Feb. 11, 2005 – Two local boys hit the culinary big time recently when their restaurant was selected by Bon Appetit as one of the 50 hottest dining destinations in America.
Life-long pals Paul Feuerzeig and Dana Armour opened Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ in Atlanta, Ga., toward the end of 2003, and now, scarcely two years later, their ribs and sauces are basking in the glow of the national spotlight.
Bon Appetit's "Hot 50", published in the March issue and available now on newsstands, ID's the country's top spots to go to for the scene, the freshest ingredients and the most innovative eats, according to the publication's Web site, epicurious.com.
"The barbecue competition is fierce in the deep South," Bon Appetit wrote, "but local connoisseurs can't get enough of the tender pork ribs and tangy sauces at Rolling Bones."
Feuerzeig said in a release that he and co-owner Armour have been thrilled by the accolades they've received since opening the doors of their renovated 1940s gas station turned hot spot. He said the pair have won numerous local awards for their food as well as the restaurant's sleek, art-deco design. He called inclusion on the Bon Appetit list a major stamp of approval.
And though the concept is soaring in Georgia, its roots are Texan by way of St. Thomas.
On the Rolling Bones Web site, Feuerzeig and Armour pay ample homage to their culinary guru, Texas native Bill Collins, whose Texas Style Pit BBQ has been a St. Thomas staple since shortly after his arrival on island in 1983.
The two reminisce in the site's history section about growing up eating Collins' food and how the longing for those old flavors in their new Atlanta home led them to open Rolling Bones. The two ended up approaching Collins in 2000, receiving his blessing for the project, and his secret recipes.
Although many of the reviews have focused on the pork ribs, the restaurant also features beef brisket, chicken and Texas hots with a host of traditional sides.
Anyone visiting Atlanta will certainly want to give Rolling Bones a try. The restaurant is located at 377 Edgewood Avenue, in the Martin Luther King Historic District. You can call ahead at 404-222-2324.