Allergen-free treats from Texas-based dessert brand Better Bites Bakery are now available in the bakery department in all 479 Whole Foods Markets locations nationwide. Their cupcakes and cake balls are amazing and classroom friendly!!

Justin Anthony’s new Biltong Bar is open in Buckhead.  According to TonetoATL, the new restaurant opened in the onetime home of American Food & Beverage at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.  Located at the corner of Buckhead Avenue and North Fulton Drive and at more than 6,200 square feet, the Buckhead location is the grown-up version of the original Biltong Bar in the food hall at Ponce City Market in Midtown with an expanded menu and drink selection. The popcorn with peri peri salt, parmesan and shaved biltong is a MUST order.

Firebirds Wood Fire Grill is open in the new Town Center development in Peachtree Corners. The meat-centric restaurant denotes gluten-free cuisine for easy ordering. We stopped by this past weekend and I enjoyed the beef fillet kabob with balsalmic ancho chile drizzle and a side of Parmesan mashed potatoes. The steak was perfectly cooked and juicy with a lovely smoky flavor, but there was barely any drizzle, which was a bummer because I love balsamic everything. And there is no gluten-free dessert; however, will definitely be back because my husband raved about the burger.

Salata is open in the new Town Center development in Peachtree Corners. The customizable salad shop with 50 fresh and healthful salad toppings, has had all of their ingredients verified gluten-free by  MenuTrinfo®, LLC. As with all shared kitchens, there is always a possibility of cross-contact so be aware. Check out their allergen list before heading out to make ordering a stress-less experience. By the way, all of their salad dressings and soups are gluten free as are most of their proteins (sans herb-marinated krabmeat, mixed seafood, and baked tofu.

Phoenix, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market, closed its Dunwoody store on Sunday, December 23. The closest open store is in Peachtree Corners, which has a larger footprint than its predecessor.

Metro Atlanta is getting a second location of True Food Kitchen this year at Avalon in Alpharetta. The new restaurant will replace Road Runner Sports. I can’t wait for it to open because the one in Buckhead is surrounded by too much traffic and no parking.

Zeal Kitchen and Bar closed its doors for good in October. After five years in business, the eatery wasn’t able to build a sustainable customer based even with its gluten-free and vegan offerings. I will miss the calamari, veggie burgers on gluten-free buns and dessert.