Dining Out
10 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 10 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays.
Tea, slushies, coffee and other drinks, $2.25-$4.50; baked goods and sweets, market price; gelato and sorbet, $2.50-$6.
798 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-835-2009,
Honey Bubble. Try saying the name without thinking Honey Boo Boo. But rather than representing too-cute hick culture, Atlanta’s new bubble tea and laptop hangout is the epitome of Gen Y hip culture. A place where Yelpers can dig free Wi-Fi while discussing the merits of tapioca pearls and aloe vera jelly and snapping iPhone photos of candy-colored Parisian-style macarons.
The look: Situated on Ponce, barely a wall away from Gen X breakfast spot Java Jive, a towering billboard points to the entrance with an arrow and an exclamation point: "The very first honey bubble on earth!" Inside, the fast casual layout leads to an outstretched order counter with bright glass cases full of goodies. An easygoing medley of chairs, tables and couches offers a choice of perches. For serious or more secluded business, there's a free conference room.
The scene: Late one afternoon in conference mode, two young women with two laptops and at least four mobile phones occupied a wooden office table scattered with piles of files and envelopes. Elsewhere, customers struck the familiar sipping and surfing poses, while at the counter a baby boomer anxiously puzzled over the menu, finally settling for a coffee and a pistachio gelato.
The menu: Though drinks are the draw, food does appear on the menu, mostly in the form of baked goods delivered from Alon's and Atlanta Cupcake Factory. Look for market-priced breakfast bagels, scones, croissants, cake slices, and multiple macarons and cupcakes. Gelato and sorbet ($2.50-$6) come from Atlanta's Honeysuckle Gelato. Espresso, hazelnut, watermelon and mango were among the recent flavors.
The drinks: Honey Bubble's take on the increasingly popular Taiwanese-style drink touts double-filtered water, premium teas from multiple sources, premium concentrates and syrups, and only honey or brown cane sugar as sweeteners. Choose from milk bubble teas made with Lactaid or soy milk or clear bubble teas ($3-$5) in assorted flavors, from the signature Roya milk to salted caramel and kiwi. Snowcap slushies ($3.50-$4.50) include pearls or jelly in flavors like Asian pear and Japanese wedding cake. Under the heading New York State of Mind, find a Brooklyn egg cream or Mott Street Italian fizz ($4).
The extras: A wall at the end of the order counter holds a small store of shelves stocked with packaged tea, tea presses and Asian snacks to take home.
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