TABLE TALK: Cupcakes in Carytown, hot dogs in the Fan

After months of prep work, Garnett's Café is open at 2001 W. Park Ave. in the former Table 9 and Chiocca's spot.

Those in the neighborhood might also remember its two-week incarnation this spring as Credo's Park Avenue Café.

Garnett's is the handiwork of Kendra Feather, owner of Ipanema Café, who is running the new place with her brother, Kirk. The restaurant is named after the siblings' grandmother Garnett, which also is Kendra's middle name.

"We hadn't planned on opening another place, but when this opportunity came up, we had to take it," Feather said. "The whole menu is designed for the space. We wanted to make it really homey, like a grandma-style lunch counter."

That menu specializes in salads and sandwiches, including a Louisville Hot Brown with sliced turkey, Cheddar and bacon; a Croque Monsieur with Black Forest ham and Gruyere cheese on grilled Italian bread; and a WBLT, roasted garlic white bean spread with lettuce and tomato on toasted Italian bread.

The restaurant, which seats about 30, operates as a coffee shop from 7 to 11 a.m., serving only coffee and pastries. From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, the full sandwich/salad/appetizer menu is in effect, as well as on Saturday-Sunday through 11 p.m. Garnett's is closed Mondays.

A Web site is expected to be up this week: http://www.garnettscafe.com.

For details, call (804) 367-7909.

. . .

On Oct. 29, T.G.I. Friday's will host "America's Largest Halloween Party" from 9 p.m. to close (times vary by location). The festivities include penny appetizers in the bar with the purchase of a beverage. The only catch? Make sure to slap on a costume.

. . .

The Midlothian location of Shackleford's (in Courthouse Place) has added half-price specials to mimic those at its western Henrico County and Williamsburg locations.

The newest location, which opened in July, is offering half-priced steamed shrimp with Old Bay seasoning on Mondays and Wednesdays, half-priced burgers on Tuesdays and half-priced snow crab legs and kids' meals (12 and younger) on Sundays.

For details, call (804) 794-4900 or visit http://www.shacklefords.com.

. . .

Carytown Cupcakes is now bustling at 2820-C W. Cary St.

The inspiration for its goods is Magnolia Bakery in New York, which features 1950s-style cupcakes.

One weekly special through Saturday is a PBJ (peanut butter cupcakes topped with fluffy peanut butter icing, rolled in chopped peanuts and finished with a dollop of raspberry jelly).

Next week's Halloween specials are Vanilla Spidercakes (dark chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting, decorated with black spider webs) and Chocolate Spidercakes (dark chocolate cupcakes with dark chocolate buttercream frosting decorated with white spider webs).

The "cupcakery" is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday (or until the fresh-baked cupcakes sell out).

. . .

The recently closed Freckles (5724 Patterson Ave.) is being reincarnated as The Grill at Patterson & Libbie.

. . .

A second location of City Dogs is open in the Fan at 1309 W. Main St. (former home of Nara Sushi). The new outpost -- the original is in Shockoe Slip -- boasts patio seating and a basement game room.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, but once its ABC license is approved, it will remain open until 2 a.m.

For details, call (804) 359-3647.

If you have a tip for Table Talk, call (804) 649-6120 or e-mail . The deadline to receive items is noon Friday one week before publication.