As many recall in the dark days of the pandemic, a lot of beloved favorite
restaurants shuttered; some because they couldn't survive with the reduction of
diners willing to dine out before the vaccines and some because of untenable landlord
situations. Foundation Social Eatery was
in the latter, having been searching for a new location from their Holcomb
Bridge home before the lockdown occurred and then being bumped by their landlord. But before he dropped the mic, chef Mel
Toledo posted on social media "Remember
that this is not goodbye, it's 'we'll see you soon!'"
Fast forward to a couple
of months ago and Chef Toledo and operating partner Nick Hassiotis has risen
like the Phoenix and landed in downtown Alpharetta. The new
space is large with tons of natural light, hipster design and room for 160 plus two patios perfect for capturing downtown Alpharetta foot traffic.
A handful of dishes
from the former location have found their way onto the Alpharetta menu
including the crispy Spanish octopus, pate, PEI mussels, their burger, and
chicken Bolognese. Toledo has bougied
things with a caviar service, crudos, escargot, and entrees such as leek-dusted
flounder with caviar beurre blanc and a confit lamb neck for two.
Also expect an excellent Parisian-style to-go market and daytime cafe called Petite FSE, located at the
front of the restaurant serving coffee, fresh breads, grab-and-go charcuterie
boards and pastas, and a light menu of cafe fare throughout the day.
So welcome back, Foundation Social Eatery, to the dining scene, it's good to see some casualties from the pandemic era come back to life. This is yet just another excellent addition to the downtown Alpharetta dining scene which continues to mushroom out across its grid with one quality independent after another.
