inside alonetogetherCourtesy of alonetogether/ Nicholas Reed Atlanta has a plethora of restaurants that fit neatly into a single category: Italian, Thai, and Chinese, to name a few. It offers mixology-forward bars, craft breweries, organic wine bars, and non-alcoholic beverage shops. What it hasn’ t had, until now, is a non-alcoholic bar embedded within an ethnic restaurant rooted in the chef-owner’s upbringing and travels. Alonetogether is a 35-seat Haitain, French, and Creole restaurant opening tomorrow in the former DaVinci’s space in Midtown. Created by chef Jonny Rhodes—the man behind Houston’s now-shuttered Indigo and Broham Fine Soulfood Groceries—alonetogether serves “ancestral, wellness-focused food” and centrifuge-driven non-alcoholic drinks in an intimate setting. Heirloom tomato salad with mourtarde de pisCourtesy of alonetogether/ Nicholas Reed “My style of cooking is built on live fire and shelf-stable products. Traveling gave me a different perspective,” Rhodes says. “Everyone loves food that tells a story. People need food that is wholesome and will take you on a journey to the most beautiful place your mind can imagine, with the most loving people. For me, that’s Thailand, Paris, Belleville in France, Nigeria, Mexico City, Oman, and Haiti.” The menu includes a seafood platter inspired by Rhodes’s time on Gonâve Island off the coast of Haiti; Clara’s Kalalou Soup, a tribute to his mother and the matriarchs of Jacmel, Haiti; and a French steakhouse–inspired 32-day dry-aged prime ribeye au poivre. Expect chili moufrites—mussels with chili made from prawn sausage—and a charcuterie board featuring Black Angus summer sausage from Rhodes’s family cattle ranch. Desserts are made in-house, including his signature Beefy Bone Marrow Ice Cream, served on the bone with stewed cherries, thyme, and sea salt. Pommes dauphinoiseCourtesy of alonetogether/ Nicholas Reed Rather than hiring a mixologist, Rhodes will lead the bar program too, offering eight drinks crafted with kitchen ingredients and clarified in a centrifuge. “Our drinks are rooted in ingredients and traditions from cultures around the world with botanicals, fruits, spices, and herbs that people use for restorative or functional purposes,” he says. “It’s about being cautious about what we put into our bodies.” Beverages include date juice limeade; passionfruit and blood orange elixir with soursop; ginger and sorrel cooler; grilled pineapple, lemongrass and galangal tepache; and tamarind and toasted peanut soda. No beer or wine (even non-alcoholic versions) will be offered, as Rhodes says he wants to “be in full control of how people experience” the restaurant. Ginger sorrel coolerCourtesy of alonetogether/ Nicholas Reed Rhodes also designed the space and completed portions of the buildout himself. The room features mid-century light fixtures, a hand-carved cypress table, and subtle nods to hot air balloons—the restaurant’s logo. “We have an actual bar with eight seats. We want people to see the drinks being made,” Rhodes says. “We also installed four counter seats facing the street for people-watching, similar to what you’d find in France.” The restaurant name reflects the overall sense of connection Rhodes draws from his travels: “It means nobody is without community. We’re all together somewhere with someone, in some way,” he says. Clara’s Kalaou SoupCourtesy of alonetogether The post Haitian-French-Creole restaurant opens tomorrow with a chef-driven non-alcoholic bar appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. ...read more read less