RHOA briefs: Old Lady Gang restaurant review, Phaedra Parks, Kim Zolciak

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Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

This was posted Thursday, June 29, 2017 by Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk 

Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker's restaurant Old Lady Gang in Castleberry Hill has finally been open a couple of months and our reviewer Wyatt Williams recently gave the place a decent review. He thought the food was solid but nothing special. He gave it a "very good" rating of two stars out of four.

The "specialness" in his mind that brought people there was the TV show "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." He had never watched the show so he brought friends who were huge fans. He got to meet Nora, one of Kandi's aunts, and saw Kandi herself downstairs. So he got lucky.

I've never entirely understood the appeal of celebrity-owned restaurants. I mean, it's not like Mark Wahlberg is going to be flipping burgers at Wahlburgers, so what does it matter that he owns it? Even if he was, would that really make your burger taste better? I guess my confusion comes from the fact that I don't know what fans expect to happen in such a place.

On OpenTable, the restaurant has gotten four stars out of five from reviewers but only three stars out of five on Yelp.  TripAdvisor split the difference: 3.5 stars out of five. For now, it's tough to get reservations during peak times so plan ahead or come at odd hours.

In the meantime, Kandi is working double time on both the "Xscape: Still Kickin' It" docuseries on Bravo alongside regular shoots of "Real Housewives."

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Credit: Rodney Ho

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Credit: Rodney Ho

BET reports that Phaedra Parks shot a farewell scene for season 10 now that she is off the show as a full-time cast member following her multiple lies and deceit during season nine.

Porsha Williams, the story said, was the only one willing to shoot a scene with her where Parks will try to apologize and close the door on her time there. They had been friends on the show until it was revealed Parks had fed her false rumors she then told to Kandi Burruss about wanting to kidnap and drug her.

Parks last week appeared on USA Network's "Big Star Little Star" game show where Parks and her seven-year-old son Ayden competed for prizes.  She competed against former N*SYNC star Joey Fatone and his daughter Kloey and Super Bowl champion Greg Jennings and his daughter Alea.

Ayden was asked questions about her mom. He correctly answered her celebrity crush (Jimmy Kimmel!) and the silliest thing she wears (a bra). Phaedra also did a cheerleading routine.

She ultimately won $25,000 for her own Phaedra Parks Foundation.

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Credit: Rodney Ho

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Credit: Rodney Ho

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You have to give Kim Zolciak credit for staying in the spotlight and get this: she recently hit 2.5 million followers on Instagram. That's more than NeNe Leakes (2.2 million), Cynthia Bailey (1.4 million), Kenya Moore (911,000) or Sheree Whitfield (557,000). But she lags behind both Kandi Burruss (4.6 million) and Porsha Williams (2.9 million.)

On Instagram, Kim mixes in funny flashback photos with shots of her kids and sexy selfies.

She will return part time to "Real Housewives" season 10 while maintaining her own spin-off "Don't Be Tardy."