By John Fleming. Photos by Christina Hodgen.
Along Findley Plaza, down Euclid Avenue from the Corner Tavern west to Colquitt Avenue, is a parade of shops offering everything from used clothing to dispensary products.
Mid-block, however, has been quieter than usual for the last couple of years. That’s 1156 Euclid, home of The Porter, the restaurant many in this neighborhood and in the city consider iconic.
An icon that has been sorely missed since it closed up in 2022. Those many, many beers on offer and that very interesting menu — well, it’s safe to say there are a lot of people in this town who yearn for its return.
Is it true, then? Will we soon be flipping through that phone book-thick beer list, browsing that delightful dinner menu, saddling up for … brunch?
Co-owner Manny Maloof takes a moment before answering that question, the one about opening day. He’s predicted it before, only to have to backtrack. So he was careful about making promises to a group of visitors on a recent weekday.
After being peppered with questions, and triangulating his responses, it sounded like the big moment may be in the next few weeks, call it Springtime.
If you ask him why has it taken so long, with a “what the heck” for emphasis (after all, it was last spring when July 4, 2023, was heralded in a public meeting as opening day) You get an exceedingly diplomatic response from Maloof.
Please do not, in his presence, try to blame the City and its permitting process, its bureaucracy for any delay. Blaming others is not how he rolls.
“The pandemic is still playing a part in delaying a lot of businesses in Atlanta,” he said. “The City still isn’t up to speed.”
In an email he elaborated that, “There were some problems that had to be addressed that we didn’t expect. That combined with changes with the way the city processes permits and a lost C.O. [certificate of occupancy],” that took a month and a half to find. “Repairs and remodels always have delays. We had more than our share, unfortunately. Permitting took way longer than it has in the past. It was a combination of issues.”
He does acknowledge that the restaurant has been ready to open for 10 months but adds, “Whenever you do permitting, you just have to get through it. “
This is not Maloof’s first venture into the restaurant business. The Atlanta native also owns the Yacht Club, in the same block as The Porter, and he comes from a long line of restaurateurs.
“My family opened and still owns and runs Manuel’s. I personally am not involved in Manuel’s. I own Manny’s [in Grant park] and the Yacht Club solely. The Porter will be my third restaurant as an owner.”
With him was E.J. Hodgkinson, Maloof’s business partner and the Porter’s chef. He’s just as steeped in the restaurant business, having worked at Muchacho and Ladybird on the Beltline, and earlier at JCT on the Westside. A native of California, he’s been in Atlanta since 2008.
“EJ will be my first partner in a business,” said Maloof. “His reputation and talent as a chef made me want to work with him.”
And just about all questions concerning the menu, he defers to Hodgkinson.
There will be a lot of familiar items, Hodgkinson said and that includes, “Salt and vinegar popcorn, I’m not going to touch that, the fish and chips, that’s not going anywhere.” That Bloody Mary recipe is staying the same.
That’s what a lot of people want to know, he said. Everyone, everyone wants to know what’s on the menu and if the favorites are sticking around. “At the NPU meeting, I got peppered with menu questions,” he said.
But get ready for some changes. Hodgkinson refers to the seasonal menu he’s developing, pointing out that a January menu is going to look a lot different than an April menu.
“We will call it, ‘updated pub fare.’”
And that includes dishes like, “crispy fried hen of the woods mushrooms, native to Georgia, and wet-aged steak.”
And wait for it: the beer menu is going to be more comprehensive, he says.
The look and the feel of the place will be much the same, say the two. The art is the same compelling work as before. The seating arrangements fall along the layout as before, yet somehow the interior feels roomier. Sidewalk tables are in the plans as is a return to Sunday brunch. Most of the former bar team is also planning on coming back to the Porter, the two owners say.
“When Manny first approached me I thought it was a great idea, “said Hodgkinson. “But I thought it would be stupid to change anything about the Porter. Manny felt the same way I did.”
The Porter has a lot going for it and the two owners feel confident it will be a success. But they also both agree that the surrounding community is the biggest asset of all.
Standing outside the restaurant, a few passersby took the opportunity to ask for updates, including Atlanta resident Kip Thomas, who was passing out copies of Record & Plug Magazine. Maloof kindly told him it wasn’t open yet, but asked him to deposit some of the copies at the Yacht Club.
It was a reminder of how the restaurant is so intertwined with the community.
“I have learned from a lot of people around here, regulars and others, that The Porter is a place people rely on for community,” said Hodgkinson. “It’s that important.”
In an email, Maloof added, “We believe that the Porter has been a huge part of Little Five, Candler Park and the Inman Park area. It has and will continue to be an anchor for friends and family to unite over great food and drinks. We wish to continue the history and bring our neighbors together.”
With a little luck and bureaucratic speediness, who knows, we might be having brunch at the Porter one of these days soon.
A lot, in other words, will stay the same. In fact, that’s why this partnership seems to be working. Both men seem to agree that the magic of the Porter is in keeping the Porter the way it is.