First Look: Bantam & Biddy

• James Camp
• MEAT AND THREE: Rotisserie half chicken and dipping sauces with mac and cheese, sautéed broccolini, and red peas and rice

As Atlanta settles into an age of chef-driven, fast-casual concepts, former fine-dining chef Shaun Doty remains at the trend’s forefront with his latest restaurant Bantam & Biddy. Enlisting the help of chef Lance Gummere (most recently of the Shed at Glenwood), Bantam & Biddy is a meat-and-three/chicken rotisserie hybrid featuring all-natural, pastured poultry and seasonal organic vegetables - regionally sourced whenever possible, of course.

Most eco-speak can be used to describe the month-old Ansley Mall eatery: sustainable, local, organic, farm-to-table, free-range, and heirloom variety all apply. Nearly 20 items on the expansive menu of rotisserie options, starters, entrées, sides, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, are even gluten-free. But don’t let the buzzwords fool you, Bantam & Biddy is a restaurant on a commendable mission, spotlighting Doty’s commitment to mindful sourcing and healthy eating. Unfortunately, this type of progress, while generally tasty, isn’t always cheap. Bantam & Biddy offers an accessible, counter-service concept with all the benefits of a chef-driven, farm-to-table restaurant.

Inside the 50-seat restaurant, white farmhouse panels, avocado green accent walls, and pumpkin-colored banquettes lend the space a fresh, harvest feel, while the floor’s busy black and white diagonal stripes evoke the hustle and bustle of an urban shopping center. Pick up a menu stowed near the door on your way past the dessert case to the cashier. Once you order and pay, grab your table marker, and find a seat.

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