After years of working in the kitchens of several notable metro Atlanta restaurants and a stint on the cooking competition show “Hell’s Kitchen,” longtime Atlanta chef Scotley Innis is branching out with his own food and beverage concept.
Set to open at 5 p.m. April 1 at 4300 Buford Highway, Continent Restaurant and Cigar Lounge will feature a menu of Afro-Caribbean and Asian-inspired dishes and cocktails.
Open for dinner, late-night food and drinks, and Sunday brunch, Continent will offer dishes including the Jamaican-inspired oxtail lo mein with braised oxtail, baby bok choy and chambray onions; lamb suya chops topped with red onions and charred tomatoes pay homage to Nigerian street food; and Yardman Oysters, offering a Jamaican twist on traditional oysters Rockefeller with callaloo, duck bacon, garlic butter and Parmesan cheese.
Cocktail offerings include modern takes on classic drinks like the Call Me Old-Fashioned and Sunsets Over Chamblee. The beverage program, which will use hand-chopped ice and fresh juices in its cocktails, will also offer a variety of wines and beers.
Innis, who will oversee the seasonal menu, worked at several Atlanta restaurants after starting his culinary career in his native New York City. Starting out in hotel kitchens, he also served as the executive chef at the now-shuttered Mudcatz Bayou Bar and Grill in Dunwoody, Ormsby’s in West Midtown and 5Church in Midtown. He competed on Season 18 of the reality cooking competition show “Hell’s Kitchen.” During the pandemic, Innis launched virtual kitchen Scotch Yard, serving Jamaican dishes including curry seafood and Escovitch red snapper.
Mike Haze, who served as the creative director for downtown speakeasy Red Phone Booth, will serve as general manager and oversee the cocktail program.
The adjoining Continent Cigar Lounge features a humidor stocked with brands like Cohiba and Rocky Patel as well as hand-rolled cigars including the signature Continent Cigar. The lounge will have a cigar membership program, including a private locker to store cigars and access to bi-monthly events. A separate menu will offer rare and aged spirits and small plates.
Designed by Larry Davis of L. Davis, the space features red banquettes, marble floors, dark woods, COVID-friendly red velvet section dividers and mixed media pieces by local Trinidadian artist Andrea Mackenzie. The restaurant’s soundtrack will focus on neo-soul, reggae and afro-beat music, and a DJ will spin on the weekends. The restaurant is also set to host private events, with space for 120 in the main dining room and 30-50 guests in the cigar lounge.
Continent Atlanta will be open for dinner, drinks and cigars from 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and for brunch from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. The cigar lounge opens at 5 pm., and a nightcap menu is available from 6 p.m.-midnight on Sundays.
Scroll down to see the full menu for the Continent:
4300 Buford Highway, Atlanta. 404-228-2027, thecontinentatlanta.com/
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