First Look: Bantam & Biddy, Ansley Park

Snacks, soups and salads, $4-$12; rotisserie chicken and entrees, $10-$14; sandwiches, $10; sides, $3.25; mini pies, $4.

1544 Piedmont Road, Suite 301, Atlanta, 404-907-3469, www.bantamandbiddy.com

Fine dining refugee, chef Shaun Doty, found success with Yeah! Burger. Now Doty has a new fast-casual concept, Bantam & Biddy, with chef Lance Gummere that’s a take on the Southern meat and three experience, with pastured rotisserie chicken and an array of sides as the stars of the show.

The look: The restaurant's corner storefront space in Ansley Mall, designed by The Johnson Studio, updates elements of the classic Southern diner, with bead board, ceramic tile, a gleaming stainless steel open kitchen, and a pecan wood counter with a row of barstools. Other seating options include cafe and communal tables, banquettes and a covered courtyard patio.

The scene: One recent Friday afternoon, B&B was buzzing, as a line snaked from the sidewalk, through the front door, to the order counter. Food runners delivered plates around the crowded dining room, and Doty and Gummere popped in and out of kitchen, checking on orders, while greeting customers and shaking hands.

The menu: In addition to a quarter ($10) or half chicken ($14) with homemade sauce and two sides, there's rotisserie pork loin ($10), and other entrees range from grass-fed beef meatloaf ($12) and pork schnitzel ($14) to chicken pot pie with cheddar biscuits ($12). The all-day Southern breakfast platter features three eggs any style, pimento cheese, grits and bacon ($14). Find lunch specials and local, seasonal and gluten-free sides, like fried green tomatoes or Little Gem salad, every day. And check out the bakery case for the likes of chocolate, cherry or pumpkin mini pies ($4).

The drinks: Beyond self-serve iced tea, fountain sodas and bottled drinks, there's a full bar with cocktails, beer and wine. The Hay Maker ($6.50) with white whiskey, iced tea, lemon and rhubarb bitters is on the current cocktail list. Sweetwater 420 ($5/$16) and Left Hand Milk Stout ($6/$20) are on draft by the glass or pitcher.

The extras: Beginning Dec. 3, B&B will open at 7:30 a.m. with a full breakfast menu. Look for a three-egg burrito with black beans and green chile salsa ($8), a spinach and goat cheese omelet ($10), and fried chicken and waffles ($12). A B&B spinoff, dubbed Chick-a-Biddy, is set to open in Atlantic Station in April 2013.