Octopus Bar

Call this a winning restaurant addendum. Nhan Le, owner of Vietnamese pho joint So Ba in East Atlanta, and Angus Brown, a chef who previously worked at Miller Union, run a late-night hangout on So Ba’s enclosed, mural-covered patio from 10:30 p.m. until 2:30 in the morning, every night except Sunday. Brown concocted a heady menu of mostly small plates—rife with provocative, primo ingredients that mingle Asian and American flavors—to appeal especially to chefs and other restaurant pros kicking off work as Octopus Bar mobilizes. Look for stunners like uni sashimi and homemade pasta with Jonah crab and lobster cream sauce. The success of Octopus Bar propelled Brown and Le to open a second restaurant (with standard operating hours) called Lusca in south Buckhead.