Courtesy of Bocado
Restaurateur Brian Lewis opened the original Bocado on Howell Mill Road in 2009 and watched it skyrocket in popularity thanks to its craft cocktails and then-chef Todd Ginsberg’s double-stack cheeseburger. Lewis tried to capitalize on that success, launching Bocado Burger at Avalon in 2014. He later rebranded it to just “Bocado,” when rising labor and ingredient costs forced him to rethink the menu. Both locations have since shuttered, along with a Charlotte outpost that lasted less than a year. But Lewis is not giving up. He’s bringing Bocado back yet again, this time in the Powers Ferry Village shopping center (6300 Powers Ferry Road) in Sandy Springs. Slated to open in early September, it will feature a concise menu of small plates, entrees, and sourdough pizzas, along with beer and wine.
“Our ethos has always been about quality, sourcing, and technique; kind, attentive service; and a neighborhood space people can enjoy,” Lewis says.
Offerings include lasagna with slow-cooked beef Bolognese, wild-caught red snapper, and an 8-ounce filet with salsa verde. Small plates like grilled artichokes and beef carpaccio serve as lighter bites. Pizza ingredients will be sourced directly from Italy. The dough itself is naturally leavened and fermented for 72 hours, making it more digestible and nutrient rich. Expect a rich dough with a crisp outside and chewy, steamy inside. Options include four cheese, sausage, salumi, and margherita, among others.
“There is a movement around the globe to rethink pizza with sourdough, and that’s not really done yet in Atlanta,” Lewis says. “We are going to take a typical item and be excellent at it.” (Lewis operated a pizzeria called STG Trattoria in Buckhead in 2012 and 2013.)
Additional menu items will put new spins on old favorites, with past offerings like deviled eggs and the burger making occasional appearances as specials. “We don’t have the space—we don’t even have a hood. Most things will come from the wood-burning oven,” Lewis explains. “That’s not to say that we won’t have the burger on promotion, like 100 on a certain night as a fun remembrance.”
Although Bocado won’t serve cocktails, it will have “a killer wine menu,” concentrated on organic, biodynamic, single vintner wines, according to Lewis. There will be approximately 12 by-the-glass selections, “slightly overpoured,” as well as three local beers on tap. Bottles and cans will be available, too.
The 1,200-square-foot space is adorned with brassy fixtures, leather booths, and a white marble bar top. Most of the seating is on the patio.
“It’s really charming,” Lewis says.
