Little Bear owners plan East Atlanta wine bar & more from ATL’s restaurant scene
East Atlanta has several new wine bars in the works and a bevy of new restaurants opened around the metro area this week (with even more announced). Here’s what’s happening this week in the Atlanta restaurant scene.
Little Bear team secures funding for new wine bar
The team behind Summerhill restaurant Little Bear, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s No. 8 restaurant on the Atlanta 50, announced this week plans to open a second restaurant called Bar Schmutzi.
The new European-style wine bar will open in a space that was formerly a veterinary clinic on Flat Shoals Avenue in East Atlanta, chef and owner Jarrett Stieber told the AJC. The intimate bar will serve a small menu of shareable plates with one plat du jour or rotating daily entree, as well as a regularly updated wine list from smaller producers.
Stieber said he and his team hoped to tap into East Atlanta’s well-established bar culture, bringing something new to the mix “without being snobby or pretentious.”
He noted that many of Little Bear’s regular customers drive over from areas in and around East Atlanta, so he saw an opportunity to open a bar where his team already had a customer base.
The landlords, Canvas Companies, were another piece of the puzzle for Stieber. The chef said he’d considered multiple Canvas properties for Little Bear that never came to fruition, but the parties stayed in contact and were able to make a deal to open Bar Schmutzi.
When Stieber first announced the new wine bar on social media earlier this week, the restaurants was still short on funding. Thanks to the announcement, he said he was able to field several offers and secure the additional money needed through privately funded loans.
Stieber said he could not commit to an opening time frame for Bar Schmutzi, which is still in the beginning stages of construction. The restaurant will likely open next year.
Like Little Bear, the name for Bar Schmutzi is based on a nickname for Stieber and wife Hallie’s dog. The family calls Diego, who also participated in Stieber’s phone interview with the AJC, Schmutzi because of the dark speckles on his nose.
Stieber said the encouraging response to the news about Bar Schmutzi and the opportunity to quickly secure funding have created momentum for the restaurant’s opening.
“You want to build an identity that people understand and relate to and enjoy with your first business — in this case, Little Bear,” he said. “You hope that people will be excited for your next endeavor and support it, but you never know if they actually are … But it seemed like there was an immediate, really warm, positive reception to (Bar Schmutzi), and that everyone seems stoked we’re opening a bar.”
461 Flat Shoals Ave. SE., Atlanta. barschmutziatl.com
Metro Atlanta restaurant openings
Bar Incognito opened Wednesday in west Midtown in the former Fishmonger space, the business announced on social media. The bar’s social media describes it as “a cocktail bar disguised as something else.”
1025 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta. instagram.com/bar_incognitoatl
El Tesoro opened its South Downtown location this week. The neighborhood-favorite Mexican restaurant has an expanded menu, a draft margarita system and a curated menu of tequila and other agave spirits.
171 Mitchell St. SW, Atlanta. 404-239-2188, eltesoroatl.com
Golestan, a new Persian restaurant from the owners of El Valle, is now open at the Forum in Peachtree Corners, restaurant representatives announced this week.
5173 Peachtree Pkwy. NW, Peachtree Corners. 770-726-4460, golestanrestaurant.com
La Cueva, a cocktail bar with a highly stylized, slot canyon-inspired design, opened Saturday at Ponce City Market, according to a news release. Guests will enter through a narrow stone passageway for speakeasy-like experience, finding a cocktail bar with an extensive offering of mezcals. The bar will also feature other spirits, wine, beer and modern Mexican food options.
675 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. lacuevaatl.com
Mikkelson’s Market, a new Danish deli and market from the team behind JenChan’s, opened June 6, the business announced on social media.
210 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-268-6798, mikkelsonsmarket.com
The Municipal Market, also known as the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, near downtown Atlanta opened four new food stalls last week, Rough Draft Atlanta reported. The new vendors are Retro Grill Atlanta, Dolce Tropical, A Taste of Secrets and Edgewood Pizza.
209 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-659-1665, municipalmarketatl.com
Underground Diner opened in downtown’s Underground Atlanta on June 6, the restaurant announced on social media.
68 Pryor St. SW, Atlanta. 404-228-1066, undergrounddiner.com
New restaurant announcements
Bicicletta, a new Italian restaurant from the team behind Enzo Steakhouse & Bar, will open in Peachtree City on June 23, according to a news release. The casual restaurant draws inspiration from Italian cycling culture and will serve pasta, pizza, cocktails and gelato.
1263 N. Peachtree Pkwy., Peachtree City. 770-341-0023, bici-itl.com
J. Alexander’s will open a new location in Peachtree City in August, the upscale restaurant chain announced this week. The restaurant will open an on-site hiring center June 22 with plans to hire for 90-100 jobs.
100 Market Place Blvd., Peachtree City. 678-360-4607, jalexanders.com
LikeMinds, the popup moving into the former BrewDog space on the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail for the summer, will open June 18, company representatives announced. Food, drinks, music and other entertainment will be provided by a collective of hospitality industry veterans, including the teams behind Smith’s Olde Bar and Frazie’s Meat and Market. The group has upgraded the industrial brewpub space, claiming to have the Beltline’s largest screen for watching live sports, as well as a golf simulator, billiards and other bar games.
112 Krog St. NE, Atlanta. likemindsatl.com
Peachtree Sporting Club and American Drive, two dining and entertainment concepts at the 207 Peachtree building in downtown Atlanta, will both open June 17, according to a news release. Peachtree Sporting Club is described as an “immersive sports bar” with a full dining menu, plenty of TVs and golf simulator bays. American Drive will be a dive-bar inspired barbecue restaurant that features live music.
207 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 470-305-1500, 207peachtree.com
Sagra, an Italian-themed wine bar that will also serve pizza, will open in East Atlanta Village later this summer, the restaurant announced on social media.
535 Gresham Ave. SE, Atlanta. instagram.com/sagra_eav
Varuni Napoli is latest long-running Atlanta restaurant to bring a location to Centennial Yards, representatives for the development announced this week. The other well-established local restaurants already signed on in Centennial Yards are Chops Lobster Bar and Busy Bee Cafe. The announcement did not provide Varuni Napoli’s specific opening date or address.
Restaurant closings
Palo Santo, the modern Mexican dining and nightlife hot spot in west Midtown, will close later this month. The closure comes after a legal dispute with a neighboring residential property, per Fulton County court documents reviewed by the AJC.