A good friend of mine called Roshambo “A love letter to Atlanta” and that’s the best summation there is from my viewpoint.
Todd, Ryan and myself are all transplants: Todd moved here fresh out of culinary school in 1996, Ryan in 1995 and my family came from Sewanee, Tennessee in 1984. We all chose this city: we are proud to live here, raise our families here, and call Atlanta home.
My family settled at 1080 Peachtree Battle Avenue (last house on the left going away from Peachtree before you cross over I-75) and I have been coming to the Peachtree Battle shopping center since we moved here. I remember Jim White’s Half Shell where we went for “fancy” dinners. I had my 16th birthday at Ernie’s (now Whitehall Tavern) and before that, one of my greatest desires was to get my name on a plaque at Jalisco. I spent countless hours browsing records & tapes & waiting in line for concert tickets at Turtle’s Records & Tapes in the center. Countless hours. Amy Price created a terrific nod to Turtles and what it meant to all of us of that era. Bring in an old cassette tape & be a part of the fun…This really is home for me…
Roshambo was designed by Amy Price of Starling Studio, John Boggs of Phase 5 Creative, Bart Sasso, Ryan, Todd, and me. It’s our homage to Atlanta with a steady diet of wit, whimsy, & irreverence. We take what we do seriously, but don’t take ourselves too seriously. Everything in Roshambo is there for a reason & has a story behind it. Very little is random. That’s the way we like it: authentic & personal.
The wall on your right when you walk in was based on a tattoo I have on my right forearm of the city skyline of Atlanta. The wall is 3 layers and based on 3 pictures taken from the Jackson Street Bridge on Freedom Parkway. The first layer, comprised of the lightest colored wood, was based on a photo from the bridge taken in 1970. The second layer, a richer shade of brown, was based on a photo taken during the Olympics in 1996. The final layer, gray and closest to the wall, was based on a photo taken in 2015. Many thanks to Randy Smith & his incredible team at Clean Cut Fabricators for bringing our vision to life. How we have grown…
The map behind the bar and on the booths separating the bar from the dining area is a map of Buckhead, where Roshambo is located.
What’s with the name? Well, Roshambo is the traditional name for the game also known as “rock, paper, scissors.” And since we are modeling ourselves after a diner, we replaced “rock, paper, scissors” with breakfast, lunch, & dinner. We also find the game fun and a great way to resolve even the stickiest of disputes. We are happy that even Federal judges agree…
Roshambo was built by our friends at Choate Construction led by Brian Bollins. William Ball & Brett Emerick managed the project while the incomparable Don Palladino was our superintendent. This is the 3rd restaurant we have built with Choate and the second with Don leading the construction. Not only is he as grumpy as I am (which I LOVE) but his knowledge is unsurpassed in building restaurants. You’ll find a token of our appreciation for Don on a wall in Roshambo. Like Don, it’s rare & one-of-a-kind…
Roshambo is our version of a 21st century diner. Todd grew up in Boston, Ryan in Maine & I spent six years exiled in Philadelphia. We all loved diners. Breakfast, lunch & dinner at any time. Mostly sober, sometimes not-so-much. Real food. Authentic & cooked with love & care. Our diner veers from tradition in a couple notable ways:
We aren’t going to be open 24 hours a day. It’s hard to admit, and we do so begrudgingly, but our parents were right: nothing good happens late at night…
Traditional diners, at least the ones in Philadelphia, have enormous menus. We don’t have the space or desire to do that. It’s better to do a few things really well than be mediocre at many things…
The paintings over the small booths in the back hallway are a subtle nod to our theme of rock, paper & scissors. Nothing says good times like Dwayne Johnson…
The plates on the walls in the “Side Hustle” were inspired by the plates on the walls at my grandmother’s house, albeit the subject matter is a bit different. Julia MacKenzie (Miss Egress) did the amazing work on the plates & they reflect my love for Atlanta and our unique culture. From Outkast to Ted Turner, we have you covered…