Spotted Trotter’s Kevin Ouzts is in as exec chef at Avalon’s Barleygarden Kitchen and Craft Bar

The Hop City team’s first restaurant will offer Spotted Trotter meats and more
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A rendering of Barleygarden

Courtesy of Hop City

In an unprecedented move, the Spotted Trotter’s Kevin Ouzts has accepted a position as executive chef at Barleygarden Kitchen and Craft Bar, opening in April at Avalon in Alpharetta. The chef recently closed the Cockentrice at Krog Street Market so he could focus on the Spotted Trotter. However, Ouzts says his latest project falls in line with that goal, as he’ll be using Spotted Trotter products in the kitchen at Barleygarden.

“I’m pulling together what I’ve learned at the market. I was able to walk away [from the Cockentrice] with a great deal of education about what folks are looking for,” Ouzts says. “Folks like to have their sandwich or hot dog in one hand and their phone in another. It’s about having a fun way to approach that with accessible food and not run against nature.”

Created by Hop City founder Kraig Torres, Barleygarden will offer lunch and dinner daily, serving all ages indoors and possibly only those 21 and up at the open-air rooftop bar. There will also be a beer garden outside and a to-go window. Since Avalon is an open-container community, Ouzts is designing the Barleygarden menu with portability and pairings in mind.

“We’ll have great sandwiches and delicious sides that can be picked up and carried with you,” Ouzts says. “Kraig wanted to stay out of the biergarden [theme] for there’s not a lot of German fare—it’s more Americanized versions.”

There will be seasonal salads, a roasted pork sandwich with pickled broccolini and melted provolone, a bratburger, corn and onion fritters, handcut fries, and sausages like the Spotted Trotter’s chicken cheddarwurst. Prices range from about $3 to $16. Although Ouzts won’t be cooking at Barleygarden, he will be there a few days a week, overseeing the line cooks. The rest of the time, he’ll focus on making the Spotted Trotter into Atlanta’s flagship brand with a new manufacturing facility and store, coming in 2018.

Similar to Hop City’s Krog Street Market location, Barleygarden’s bar menu will focus on beer with a rotating 66-tap list downstairs and an additional 32 taps focused on European brews upstairs. The cocktail menu will change six times a year, and six to ten wines by the glass will be available, too. Expect blueberry-ginger sangria and a riff on the sidecar.

Torres describes the space as “reclaimed industrial” with stained concrete floors, brick, murals, and garage doors that open to the outside. “It should look like the coolest warehouse loft that your friend in New York City lives in,” he says. “It’s whimsical. We don’t take ourselves that seriously. It’s not fine dining. It’s a place to enjoy well-made food and a drink or three.”

Menu highlights (subject to change)

Snacks & Sides
Golden Frites available four ways: smoked paprika mayo, house-made ketchup, roasted garlic aioli, and Cajun-spiced
Cauliflower fries
House-made pretzel with whipped honey mustard

Between the Bread:
Our Big Brat Burger 10-oz handmade bratwurst patty with a choice of cheese, russian dressing, and/or caramelized onions served on Texas toast
The Spot/Trot Dog handmade hotdog on a pretzel bun with a choice of chili and/or slaw
The Butchers Bun 8-oz butchers steak, crispy onions, garlic aioli on a toasted semolina bun
The UnSub Sandwich marinated roast pork shoulder, provolone, pickled broccoli rabe

From the Garden
Kale and Company kale salad with toasted almonds, cranberry, broccoli, & blue cheese
Roasted Root roasted carrots, beets, & sweet potato dressed with sunflower seeds, green onion and herbs
Spicy Sun Salad warm curried chickpea salad, cranberry, red onion and arugula with orange yogurt vinaigrette

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