Scout seeks to “redefine comfort food” in Oakhurst

Proof & Provision alum creates a kid-friendly Southern spot—with a bar scene
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Chris Martha in what will soon be Scout
Chris Martha in what will soon be Scout

Courtesy of Henri Hollis/ Green Olive Media

A new Southern-inspired restaurant called Scout will soon join staples like Steinbeck’s and Mezcalito’s in Oakhurst. The dinner and weekend brunch spot is the brainchild of Chris Martha, formerly of Proof & Provision and McCray’s West Village Tavern. Scheduled to open in late June, Scout replaces McGowan’s Oakhurst Pub and a section of the Solarium at Scottish Rite, and aims to serve “food interpretive of Southern regional cooking but not just fried chicken or meatloaf,” Martha says.

“The immediate Oakhurst food and beverage community represents a thorough blanketing of that quick, casual service restaurant. We’re looking to put together a clear step up,” he says. “We’ll be very committed to a bar program with creative cocktails. We’ll represent what has emerged as a great beer scene in Atlanta. We’ll definitely have a thoughtfully put together wine list with smaller, more unusual-to-find boutique wineries but with an approachability to them.”

Although there will be a developed bar program, Scout aims to be family friendly with a children’s menu and games like shuffleboard and pinball. There will be a juke box, too. Reservations will only be accepted for large parties.

The menu is still in development but will likely take a traditional format with starters, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. The brunch menu will feature sandwiches, as well as breakfast plates.

Martha and his team are gutting the current interior to create a dining room, bar area, game room, private dining room, and open kitchen. There will be a patio that seats 36. “The exterior is white with a lot of windows,” he says. “We’re infusing earth tone colors into the space to create a comfortable, casual, approachable décor—nothing over the top.”

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