Snapshots: Condesa Coffee, Atlanta

The coffee culture is blossoming in Atlanta, and it’s a great thing to see. Not that it hasn’t been on its way for many years (thanks to places like Counter Culture, Batdorf & Bronson, and J. Martinez & Co. on the roasting side, and Octane and Dancing Goats among others on the coffee bar side). But it seems like we’ve reached a tipping point, with a stellar restaurant like Empire State South making a very concerted effort to have a stellar coffee program, with the boys in the van at Rattletrap / Steady Hand Pour House making waves, and with places like Condesa Coffee popping up in neighborhoods that could use a good jolt of java.

Condesa recently hit the ground running, with big bags of Intelligentsia beans under their arms, some serious coffee know-how, and a Scoutmob offer to sweeten the deal. Their shop is just off Freedom Parkway, across the street from the “Homage to King” sculpture that is a beacon of hope and optimism in this city.  And while their dreams are much more modest than those of Dr. King, it’s great to see the optimism in a small local shop like Condesa trying to give the people of Atlanta some great coffee, one cup at a time.

A few snapshots of Condesa Coffee:

Also, check out some great shots of Condesa over on Savory Exposure.

Condesa Coffee
480 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
(404) 524-5054

In the Parking Lot with a Rattletrap

It’s a bitter cold January morning. The sky is gray, slightly ominous even. In an empty parking lot off N. Decatur Road in Atlanta sits a rattletrap, one of those old VW vans, a Westfalia the perfect junky color of orange rust, just like a jacket I had back in the ’70s. Three guys are hanging out inside the crowded van, puffs of smoke (or is it steam?) appearing every few minutes. Surely they’re up to no good, right?

Well, turns out, they are up to good. That VW Westfalia is packed with a nice old La Marzocco churning out espresso from Intelligentsia Black Cat beans (one of my favorites). Jordan and Dale and friends are staked out in the parking lot, serving up stealthy shots of espresso while their nearby coffee shop awaits the slow progress of city inspectors. You can feel their eagerness, anticipation, to graduate from the tight confines of the Westfalia (christened “Rattletrap Coffee“), parked catty-corner to Emory, into the full time space that used to be occupied by Octane Emory (and Method before that). The new spot will be named Steady Hand, which surely they are perfecting as they stretch to pour a perfect shot of espresso inside that little van. Despite the turnover from Method to Octane to Steady Hand, this space is a proven spot for a neighborhood coffee joint, and Jordan and Dale’s experience with Method previously has paved the way for some improvements that will make the new shop even better. The space is almost unrecognizable from Method days, in fact, as they’ve opened up a wall of windows and reshaped the counter to allow more seating and light. And these guys are clearly coffee addicts/enthusiasts/geeks – they are dedicated to making a great cup for folks who have figured out that they can do (much) better than the Starbucks just a few doors down.

Once Steady Hand is open, look for the Rattletrap around town as a mobile dispatch of deliciousness, but in the meantime, go hang out in the parking lot around the old VW van, and bring your best ’70s jacket to keep warm.

Rattletrap Coffee / Steady Hand Pour House
1593 N. Decatur Rd.
Atlanta, Georgia

Local Three, Atlanta: Elvis, The Dude, & a Big Pig

Who knew that the “three” in Atlanta’s new bar and restaurant, Local Three, referred to Elvis, the Dude (from The Big Lebowski), and a very big pig? Some have surmised that it refers to owners Todd Mussman and Ryan Turner (of Muss & Turner’s), along with chef Chris Hall. Heck, the menu even says as much. But just get a load of all the artwork around the restaurant, and it’s clear that there is a serious devotion to Elvis, the Dude, and all things pig. That’s three for three in our book. And the Elvis/Dude attitude is one thing that sets Local Three apart from the crowd of local/Southern/farm-to-table restaurants all over town these days. We’re certainly fans of places like Miller Union, Cakes & Ale, Empire State South and Sprig, but chances are that black velvet Elvis won’t be making an appearance in those joints any time soon.

wall
“In Hungry” and “Out Happy” grace the wall by the kitchen at Local Three

The fine folks behind Local Three have done a beautiful job of converting the old Joel space off Northside Parkway into a warm and comfortable environment that fits the restaurant’s down-home, locavore menu perfectly. Boiled peanuts, a charcuterie plate nicknamed “the Notorious P.I.G.,” and so many other dishes that shout amped-up Southern goodness all seem right amidst the wood, the funky art, and the fine collection of bourbons lining the bar.

bar

While Local Three is surely a restaurant first and a bar second, the bar offerings already fit nicely alongside the cuisine and the general feel of the place. A concise but (mostly) classic cocktail list, for example, features a Whiskey Sour, a Julep, and a “Caucasian” lifted as carefully as possible from the Dude’s drink of choice in The Big Lebowski. In the spirit of sharing, the menu even includes the basic recipe for each cocktail – a nice touch more bars would be wise to follow as a way to engage curious cocktail drinkers. Like the restaurant side, the bar hopes to keep things as house-made and local as possible, always a sign of a bar that takes their craft seriously.

menu
“Hey man, there’s a beverage here” – two views of the cocktail and beer menu

The spirits list goes heavy on the bourbon, with startling variety at the affordable end of the spectrum, and a wonderful collection of bourbon and whiskey flights that allow for tasting and contrasting three different whiskeys that share some common traits – a group of ryes for example, or a trio of top shelf selections including Pappy Van Winkle 23 (for now, though their stock is being depleted rapidly by eager Pappy devotees!). The prices are nice as well. In addition to the bourbons, a few less-often-seen whiskeys from abroad fill out the selection, from the Pig’s Nose Scotch Whisky (5 years old) to Redbreast Irish Whiskey to the Yamazaki 12 year old single malt whisky from Japan.

Matthew behind the bar has also assembled an enticing beer and wine menu: 11 beers on tap with a Southern center of gravity, and about 90 more by the bottle; 100 wines covering a nice spectrum, focused on fitting the food and shifting with the seasons. The folks at Local Three clearly want the drinks to find a harmony with the food, but also aim to please by offering a broad enough selection that will offer something for everyone. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine walking out of Local Three without a big smile on your face, from the salt and pepper shakers to the paintings to the ingredients and menu to the drinks and staff – Local Three aims to please.

In the spirit of aiming to please, here’s a taste of the Local Three experience in photos, featuring more Elvis, pigs and peanuts (and be sure to check out the videos on the food at Local Three over at TheHungrySoutherner.com) as well:


pigs nose
peanuts
notorious PIG
pig
elvis
shakers

A Tour of SweetWater Brewery, Atlanta

building

If you happen to find your way down the industrial dead-end of Armour Drive in Atlanta, keep your eyes open for a set of large tanks and some bright tie-dyed trucks. Sitting in this somewhat desolate stretch of warehouses, machine shops and random businesses is SweetWater Brewery, home to some of the South’s best selling craft brews and a bevy of beer awards (like a recent World Beer Cup gold for their Dank Tank series “the Creeper”), not to mention some pretty outrageously outfitted vehicles. SweetWater has grown its way into being a major regional player in the craft beer movement, trailing only Abita among Southeastern breweries by volume. The best way to experience SweetWater and their combination of great beer and a distinctly laid-back attitude is at one of their tours, which include your chance to belly up to the bar and sample the brew. The crowd, up to 2000 beer lovers on a nice week, is a happy mix of SweetWater regulars, beer tourists, and locals out to experience what is becoming an Atlanta institution (of beer).

Thirsty South recently met with SweetWater’s “Minister of Propaganda” Steve Farace, who filled us in on all the great stuff brewing at SweetWater. Most prominently on the horizon is their “Brew Your Cask Off” cask ale festival in March, which will be even bigger (and better!) in 2011 than it was for last year’s inaugural event. For this event, SweetWater partners with an array of special guests (from bars and restaurants, to retailers and local charities) to create unique individual casks.

cooler

Also on the horizon for SweetWater is continued growth – SweetWater moved into their current brewery location back in 2004 and now has more than 25,000 square feet of tanks and beer necessities. If they were to run non-stop, their capacity would be roughly 100,000 barrels per year, but watch for some serious expansion to help manage the growth at the brewery in 2011. To date, they’ve kept distribution focused on a select group of cities in the six state area around Atlanta, both to keep a good handle on delivering fresh beer frequently (their beer is unpasteurized and freshness is a mantra for them) and due to the fact that adding new markets would quickly lead to demand outrunning supply. SweetWater has done a great job of balancing growth with a strong focus on their craft beer, with a core of year-round mainstays like 420 and Georgia Brown, a small group of seasonal specials like Festive Ale and Happy Ending, and the decidedly more adventurous, limited release “Dank Tank” series.

The SweetWater tour is a great way to taste all that’s currently brewing – Exodus Porter and Festive Ale are among the harder-to-find releases that are currently on tap. So, get on over to the SweetWater brewery to experience one of the South’s leading craft brewers firsthand. In the meantime, here’s a photo tour (best accompanied by a SweetWater 420, dressed in tie-dye):

Entering the brewery, the mood is quickly set…
sign

The parking lot, filled with SweetWater-esque tie-dyed vehicles, further infuses the feel…

Outside, the big tanks, some colorful pallets, and a truck bearing taps let you know this is serious beer territory…
tanks
Pallets
truck

Inside the brewery, malt, barrels, and the infamous Dank Tank…



dank

Kegs in the cooler, a small (12,400 gallon) tank in the brewery, and the inner workings…
Kegs

The SweetWater lineup on tap…
menu
taps

The crowd at the bar…

Finally, departing the brewery at dusk…into the night…

The Georgia Beer Scene Is Hopping

Some interesting beer developments going on these days in Atlanta (and Georgia more broadly):

First, the legality of selling growlers (a large bottle that may be filled from the tap on site) in Georgia may come to be. From AtlantaBeerMaster.com, a letter from the Georgia Department of Revenue was quoted: “The Department [Of Revenue] has determined that, persuant to the Georgia Alcoholic Beverage Code, “growlers” or similar containers may be appropriately used so long as it is at a licensed retail off premise location that does not deal in distilled spirits by the package.“ At a state level, things look good, but local laws also come into play. A store called “The Beer Growler” is set to open in Athens in roughly a week according to the owners (UPDATE, 12/11/2010: They opened today!), and as AtlantaBeerMaster.com reported, Kraig Torres, owner of Hop City Craft Beer & Wine here in Atlanta, has said that they are staying on top of developments as well: “Atlanta, and surrounding jurisdictions have not allowed the sale of growlers specifically, despite the revised opinion of the State of Georgia. I am looking into the matter deeply. The DAY growlers are green lighted by the City of Atlanta is the day Hop City will sell it’s first growler.” It’s worth pointing out that you can buy (or sell) pre-filled growler size bottles anywhere – the interesting development is the potential to buy a growler filled fresh from a keg at your local store. Frankly, it’s a bit of a novelty for consumers since it won’t significantly improve the selection of beer available, though some will argue that the freshness of taking it from the keg to the bottle to your home the same day is a strong enough reason to choose a growler over a traditional beer bottled at the brewery.

Second, a new shop dedicated to craft brews will be opening soon on College Avenue in Decatur, Georgia: Ale Yeah! “We will showcase an abundance of American craft beer as well as varieties from around the world that exemplify liquid perfection.  We will carry bombers and also give people the opportunity to “build-your-own” 6-pack.  We will also offer fine cheeses, cured meats and chocolates that compliment the experience of a perfect pint.  Ale Yeah! will also carry a selection of fine brewing supplies in case you’re looking to create your own perfect pint.” Sounds good, yes? (UPDATE, 12/1/2010: Ale Yeah! opened this past week!)

Third, the Brick Store Pub has opened their upstairs “cellar” featuring a tremendous collection of vintage bottled beers. This is a gold mine for beer lovers, with selections spanning the globe and dating back as much as a decade in some cases, with each bottle labeled by vintage. Like wine, some beers (especially the ones you will find in the Brick Store cellar) benefit from time in the bottle, as opposed to the dominant theme of “drinking beer fresh.” This is your chance to try multiple vintages side by side and experience for yourself the impact of bottle aging, not to mention the ability to find some beers that you won’t find anywhere else. We stopped by for a quick tour from Dave Blanchard, one of the owners of the Brick Store:

Fourth!, 5 Seasons Prado, the original location of 5 Seasons, is now Lucky Devil Brewing. Kevin McNerney remains the brewmaster for Lucky Devil – no change to the beer, or menu for that matter. This should actually help differentiate Lucky Devil from the other 5 Seasons locations, as they had been on divergent paths due to different ownership and management over the past several years.

For extensive coverage of the Atlanta beer scene, check out www.AtlantaBeerMaster.com.