The team behind popular restaurant 8Arm is diving into new waters with Fishmonger, a seafood concept that opens today in Poncey-Highland.
Located in the Plaza on Ponce development at 674 North Highland Ave. NE, Fishmonger comes from Nhan Le and Skip Engelbrecht, with Bradford Forsblom as chef-partner.
From 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, Fishmonger will feature its cafe program with “elevated classic seafood options,” according to Engelbrecht. Offerings will include grouper sandwiches and other handhelds, Shrimp Louie, chowders and shrimp cocktail.
Cases will be loaded with fresh fish and seafood including oysters, clams and shrimp, most sourced locally or regionally. A reach-in cooler will offer prepared sides and ready-made salads.
Though daytime offerings are mostly meant to be taken to go, the 800-square-foot space has seating for about 10 inside and a handful of seats outside, with windows that open up onto Highland Avenue and a design that’s “visually bright like 8Arm, but a little less DIY looking,” Engelbrecht said.
From 7-11 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, Fishmonger transforms into a raw bar, with a variety of oysters highlighting Southern varieties, bottarga, crudos and small plates.
The raw bar will offer more interaction with Forsblom and the rest of the staff, with a catering trailer parked outside also serving raw bar items.
Fishmonger is currently BYOB, but when their liquor license is approved, the beverage program will focus on natural wines with wine pairings.
The idea for Fishmonger was born a couple of years ago after Le and Engelbrecht visited a fishery north of the Siesta Key area where he grew up that had an attached market. The pair thought the overall concept would “slay in Atlanta. No one else is really doing this here.”
Engelbrecht said he and Le, who also co-own Octopus Bar in East Atlanta, hope to duplicate Fishmonger in other metro Atlanta locations.
674 North Highland Ave. NE. instagram.com/atlantafishmonger
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