Omnivore Atlanta

Although he is the owner of Method Coffee Bar & Tea Lounge (1593 North Decatur Road. 404-549-8942. www.methodcoffeebar.com), Don Lowell insists Dale Donchey is the mastermind behind the operation. Donchey placed third in this year’s Southeastern Regional Barista Championship and is going to Portland for the Nationals in March.

The coffee shop’s name comes from its devotion to methodology from beans to brew. Method sources all of its coffee beans from Intelligentsia, the lauded Chicago roaster whose “direct trade” sourcing philosophy and commitment to quality has made it the preferred bean for discerning coffee drinkers. The coffee shop serves an ever-changing handful of varietals in a range of prices, which the seasoned (and super friendly) baristas will describe to you in such romantic detail you’d think you were discussing wine with a seasoned sommelier.

While the coffee shop brews its espresso on a top-of-the-line La Marzocco machine, its use of Chemex coffeemakers is the draw for aficionados. The Chemex method employs a heat-resistant, non-porous glass carafe with a special unbleached paper filter. The coffee grounds are slowly saturated with hot water resulting in a clean cup of coffee where each note shines. Method “pre-doses” (or pre-measures) each bean varietal accordingly to achieve the perfect strength and balance of flavor. Each dosage of whole beans is stored in an individual glass bottle until it is ground to order and brewed drip by precious drip before your eyes.

Tea is another area where Method excels as they treat and present their impeccably chosen whole leaf teas with great care. An assortment of Vosges sipping chocolate—like the spicy Aztec—is perfect for chocolate junkies and kids alike. And a short, but sweet list of locally made pastries from tattooed baker Larisa Slaughter provides that much needed nibble as you linger, sip and type.

(photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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The opening of Emory Village brunch joint Rise N Dine has many students wondering if the long-awaited rebirth of the Village has begun.

One by one, dismayed collegians watched as every worthwhile spot in the Village disappeared — Jake’s Ice Cream & Muncheteria, Caribou Coffee, Lebanese spot Cedar Tree, and the only bar within walking distance from campus, Park Bench. With the fairly recent opening of Saba, which serves pasta for lunch and dinner as well as delicious brunch food, it seemed the long-sleeping Village was starting to wake up in terms of dining options. Hopefully, this newest addition will be as pleasing.

Rise N Dine, freshly opened by Georgia Tech engineering grad Marshall Happ, serves breakfast all day as well as nonbreakfast foods, with an emphasis on health-conscious cooking and creative combinations of flavors.

According to a chatty barista at the neighboring Starbucks, (Manifest Destiny ensured that while Caribou was booted, Starbucks obnoxiously would remain one of the only standing businesses in the Village) Rise N Dine has some of the best hash browns — because of the combination of shredded zucchini with potatoes.

Other yummy-looking dishes on the menu include sweet potato pancakes with cinnamon and sandwiches with items like quinoa, hummus, and roasted veggies.

Now if only a new bar would replace the long-defunct Park Bench, perhaps Emory could gain a bit more of the collegey atmosphere that is missing in the Village. …

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