The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For healthy breakfast, lunch, look to Ole Reliable
Quick-service cafe is located in lobby of Georgia Pacific Center.
Food is a welcome diversion for office workers who deal with the daily 9-to-5 grind. Heading to the building cafeteria is at least a pause from pushing paper or staring at a computer screen, but that doesn’t mean the fare is all that great. Overcooked eggs and burnt coffee for breakfast, the neverchanging salad bar, the boring ham and cheese sandwich with chips and a soda combination — no wonder everyone looks forward to the food truck parked out front.
Enter Ole Reliable, the new cafe in the lobby of the Georgia Pacific Center downtown. Ole Reliable is accessible not just to daytime employees in the building, but to anyone who walks through the revolving doors at 133 Peachtree St.
It’s a counter-service concept that debuted in June, from chef Kevin Gillespie and his Red Beard Restaurants group. And, although Gillespie is known for his upscale dining spots Gunshow and Revival (and newly launched bar Cold Beer on the Eastside Beltline), Ole Reliable isn’t his first attempt at a quick-service model. He’s been at it for the past two years with his Gamechanger concession stand at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Ole Reliable is a game changer for office workers seeking thoughtful, nourishing breakfast and lunch options — and a quality cup of coffee. Running late for work? You could hit a drive-through for an egg and cheese biscuit or a calorieladen doughnut. The alter
native: stop in at Ole Reliable for a filling portion of silky fresh yogurt with toasty granola, whole grain oats, coconut flakes, almonds and dried blueberries. It’s a delicious, creamy-crunchy combination, with natural sweetness rather than the heaps of sugar that so often turn cereal into dessert (which is the case with the cafe’s chewy granola bar that crumbles due to poor binding).
Among hot breakfast items, the baked local egg frittata is egg-ceptional. The satisfying, savory mix of eggs, caramelized onions, roasted poblano peppers, bacon and cheddar cheese baked in muffin tins reminded my of my mom’s hash puffies, an unfussy, handheld brunch dish she made for us as kids. The frittata comes with a small salad — crisp, peppery arugula lightly dressed in a zippy, citrusy vinaigrette. Greens for breakfast? Greens for breakfast!
The section of the menu labelled “open-faced sandwiches” — let’s call it what it is: toast — is available during breakfast (7-10 a.m.) and lunch (10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.). Here, there are savory and sweet options, all served on thick slices of hearty bread from nearby Root Baking Co. Whereas some restaurants have turned toast into a kitchen sink number, at Ole Reliable you’ll find toppings well-paired and kept to a minimum, like cream cheese made with cashew milk that’s topped with preserved tomatoes, smoked chile oil and tendrils of baby basil. Mmm. A slather of Italian mascarpone cheese and peach preserves dotted with blueberries and wisps of fresh mint is divine — and a fine complement to a cup of coffee made from beans by local roaster Docent.
For those seeking more than drip coffee, Ole Reliable is dependable for quality espresso-based drinks, and even for nondairy milk choices (oatmilk!). Questionable, however, is an iced drink called the Americano Spritz. Espresso and effervescent Topo Chico mineral water is a thing at coffee bars, but orange juice and an orange rind added such bitterness that it tasted like unquaffable nonalcoholic Fernet.
Lunch brings a brief lineup of soups and salads. Even on 90-degree summer days, a hearty Tuscan zuppa goes down well, especially when it features housemade sausage, black kale, potatoes and pecorino cheese. The cafe’s posole was on the thin side, and a bit heavy-handed with salt and cumin.
The star of the lunch menu is the smoked salmon salad niçoise. This gratifying, feelgood mélange of boiled potatoes, toothsome green beans (neither raw nor overcooked to floppy), briny kalamata olives, preserved tomatoes and cucumber is prettied with a layer of egg salad, followed by rolls of bright pink smoked salmon slices garnished with scallions. At $14, it’s the most expensive item on the carte, and worth every dollar.
Those who opt to eat these clean bites at the cafe, instead of at their desk, will find tables cleaned and cleared frequently. Kudos to the staff, especially considering how much traffic Ole Reliable sees, particularly since the main cafeteria at the Georgia Pacific Center closed this summer. An extra trash can would be a welcome addition to the single trash receptacle that overflows with coffee cups and discarded to-go boxes by 1:30 p.m.
Office workers have more options than ever for finding a quick bite (think: curbside food trucks and the growing number of grocery store cafes). The attraction of Ole Reliable is that it brings a chef mentality (a creative menu featuring high-quality, seasonal and locally grown ingredients) to the workplace dining circuit. A tight menu has enough diversity to find broad appeal. Ordering is rapid and efficient; so is the pick-up window, except during peak lunch hours. The food, despite being served in takeout containers, still is presented thoughtfully — and it doesn’t make you want to sneak in an afternoon snooze.