The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FIRST LOOK
Modern chophouse showcases steaks Bottles & Bones wanted a sophisticated restaurant that’s approachable.
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Described as a “modern American chophouse,” Bottles & Bones recently opened in the new Solis Suwanee Town Center development in downtown Suwanee.
The concept from husbandand-wife team Rob and Jennifer Taranto, who live close by, is said to be “the kind of restaurant that they want to dine in” and “one that they felt their neighborhood needed.”
To help them realize that dream, they brought in Ryan Smith, formerly of Atlanta’s Watershed on Peachtree and Food 101 concepts, as executive chef. The general manager is Emile Blau, an Atlanta steakhouse veteran who worked at both Chops and Bones in Buckhead.
Jennifer Taranto consulted with Z-Space Design on the design and decor for the 165seat space, which includes an open kitchen, a 36-seat formal private dining room, and Americana-style paintings from Atlanta artist Steve Penley. The 40-seat “Lounge at Bottles & Bones” features a 16-seat bar, a baby grand piano, and live entertainment.
The state-of-the-art kitchen is equipped with Josper grills and ovens, which are made in Barcelona, Spain, and burn wood charcoal, touted for sealing in juices and adding subtle smoke flavor to meat and seafood.
As expected, Smith’s menu showcases steaks, ranging from an 8-ounce filet to a hefty 22-ounce prime dryaged rib-eye. But it also offers plenty of hot and cold appetizers, house-made charcuterie, soups, salads, “decadent” sides, and desserts.
Entrees listed under “specialties” include a lemon herb roasted half chicken, pan-seared yellow fin tuna, and stuffed flounder. There’s a more modestly priced bacon cheeseburger, and grilled salmon and prime rib sandwiches with fries. And on Sundays and Mondays, the feature special is prime rib served with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach.
In keeping with the chophouse-style menu, the wine list tilts toward reds by the bottle. But the overall beverage menu has a little bit of something for everyone, with Champagne, sparkling and white wines, wines by the glass, and beer for Budweiser, SweetWater or Duvel drinkers. The cocktail list presents house takes on classics, like the Big Splash French 75, with Boodles Gin, simple syrup, orange blossom water, mint, and lemon prosecco.
Last week, Rob Taranto and Blau sat down at Bottles & Bones to talk about opening an upscale chophouse in Suwanee.
“The whole idea was to bring a more upscale, sophisticated restaurant to the area,” Taranto said. “But we know where we are. We knew we needed to be approachable, so we built that into our feel, our uniforms, and our menu selections. This is a bar where if you want to come and have a fantastic burger and a bottle of beer, no problem.
“But we serve the full menu anywhere in this whole place, including the banquette. The first week we opened, there were people over there ordering bone-in rib-eyes and splitting them. With the live entertainment and the sexy bar, we’ll be doing ladies’ happy hours on Wednesdays from 5-8 p.m. with food and wine and craft cocktail specials.”
Talking about the team he put together in addition to Smith, Taranto said he was looking for people with both front of the house and beverage experience.
“We have Emile Blau here, who was at the helm at Bones for about 23 years, and he worked for Chops, as well, so he’s a guy that’s been around, and he brings a plethora of knowledge to us,” Taranto said. “And then we have Audrey Schwader, who is local, and has experience at Seasons 52 and Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, and she’s basically running our bar program here. She put together the wine list and all the craft cocktails.”
For his part, Blau said he was enjoying the challenge of opening a new concept.
“It’s refreshing to work for Rob and his wife, Jennifer, because they are very respectful, and they know what they want, but they’re very inclusive,” he said. “They listen to my opinions, and it’s nice to be able to agree to disagree. But most of the time, we agree to agree about what we want to accomplish here.
“I think this restaurant is going to evolve into a club without dues, which is what we built Bones on. We want it to be approachable, but we want to know who are guests are. We want to know where they like to sit, what they like to eat, their children’s names, and their birthdays and anniversaries. So the fun part has been selecting the staff, and driving the culture of this restaurant, which is sophisticated and stylish.”