Dryver Bar, a Formula One-themed bar from the owners of Yeppa & Co. and several other metro Atlanta restaurants, is now open in Buckhead.
Located at 306 Buckhead Ave., adjacent to Yeppa & Co. in the Buckhead Village development, Dryver Bar “draws inspiration from the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, also known as Motor Valley,” according to a press release, home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, and the Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix.
The 10-drink cocktail list, developed by beverage director Jose Pereiro, utilizes techniques such as fat washing, infusing, clarification, spherification, and sous vide. Cocktails, named using Formula One terminology, include the Grand Prix, made with Grey Goose vodka, coconut, cocoa, and strawberry sphere; Paddock Club, made with Roku gin, Peloton mezcal, St. Germain and clarified cantaloupe; and Brake Balance, with Michter’s bourbon, Dissarono, pineapple shrub, honey, and lemon.
Pereiro, who has served as the beverage director of the Storico restaurants for the past four years, said in a prepared statement that the size of Dryver Bar “allows us to experiment and challenge ourselves, so we’re using modern culinary techniques to create innovative drinks to leave guests invigorated. He noted that he’s also excited about the bar’s agave spirits including raicilla, sotol and bacanora.
Classic cocktails such as the Aviation, Ultima Palabra, cold Irish coffee and Negroni also are featured, in addition to Italian beers like Birra Dolomiti, all Italian wines such as Ferrari Trento brut and P’s Rosé, which is made in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy using Sangiovese grapes from Enio Ottaviani. The menu also offers three non-alcoholic drinks, including the Pistachio Pit Stop made with matcha, pistachio and albumen.
Pereiro plans to host other beverage industry professionals for takeovers and offer educational classes for local bartenders at Dryver Bar.
The will also offer a small food menu including olives, cheeses, charcuterie, and focaccia bruschetta.
The Dryver Bar space has seating for 45 guests, with six seats at the bar, and includes an interactive racing experience with televised Grand Prix races and a Ferrari red color scheme with bright neons. The floor is painted like a racetrack starting line and, in place of coasters, Dryver Bar uses drink placemats made from tire tread.
The decor also includes repurposed oil barrels for the tables and a bread oven for the entrance door, in addition to a mirrored bar and tabletops. The bar’s entrance is on the side of the building, and guests must ring a bell and provide their reservation information to enter.
Dryver Bar comes from Stephen Peterson and Pietro Gianni, whose Storico Group also owns and operates Storico Fresco in Buckhead and Forza Storico in the Westside Provisions District. The group recently closed its wine bar Storico Vino, also located in Buckhead Village, with plans to reopen it as Pachengo’s Neighborhood Taqueria in the coming weeks.
Opening hours are 7-11 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. Reservations can be made here.
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Mother-and-daughter Rita and Brittany Campos have opened tea house The Dirty Tea at 1056 St. Charles Ave. in the former Ten Thousand Villages space in Virginia-Highland, Atlanta Magazine reports.
The concept features walk-in coffee bar and a light food menu with items from Alon’s. The reservation-only high tea experience offers three packages: one with tea, coffee, and pastries; another including a mimosa or house signature cocktail, and a third featuring wine and charcuterie.
Alcoholic beverages will be offered once the Dirty Tea secures its liquor license.
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George Lopez has been named the executive chef at indoor-outdoor restaurant, bar, beer garden and live music venue Westside Motor Lounge at Echo Street.
Lopez previously worked at several restaurants in New Orleans, including John Besh Steakhouse before coming to Atlanta and working in the kitchens at eateries including Lazy Betty, a mano, Bon Ton and his own pop-up concept, nola goods.
He plans to revamp the menu at Echo Street with dishes with Southeast Asian and Cajun dishes.
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Jungle Bird from Atlanta-based canned cocktail company Tip Top Proper Cocktails has been named “Best in Class” in the Classic Cocktail category at the Tasting Alliance’s Top Shelf Gala in Las Vegas.
Tip Top’s Jungle Bird beat out more than 60 other Double Gold winners at the San Francisco World Spirits RTD Competition, the world’s oldest and largest cocktail competition.
The Tip Top team includes co-founders Neal Cohen and Yoni Reisman and recipe developer Miles Macquarrie, also of Kimball House.
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Meherwan Irani, the owner of Chai Pani locations in Decatur and Asheville, cooked the U.S. state department luncheon for the official visit of the Indian delegation in Washington D.C. Irani was invited by Vice President Kamala Harris to be the luncheon’s guest chef, representing the American Culinary Corps as part of the State Department’s Diplomatic Culinary Partnership. Three members of the Chai Pani culinary joined Irani. James Grogan of Asheville and Daniel Peach and Sahar Siddiqi of Atlanta/Decatur.
The fully vegetarian menu (the first-ever in the history of state luncheons or dinners) included pani puri, spinach samosas, millet-lentil khichadi mango halva and masala chai.
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Massachusetts-based Burtons Bar & Grill is set to open in the Buckhead Landing shopping center later this year, Tomorrow’s News Today reports. The “polished casual” restaurant has 19 locations across eight states.
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Pera Bistro will open at 1193 Collier Road later this year, What Now Atlanta reports. The menu will feature Greek, Turkish, and Italian cuisines. The restaurant is owned by Okan Ozyurteri, who also operates Mandolin Mediterranean Kitchen in Sandy Springs and Pasha Mediterranean Restaurant and Bar.
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Enzo’s Pizza will open in the former Ponko’s Chicken space 4279 Roswell Road NE in Chastain Park later this summer, Tomorrow’s News Today reports. The restaurant comes from the owners of Enzo’s in Tucker.
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Centennial Juice Bar is set to open later this year at 79 Marietta St. NW in downtown Atlanta, What Now Atlanta reports.
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Vegetarian restaurant Loving Hut has closed after 10 years in Sandy Springs, Tomorrow’s News Today reports. A location in Norcross will remain open. In addition, Roots Pressed Juices has closed at the Shops Around Lenox in Buckhead after 10 years.
More restaurant and bar news
Planta opens in Krog Street Market
Fishmonger opens on the Westside
Kevin Maxey opening an Italian restaurant in Sandy Springs
Little Trouble closing in August
Doc Chey’s closes in Grant Park
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