For much of my high school days, before I fell in love with travel, I spent all my money on concerts and shows. My friends and I would pile into the Honda Accord that I still drive and carpool downtown to see our favorite bands play at The Masquerade, a historic mill and music venue.
We’d park in a sketchy gated lot next door and see a massive abandoned structure ahead of us. Flash forward ten years and the neighborhood has changed completely. I didn’t even know that Old Fourth Ward was the name of the area. That parking lot is now a public park and much of the surrounding space is apartments.
A walking path known as The Beltline now exists to connect this area to Piedmont Park. And that abandoned building is now the city’s most successful revitalization project: Ponce City Market.
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Named for Ponce de Leon Avenue, which is where the building is located, the former Sears building, built in 1926, sat vacant for decades, except for a few floors used by city hall. My mom’s mother worked in the building in her twenties while my dad’s mother lived in her first post-college apartment in the shadow of the structure.
When I heard that a company had purchased the building a few years ago, I was doubtful that it would ever become what they said it would. After all, I’d seen plenty of similar developments stall and take years longer than expected.
In 2013, I took an early tour of the building to see its progress. I saw the mock-ups and models in the sales center and it looked ambitious, especially as it was set to open a little over a year later (which it didn’t). We donned hard hats and were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the building in its current state, which was little more than empty space.
But word soon spread about how this mixed-use development would be the next “it” place in Atlanta and the reasonably priced lofts filled, as did the office and retail spaces. Companies like Mailchimp moved in, as did the Industrious coworking space. Anthropologie, Williams-Sonoma and West Elm opened up flagship locations. All that was left now was the food hall.
This time last year, I went to the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival with a friend. We were also invited to a preview event at Ponce City Market’s much-talked about food hall. But the hall itself wasn’t open yet, so instead each vendor created a dish to give guests a taste of what to expect.
I couldn’t wait until I was actually able to eat at the food hall. Now, it’s one of my favorite places to dine out and bring out-of-towners. The familiar glow of the “Ponce City Market” lights let me know I’m close to restaurants from the country’s best chefs. I haven’t yet tried them all, but here are a few favorites. To see all the purveyors at the Food Hall, see their website.
H&F Burger
You used to only be able to get Atlanta’s most exclusive burger after 10 pm at the beloved Holeman & Finch restaurant or at Sunday brunch.
There were only so many made per day and it wasn’t on the menu. Then they opened an H&F Burger outpost at Turner Field so that baseball fans could have it anytime on game days.
They also created a bakery just to sell their bread and buns. But this food hall outpost is the first beyond those two places for you to get a burger, open every day.
You may still have to wait for a burger, as this is a popular spot, but you no longer worry about them running out.
They will also accept modifications, which was a big no-no on the secret menu. Other menu items include hot dogs, salads, and their hand-cut fries.
Biltong Bar
After dining at 10 Degrees South recently, I wanted to try out Biltong Bar, from the same company of South African-inspired eateries.
If you, like I, have no idea what biltong is, it’s a jerky-like creation native to the country. At this restaurant, you’ll find meat hanging in the window.
My friend Jeannine and I recently split some small bites, including their biltong salad, popcorn and hand pies. All were a hit!
Minero
When I found out that Sean Brock, a Charleston chef known for McCrady’s and Husk, said he would be opening a Mexican outpost at the market, I added it to my to-do list.
My friend Marina and I tried Minero out in November, indulging in tasty chips and salsa, served in an oven mitt, with tacos for me and chilaquiles for her. The last time I tried to return, there was an hour wait at 9 pm. That should tell you just how tasty it is.
Dancing Goats Coffee Bar
While not technically in the food hall, every development needs a coffee shop. Dancing Goats has outdoor and indoor seating and serves up locally roasted Batdorf and Bronson coffee. It’s a great spot to sit and work in their funky chairs or wait for a friend to meet you for a meal.
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