I easily can see myself lingering over breakfast, lunch, midday coffee and dinner at Le Bon Nosh — once The Atlanta Journal-Constitution resumes in-person dining coverage.
Located on the ground floor of the Irby residential development, this new neighborhood cafe, market and wine bar reminds me of the grand cafes of Europe.
Credit: Mia Yakel
Credit: Mia Yakel
Natural light flows through floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the elegant, open space a warm, inviting atmosphere. A coffee bar near the entrance bustles all day with folks grabbing Intelligentsia coffee beverages, and pointing to the abundance of pastries behind the glass case. At lunchtime, lines shift to the center of the room, where the day’s offerings of fresh salads, soups, sandwiches, tartines and galettes are on display. At night, the restaurant shifts to full-service. As conversations flow, so does the wine.
Open since mid-November, Le Bon Nosh is run by chef-owner Forough Vakili, who set aside her chemical engineering degree from Georgia Tech to pursue the culinary arts. Although a restaurant was on Vakili’s mind long before the pandemic, her menu is right for the times. Dishes are highly familiar, in a comforting sort of way. They do not break boundaries. Instead, they present a back-to-basics approach of using local, seasonal ingredients to the utmost.
And, you can taste the freshness in everything.
Let’s start with breakfast, and those gorgeous pastries from Daniella Lea, in her first foray into restaurants after a 10-year stint baking for lofty hotels, most recently the St. Regis Atlanta. You’ll find the expected — croissants, muffins, sweet and savory scones — but also the unexpected, such as chausson aux pommes (French apple turnovers) and praline escargots that take cinnamon roll to the next level.
You’ll also encounter baked goods sprinkled with flavors from Vakili’s Persian roots: cardamom cake and pistachio cake.
Credit: Mia Yakel
Credit: Mia Yakel
The cafe offers a separate menu of breakfast hot and cold bites. I can’t say enough good things about the egg sandwich. I’d rather keep remembering how the farm egg was so fluffy and fresh that juices dripped from my chin on the first bite. Add quality bacon, cheddar, fresh greens and chipotle aioli between toasted slices, and you’ve got a winning hot handheld (ordered because this is a column about takeout, and this sandwich will travel better than shakshuka).
If waffles, power bowls and granola are more your morning style, Le Bon Nosh offers those, too.
Credit: ANTHONY TAHLIER
Credit: ANTHONY TAHLIER
For those who find themselves in the vicinity at lunch, the meatball sandwich stands out for its combination of beef and lamb (the latter, another nod to Vakili’s Iranian upbringing), as well as the bright swaths of basil pesto that come through in each bite. The mushroom tartine is a beautiful winter contrast of woodsy brown against white stracciatella cheese.
Credit: ANTHONY TAHLIER
Credit: ANTHONY TAHLIER
Round it out with a salad, sold in half and full portions. There are many to pick from. They all pop with color, and feature deftly dressed, of-the-moment rabbit food. Winter squash soup, a recent soup of the day, was silky, and as bright as sunshine.
Dinner offerings bring more melanges (chickory salad, winter caprese) and cold-weather plates, such as a hearty pappardelle Bolognese, whose rich sauce clung terrifically to those wide pasta ribbons. The pasta isn’t made in-house, but Vakili told me that they hope to move in that direction.
Credit: Mia Yakel
Credit: Mia Yakel
Le Bon Nosh already is hitting the mark in all areas, but there is plenty to look forward to, as this fledgling restaurant evolves. Online ordering and the sales of branded food products will be launched later this month. March will bring cooking classes. And, warm weather will find the covered side patio and its delightful Parisian two-top tables open — whether you want to converse over coffee and a croissant, or crudites and chenin blanc.
LE BON NOSH
Food: freshly baked goods, hot and cold breakfast items, seasonal salads, soups, sandwiches, appetizers and entrees
Service: dine-in and takeout; call ahead or order in person; no delivery. Phone ordering was easy, with informed suggestions from a friendly employee; orders were filled quickly and packaged tidily.
Safety protocol: staff wears masks
Best dishes: pastries, egg sandwich, mushroom tartine, meatball sandwich, winter squash soup, salads (chickory salad, winter caprese), pappardelle Bolognese
Alcohol: wine
Credit cards: all major credit cards accepted
Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays; 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays (breakfast: until 11 a.m.)
Address, phone: 65 Irby Ave. NW, Atlanta. 404-835-2007
Website: lebonnosh.com
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