Watershed's Swan Song

Thirteen years ago, Watershed restaurant opened and helped make Decatur a dining destination. Folks drove from all over the Atlanta metro area for the fried chicken, pimento cheese and Very Good Chocolate Cake.

On Saturday, the Watershed era ended. The restaurant closed after dinner. The owners say they will open later at a yet-to-be announced location.

Watershed became famous for serving an updated form of traditional Southern cooking with a strong emphasis on fresh ingredients. Food writers as well as diners from around the nation raved about the menu. 

To mark the closing, Watershed served fried chicken for the weekend. That's not unusual for a restaurant that serves Southern food, but it's a change of pace for Watershed, which had only served fried chicken on Tuesday nights. 

Almost all the Saturday night diners ordered the chicken, which as always came with green beans, mashed potatoes and biscuits. It went fast.