Noni's Italian Deli & Bar
"Gastropub" may be the most overused term in Atlanta dining right now. But whatever you call them, casual bar/restaurants that tweak pub grub with fine dining flourishes are hot, hot, hot. At Noni's Italian Deli & Bar on Edgewood Avenue, Matt Ruppert and Tobias Johansson have put a fresh spin on the trend, creating a place that manages to be both cool and comfy, with food and drink to match.
EDGEWOOD SCENE: The stretch of Edgewood Avenue between Boulevard and the downtown connector has become a boom area for restaurants and bars. Ruppert and Johansson took a crumbling brick building and, with the help of a contractor, did much of the work to transform it into a welcoming environment. Red brick walls, concrete floors and a raised bar area with warm wood give it a cozy tavern feel. There's plenty of off-street parking in back, along with a small patio for outdoor dining. Lunch draws downtown workers, while dinner brings in folks from nearby neighborhoods, and later on it's a lively bar scene.
NONI LOVES YOU: Noni's serves sandwiches, salads and sides during the day, adding a variety of pasta dishes at night, including classic lasagna with béchamel and meat sauce. Many of the recipes originated with Ruppert's Sicilian grandmother (noni), Rosalie Spinozzi. That's reflected on the menu in the simple proclamation: "Noni loves you." And in Ruppert's cooking, which has all the labor of love attributes of a talented home chef. His homemade tagliatelle (simply fashioned from Italian OO flour and eggs) is soft, creamy and light as air. Order a bowl tossed with puttanesca sauce, a peppery melange of olives, capers, chopped tomatoes and a touch of anchovies. Noni's meatballs are juicy and flavorful, available at dinner with pasta, or anytime in a sub, covered with zesty marinara and melted provolone on a grilled hoagie roll.
SANDWICHES AND ANTIPASTI: Other popular deli-style sandwiches include the Cold Noni, with a combo of Italian meats, cheese, roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato and garlic aioli. And a muffuletta is dressed with olive salad on toasted focaccia. The perfect side is Noni's fries, crispy strips of hand-cut russet potatoes, seasoned with a delightful blend of garlic, salt, parsley and parmesan cheese. An appealing list of antipasti can serve as starters, sides or bar snacks. Among them, pickled veggies, marinated olives, cannelini bean puree, vegetable frito misto, and several salads, such as a tasty pea and pecorino concoction.
VINO AND BREW: Noni's has a full cocktail bar, and a thoughtful — if not exactly bargain-priced — selection of regional Italian wines. The beer list has draft, bottled and canned offerings, from two-buck PBR and Schlitz tallboys to pints of Terrapin Rye and Brooklyn Brown.
HOURS: Lunch 11:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; Dinner 5:30 p.m.-midnight Mondays-Sundays. Bar open late.
CREDIT CARDS: MasterCard; Visa; American Express; Discover
PRICES: Antipasti, $5-$7; sandwiches, $7-$9; pasta, $7-$15; desserts, $5.
RESERVATIONS: Yes
RECOMMENDED DISHES: Homemade tagliatelle pasta with puttanesca sauce; meatball sub; Noni's fries
PARKING: Street and lot parking
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
SMOKING POLICY: After 10 p.m.
NOISE LEVEL: Moderate-Loud
TAKEOUT: Yes
VERDICT: Noni's tasty Italian fare and convivial bar make a welcome addition to burgeoning Edgewood Avenue.
