Omnivore Atlanta

I'D TAP THAT: The bar at Leon's Full Service

It’s a rare but beautiful thing when a restaurant inhabits its surroundings so thoroughly that it immediately feels like an intrinsic part of a city’s landscape. Leon’s Full Service, located in Rue de Leon’s old location on the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Church Street, has managed to become such a natural part of Decatur already, it’s hard to believe the restaurant is only eight weeks old.

The reason may be the owners’ intimate familiarity with the hopes, desires, and beer enthusiasms of Decaturites. They’ve spent the last 12 years running the legendary Brick Store Pub around the corner. But it’s more than Leon’s pitch-perfect reading of what a young, booze-friendly customer base requires. The space is brazenly appealing, evoking a slightly nautical feel with its white wooden booths, blue walls and red accents. Just enough of the building’s vintage character has been left in place to communicate its aesthetic, and just enough has been done to modernize the space to make it feel clean and vibrant. It’s Decatur all over. Don’t you just hate Decatur sometimes for being so … awesome?

There are certain qualities of Brick Store the owners have imported to Leon’s. The commitment to outstanding beverages includes a manageable but thrilling beer selection, and extends into wine and cocktails. (Try the Belgian champale cocktail for something truly weird and delicious.) The enthusiastic service here mirrors the passions of Brick Store’s brew-loving barkeeps. It’s not uncommon for a server to take a seat at the table to fervently discuss a certain beer, cheese or dish. It sometimes makes for slow service at other tables, but is wholly worth it for the attention when you do get your turn.

Continue reading “Review: Leon’s Full Service”

(Photo by James Camp)

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FILL 'ER UP: The dining room at Leon's Full Service

Every time I go to Decatur, I feel like I’m an extra in a movie set in a small town. Friendly people pace the sidewalks with their friendly dogs or head to friendly coffee shops like Java Monkey, where a poetry reading was underway Sunday night when we passed by. Really, in Decatur, I feel like Mr. Rogers.

Please, won’t you be my neighbor? I’ll buy you big mugs of draft beer at Leon’s Full Service (131 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-687-0500) and feed you slightly strange food. It’s a beautiful night to get wasted in this neighborhood.

Actually, I don’t drink, but Wayne makes up for that. And he had plenty of company during our Sunday night visit. Leon’s, open about 10 days, was packed with a 30-minute wait for a table.

This new gastropub has been opened by the same folks who own the nearby Brick Store Pub. The name derives from its original use as a gas station. Although at least two retail businesses preceded this latest use, there’s still a faint ambiance of the filling station, mainly in the large windowed garage door. But most gas stations don’t have a boules court right outside the door, as Leon’s does. (more…)

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You’d never think we were on the verge of a second Great Depression — or that it was Sunday night in the Bible Belt, for that matter — last night at the new Leon’s Full Service in Decatur (131 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-687-0500). The place was packed with a 30-minute wait for a table.

Leon’s is owned by the same folks who operate the very popular Brick Store Pub. The menu at Leon’s is far more ambitious, making the former gas station a gastro pub.

Generally, we found entrees better than starters. My favorite dish of the evening was this plate of Niman Ranch pork osso-bucco with sweet cubes of butternut squash mingled with slightly bitter, buttery kale and a jus flavored with Gordon India Pale Ale.

You’ll find about 15 interesting beers on draft here, including a raspsberry-flavored one from Belgium.

More in my next Grazing column.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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Fans of the Brick Store Pub were so excited about the opening of the owners’ latest venture, Leon’s Full Service (131 E. Ponce de Leon, Decatur, 404-687-0500), that there was some tussling over who would get the honorary first pint. Local resident and Decatur Book Festival founder Daren Wong suggested that the prize be auctioned to benefit the workers of Trackside Tavern and 5th Earl Market, who were put out of their jobs by a recent fire there. Excitement quickly built around the Ebay auction and when the smoke cleared (so to speak), the historic first drink had sold for a whopping $2,650 to an anonymous bidder from Oakhurst. In addition to the luscious libation, the winner will also be immortalized in a picture on the wall at Leon’s and in the name of a special drink.

Leon’s opens to the public tonight after a two-night soft opening for friends and family over the weekend. The bar features over a dozen taps, a short-list of specialty cocktails made from fresh juices and infusions, and a beautiful cooler over the backbar kept at cellar temperature and stocked with Belgian specialty beers and American crafts. The menu is inspired by Belgian bistro fare, including pub fries served with a selection of dipping sauces, mussels steamed in witbier, and artisanal meats and cheeses.

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Seasons Greetings: The 5 Seasons Westside promises to be a palace of good beer and food.

If you read the paper or watch the news, you are probably thinking that 2009 will be a year to survive rather than enjoy. This doesn’t have to be the case. If good beer makes you happy, there is much to look forward to, even before the first daffodils start popping up. Here’s a look ahead.

Terrapin’s Sweet Tooth. The fourth installment in the Terrapin Beer Company’s Side Project, Dos Cocoas, should be hitting stores soon. It is brewed with cocoa powder and aged on cocoa nibs. The chocolate theme continues at the 2nd Annual Wake-N-Bake Off, where participants incorporate Terrapin’s Wake-N-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout into a dessert recipe. The judging takes place at Aromas in Athens on Sunday, Jan. 25. Contact the brewery at 706-549-3377 for more information. (more…)

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Check out Jeff Holland’s Talking Head column this week for news about the Brick Store Pub’s latest expansion plans.

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