Sargent, from the team behind Lucian Books + Wine, and Siren, the latest Brookhaven restaurant from Michel Arnette, will both open Tuesday; Chick-fil-A will introduced chicken and waffle sandwiches; the team behind Palo Santo opened their new restaurant, Botanico, in Midtown; and more of the weeks happenings on the Atlanta restaurant scene.
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Sargent opening in the Old Fourth Ward
The team behind Buckhead’s Lucian Books + Wine will open their next restaurant, Sargent, on Tuesday in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.
Owners Jordan Smelt and Katie Barringer have carried over the same love for wine and books into their second concept.
The restaurant is named for American artist John Singer Sargent, a painter who specialized in portraits and landscapes during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although Sargent was American, he was born and spent much of his life in Europe. The new restaurant’s namesake aligns with Lucian Books + Wine, which pays homage to British painter Lucian Freud.
Barringer, who ran Cover Books, curated the bookstore selection with titles focusing on food, wine, art, music and culture as well as international magazines.
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Sargent’s menu was developed by Lucian’s executive chef Jason Paolini and focuses on American and French classics with a modern sensibility, he said.
Diners can expect a raw bar and dishes like leeks vinaigrette, chicken paillard, a prime rib dinner for two and a classic club sandwich with fries.
“Food that’s really approachable and simple in nature, but the things that we do technique-wise to make them really stand out and be more modern and really delicious,” Paolini said.
In a few weeks, Sargent will be open for an extended lunch on Sundays that drifts into early supper, providing a daytime option that isn’t brunch. Paolini said it will include a few additional entrees from the dinner menu, as well.
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Smelt, a sommelier, oversees the beverage program with an expansive wine program of around 230 bottles. It’s a little more concise than Lucian’s wine list, Smelt said, but there are still more than 100 selections that cost less than $100 a bottle. The liquor offerings are broader at Sargent with cocktails that center on classic drinks.
“Just across the board, (Sargent is) a little bit more accessible and approachable and recognizable,” Barringer said. “So trying to have our food and beverage program have a little something for people who are popping in on their lunch break, on a walk, making a night of it.”
The 6,000-square-foot restaurant at 405 North Angier Ave. is in the same New City Properties development as 3 Parks Wine and Forth Hotel, which houses Mediterranean restaurant Elektra and Il Premio steakhouse.
The restaurant is almost three times the size of Lucian and was segmented into multiple zones so it wouldn’t feel too cavernous, Barringer said. That includes a bookstore space that’s removed from the dining room and is visible to people coming from the Eastside Beltline, as well as a main dining room, lounge, full bar and a covered, outdoor dining area.
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
The space was designed by Atlanta firm Digs Architecture and Design to reference some of the colors and textures in Sargent’s art style, with shades of green, natural stone, plaster, warm metal and layered material.
The space is brand new, but Barringer said they worked to make Sargent “feel like it was somewhat established or had been here for a while.”
Sargent will be open Tuesday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. In the coming weeks, it will open Sundays and Mondays.
405 N. Angier Ave. NE, Atlanta. instagram.com/sargentatlanta
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Siren opening in Brookhaven
In another major restaurant opening on Tuesday, seafood-focused Siren will open in Brookhaven next to sister restaurant Arnette’s Chop Shop.
Siren is the latest restaurant from Michel Arnette and the kitchen will be led by co-executive chefs Stephen Herman and Matt Swickerath, the business announced this week. Both chefs have worked in Arnette’s Word of Mouth restaurant group for years, a collection that includes Haven, Valenza and Vero, all just around the corner from Siren and Arnette’s.
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
The atmosphere at Siren was designed by Arnette to be intimate and modern, with moody lighting that allows large, colorful pieces of artwork stand out on the walls of the dining room.
The menu will feature plenty of raw-bar items like crudo and oysters on the half-shell, as well as seafood cooked over a wood fire. Sommelier Andrew LeClair has curated the wine program and the restaurant will be managed by Trent Stanger.
2700 Apple Valley Rd. NE, Brookhaven. 404-963-1919, sirenatl.com
Other news of interest
Chick-fil-A will soon introduce chicken and waffle sandwiches, the Atlanta-based fast food chain announced this week. The new sandwich will be available in both breakfast and regular entree servings beginning Aug. 24. The breakfast sandwich will be slightly smaller than the entree version, and customers can choose from original, spicy or grilled chicken. Chick-fil-A will also debut a s’mores milkshake and s’mores frosted coffee on the same date.
Multiple locations. chick-fil-a.com
Jardi Chocolates, an Atlanta-based chocolatier, will be included in the prestigious Dandelion Chocolates advent calendar this year. The selection process is competitive and involves a blind tasting of more than 100 confections entered by dozens of chocolate makers around the country, according to a news release. Jardi is the only chocolatier from the Southeast to be included in this year’s Dandelion Chocolates advent calendar, which can be preordered for $205 for one, or $335 for two.
3400 W. Hospital Ave., Chamblee. 470-240-8353, jardichocolates.com
The Reynoldstown Farmers Market is moving to 97 Estoria this Sunday, the business announced on social media. The same vendors will remain with the market, which will finish out the season in its new location. The announcement also teased “special market offerings and fun collaborations” with 97 Estoria.
97 Estoria St. SE, Atlanta. reynoldstownfarmersmarket.com
The Big Ketch, a popular seafood restaurant in Buckhead, was recently remodeled for the first time since 2010, the restaurant announced this week. The menu has been expanded with new items like spicy tuna crispy rice, shrimp and crab au gratin, fried lobster tacos and more. The restaurant also introduced a new cocktail menu.
3279 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta. 404-474-9508, thebigketch.com
Credit: Gabe Arroyo
Credit: Gabe Arroyo
More Atlanta restaurant openings
Botanico Cocina and Social Club, the new Midtown restaurant from the team behind now-shuttered Palo Santo, opened Thursday. The Latin American restaurant is owned by brothers Felipe and Eduardo Rivera and reprises the name of their prior Buckhead restaurant, which closed in 2021. Botanico is meant to feel like “a global dinner party,” according to a news release, with a menu that includes ceviches, wood-fire grilled meats, fresh seafood and shareable plates. The kitchen is led by executive chef Juan Guillermo Hormiga.
1106 Crescent Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-975-3403, botanicoatlanta.com
Ford’s Chicken opened between Decatur and Avondale Estates this week, the restaurant announced on social media. It serves multiple styles of chicken, but its calling card is whole birds cooked on a charcoal-fired rotisserie.
2759 E. College Ave., Decatur. fordschicken.com
Delilah’s Everyday Soul held its grand opening in South Downtown on Friday, the restaurant announced on social media. Delilah’s also has locations in Midtown and the Upper Westside.
227 Mitchell St. SW, Atlanta. 470-670-0574, delilahseverydaysoul.com
Grove and Barrel Provisions, a new market inspired by the vibrant Mediterranean diet, has opened at the downtown Alpharetta, according to a news release.
211 Market St., Alpharetta. groveandbarrelprovisions.com
Shake Shack opened its latest Atlanta-area location at Centennial yards on Thursday.
85 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW, Atlanta. 470-200-4526, shakeshack.com
New Atlanta restaurant announcements
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar will open in Midtown later this fall, the company announced in a news release. The upscale steak chain is owned by Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company behind Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill. The new Fleming’s will join the Midtown Union development, already home to the Kimpton Shane Hotel and White Windmill Bakery.
1331 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. flemingssteakhouse.com
The Juicy Crab will take over the former Taco Mac space in Midtown, according to signage posted on the restaurant’s windows. The popular seafood chain has 25 locations in Georgia.
933 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. thejuicycrab.com
Vietvana, a local Vietnamese restaurant, has announced it will open a fourth location at Lenox Square with a menu featuring spring rolls, banh mi and Vietnamese iced coffee. This will join Vietvana locations in Avondale Estates, Ponce City Market and Lee + White.
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