The man who helped manage the opening of Little Alley Steak, Inc. Street Food, and Salt Factory, will soon have his own restaurant. Louis Soon, who worked his way up from waiter and bartender to manager and now owner, is opening a seasonally driven, farm-to-table restaurant called South Main Kitchen this summer. Located at 9 South Main Street, across from City Hall, South Main Kitchen will serve American cuisine in a century-old industrial-style building. It is scheduled to open in ten to eleven weeks.
A “kitchen-inspired venue” that touts a focus on the “artistry of food,” South Main Kitchen will change its menu frequently, based on availability, according to Soon. Executive chef Christy Stone is still working on the opening menu, but offerings will include an assortment of bar bites, small plates, soups, salads, and entrees. Think grilled polenta cakes, kale and Brussels sprout salad, a roasted turkey sandwich with avocado and apple butter, and salmon linguine.
“We’ll use the freshest and best products for the season,” Soon says.
The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week, plus a buffet brunch on Sundays.
The South Main Kitchen space features a lot of craftsmanship, from the wooden tables to the bar. There are patios in the front and back, and a second bar on the roof. Altogether, it can fit about 140 people. The city is currently paving an alley adjacent to the restaurant, which Soon is outfitting as additional hangout space. He says he hopes it will help bring the feel and activity of historic Roswell’s strip to the area.
To help liven the scene, Soon is contemplating a mojito bar at South Main Kitchen. He’ll man it and focus on craft rum.
“I’m thinking about a Southern mojito (which is basically a mint julep),” he says. “We’re making our own strawberry and blackberry preserves, which we’ll use to make drinks. Maybe [we’ll have] organic quinoa vodka—we’re keeping everything as natural as possible.”
Wine and beer will come from independent makers—small vineyards and local breweries, especially ones in Alpharetta, he says.
