Catherine B.
Yelp
So fun.
I moved here from Atlanta about 6 years ago and this whole mess hall/boutique cafeteria concept is all the rage there, so I was pumped to see this spot pop up. I live on Rainey, so it's a quick walk to plop my little one into a stroller and meet friends for a quick drink, coffee or snack. I can't wait until my little nugget is big enough to roll around the grassy area outside.
The staff is super nice and accommodating. You can order a drink at the bar, but if you want a refill, there's people in Fareground tees who can grab you another drink for you.
While I like that there's a bar upon entry, it would be near to see them offer drinks from the actual featured restaurants. For example, Easy Tiger is a featured restaurant there and they're known for their vast beer selection. It would be cool to see featured beers/wines/cocktails from the local places within the hall. I don't know if they haven't elected to do that as a result of some bizarre TABC law or whatever, but just a thought.
I also feel like they're missing out on a great marketing opportunity to really blow out the entertainment factor. I rarely see events outside, but it's the perfect space for shops, live music, evening movies, tastings, or what have you. Granted, I did see they're featuring a Flea Market this weekend, so perhaps they're on the up and up on that.
I've sampled at least one thing at this point from each of the restaurants and here's a quick breakdown:
-bar: happy hour pricing weekdays from 4-7! Score.
-Antonelli's: they feature snack boards, which is great for sharing. And I love me some cheese, but I feel as though their Mac and cheese is too rich.
-Henbit: part of the same family as Emmer and Rye. Their little coffees and chais are something magical.
-contigo: fried green beans!
-ki-nome: ramen for dayzzzzz. Their sushi is decent, but their ramen is great. Super big portions.
-dai due: I know this sounds crazy, but their bean and cheese taco from the kid's menu is so delightful! The flour tortilla means business. Best tasting tortilla I've had in a while.
-easy tiger: while their selection mirrors most of what they carry at their regular restaurant on 6th, they evidently don't sell their pretzels and beer cheese at this particular establishment. Major disappointment.