We told you in that Ponce City Market roundup that Justin Anthony and his crew, who are well know for 10 Degrees South, Yebo, and Cape Dutch, are going to sling all-natural organic South African biltong (beef jerky) and other meat jerkies from a restaurant counter in the Central Food Hall. It’ll also offer savory hand pies, charcuterie, craft cocktails, and Pinotage wine, and there’ll be a retail shop for you to purchase their cured, air-dried meats on the takeout.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

Sean Gleason, Cape Dutch & Biltong Bar

Beverage Directory Gleason is the brains behind the buzzy beverages at South African concepts Cape Dutch and Biltong Bar. Gleason has created unique bar programs that marry thoughtful sips with the spices of South African Cuisine. We’re particularly grateful for the Old-Fashioned-inspired Luchador ($12) with anejo and reposado tequilas, agave, and angostura bitters at Biltong Bar that pairs brilliantly with the spiced, dry-aged meats.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

If you’re a traveling beer fan, you likely storm every beer town armed with an unmanageable list of brewery, bottle shop, and beer bar stops. But before you blow your entire travel budget on Uber (or find yourself semi-soberly navigating an unfamiliar city’s transportation system), consider the food hall. There, a beer geek can enjoy multiple brewery experiences – and some of the best culinary delights a city has to offer – in one fell swoop. Below are some of the best beer-inspired food halls in the nation, including a few suggestions of what you should drink (and eat) when in any one of these great beer cities in the U.S.

Atlanta’s Sears, Roebuck & Company building reopened as the renovated Ponce City Market in 2014, quickly establishing itself as the city’s culinary headquarters. In addition to housing business offices and shops, the bustling public space is the home to over two dozen restaurants and food vendors, each with a unique identity; many of which bring an A-level game to the craft brewing scene. One can alternate between local and imported Italian craft brews at Bellina Alimentari’s Italian kitchen. Then, sip on a Tropicália IPA from local brewery Creature Comforts while gnawing on meat sticks at Biltong Bar, a South African jerky outpost. But the crown jewel of PCM is the newly opened Tap on Ponce, which features 56 constantly rotating draught beers. Buy a growler or crowler (like a growler, but in can form) to fill up and drink at home.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

If you want a drink, you’re in the right city. We’ve got everything: quiet places where you can confer with knowledgeable mixologists about a still-under-the-radar Italian liqueur; rowdy joints that beg ya to throw back some cold ones with friends; casual neighborhood bars where the cocktails are great. So, where are Atlantans drinking right now? What’s hot and newly opened? Read on to find out.

…

Biltong Bar

Must-order: You could (and should) sample some of the stellar cocktails, concocted to pair well with the South African cured meat biltong, but stick to the region and select from one of the tough-to-find South African wines on the menu.

Insider Tip: You can take your drinks to go and wander through Ponce City Market, as long as you don’t enter any of the retail stored with your booze.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

Beef jerky and booze may not sound like much of a concept, but Justin Anthony (10 Degrees South, Cape Dutch) is attracting throngs of enthusiasts at his bar in Ponce City Market. Biltong – a South African snack of cured, air-dried meat – is spectacular and softer than typical gas station jerky. Order a sampler plate to figure out whether you like your beef biltong fat-on or fat-off, or encrusted with chile pepper. Don’t miss the bobotie handpies (above) made with ground beef curry, or the cheesy popcorn.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

A beloved South African treat made of cured, air-dried meat (typically beef, but sometimes ostrich or game), biltong belongs in the same family as jerky, biltong is dried in thick slabs that get sliced thinly against the grain and is frequently served with a mixture of salt, coriander seeds, and black pepper. Connoisseurs want their biltong fat-on or fat-off and sometimes like it seasoned sharply with hot chili pepper. Cape Food & Beverage (2080 Peachtree Industrial Court. 770-395-1255) moved from Sandy Springs to an odd location off Peachtree Industrial several years ago and, as the best South African store in the Atlanta area, offers all sorts of delicious biltongs as well as droewors (dried sausage) and chilli sticks for your snacking pleasure or entertaining needs. A huge selection of frozen savory hand pies, curry powders, hot sauces, cereals, and Brit-style candies is available as well. If you don’t know much about biltong and want a place where you can try it in the proper context, head to Biltong Bar (404-900-7900), an attractive new space in the central food hall of Ponce City Market that is part of the Cape Dutch, 10 Degrees South, and Yebo empire belonging to wine magnate Justin Anthony. The place is open all day, and you can stop by to purchase housemade biltong to go, priced by the ounce and looking a little bit like dog treats in a series of metal bins. You can cop some free samples of perfect fat-on, fat-off, chilli sticks, and droewors if you can get past the mob of people headed to the bar or the small sitting area. There is a popcorn machine behind the counter, and one of the fun things to order is the popcorn tossed with fresh herbs, butter, parmesan, and just enough biltong to satisfy your curiosity. Next time around, have an assortment of iltongs (our favorite is the delicious if odd-looking dried boerswors, a long sausage with a fair amount of sweet fat) paired with cocktails or glasses of well-chosen South African wines such as a Pieter Cruytoff Pinotage. The sausage rolls and savory handpies aren’t nearly as rewarding as biltong, and we, who are usually mad for that sort of thing, were sorely disappointed in Biltong Bar’s dry, tasteless versions of savory baking from blah vegetable curry pies to flat, dried-up sausage rolls.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

After a 2015 excursion to South Africa, restaurateur Justin Anthony, the mind behind the global hot spots Cape Dutch, 10 Degrees South and Yebo, returned with a new meat-laden concept, Biltong Bar. Extending Anthony’s cadre of South African-inspired eats to Ponce City Market, Biltong Bar is an epic foray into the world of biltong, South African beef jerky, and the first concept of its kind in the United States. But this isn’t your typical watering-hole fare. Cuts of certified Angus beef are air-dried in-house for seven to 10 days and are rubbed with aromatic spices to further enhance the flavor. “[Biltong] allows us the opportunity to draw inspiration from traditional South African cuisine, enhancing the ‘grab-and-go’ experience but with a sit-down component,” says Anthony.

The space, designed by Anthony’s wife, Kelly Wolf-Anthony, is full of global charm steeped in dark woods, marble countertops and bowie knife cutting boards. The menu is a bazaar of unique treats like the go-to biltong, which can be enjoyed with or without fat; savory hand pies, like the ground beef curry bobotie and chicken potpie; and even hand crafed salads. Behind the bar is a serious cocktail program highlighting hefty spirits that pair perfectly with hte meat magic Try the rye-heavy Wicker Man with ginger, honey and 1821 Havana & Hide, or let the force awaken with rum and sherry sipper The Dark Side. South African wines also run the show, with a substantial craft beer list playing second string. “I’m hoping to provide the same unique street market experience to our guests,” says Anthony. So whether you take your fresh-sliced biltong to go or sit down for a one-of-a-kind experience, you can definitely meat us at the bar.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

With deep brown backdrops, country safari furnishings, and a vibrant bar menu, Bilton Bar feels like an old world cigar room with a contemporary twist. Open since early February, Biltong is one of the newest additions to Ponce City Market’s Central Hall. Restaurateur Justin Anthony (owner of Cape Dutch, 10 Degrees South, and Yebo) showcases his South African heritage at this casual cafe/bar.

The menu’s protagonist is biltong, and it shows up in almost all the dishes. Biltong (“bil” means rump and “tong” means strip in Dutch) is cured, dried meat (beef, game, ostrich) similar to beef jerky. The main difference is that jerky is sliced before drying, whereas biltong is dried and sliced to order. Biltong meat is typically much thicker and more flavorful compared to jerky.

Common in Johannesburg grocery stores and butcher shops, biltong is a stable snack over which people get together or just nibble while walking around. Anthony’s new eatery aims to replicate that concept. There is a little shop at the entrance where one can purchase traditional sodas, teas, and sauces. The main counter offers a row of different kids of biltong, pies, and other snacks. At first glance, it is hard to say if this is a take-out cafe or a sit-down bar.

Only when you walk past the wood-paneled counter can you see the rustic interior decorated with chocolate leather seats and contemporary globe chandeliers. There are about 25 bar seats, which are covered in more dark leather. The towering bar exhibits spirits of all kinds, and a prominent bartender’s ladder. The drinks are as bold as the ambiance. Old Fashioned ($10) with Old GRand Dad Bonded Bourbon, and Wicker Man ($9) with Dickel rye and buckwheat honey are some of the more popular choices. There are also a variety of domestic and imported beers that come in bottles, cans, and drafts. The old-world-meets-new-blends theme carries out in the wine selections as well. Pinopasso Pinotage ($9), Excelsior Cabernet ($9), and Chocolate Block Syrah Cabernet ($18) represent some of the wines beverage director Sean Gleason has carefully selected.

At Biltong Bar, there are six options of biltong offered, including original fat on or fat off, droewors (dry thin sausage), dried lean beef, spiced sausage, and chili-spiced bites. It is sold by the ounce or slab (starting at $2.25 per ounce), and patrons can watch the slicing process and purchase biltong in strips (known as stokkies). It is fun to grab a bag and snack on biltong while strolling through the market. Biltong is also a good add-on to sandwiches and homemade stews.

The meat used is certified organic Angus beef sourced rom Georgia farms. Dry spice seasonings such as garlic, peri-peri (crushed red chilies, salt, oregano), or traditional (black pepper, coriander, brown sugar) are sprinkled on top of the dried meats. The biltong can be eaten as is or paired with salt and vinegar chips ($7) or peri-peri popcorn ($7). Biltong also shows up in a spinach and goat cheese salad ($12) dressed in red wine vinegar, and it is also paired with Manchego and Brie on the cheese and biltong board ($16).

Biltong Bar is the first eatery in town to combine the casual South African jerky experience with a chic bar environment. Through the bar holds much promise for visiting weekenders and intown happy hour crowds, it remains to be seen how well Atlanta will embrace its unique concept.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

Some people might liken the hand pie trend to the cup-cake craze. Cutesy up your pastry by zapping it with a shrink ray and it’ll sell like, well, hotcakes.

But hand pies are so much more than cute. They’re as saturated with history as they are with butter or lard. They’re crusty relics – in the most literal and delicious sense – of our hardworking, pioneering past.

When you think about it, the tidy little double-crust hand pie is the original to-go box. British miners took them into the deep. Practical Southern church ladies have long stocked them at bake sales. And can’t you just picture Laura and Mary Ingalls slipping a couple edible hand-warmers into their pockets for their walk to the schoolhouse?

Unlike cupcakes, which are almost always muffin-shaped and voluminously frosted, hand pie bakers have their way with any and all geometry. Hand pies might be moon-shaped – full or crescent. Some are flat and boxy enough to give you Pop-Tart flashbacks. They can be triangular turnovers or the shape and size of bricks.

And, yes, sometimes they are just miniature pies – round, crimp-edged and nested in teensy tin plates. They are baked, they are fired, and in the case of, say, empanadas or samosas they have alluring accents.

This tour focuses on the hand pies of winter – pastry-crusted and warming o both the stomach and the heart. Some these pies are hearty enough to be dinner. Others serve as that nip of sweetness you need with your afternoon tea. Each and everyone is cozy, buttery and addicted handful.

…

Biltong Bar

Ostensibly, the beautifully burnished pies at Biltong Bar are South African style. But their true inspiration is much more precise.

“These pies were specifically designed with Ponce City Market in mind. You can walk around and eat them with the filling not falling out,” said owner Justin Anthony, whom Atlantans also know from 10 Degrees South, where his mother, Diane, is executive chef.

Thank an ingenious crust (devised by Biltong Bar but made by Holeman & Finch) for the pies’ portability. Buttery and light, the crust is also, somehow, sturdy. The gently rounded pies remain crisp around their moist, savory innards, which include bobotie (sweet curried ground beef) and a gravy-licious chicken stew. Meanwhile, the 1-inch-wide crimped edge never crumbles when bitten.

Dip these pies in the accompanying fruit chutneys or zingy peri-peri sauce. Or go for an even better pairing – one of Biltong’s boozy, bold cocktails.

The resulting joy will make you wonder why more bars don’t traffic delectable little meat pies such as these.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

Ponce City Market’s newest restaurant is in business. Biltong Bar, from local restaurateur Justin Anthony, is serving South African-inspired fare in the space adjacent to Brezza Cucina inside the development’s Central Food Hall. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.

Biltong is South African dried meat, and as the name suggests it’s the focus of Anthony’s new eatery. A variety of jerkies are available in sizes ranging from 4 ounces to a whole slab, and the dine-in menu includes savory pies, snacks, beer, wine, and cocktails. It’s Anthony’s second opening in recent months, following Cape Dutch’s November launch in the former Woodfire Grill space. He also operates Yebo Restaurant + Bar and 10 Degrees South.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

Biltong Bar, the latest South African-inspired eatery from local restaurateur Justin Anthony, is almost ready to open. The Ponce City Market restaurant will begin service on Monday, February 1, adjacent to Brezza Cucina inside the Central Food Hall. On the menu, look for assorted jerkies – that’s the bilton – along with savory pies, snacks, cocktails, local beer, and South African wine.

The 1,200-square-foot space features lots of dark woods and leather contrasted by stark white countertops. And since Bilton Bar focuses on dried meats, the jerky-in-progress serves as part of the decor. Take a first look inside via the below gallery.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

Biltong Bar, the latest venture from restaurateur Justin Anthony, plans to open its doors in a couple of weeks. Service should begin Monday, February 1, in Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall, officials at the restaurant tell Eater Atlanta, featuring savory pies, snacks, salads, craft beer, cocktails, and wine.

Like Anthony’s other Atlanta restaurants, Biltong Bar comes with a distinct South African influence. In addition to the dine-in options, there’s a significant retail operation with a variety of beef jerky – the “biltong” – and other specialty dried meats.

Anthony also operated 10 Degrees South and Yebo Restaurant + Bar, and he recently opened Cape Dutch in the former Woodfire Grill space. Take a look at the menu for his forthcoming Ponce City Market restaurant below.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

Local restauranteur Justin Anthony recently opened Cape Dutch in the Woodfire Grill space, and next up is his Ponce City Market venture. The counter-service restuarnt will serve gourmet pies, salads, craft beer, cocktails, and a full wine list, featuring a variety of South African blends. A retail shop will offer beef jerky and other specialty jerky meats. Old Fourth Ward: 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE.

Projected Opening: Imminent

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

While 2015 was the year of the food hall in Atlanta, there’s more to come, as both Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market welcome new tenants in the first quarter of 2016. In the former, we’ll see Moroccan Marrakesh Mediterranean Market, Biltong Bar serving booze and South Africa beef jerky and Boti (pictured below, from Chai Pani’s owners) serving fare inspired by Indian street food. And we’ve been assured that Guy Wong’s Ton Ton, serving ramen and sushi, is on track to open this year despite rumors to the contrary.

DOWNLOAD ARTICLE