James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock opened his first restaurant in Atlanta Monday, and the second location for his casual Mexican concept, Minero, already operating in Charleston, S.C.
The restaurant, also owned by Neighborhood Dining Group, adds to a growing roster of debuts in the food hall at Ponce City Market, located at 675 Ponce De Leon Ave., N.E., Atlanta. Hours of operation are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Minero is all about Mexican street food, with special attention to tacos — and anything else that calls for a corn tortilla.
Minero makes its own tortillas from scratch using corn from Masienda, Geechie Boy Mill and Anson Mills. The tortillas serve as the base for some half-dozen tacos, as well as chilaquiles (fried tortilla wedges smothered with beans and pork, crema, salsa, queso fresco, avocado and a fried egg) and a mula (think: a filled, folded taco that gets quesadilla treatment). They are also available with guacamole or a trio of salsas: verde, spicy árbol and the sesame seed-like benne.
Other dishes on the tight menu include queso fundido, chicken wings in Valentina-brand hot sauce, a torta del día and sides of beans, arroz verde and escabeche (pickled) vegetables.
Among beverages, look for a dozen Mexican-inspired cocktails; bottled and canned beer that ranges from low-brow (Miller High Life) to high (Delirium Tremens by Belgium’s Huyghe Brewery); and a selection of 10 wines, all available by both the glass and bottle. Teetotalers can pick from horchata, agua fresca and Mexican soda Jarritos, among others.
The industrial feel of the space is softened by rustic wood tabletops, an open kitchen and an orange palette of tiled walls. Minero offers seating for 60 in the main dining area and the bar, plus another 70 seats on the outdoor patio. The restaurant will not take reservations.
Those smitten with a big name like Brock can look for him to be a fixture during the restaurant’s opening weeks. Ultimately, he’ll hand over the reins to chef de cuisine Jorge Ortiz.
Ortiz, who is from Atlanta, also helped Brock open Minero in Charleston.
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