A new bar will take over Tapa Tapa at Midtown Promenade this fall.
Veteran Atlanta bartender Nick Chaivarlis will open Buddy Buddy in September, a low-key bar serving playfully named riffs on classic cocktails and food paying homage to his Greek heritage.
Described as a come-as-you-are kind of place, Buddy Buddy’s decor will be comfortable, dimly lit, and maybe a bit of a throwback to your grandmother’s “good living room.” You know, the museum-like room in your grandmother’s house where family heirlooms are kept and furniture harkens back to another age.
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Chaivarlis partnered with Andy Alibakhsh, the owner of neighboring Apres Diem at the Monroe Drive shopping complex. The pair have worked together for years at Tapa Tapa, which Alibakhsh also owns. Chaivarlis bartends at Apres Diem and runs the bar program for Miracle on Monroe, the annual pop-up that transforms Tapa Tapa into an over-the-top holiday bar.
For longtime followers of Atlanta’s cocktail scene, Chaivarlis is a familiar face. He’s been behind the stick at some of the best bars in Atlanta, including 8ARM, Dead End Drinks (formerly Ration and Dram), and The Lawrence. But Buddy Buddy isn’t his first foray into bar ownership. Chaivarlis co-owned Ink and Elm at Emory Village until it closed in 2015.
Chaivarlis said he isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to cocktails at Buddy Buddy, or bring back Ink and Elm. People can expect well-made classics, along with cocktails incorporating washes, infused base spirits, and house-made syrups and cordials, like cherry-lemongrass.
Chaivarlis’ favorite cocktail–the martini–comes three ways at Buddy Buddy: gin with a twist; with agave-infused gin and avocado-washed Spanish vermouth; or with sesame-washed Japanese gin and seaweed-infused bittersweet vermouth. Espresso martini lovers will find one made with Greek yogurt, metaxa punch, Greek coffee-infused vermouth, and ouzo.
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“I love classics, but I also like to get a little squirrely with them. It’s something I learned from Andy [Minchow] working at Ration and Dram, that you don’t have to get all crazy with cocktails,” Chaivarlis said. “People like well-made drinks that are approachable.”
Working under longtime Atlanta barman Eric Simpkins at The Lawrence in Midtown years ago, Chaivarlis learned to appreciate preparation techniques such as washes and infusions that still allow for the creation of unique cocktails, while cutting down on the time it takes to make a drink à la minute.
There are a few shoutouts to various Atlanta bartenders and friends sprinkled throughout the menu, either in names, favorite cocktail preparations, or post-shift drinks like a trio of kirsch, Coca-Cola, and cherry. A section of bowls of broth with a shot acknowledges the harried life of restaurant workers who often need an energizing pick-me-up during or after a shift.
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At Buddy Buddy, Chaivarlis will finally lean into his Greek heritage. It’s a way to honor his parents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Greece before he was born.
“I’m 100 percent Greek. My parents don’t speak English to me when I’m home,” Chaivarlis said, who credits food for always bringing Greeks together.
Chaivarlis considers his restaurant industry colleagues and bar patrons as members of his extended family. That’s the vibe he’s going for at Buddy Buddy, just a casual bar to grab a good cocktail and a thick slab of Greek lasagna in a chill spot where you can catch up with friends.
Led by Chef Joshua Moss (The Lawrence), the menu at Buddy Buddy will merge Greek street food with the homestyle dishes Chaivarlis grew up eating, including avgolemono (lemon chicken soup), yemista (stuffed peppers), and roast lamb spiced with garlic, aleppo, and oregano chermoula served with Greek lemon potatoes, fried couscous pearls, and a feta and beet salad.
Small plates and sides include tinned fish, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), zesty seasoned fries, and more lemony Greek potatoes.
“Greeks love lemon and olive oil”, Chaivarlis said.
As for the bar’s name, it’s a term of endearment between Chaivarlis and his friends and colleagues. It started behind the bar at The Lawrence, which has since closed, as friendly banter between bartenders.
“When you’re super close to somebody, you’re buddy-buddy with them,” Chaivarlis explained, adding that the Midtown bar is meant to bring people together.
Buddy Buddy, 931 Monroe Dr., Midtown. Opening by the end of September.