopa’s and Salaryman, and now Gene’s,” he added. “It’s a fun corner and I wanted to bring a restaurant serving breakfast, especially. I want regulars coming here to have breakfast and sit with their neighbors and chat with their friends.”

And while opening another restaurant so soon after Pure Quill wasn’t on his 2026 agenda, Rouse said the opportunity to come full circle in East Lake was just too hard to pass up.

Red Snapper Ceviche Recipe
From CT Cantina & Taqueria

🐟 This week, we’re bringing you the recipe for CT Cantina & Taqueria’s red snapper ceviche.

Ceviche is a common dish in Central and South American countries made from fresh fish and fruit or vegetables marinated in lime or lemon juice.

For those unfamiliar, ceviche is cooked without the use of heat. Instead, the citric acid in lime juice denatures the proteins in raw seafood, causing the flesh to become firm as it would in heat-based cooking procedures.

Lime juice does not kill bacteria as effectively or thoroughly as heat, which means it’s vital to use the freshest fish possible. Fish from a supermarket seafood counter may not be as fresh as claimed on stickers. In many cases, frozen seafood is often fresher, so your safest bet is purchasing from a local fishmonger or seafood market.

🎣 Metro Atlanta includes several independent seafood markets, such as Kathleen’s Catch in Brookhaven and Fishmonger on North Highland Avenue in Poncey-Highland. For the absolute freshest fish, consider a market selling live seafood.

CT Cantina and Taqueria chef Alfonso Gonzalez recommends sourcing live fish from the Buford Highway Farmers Market or City Farmer’s Market inside Northeast Plaza. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Providing a few details about the dish you intend to make will help the fishmonger select the most appropriate choice.

Gonzalez said that people making ceviche for the first time shouldn’t have issues as long as they’re using the freshest fish possible. And, if you’re not able to find fresh red snapper, don’t use frozen fish, just opt for a similar saltwater fish.

💁‍♂️ “Halibut and flounder would be my top suggestions [if you can’t find fresh red snapper], but any white firm-flesh fish is good,” Gonzalez said. “Even scallops can be used, if preferred.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh, skinless red snapper fillets cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh black pepper
• 1 habanero pepper, thinly sliced (use less if preferred)
• 2 ounces red bell pepper, diced into small pieces
• 2 ounces thinly sliced red onion
• 3 ounces cucumber, peeled and diced into small pieces
• 3 ounces mango, peeled and diced into small pieces
• 1/2 ounce chopped cilantro
• 2 1/2 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 avocado

Directions

Peel the avocado and cut it into lengthwise slices. Add avocado slices and serve ceviche immediately.

Season the snapper with salt and pepper, and place in a large bowl. Add lime juice. Let fish sit for 2 to 5 minutes.

Add habanero pepper, red bell pepper, red onions, cucumbers, mango, and cilantro.

Refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove ceviche from the refrigerator just before serving.

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