Two of the most transformative projects in recent memory for two of Atlanta’s most dynamic neighborhoods have unveiled fresh plans for destination restaurants.
One calls for turning a protected Midtown architectural landmark along Spring Street into the latest location of an iconic steakhouse, while the other will bring another refined, culinary pitstop along the Atlanta Beltline at the edge of Historic Fourth Ward Park.
Let’s start in …
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Midtown
Portman officials revealed today they’ve signed Buckhead institution Hal’s “The Steakhouse” to reimagine the main level of the historic Patterson House (aka, H.M. Patterson & Son funeral home) at mixed-use, high-rise district Spring Quarter, with plans for an art gallery to operate upstairs.
Surrounded by renovated gardens and Spring Quarter’s high-rise Sora apartments and Ten Twenty Spring office tower, the 24,000-square-foot Patterson House was designed by famed architect Philip T. Shutze and dates to 1928.
To mark its centennial anniversary (coincidentally or not), Hal’s plans to open at the Patterson in early 2028, with a European-inspired café concept included.
Current conditions of the renovated former funeral home at Spring Quarter. Photo by Seamus Payne; courtesy of Portman
Interior plans for Hal's. Maison Maluee; courtesy of Portman
Led by Walix Corporation and Maison Malueé’s principal designer María Domínguez, the building’s planned redesign calls for preserving historic charm while complementing updates Portman has completed in recent years. It’ll mark Hal’s third location, following the original in Buckhead and an outpost in Nashville, with a fourth on tap for Roswell in mid-2028.
On the Patterson’s second floor, Hal’s owner Sammy Jimenez plans to open a global fine art gallery with curators Alex Soto and Andres Rodriguez. The gallery, which will be open during the day and through dinner service, will double as a private event space and cocktail hour destination with hors d'oeuvres and drinks, per Portman officials.
In 2023, Portman announced a different tactic for the Patterson that called for Charleston-based The Indigo Road Hospitality Group turning the full building into a “morning-to-night F&B destination”—but those plans fizzled.
“When looking for a concept for this space, we took our time and stayed disciplined to find the right fit for Spring Quarter and the Midtown community,” said Dotan Zuckerman, Portman’s head of retail development, in the announcement. “Hal’s is an Atlanta institution, a legendary concept, and a gift to Midtown.”
Added Jimenez: “Opening a second restaurant in Atlanta was a significant decision, and we took great care in finding the right home for our next chapter… [the Patterson] felt like the perfect fit, allowing us to expand our legacy while honoring the character and history of the neighborhood.”
For a look inside the historic funeral home as renovations were underway, find our 2023 photo essay over here.
Photo by Seamus Payne; courtesy of Portman
Photo by Seamus Payne; courtesy of Portman
Later this summer, Portman expects to open two more restaurants at Spring Quarter: Sozou, a new contemporary Japanese concept from Atlanta chef Fuyuhiko Ito, and Pataaka, a high-end Indian restaurant.
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Old Fourth Ward
Meanwhile, the retail buildout at New City Properties’ Fourth Ward Project continues.
A new Parisian-style concept called Sargent is set to open a week from today (Aug. 18) at the base Fourth Ward Project’s phase-one office component, where Mailchimp’s headquarters operate, according to the restaurant’s Instagram account.
The space in question is tucked off the Beltline’s Eastside Trail, along North Angier Avenue, next to a popular walk-up window for ice cream purveyor Big Softie. The Forth Hotel operates across the street.
Sargent is scheduled to open next week in a space at the base of Fourth Ward Project offices along North Angier Avenue. Google Maps
Views to Midtown over Fourth Ward Project's three-building first phase.
The concept from the team behind Buckhead’s Lucian Books & Wine, Jordan Smelt and Katie Barringer, was inspired by Gilded Age painter John Singer Sargent and will lean more toward “American classics with a little French brasserie on top,” as Barringer recently told Garden & Gun.
Have a peek inside the space, via the magazine’s recent profile, over here.
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