Asked if there’s anything on the menu at his new restaurant Small Fry that isn’t fried, and Omar Ferrer paused for a second.
“We have a wedge salad, but that’s about it,” he said. “This isn’t really the place for people who want to eat healthy. This is what I call ‘fat kid food.’”
Ferrer and co-owner Anthony Spina Jr., along with partner Duane Kulers, conceived of the restaurant after securing a space at the Reynoldstown development Atlanta Dairies on Memorial Drive. They decided the area was too large for one concept, so they split it in two, with Small Fry filling one half and Spina Pizza, the Neapolitan-style pizzeria they plan to open in the next few weeks, taking over the other half.
Small Fry “is just comforting, fast-casual food,” Ferrer said. “It’s something that’s missing on this strip of Memorial Drive.”
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
The menu is comprised of “anything you can fry, with an Italian twang,” Ferrer said, a tribute to Spina’s background.
Offerings include a fish sandwich that Ferrer called “an elevated take on McDonald’s” with a patty made with cod, scallop and shrimp, topped with yuzu tartar sauce and chili crunch oil, and served on a brioche bun made by local bakery Leftie Lee’s.
Other dishes include frito misto with calamari, shrimp and scallops; chicken tenders and fried chicken sandwiches; a falafel burger with pickled slaw and tzatziki; and a panko tempura shrimp basket with beef tallow fries. Spina will run the kitchen, with assistance from Adderly Quin, formerly of St. Cecilia in Buckhead. Caleb Grubb, who previously worked at Fishmonger and 8Arm, will oversee front-of-house operations.
A late-night weekend menu will feature smash burgers and rippers, hot dogs deep-fried in oil that are popular in the northeast.
On the beverage side, Small Fry will offer spiked slushies, canned cocktails and a handful of options on tap. For craft cocktails, guests can walk a few steps to El Malo, the swanky cocktail bar that Ferrer owns inside the open-container Atlanta Dairies.
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee
In addition to Small Fry, Spina Pizza and El Malo, Ferrer co-owns Pollo Primo with Kulers (the pair is also hoping to find a new intown location soon for Supremo Taco, their popular taco stand that was open down the street from Atlanta Dairies before closing in 2022).
Small Fry’s counter service concept is designed to be grab-and-go, though about 14 seats are available at the bar, with about six seats at a table along the side of the restaurant and more on a spacious patio. A door will connect Small Fry to Spina Pizza once it opens.
The 1,400-square-foot space has an open kitchen and a black and neon yellow, blue and pink color palette that Ferrer likens to a diner out of the ‘80s sci-fi movie “Blade Runner.”
“We just want it to be comforting fast-casual food that everyone loves,” Ferrer said. “We wanted to flesh it out and make it something fun without stepping on the toes of any neighboring operations.”
Small Fry’s opening hours are 4-10 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays-Thursdays and 4 p.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays. Lunch service will begin in January.
777 Memorial Drive, Atlanta. instagram.com/smallfryatl
Scroll down to see the menu for Small Fry:
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
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