The chef behind popular Atlanta brewpub The Wrecking Bar is branching out with two Decatur concepts.
Terry Koval will open The Deer & The Dove restaurant and Side Bar wine and coffee bar on the Decatur Square square this spring, in the space previously occupied by Cakes & Ale, which closed last year at 155 Sycamore St.
“We’re honored and appreciative to be moving into the two spaces that formerly housed Cakes & Ale and The Bakery at Cakes & Ale, some of our city’s most iconic and beloved restaurants,” said Decatur resident Koval in a prepared statement. “We have big shoes to fill and are looking forward to serving the Decatur and Atlanta communities for years to come.”
The menu at The Deer & The Dove "will be rustic, creative New American cuisine, rooted in the seasons with ingredients sourced from local farms," according to a press release, with many items coming out of a wood-burning oven. The frequently-changing menu will feature dishes such as chicory, kohlrabi, fennel, and radish salad with green garlic buttermilk; oven-roasted squid and clams; sunchokes with tahini and roasted peanuts; and wood-fired dishes such as pastured raised chicken thighs with charred lemon; and venison with rutabaga, pistachios and serviceberry.
Nextdoor at Side Bar, which formerly served as The Bakery at Cakes & Ale, offerings will include New York bodega-style breakfast and lunch sandwiches, bagels and coffee. At night, Side Bar will become a bar with a focus on natural wines, cocktails and small plates. On occasion, the space will also host pop-up dinners from local and visiting chefs.
The Deer & The Dove and Side Bar team will include a roster of local, restaurant industry veterans, and Farm Burger co-founder George Frangos, will serve as partner. He originally met Koval while working together at Concentrics Restaurants before Koval started as Farm Burger’s original chef.
Koval’s wife, Jenn, will also be involved in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant and greeting guests, and Koval will work with members of the Atlanta bartending community to develop The Deer & The Dove’s beverage program.
Koval started in Atlanta’s hospitality industry two decades ago, serving as the executive sous chef at Canoe in Vinings before joining the team at Concentrics Restaurants. In 2010, he created the menu as opening chef at Farm Burger and three years later opened Wrecking Bar Brewpub, where he will continue to serve as executive chef and partner when the new restaurants open.
Brian Buckner, in collaboration with Local Architects, is designing the two restaurants. The design at The Deer & The Dove will include “an open and airy dining room with a warm and inviting atmosphere,” while Side Bar “will be inspired by a modern New York corner deli, with the option to grab and go or sit and enjoy at the bar or table seating.”
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