21 M Street, a new restaurant and lounge co-owned by Antwan Golden and Ralph Harris, is determined to bring healthy fare to South Atlanta. According to permits filed, its forthcoming location at 2149 Metropolitan Pkwy SW is a freestanding building currently undergoing minor alterations to the existing restaurant space, including cleaning flooring and adding closing hardware, but the beating heart of the eatery is service to the community.
The neighborhood itself was the inspiration behind 21 M Street. “We felt like the area needed some decent food,” Golden explained. “Everyone is tired of McDonald’s and Wendy’s, we wanted to bring healthier choices of food to the area without having to drive.”
“It’s a food desert,” Harris agreed. The nearest healthy restaurants are outside of a eight mile radius and there aren’t many grocery stores, much less fine dining options, that don’t require a drive. “We wanted to offer healthy choices in the community.”
While Golden used “healthy choices” and “American” cuisine to describe the proposed offerings, the specifics of the menu is still in progress. “We have a chef, Chef Carter. We’re actually working on the menu today and tomorrow,” Golden said, and listed a few proposed offerings like brunch, lamb chops, and chicken. Later he added, “We’re kind of limited as far as a kitchen size so we have to keep it simple.”
Simple, but nourishing staples. Harris used descriptions like “light, fulfilling, refreshing” for their culinary vision. “Salads, yogurt, fruits and vegetables — especially in the summertime. The focus is meeting the nutritional needs of the people in the community.”
For Harris, nutritional needs also includes factoring in portion-size. “We want to give good portions, proportional portions,” thereby taking a proactive approach in considering those who may have concerns about obesity, diabetes, and other health issues.
Golden’s take on portions is also inspired by the community’s needs, but more financial: “We’re trying to keep it to a reasonable cost for the area so you’re not breaking the bank for a decent meal.” It’s important to the co-owners to keep the prices at 21 M Street down so everyone in the neighborhood can enjoy the food created for them.
And they’re aiming to take full advantage of the fresh summer produce by opening soon. Both confirmed they are planning to open in early to mid-July. “The space has a huge patio so we’ll offer inside and outside dining,” Golden added.
Harris concluded: “We just want to be part of the community as good neighbors.”
