Sports Illustrated’s sicom July 2 double issue spotlights former sports stars who now run restaurants, in particular barbecue joints. Featured athletes and their eateries include: Robert Porcher (Detroit Lions) Seldom Blues jazz and supper club, Detroit Breakfast House & Grill, and Grand City Grille, Detroit; Nate Thurmond (NBA Hall of Fame center), Big Nate’s Barbecue, San Francisco; Randy Jones (San Diego Padres pitcher), Randy Jones’ BBQ, Petco Park, San Diego; Sammy Walker (Olympic weightlifter), Sammy Walker’s Bar-b-que, Rowlett and Forney, Texas; Billy Sims (Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winning running back), Billy Sims Barbecue, Tulsa, Edmond and Broken Bow, Okla; Larry Shreve (pro wrestler), Abdulla the Butcher’s House of Ribs & Chinese Food, Atlanta; Lee Roy Selmon (Tampa Bay Bucs star), Lee Roy Selmon’s, seven locations in the Tampa area; Al “Bubba” Baker (pro football player), Bubba’s Q, Avon, Ohio; Greg “The Bull” Luzinski (Phillies slugger), Bull’s Barbecue, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia; and Boog Powell (Orioles slugger), Boog’s BBQ, Camden Yards, Baltimore.

IN THE NEWS: Rising soon in Atlanta will be a new sandwich franchise that is set to give Panera Bread, Blimpie and Atlanta Bread Co. a new challenge in the lucrative lunchtime market, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports. Rising Roll Gourmet is a home-grown Atlanta sandwich shop, with 13 units across the Southeast, seven that are in Atlanta. After slowly rolling out in the Southeast while developing the franchise system, Rising Roll is set to tackle new markets. The chain is looking to grow to 100 units in the next five years. The concept was founded by the father/son duo of Bob and Jeff Weiss, who created Uptown Gourmet in Norcross and Midtown. … The AJC’s Meridith Ford gives two stars in her review of Flying Biscuit Cafe (3515 Northside Parkway, Suite 12, Atlanta), while Bob Townsend reviews Super H Mart Food Court (6335 State Route 85, Riverdale), H.M. Cauley visits Ray’s New York Pizza (880 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell), Jon Waterhouse stops by Wildfire (94 Perimeter Center West, Atlanta), and the paper also lists the best places to get budget Mexican. … Cauley reports that the Flying Biscuit Cafe first location outside the Perimeter is set to open this fall in the Publix shopping center on Johnson Ferry Road near Lower Roswell Road. The former Mama Fu’s space will also be the Biscuit’s first free-standing operation, founder Delia Champion tells Cauley, who also reports on the expected fall opeing of a J. Cristopher’s in the vy Walk development, off Cumberland Parkway in Vinings, that formerly housed Doc Chey’s. ajc.com … Creative Loafing’s Besha Rodell gives two stars in her review of The Pecan (3725 Main St., College Park; www.thepecanonline.com), while Cliff Bostick visits the new gastropub Tap (1180 Peachtree St.), Cabbagetown Market and Little’s Grill (198 Carroll St.), and Nicola’s on Lavista. atlanta.creativeloafing.com … The Blissful Glutton blissfulglutton.blogspot.com reviews Richard Blais’ Element in Midtown.

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