Courtesy of Little Sparrow
When Ford Fry announced he was closing Westside darling JCT Kitchen in late 2021, there was nothing but shock and horror. Why shutter a restaurant that consistently hit capacity? Perhaps more important, what would Atlantans do without its perfectly fried chicken and Sunday suppers? It’s been nearly two years and Fry—founder of Rocket Farms Restaurants, including No. 246, St. Cecilia, Superica, and Marcel—has stuck to his convictions.
“I love opening new restaurants,” he says.
Little Sparrow will officially open in the former JCT space on October 2. Inspired by Parisian bistros and old Brooklyn neighborhood taverns, it will be an American brasserie serving simple fare using premium ingredients and classic techniques. Named for Edith Piaf—whose nickname was Little Sparrow—the restaurant is seen as a sister to neighboring Marcel. Piaf, a 1930s singer/songwriter, was a a lover of boxer Marcel Cerdan, for whom the steakhouse is named.
“Originally, in this area had only Bacchanalia and Taqueria del Sol—high-end and casual. Ford created JCT in between because that’s what the area needed,” explains Little Sparrow executive chef Bob Ryan. “Over the years, the Westside has tremendously changed with a lot of restaurants on the same price point as JCT. Marcel is high-end and doing tremendously. We wanted to capture the same crowd and the same experience but with a faster pace, so you don’t have to spend three hours at dinner.”
Ryan, who brings experience from the French Laundry, Per Se, Restaurant Eugene, and most recently, St. Cecilia, worked closely with Fry and Rocket Farms vice president of creative Drew Belline to create a menu of indulgent, recognizable flavors—including a whole section of frites. Triple cooked, each order comes with garlic aioli or a brown butter bearnaise. Bubbling raclette is also an option (for an upcharge). For those who crave something modest, a 9-ounce burger is the closest…
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