Bona Fide Deluxe, an all-day sandwich shop and cocktail bar, is now open in the newly-renovated, art-deco-style building, at 1454 La France St NE, the restaurant announced this week, welcoming guests for the first time on Valentine’s Day.
The concept was developed by Partners Peter Chvala, Nolan Wynn, Katie McDonald, Faielle Bolzan Stocco, and Chef de Cuisine Chance Cooper — the same team that opened the doors to Banshee in East Atlanta Village in 2018.
“Executive Chef and Owner Nolan Wynn is known in an underground way for his heavy-weight, made-from-scratch sandwiches,” according to a press release — a few sandwiches were created for the pick-up menu at Banshee during the pandemic that turned out to be repeated orders for Banshee regulars.
“The idea here is to add to Atlanta’s sandwich culture — help to encourage and grow it,” Wynn said in the release. “In the past few years, we have explored cities such as New York and San Francisco and noticed how the die-hard locals in those cities are all about the sandwiches their city is well-known for. Now there are chefs in Atlanta, such as Todd Ginsberg, who have been making awesome sandwiches for years that reflect their heritage or culture, and I want to build on that in the areas our city hasn’t yet. So, our team will make rather large, deli-style sandwiches (some hot and some cold). Our meats and condiments will be made from scratch in-house at Bona Fide. The goal is to create our own sandwich identity coupled with super fun cocktails and local craft beer. We want Bona Fide to be a go-to neighborhood hangout for the communities surrounding our new shop.”
The opening menu features eight curated sandwiches, including the New York Italian-inspired Cold Cut with pepperoni, finocchiona, mortadella, pepperonata, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and a pepperoni mayonnaise created by Wynn. There’s a vegan offering, the Bahn Mi sandwich, with sweet and sour shiitakes, carrot, cucumber, jalapeno, and cilantro. In particular, Wynn will house-smoke a top round roast beef to medium rare then shave it paper thin to make the Roast Beef that includes pickles, steak sauce, fried onions, horseradish crème fraiche.
Salad offerings include a spin on a classic Greek salad, a Smoked Turkey with cashews, grapes, Wynn’s croutons, and pink peppercorn ranch dressing, and the kitchen’s take on a Chicken Caesar Salad. Bread Bombs — hot bread oozing with garlic butter, cheddar, bacon, and scallions — round out the menu.
The beverage program was created by Katie McDonald who has kept it “laid back, uncomplicated, and of course fun.” McDonald’s craft cocktail menu features both familiar staples and eclectic cocktails such as The Banshee with gin, Nardini Bitter Apretivo, Cocchi di Torino, and lemon and the Rapid Transit with mezcal, Edinburg Rhubarb Ginger, Aperol, and lime. Also on the menu, spiritless beverages, six rotating taps featuring local brews available in pints and select brands in pitchers as well as a rotating selection of cans. The wine list was curated by Faielle Bolzan Stocco. Non-alcoholic options include sodas and fresh-brewed tea, paired with crushed ice.
“This is an easy environment, it’s not overly grown-up, and the design intentionally lends guests a space where they can feel comfortable having some fun,” shared Bona Fide Deluxe Interior Designer Elizabeth Ingram. Ingram has designed venues like Banshee, Ruby Chow’s, Marcel, and Joyface, and the newly-opened HiLot in New York City.
The custom-designed, 60-seat room is flanked by an expansive outdoor grassy space complete with picnic tables and ample room for outdoor games, and soon, live music.
