Once known as J.D. Smith Grain, the Feed Store on Main Street in College Park stood as a neighborhood landmark long before it was reborn as a restaurant and bar in 2003.
Owner Celita Bullard opened the place partly in tribute to her grandmother, Estelle Smith Harris, who ran the original feed and seed business as far back as 1926. Nowadays, the historic building is a lunch and dinner destination for business travelers and locals who come for a taste of revved-up Southern cooking in a casual, fine dining atmosphere.
ORIGINAL BRICK
The original design element is brick, prominent in the storefront facade and exposed inside, peeking out from behind rustic stucco walls and around arched windows. Updated corrugated metal accents, polished concrete floors, dangling pendant lights, banquettes upholstered in geometric patterns and tables covered in crisp white tablecloths give the space a clean, contemporary feel.
On a recent evening, several large parties were seated at long tables, and a good-time group had taken over the bar. But despite the crowded conditions, service was fast and friendly.
SOUTHERN FEED
Southern has always been the featured cuisine at the Feed Store. But over the years, a number of chefs have come and gone. And depending on who was in the kitchen , the food often has been wildly unpredictable. Since Peter Golaszewski took over a year and a half ago, though, things have been on the upswing.
Among other jobs, Golaszewski served as chef at Epicurean Restaurant in Decatur, where his French-inspired seasonal menu included the likes of flash-fried frog legs on arugula and port-braised short ribs over corn pudding. It's interesting, then, to see how Golaszewski, a Detroit native, has embraced grits-and-greens staples here.
GROWN IN GEORGIA
There are lots of Georgia ingredients in play, from white shrimp and Sweetgrass Dairy cheeses to Ellijay apples and a Riverview Farms ribeye.
But Golaszewski's country fried short rib, a tasty, fork-tender take on country fried steak, best displays the essence of where he's taken the menu. It's a hefty piece of boneless beef rib that's breaded and deep-fried to a golden crunch, topped with creamy tomato gravy, and served with buttermilk mashed potatoes.
Melt-in-your-mouth braised Berkshire pork celebrates the flavors of fall, stuffed into a delicato squash with a tangy-sweet blend of red cabbage, poached apple and sweet tea gastrique.
Other dinner entrees include a fried chicken and duck duo with macaroni and cheese and Coca-Cola baked beans, and a trout and leek Napoleon with sweet potato puree and Georgia pecan sauce.
SMALLER PLATES
The menu offers an assortment of small plates at dinner, from crispy Georgia quail or a Berkshire spare rib with Mayhaw barbecue sauce to fried catfish tacos.
Lots of appetizers are available at both dinner and lunch, including pulled pork sliders and fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese.
And at lunch, sandwiches fill the bill, with more pork and beef barbecue, a shrimp po' boy, and a burger.
Desserts tend toward sugary Southern classics, like banana pudding and apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream.
While the wine list is fairly standard, beer aficionados will be pleased to find Chimay White and Spaten Optimator on draft.
AT A GLANCE
• Where: 3841 Main St., College Park. 404-209-7979
• Signature dish: Country fried short rib with buttermilk mashed potatoes
• Entree prices: $11 (lunch)-$31 (dinner)
• Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Dinner: 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 5-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
• Reservations: Yes
• Credit cards: Yes
• Online: www.thefeedstorerestaurant.com
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