Key points:
- Jarrett and Hallie Stieber of Little Bear will open Bar Schmutzi, a European-style wine bar in East Atlanta Village.
- Bar Schmutzi’s wine program will highlight small-production, minimal-intervention wine brands.
- In addition to wine, expect wine-based spirits, wine cocktails, and a tight food menu.
Jarrett and Hallie Stieber of Little Bear will open Bar Schmutzi, an intimate wine bar taking over part of the former East Atlanta Animal Clinic space on Flat Shoals Avenue in East Atlanta Village. Real estate firm Canvas Companies is dividing the building into two distinct spaces.
Like Little Bear, Bar Schmutzi has a canine namesake: Diego, the Great Pyrenees puppy the Stiebers adopted last summer. Jarrett Stieber said the name references the dark spots on Diego’s snout that make him look like he stuck his nose in a chimney.
“We’ve been calling Diego ‘Schmutzi’ since he was a young puppy, so the name came pretty naturally. Even if you don’t know about Diego, or his nickname, it just sounds like a place you’d want to go have fun,” he said of Bar Schmutzi.
Stieber said they’ve been playing with the idea of opening a wine bar for about three years. In February, the couple paid off the initial investment for Little Bear, thanks to opening daily for dinner and stable staff retention at the restaurant. Pulling the trigger on Bar Schmutzi came down to good timing and the right location and landlord.
“Everything is lining up well and it feels like the moment to go for it,” Stieber told Rough Draft. “The inspiration [for Bar Schmutzi] came from wine bars in Europe, and a few other bigger North American food cities, like New York and Montreal.”
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Food and wine
Bar Schmutzi will prioritize wine, fortified wines, and wine-based cocktails like a Kir Royale and Negroni Sbagliato. Look for eau du vies, brandies, apertifs, and amari, along with wines from small-production, minimal-intervention wine brands and two private-label house wines from Limoge Cellars in Cleveland, GA and Division Wine Co. out of Portland, OR.
While the food menu won’t reach the same scale as at Little Bear, Stieber’s mission to source locally and serve dishes made from seasonal and local ingredients remains part of the ethos at Bar Schmutzi. He plans to served house-made bread, pickles, preserves, and charcuterie and at least one larger “plat du jour” and rotating dessert.
The design
The design, overseen by Square Feet Studio, will take cues from Parisian bistros and wine bars. Decor will include some of Stieber’s analogy photography and photos of Diego.
Seating will feature a mix of communal, two-top, and high-top tables, as well as counter seating on the dog-friendly patio. Bar Schmutzi will also offer complimentary water, dog treats, and possibly even dog-friendly juices for its canine customers.
“[We want] to make a wine bar that’s not off-putting or overwhelming to people who aren’t already wine educated,” Stieber said of Bar Schmutzi.
461 Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta Village.
