Stephensen, Dante
Legendary Atlanta restaurateur Dante Stephensen has died. Stephensen, 84, was best known as the creator of eclectic nightspot Dante's Down the Hatch. He passed away July 25 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Stephensen opened Dante's Down the Hatch in 1970 in Underground Atlanta when that downtown strip was in its heyday. The restaurant was fashioned after an 18th Century sailing ship surrounded by a moat filled with live crocodiles. Inside, décor ranged from church pews and vintage clocks to wax figures and antique cars, collections from his travels around the world. Dante's also offered some of the best live jazz in the region as well as fondue, which Stephensen became acquainted with while skiing the Alps and wanted to introduce to Atlantans. The quirky combination made it a celebrity hangout and a special occasion destination.
Read more about Dante Stephensen on ajc.com
