Quick Bites: Bartaco Buckhead, new Condesa Coffee open and more

Atlanta restaurant news roundup

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The second Atlanta location of Bartaco opened at 3802 Roswell Road in Buckhead March 15. The first opened at 969 Marietta St. in July, and a third will follow at Inman Quarter (280 Elizabeth St.) this summer. The Atlanta location of Bartaco’s sister eatery, Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant, opened at 240 N. Highland Ave. in 2011, while a second location should open at Westside Ironworks this summer.

“Top Chef” alum Richard Blais has finally cut ties with the Midtown restaurant he opened in 2012, the Spence. Though Blais will continue to work with the Concentrics restaurant group on culinary projects, he is shifting his focus to his San Diego restaurant, Juniper & Ivy, which he opened last March. Chef Wesley True, a creative talent who has twice been named a James Beard Awards finalist, has been tapped to take the helm.

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The second location of Fado Irish Pub opened the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day at 933 Peachtree St. Inspired by Dublin pub culture in the same spirit as the original location, which opened in 1996, the new pub features detailed craftsmanship, rich wood finishes, a whiskey room, lots of local beers, and craft cocktails.

In case you missed it, the Ford Fry concept slated to replace Abattoir at 1170 Howell Mill Road will be a European-style steakhouse called Marcel. The restaurant is themed around the early-20th century concept of “beefsteak dinners,” which are “celebratory meals held by men, often in secret locations.” Plush burgundy leather will also feature prominently, a revision of the original interior design by Square Feet Studio. Diners can look forward to meals of mutton chops, veal parmesan, ravioli, prime rib of pork, sole meuniere, spaghetti with porcini and pecorino, sandwiches of slow-roasted beef, fried bologna, and lobster, and desserts like bananas foster, baked Alaska, and soufflés. Look for the debut by late summer 2015.

The second location of Condesa Coffee has opened at the Atlanta Daily World Building (145 Auburn Ave.) in Sweet Auburn, a stone’s throw from the streetcar line. The cafe, which first opened at 480 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. in 2010, is the brainchild of Georgia Tech alumni Daniela Staiculescu, Amin Rida, Moe Reda, and Octavian Stan. It serves Counter Culture Coffee, Rishi teas, Alon’s pastries, and a variety of sandwiches and small plates, cocktails like those currently available at the Old Fourth Ward location should arrive later in the year.


Mellow Mushroom’s shuttered Decatur location at 265 Ponce de Leon Place recently welcomed a new resident in DaVinci’s Pizza. Already boasting locations in Smyrna, Roswell, and Midtown, the pizzeria offers more than two dozen gourmet renditions, including the “Bella Noche,” “Mona Lisa,” and “King’s Feast,” along with an array of craft beers on draft.

A second metro location of the Stout Brothers beer market has been named as the newest Inman Quarter tenant. Currently based in Smyrna, the company will assume a 1,200-square-foot space at 299 North Highland Ave. when the development opens later this year. Owner Brandon King reveals that his retail show will offer “crowlers,” which are large, sealed aluminum cans full of beer, as well as hard-to-find craft brands like Evil Twins and Brew Dogs, along with local meats, cheeses, and sauces. A Louisville, Kentucky location could be on the horizon for 2016, with two to three more stores per year to follow.


Savi Provisions has filed plans to infiltrate the corner space of Midtown’s Historic Commercial Row: a spot adjacent to the Margaret Mitchell House at 988 Peachtree St. This will mark the fourth location for the the six-year-old gourmet market which already boasts outposts in Inman Park, Brookhaven, and Buckhead.