Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Built in 1927 as Wynne’s Apartment Hotel, Otto’s Apartment Hotel comes with a rich history. From housing young women entering the workforce to serving as a hostel known as the Highland Inn, the Poncey-Highland building is constantly evolving. In the past couple of years, the space saw new life as businesses like Colette Bread & Bakeshop, Big Softie, and the Zero Co. moved into the street-front retail space. Now, the 2,000 square feet once home to Carpe Diem (the predecessor of Apres Diem) will welcome a wine bar called Madeira Park. It’s a project that Miller Union co-owners chef Steven Satterfield and general manager Neal McCarthy have been working on since 2018.
Post-pandemic, they teamed up with Dive Wine pop-up founder Tim Willard to bring the bar to life. After hosting a sold-out event tonight, Madeira Park will soft open to the public tomorrow with limited hours (opening at 5 p.m.), expanding to regular hours on Tuesday.
“It’s a wine bar with great food—something that’s missing in Atlanta,” Willard says. “We have great restaurants with amazing wine programs but no place with a worldly list where you can stop in for a bite and a glass of wine or come with friends for a full meal.”
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
The wine list will feature a mix of Old and New World wines with natural, classic, and non-alcoholic options. There will be about 100 to 120 bottle offerings with 25 by-the-glass picks chosen by Willard, McCarthy, and sommelier Jade Palmer. “We’ll have a lot of options by the glass that you generally wouldn’t see,” Willard says.
Palmer says she’s particularly excited to offer a 2010 Daniel-Étienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Clos de Lechet by the glass ($18 for 2.5 ounces). “It’s an incredible, higher-end Chablis with complexity and 15 years of age at an accessible price,” says Palmer, who used to be a wine buyer for Hop City at Krog Street Market.
“We’ve gone all over the world looking for the best possible wines,” McCarthy adds.
Wine-based cocktails (think madeira, port, vermouth, and sherry) and spritzes will be on the menu as well, led by bar manager Philip Weltner (formerly of Biltong Bar). Madeira Park will also stock one type of each base liquor for simple requests such as vodka-soda or bourbon on the rocks.
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Look for a small retail area with wine, high-end glassware, wooden charcuterie boards, and accoutrements. Acquiring a retail license will allow Madeira Park to host winemakers, producers, and importers for special dinners and enable them to sell their wines onsite afterward. In addition, it leaves open the possibility of a wine club once the bar is running smoothly.
At the beginning, Satterfield will be in the kitchen with chef de cuisine Ollie Honderd (formerly of Loire Bar), preparing finger foods like oysters, fries, and crispy chickpea fritters starting at 3 p.m. Expect local Capella cheeses, charcuterie, ham-and-cheese beignets, tempura shrimp, a crudite board, and a butter, anchovy, and radish tartine. At 5 p.m., small plates like salads, pastas, and vegetables, and larger-format dishes (including a half chicken, whole fish, and bistro steak), will be available. Desserts, such as poached pear with butterscotch, pecans, and blue cheese, will be made in house, too. On weekends, Madeira Park will open at noon, offering some additional lunch-specific menu items.
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
As Satterfield focuses on launching Madeira Park, Miller Union Chef de Cuisine Jay Felton will stand in at the lauded flagship restaurant. “He has been preparing for this for a long time,” Satterfield says. “The restaurant is in great hands.” McCarthy will split his time between the two businesses, while Willard will focus on Madeira Park.
The new place will feature a variety of seating options, including at the bar, high-tops, communal tables, and on the patio. Reservations will be accepted, but the restaurant will hold a good portion of the space for walk-ins. “We look at the full space, both inside and outside, as available for just a snack and a drink or a full deep dive into the menu,” Satterfield says. “You don’t have to sit, either. You can gather at the bar or outside—wherever.”
Like Miller Union—which was named after the stockyards previously located there—Madeira Park refers to the former name of a nearby neighborhood (now home to the Carter Center). “Plus, Madeira is a wine. We thought that was a charming tie-in,” Satterfield says. “We think this is going to be a really fun experience that we’re excited to debut to Atlanta.”
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