Pictures by Martha Williams
I first visited Jamie and Aaron Russell’s outside sandwich restaurant, on the principle drag of the Avondale property, shortly after it opened in December 2023. It was love at first sight. On the time it was referred to as The Velvet Hippo, named after their silky and durable pit bull combine rescue. The place was simply good: a fantastic house with astroturf, surrounded by facilities like overhead followers and heaters, landscaping and enclosed bogs. Past the creature comforts had been particular person sandwiches, sides and cocktails. By February, Meatball Mondays had been added (yay!), and the title modified to The Little Hippo (okay).
Sadly for the younger couple, a lounge in Durham, North Carolina had already registered the title federally. An vital step in beginning a brand new enterprise of any form is to guarantee that nobody else owns the title you might be contemplating. If a restaurant known as The Actual One thing One thing, you could be positive there shall be a dispute or lawsuit over copyright infringement. However The Little Hippo works for me as a reputation and an thought.
Gourmand sandwich outlets are a big pattern throughout America (Bunk and most just lately Sammych in Portland, Oregon; Turkey and Wolf in New Orleans; and the beautiful however expensive Bona Feed Deluxe—opened in February 2023 by hipsters at Banshee—Edgewood-Candler Park MARTA station). In the meantime, Atlanta already has loads of nice sandwiches—scorching pastrami on rye at Basic Muir, extremely low-cost egg banh mi at Lee’s Bakery, Spidey at Ticonderoga Membership (alas, briefly retired), Israeli falafel pita at Reina. However nothing iconic. New Orleans has muffulettas and po’ boys, Philadelphia has cheesesteaks and roast pork, New York has mile-high deli meats on rye and Maine lobster rolls.
What many individuals do not know concerning the Russells is that Harron labored for Gunter Seeger within the eating room on the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead and have become the official pastry chef for Seeger on West Paces Ferry Street. He was nominated for a nationwide James Beard Award. After the ill-fated closing of Excessive-Finish Cigars, Aaron turned co-chef on the much-loved (now defunct) Chocolate Bar in suburban Decatur. Many, myself included, nonetheless pine for that Magic Caramel Popcorn, which introduced in orders even from heavyweight native companies. I additionally crave his selfmade Rice Krispie Treats made with brown butter at his and his spouse’s Poor Hendrix in East Atlanta. Jamie leaves his profession in academia to run Poor Hendrix’s Eating Room, one of many city’s true gems. The younger couple excel at holding their locations informal, with menus quick, candy and inexpensive as a result of prime quality of each substances and preparation.
A pal of the Russells owned lots the place a dilapidated shed as soon as sat, proper throughout the Tudor stretch. In response to the Metropolis of Avondale Estates, he was in a position to demolish the constructing when he rebuilt on the identical web site. It was rebuilt utilizing low-cost siding and the Russells rented it. The cooler is within the yard and orders are positioned at a small counter.
I forgive the restaurant for its odd hours (similar to poor Hendrix, it is open on Mondays however closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). I am not mad that folks deliver their canine to The Little Hippo, unaware that their pet may disrespect the AstroTurf or chew a fellow canine. However I really like sandwiches, delicate potato rolls dotted with sesame seeds or the basic hoagie bun. My favourite is Vietnamese-style fried fish, with all of the dressings of a banh mi jammed right into a delicate roll. The lamb burger is definitely a marguez, a spicy North African lamb sausage, caught on each ends of a magical, aggressively scrumptious mixture. Hoagies with fillings like Italian meatballs (Mondays solely), fried mortadella or Italian charcuterie are additionally nice. Vegetarians get a pita with beets, tahini and cucumber. I am additionally grateful that there isn’t any one the dimensions that may dislocate my jaw. There’s extra to the menu than sandwiches: a beautiful ginger carrot soup, a divine potato salad included along with your order, cocktails just like the Negroni Spritz, and a spirited “marg” that is robust in silver tequila and Tajin spices. I do not often want a dessert after a sandwich, however solely an fool would fail to order the Fuzzy Chocolate Brownie.
Canine—small hippos not included—gamble round. There are kids, previous folks, and others who perceive that pleasure awaits underneath a sky that may very well be blue or grey, in a spot the place meals does not value the same old arm and leg of right now.
This text appeared in our June 2024 situation.
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