Details are being shared on the newest concepts from longtime Atlanta restaurateur Ford Fry, both set to open in September at the Westside Provisions District development.
Little Sparrow and Bar Blanc will take over the space vacated by Fry’s JCT Kitchen & Bar space when it closed at the end of 2021 after nearly 15 years.
Little Sparrow, which will open first, with Bar Blanc debuting in the subsequent weeks, is “inspired by Parisian bistros and old Brooklyn neighborhood taverns,” according to a press release. The concept is a nod to the nickname given to French singer Edith Piaf.
“As I get older, I grow less inspired by restaurants that try too hard or let ‘interesting’ overtake ‘delicious’,” Fry said in a prepared statement. “I am inspired by restaurants that cook food I want to eat. Little Sparrow will be a place to indulge in a refined dining experience or just grab a perfect medium-rare burger and fries.”
In addition to a burger, the menu will include French dishes including chopped steak with frites, halibut “pot au feu,” chicken schnitzel, cote du porc and onion soup gratinee. There’s also a whole section dedicated to frites with various sauces, as well as an option for raclette service.
Sides will include pommes aligot, “dripping” potatoes with parsley and schmaltz, spinach au gratin and chilled artichokes vinaigrette; for dessert, expect to see creme caramel, basque-style cheesecake, and cherries jubilee prepared tableside.
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
The beverage program will feature cocktails “with a French accent” including the Genepy Highball, billed as a “gussied-up gin and tonic” and the Pigalle, a twist on a Manhattan with bourbon and Calvados. Guests will also find a selection of natural wines and a collection of brandies and eaux-de-vie. Pastis service will also be available, highlighting the anise-flavored cordial.
Little Sparrow’s interior will include “rich colors and textures throughout,” according to the press release.
Located on top of Little Sparrow, Bar Blanc, also a French-inspired concept, will offer indoor, outdoor, and lounge seating. The restaurant will offer a prix fixe menu for $49.50 per person with levain baguette and salade maison, followed by steak with brown butter béarnaise and unlimited frites.
On the beverage side, look for a selection of wines, a rotating local lager and ale on draft and classic cocktails. An a la carte dessert menu includes gateaux basque and creme caramel with soft-serve gelato. Design elements will include velvet, leather, big speakers and a mosaic tile floor.
Little Sparrow and Bar Blanc will join Fry’s large portfolio of metro Atlanta restaurants under the umbrella of his Rocket Farms Restaurants group, including several locations of Superica, No. 246, Marcel (also located in the Westside Provisions District), The Optimist and Beetlecat. Fry, who closed his Buckhead eatery King + Duke earlier this year, also owns restaurants in several other states.
Other food and beverage concepts at the Westside Provisions District include Aziza, Falafel Nation, Flower Child, Forza Storico and Taqueria del Sol. Cocktail bar Little Trouble is set to close in the development in August.
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