Last month, when the popular Westside boutique coffee shop, Octane, opened a second location in The Jane loft complex on Memorial Drive, they upped the food and beverage pleasure quotient with several new additions.
Most notably, Octane is sharing the space with the Little Tart Bakeshop, and baker Sarah O’Brien is filling the pastry cases with croissants, quiches, sandwiches and all kinds of sweet buttery treats.
Also, bartender Aaron Drobek and his cohorts are creating classic cocktails, as well as pouring craft beers and wines by the glass.
The look: Located behind Six Feet Under, the build-out takes advantage of soaring ceilings and windows to a create a bright, airy atmosphere that evokes a hipster version of Martha Stewart’s kitchen. The Little Tart counter and bakery operation occupies one corner, an L-shaped cocktail bar takes up the other corner, and baristas man the space between, working a row of steaming Chemex-style coffeemakers.
The scene: One afternoon, a long communal table was filled with a group of bike riders, who’d dropped their helmets to sip frothy cups of coffee and nibble pastries. Nearby, counter seats were outposts for laptop tappers and cafe tables were taken by neighbors out for a quick lunch.
The menu: With a focus on local ingredients, O’Brien and her staff turn out fresh-baked goods until 5 p.m., plus a daily selection of breakfast and lunch items. Mainstays of the menu include creme fraiche quiche with local veggies ($4.50) and the B.A.T. sandwich with Pine Street Market bacon, local arugula and tomato pesto ($8). Look for sweet stuff like Frangipane Tart with local blueberries ($3.25) and a mini Boozy Maple Pecan Pie with Georgia pecans and bourbon ($4.15).
The drinks: Coffee aficionados will be happy to know that Octane is now roasting its own beans at the Grant Park location. Brewed coffee to order ($2.50) features Huehuetenango from Guatemala and Paso Ancho from Panama. The current cocktail menu includes the Corpse Reviver No. 2 with Bellringer gin, Cointreau, lemon, Cocchi Americano and absinthe ($9).
The extras: The “Food After Five” menu has snacks, such as bacon fat caramel corn ($3) and bread with savory jams ($4), and bigger bites like a seasonal vegetable gratin ($7). “Wiener Wednesday” brings out a Kosher chili dog ($5) and a vegetarian frankfurter ($6).
Dining out
Octane and the Little Tart Bakeshop, Grant Park
7 a.m.-midnight Mondays-Fridays; 8 a.m.-midnight Saturdays; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays.
Snacks, $3-$9; sandwiches and small plates, $5-$9; cookies, pastries and desserts, $1-$8.
437 Memorial Drive S.E., Suite A5, Atlanta, octanecoffee.com
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