Heirloom Café & Fresh Market is in bloom.
On June 17, 2011, Heirloom made its debut on Chase Street and it possesses a quiet that several other cafes lack, particularly during the school year.
Jessica Rothacker, co-owner of Heirloom Café, developed a philosophy of restauranteering that focuses on local, sustainable foods. Beyond the table, the café maintains clear, varied flavors that include both savory meats and sweet desserts. ALLISON LOVE/Staff
“We have a lot of customers from around this area,” said John Swint, bartender. “We don’t see a lot of college students.”
And despite the eatery’s constant schedule — breakfast, lunch and dinner served almost every day of the week — it remains serenely populated.
“Brunch is probably the busiest [time] of the week,” said Jessica Rothacker, who co-owns and founded the restaurant. “‘Love on a Biscuit’ is my favorite thing on the brunch menu. It’s a great thing to be creative with every week. It’s always a biscuit, two eggs and something else on it that changes from week to week.”
On Monday, granola with Greek yogurt by Atlanta Fresh Artisan Creamery, a morning cup provided by 1000 Faces Coffee and a side of bacon provides a gentle start to another week.
And subtle tastes mix for powerful results: cinnamon and ginger intermingle with crunchy, brown sugar-sweetened oats and golden raisins. Seasonal strawberries toppings and understated vanilla-flavored yogurt provide cool, fresh notes. Thick bacon — thoroughly cooked without the burning or charring — combine for crispy, chewy, salty textures and flavor.
Even a Friday afternoon lunch offers an escape from end-of-year humdrum of the University life.
Pickled okra sides the Polk Burger: a concoction made of lentils and walnuts, balancing a meat-like moistness and crunchy texture on a soft and hearty Kaiser roll. Coupled with cheese, the lettuce hides in the thick sandwich.
I substituted a beet, carrot and mint salad in place of the chips included with all sandwiches on the lunch menu. The beets out-competed the carrots and the mint in the deceptively small bowl — once I had enough of beets, I discovered that there were more.
And the fresh tastes reflect the cafè’s mission: local, organic foods and a sense of family.
“We want to support local businesses and farms as much as we can and to put money back into the community,” Rothacker said.
Family and food combined with communal gathering around for picnics, dinners and celebrations, serve as another facet of Rothacker’s inspiration.
“My mom made all of the table cloths and drapes … We always had dinner together,” she said. “It wasn’t the fanciest food, but it focused on the gathering and memories.”
Those memories set the eatery’s aesthetic, including the old-fashioned, blue pickup truck in its parking lot.
“The truck is a 1952 Ford from my grandfather,” Rothacker said. “I always wanted it. People would ask me what my dream car was and I answered, ‘My grandfather’s pickup truck.’ [My parents] restored it and gave it to me to drive.”
Like the truck, Rothacker’s path toward Heirloom also seemed destined. After Rothacker pursued a degree in English at the University, she attended culinary school in Atlanta.
“The reason why I love cooking is the happiness that comes from the food,” Rothacker said. “It’s the people’s reaction to the enjoyment of the food.”
Then, while attending culinary school, she worked at Muss & Turner’s in Atlanta, which largely influenced her concept for her own restaurant. From there, a focus on local, organic and sustainable foods developed by working with Dave Sturgis, an employee at Farm 255.
“[The owners of Muss & Turners] focus on getting the best, freshest ingredients possible,” Rothacker said. “They started out as a deli and market. I thought it was a neat idea. I liked the idea that you could grab something and take it home.”
Heirloom’s quaint appeal is not the only pull. Customers and staff come not only because of proximity and tranquility, but also to support the restaurant’s appeal to current trends and activism.
Keara Connor, a waitress at Heirloom since its foundation, was drawn to the café after moving from Greensboro, N.C.
“I started working here after a couple of weeks,” Connor said. “I completely connected with the mission. I thought it would be a good fit for me and I had taken classes in sustainability and food issues. The people who come in care about the same issues.”
And for these people, food travels — home cooking comes home; the restaurant enters the dining room. In addition to breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner, the eatery provides an adjoining, small market, with baked goods, beverages and handmade napkins. Rothacker hopes that future additions to the market will include summer produce, breads and books.
The top case exhibits a variety of desserts such as lemon bars, cakes and cookies. Other desserts offered: panna cotta, ice cream sandwiches and cake.
The honey panna cotta with lavender shortbread is a delicious delight. Creamy, its sweet notes intensify when eaten with the strawberry jam topping. Similar to the mint in the salad, the lavender hides in the warm shortbread wafers.
For those who wish to drink rather than eat a dessert, other options are available: hot chocolate made with Nutella or a salted, caramel variation.
This June, the restaurant will begin dinners that feature a specific farm.
“All the produce will be from a specific farm and the farmer comes and talks about his or her farm and the vegetables or meats that he or she brings,” Rothacker said. “We try to have a lot of events that connect people to their food.”
Although several locals and regulars visit the eatery, its not without struggles.
A small sign, “Viva La Puerta!” — “Long live the door!” — acknowledges the large, sliding glass door between the café’s interior and front patio that could be opened in favorable weather, but at the risk of the café losing its license to serve alcohol. A keep-the-door-closed-to-keep-
But despite disagreement with some neighbors, the café has been well-received.
“No lie, in the service industry, it is rare that you get to work with people that you like, but I like what we’re doing with organic and local fare and everyone that I work with,” Swint said. “It’s a great thing that we’re doing and with great people.”