Retro Chic
Tiny Lou’s, the French-American brasserie inside the freshly renovated Hotel Clermont, celebrates the building’s history while making waves in Atlanta’s buzzy culinary scene
Dating back to the early 1920s, Atlanta’s infamous Clermont Hotel reinvented itself earlier this year, emerging as the renovated Hotel Clermont after closing in 2009. Owned by Oliver Hospitality and managed by Charlestowne Hotels, the new hotel pays homage to its origins around every corner, and its in-house restaurant, Tiny Lou’s, is no exception. Led by executive chef Jeb Aldrich and Hotel Clermont director of restaurants Nick Hassiotis, the French-American concept is managed by Charleston’s Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which also owns Atlanta’s O-Ku and Donetto.
Named after a dancer at the original Clermont Motor Hotel, the 100-seat restaurant is as playful as it is chic, showcasing pink velvet banquettes, splashy wallpaper and a retro neon sign denoting its name. The menu takes the same approach, comprised of elegant, French-inspired dishes which also showcase a good dose of fun. Aldrich focuses on local ingredients and incorporates Southern accents into his dishes, which span from hors d’oeuvres and vegetables to meat and seafood—think Blue Ridge trout almondine, steak frites and gnocchi Parisienne. And don’t skip dessert, which, crafted by pastry chef Claudia Martinez, is as inventive and colorful as the Hotel Clermont itself.