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Executive Chef of Wrecking Bar will open two new restaurants in Cakes & Ale space

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Executive Chef of Wrecking Bar will open two new restaurants in Cakes & Ale space

Chef Terry Koval | Credit: Photo by Andy Lee
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The space on the Decatur Square that formerly housed Cakes & Ale has a new tenant.

According to a press release, Wrecking Bar Executive Chef Terry Koval will open two concepts in that space: The Deer & The Dove and Side Bar.

The Deer & The Dove will serve, “Seasonal Fare for Dinner & Weekend Brunch.” Side bar will be a, “NYC-Style Coffee Bar By Day and Wine & Cocktail Bar By Night.”

Koval is a Decatur resident.

“We’re honored and appreciative to be moving into the two spaces that formerly housed Cakes & Ale and The Bakery at Cakes & Ale, some of our city’s most iconic and beloved restaurants,” Koval said in the press release. “We have big shoes to fill and are looking forward to serving the Decatur and Atlanta communities for years to come.”

Cakes & Ale closed in June.

Here is the full announcement:

The Deer & The Dove is a Restaurant That Will Serve Chef Koval’s Seasonal Fare for Dinner & Weekend Brunch

Side Bar Will Be an NYC-Style Coffee Bar By Day; Wine & Cocktail Bar By Night

Terry Koval, an Atlanta chef with decades of experience in the restaurant industry, will open The Deer & The Dove restaurant and Side Bar wine and coffee bar on Decatur’s historic square this spring.

Chef Koval’s cuisine pays homage to the bounty of the region’s surrounding farms and local purveyors. Named a 2012 Atlanta Rising Star Sustainable Chef by StarChefs, he is active in the Atlanta restaurant and nonprofit community and known for his dedication to and practice of the Slow Food movement. He is on the Chef’s Board for Georgia Organics and is a member of Wholesome Wave Georgia and Slow Food Atlanta. Koval recently received a scholarship to attend the 2016 Chefs Collaborative Summit in NYC and 2018 Slow Food Terra Madre in Turin, Italy.

Upon moving to Atlanta two decades ago, he worked his way up to Executive Sous Chef at Canoe in Vinings before joining the team at Concentrics Restaurants. In 2010, he created the menu as opening chef at Farm Burger, a grassfed and locally sourced burger joint. Three years later, he moved to Atlanta favorite Wrecking Bar Brewpub, where he will continue to serve as Executive Chef and Partner when the new restaurants open. At The Deer & The Dove and Side Bar, he will be Executive Chef & Owner.

“We’re honored and appreciative to be moving into the two spaces that formerly housed Cakes & Ale and The Bakery at Cakes & Ale, some of our city’s most iconic and beloved restaurants,” says Chef Koval, a Decatur resident. “We have big shoes to fill and are looking forward to serving the Decatur and Atlanta communities for years to come.”

With many items coming out of a wood-burning oven, the cooking at The Deer & The Dove will be rustic, creative New American cuisine, rooted in the seasons with ingredients sourced from local farms. The ever-changing menu will feature items such as chicory, kohlrabi, fennel, and radish salad with green garlic buttermilk; oven-roasted squid and clams; sunchokes with tahini and roasted peanuts; wood-fired dishes such as pastured raised chicken thighs with charred lemon; and venison with rutabaga, pistachios and serviceberry. The food menu will be matched by a relaxed, convivial and welcoming ambience with knowledgeable service.

Nextdoor at Side Bar, which formerly served as The Bakery at Cakes & Ale, guests will be able to enjoy NY bodega-style breakfast and lunch sandwiches (think “egg on a roll”), bagels and good coffee. At night, Side Bar will become a bar with a focus on natural wines, cocktails and small plates. On occasion, the space will also host pop-up dinners from local and visiting chefs.

The team will include a roster of well-known, local restaurant industry veterans. George Frangos, Cofounder of Farm Burger, will also serve as Partner. He originally met Koval while working together at Concentrics Restaurants before bringing Koval on as Farm Burger’s original chef.

“It’s been amazing to watch Terry grow as a chef and a leader in Atlanta’s good food community over the past few years,” said Frangos. “I’m excited to work with Terry once more and help bring The Deer and Dove to life.”

Koval’s wife, Jenn, will also be involved in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant and greeting guests. Chef Koval will be working with good friends of the Atlanta bartending community to develop and assist with The Deer & The Dove’s beverage program

Brian Buckner, in collaboration with Local Architects, is designing the two restaurants. Guests at The Deer & The Dove will be welcomed by an open and airy dining room with a warm and inviting atmosphere. Side Bar wine and coffee bar will be inspired by a modern NY corner deli, with the option to grab and go or sit and enjoy at the bar or table seating.