Paper Plane, Decatur

A few weeks ago a women on the plane started to chat with me about different places in the city we both enjoyed eating at. We each had our clear favorites and talked about restaurants we both knew but then she started to talk about a place that had opened up recently in Decatur, which I had never heard of. She talked a good ten minutes about the cocktails before even thinking to mention the name, Paper Plane. It’s on Church St. but it’s only entrances are either through an alley way or in through a back door in Victory Sandwich Bar. There is both indoor and outdoor seating but the place is still pretty small. They specialize in craft cocktails and small plates. My friend and I went there later on Friday night and were able to snag two seats at the bar. They had about a list about ten cocktails and of course if you didn’t see anything that caught your eye all the bartenders were happy to make something that did. I started off with a Screen Door, made with St. George Terroir Gin & Aperol along with hints of lemon, peach, fennel, & honey. It was light but the pairing of bitters and herbs matched up well to the fruit. Second I had a Chloe in the Afternoon, made with Half Moon Gin, imbue petal & thorn, lime, & amaro cio ciaro. When sitting at the bar you get to talk to the bartender and see them make your drink right in front of you and I always find it amazing that they know how to use the 101 ingredients sitting idle around them. For dinner I had the Pork Chop with cornbread & turnip greens which were dressed with a burgundy vinaigrette. The pork was perfectly cooked and was already trimmed of the fat. The cornbread was not an overwhelming piece but rather a nice small addition to the plate and the turnip greens brought a fresh natural acidity to the meal. The meal had all flavors & tastes accounted for; savory, sweet, & acidic. Although this restaurant is new I can only assume that it will only get more popular with time. There motto is “vintage service, modern fare” and I can assure anyone who goes will see this on display.