IT SNOWS INSIDE THIS NEW SPORTS BAR, PLUS MORE RESTAURANT OPENINGS IN ATLANTA
Atlanta is kicking off the new year with a bang. New restaurants are opening across the city, and here are the ones making waves right now. Check back for updates throughout the month.
Skol Brewing Company opens in Downtown with indoor snow feature
A Nordic-themed sports bar dedicated to the Minnesota Vikings is now open Downtown. It’s called Skol Brewing Company by former Minnesotan and now proud Atlantan, Drew Tull. The brewpub plays Viking games (and all other major football games) on TVs and blasts the space with snow machines at every touchdown the Vikings make — a tradition at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota. The snow is also activated at the end of each night to finish the day.
Culinary director Jean Claude Etienne and chef Rich Rosendale run the menu, which includes a popular Minnesotan cheeseburger called the “jucy lucy” with two beef patties stuffed with piping hot American cheese, poutine topped with an 18-hour brisket, cheese curds, and Valhalla smoked wings. Tull is also planning to unveil a peanut butter pizza (another Minnesotan delicacy) as an homage to Zorbaz’ Lowden Zpecial pizza. The pie is layered with peanut butter (raises brow), marinara sauce, pepperoni, and extra cheese and should be available in the next two weeks.
The brewpub has several beers on draft, including its own recipes crafted by Arches Brewing. Cocktails include a Viking mule with a reduced pine needle simple syrup (a concoction by general manager John Lilley), to stay on the Nordic theme. Bar games are also available, plus six lanes of axe throwing.
“What’s more Viking than axes?” jokes Tull, saying he’s partnered with American Axes to install the lanes in the space.
Skol Brewing Company is the watch-party destination for the official Vikings Atlanta fan club, appropriately also named Skol, drawing more than 100 people during the games. The next watch party is on Monday, January 13, when the Minnesota Vikings take on the LA Rams.
Irie Mon Cafe opens in Politan Row in Midtown
The popular Jamaican food truck, Irie Mon, by father and daughter duo Christopher and Peyton Williams will now be a food stall at Midtown’s Politan Row at Colony Square. The stall opens on January 16 and will serve jerk wings, oxtail stew, coconut curry chick peas, and rasta pasta, among other dishes.
Souper Jenny is relocating to Chamblee
Jenny Levison, founder of Souper Jenny, announced on social media that the location inside Nuts ‘n Berries in Brookhaven will move a mile down the road to Chamblee in June this year. It is taking over the former Ruchi Bangladeshi Kitchen space. On the reason for the move, Levison states, “more space, more parking, more community.”
Souper Jenny has additional locations in Westside, Buckhead, Decatur, and Roswell.
Ryokou opens in Adair Park in late December
Chef Leonard Yu’s hotly anticipated restaurant, Ryokou, opened in December in the Adair Park neighborhood in Downtown Atlanta. The new Japanese restaurant comes on the heels of Yu’s Omakase Table winning a Michelin star last year.
Ryokou has a tasting menu of eight courses for $195 a person. The small plates include dishes like Aomori gai (a sampling of the best seafood from the city of Aomori in Japan), awabi kimo (steamed, thinly sliced abalone over a rice and abalone liver mixture), nigiri, and smoked wagyu. Wine and sake pairings are also available for an additional fee. Reservations are now open.
Colony Square welcomes new NYC Spanish tapas place
New York City’s Spanish tapas bar and restaurant Boqueria will open on January 21 in Midtown’s Colony Square. Atlanta will be the 11th location for the restaurant, after opening in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Nashville, Boston, and West Hartford. Look for classic Spanish fare on the menu, including grilled octopus, patatas bravas, lamb skewers, churros, and paella. A Social Hour Menu will be offered every day from 3 to 6 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday from 9 p.m. to close, which includes $7 tapas and mini martinis.
Ceviche bar Madre Selva opens in Uptown Atlanta
Owners Juan Segura and Francisco Puerta opened a Latin restaurant with a ceviche bar called Madre Selva in Uptown Atlanta in late December. The menu features Peruvian flavors, including signature dishes like Peruvian-style ceviches, tiraditos, causa, and more.
“I’m delighted to bring the first Peruvian ceviche bar to Atlanta,” says Segura. “This is going to be a top-notch bar with top-notch mixologists, a destination where people get together to celebrate life.” The restaurant is now open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Brunch is also offered on Saturday and Sunday.
