Tastemaker: Risky Business

From Australia to Atlanta, BRASH Coffee founder Chris Mcleod takes chances at every turn

STORY: Carly Cooper

Risky Business

BRASH Coffee Roasters founder Chris Mcleod is a calculated risk taker. An Australian native and triathlete, he spent 13 years trading commodities and currencies in Singapore and Hong Kong before moving to Atlanta with his American wife in 2012. With zero experience in hospitality, Mcleod noticed a void in the market and seized on it, launching BRASH out of a shipping container in the Westside Provisions District in 2016. About a mile away, BRASH has its own roastery, where fresh beans are roasted multiple times a week.

“When I moved here, I had to travel 7 miles from my house in Buckhead to get a cup of coffee that was very average. It was a coffee desert,” he says.

“In Australia, we don’t call it ‘specialty coffee’ because all the coffee is good, and there are cafes on every corner.”

He started BRASH as a way to get involved in the local community and bring Sydney’s cafe culture to Atlanta.

Five years and one pandemic later, he’s grown the business to include brick-and-mortar locations in the Atlanta History Center, Midtown (with digital agency, Huge) and a retrofitted 1968 Citroen mobile shop dubbed BRASH Beast. Early next year, he’s branching out into the restaurant world with BRASH Kitchen, a farmfresh cafe in The Works development on the westside.

We spoke to him to learn more.

What makes BRASH unique? I believe in genuine interaction between the barista and the customer. If the barista is the first person you see in the morning, you want it to be a positive interaction. We have direct relationships with the coffee farmers in Central and South America. I can call the farmer and say that I need 30 bags. That way, he is paid the full price per pound [as opposed to going through a middleman]. It’s all about quality; if anything is going to lessen the quality of a product, I won’t do it.

How do you forecast opportunities for the brand to expand? Seeing the success of the brand during

FUN FACT

Mcleod is a founding investor of the popular Australian menswear company M.J. Bale.

the pandemic gave me the confidence to invest rather than divert. We were viewed as an essential business and didn’t close for a day. We were able to use that time to innovate and think about what’s next for coffee: a mobile app and coffee with an amazing food program to go with it at BRASH Kitchen.

How do you decide when to take on risk? I get some of my risk-taking skills from being a currency trader. I understand when to grow an opportunity and when to cut a loser. I’d like to grow BRASH to being Atlanta’s No. 1 specialty coffee player. I’d like to expand the small store format ITP and OTP—shipping containers are very scalable. Once you’ve tried specialty coffee, you’re not going back. I only see the market for it growing.

How does coffee play a role in your health- and fitness-focused lifestyle? It’s built into my routine. I love swimming, running and cycling. Prior to doing an hour of endurance work, I only drink black coffee—no food. I’m at my peak when under physical duress. My ability to perform under stress allows me to be a good business owner, assessing risks and finding solutions. I don’t get flustered.

What kind of endurance events have you participated in? In 2011, I cycled around the circumference of Australia with six others and raised $1.5 million for special needs kids. We cycled 150 miles a day for 80 days. I’m competing in a South African Ironman in November.

What else do you do for fun? When I’m not working or training, I’m a dedicated dad. My daughters are 15 and 19. I travel all over the country with the 15-year-old’s soccer team. Owning a small business, I have the flexibility to spend five days in San Diego on a soccer pitch. n

BRASH COFFEE AND BRASH KITCHEN

FEATURED RESTAURANTS

A sampling of great eats in and around Buckhead

BY: Wendell Brock, Rebecca Cha and Angela Hansberger PHOTOS: Sara Hanna, Joann Vitelli

ARNETTE’S CHOP SHOP

Arnette’s will dazzle you with its no-expense-spared interiors, cosmopolitan wine list and, of course, its meat. Chicago-sourced ribeyes, strips and tomahawk steaks are the main attraction supported by a top-notch cast of appetizers and sides, from decadent roasted marrow and wagyu beef tartare to classic wedge salad and Dauphinoise potatoes. (There are also oysters and caviar, if you don’t mind shelling out a few extra bucks.) Favorite items include the 50-day wetaged cowboy ribeye; the bliss-inducing lobster spaghetti; and the shaved prime rib sandwich, a real scenestealer. Don’t forget to ask about the members-only knife club. Appetizers, salads and sandwiches: $9-$25 Shrimp, oysters and caviar: $13-$150 Hearth-roasted shellfish, fish and steaks: $13-$140 Desserts: $8-$12 arnetteschopshop.com

BLUE RIDGE GRILL

For more than 20 years, Blue Ridge Grill has been a mecca for Buckhead power lunchers and chill evening diners alike. Whether for business or romance, BRG is a paragon of hospitality, and each guest is embraced like a VIP. Standard crowd-pleasers on the Euro-American menu include grilled Georgia trout, French-boned chicken with wild mushrooms and filet mignon with Vidalia onions. Small plates and sides of iron skillet mussels, Caesar salad with crisp Beeler bacon, custardlike corn soufflé and (off-menu item) fried pickles with buttermilk dipping sauce are absolute must-tries. If cost is an issue, call ahead, as menu prices are not advertised online. Lunch: $9-$42 Dinner: $13-$62 blueridgegrill.com

BONE GARDEN CANTINA

Beyond the colorful Día de Muertos dining room decor, the well-curated mezcal and tequila selections and the uber-friendly service, Bone Garden Cantina offers some of the most authentic Mexican cooking in Atlanta. Tastier guacamole and hot dipping queso you will not find, and we’ve tried! The tender-tothe-bone Mexican pork ribs are meaty, miraculous bites of earthy richness, and the tomatillo-rich pozole verde soup is pure south-of-the-border goodness. Garlic-sautéed shrimp enchiladas and adobo steak quesadilla seasoned with guajillo chile are among many fine familiar classics. Smaller plates include exemplary tamales and tacos. Appetizers: $2.50-$9.50 Soups and salads: $4.50-$9.00 Tamales, tacos and empanadas: $3.50-$5.00 Mains: $7.50-$12.75 bonegardencantina.com

Casual elegance at its best: the lunchtime lobster BLT with fresh fried potato chips from Blue Ridge Grill. Le Colonial's Cari ga (chicken curry) is an exceptionally executed dish, a bubbling hot bowl of pungent aromatics, finely diced sweet mango, yam, green beans and chicken.

THE CAPITAL GRILLE BUCKHEAD

Despite the clubby decor (think leather oxblood booths, mounted animal heads, mahogany paneling), The Capital Grille is a blend of high-class aesthetic and Lowcountry hospitality. Your obliging waiter will walk you through the classic steakhouse menu heavy on in-house, dry-aged cuts. It’s a tough call. The juicy, 22-ounce, bone-in ribeye will make you swoon, but so will the sizzling, Kona-crusted New York strip. There’s top-notch fish and poultry, too, and gussied-up sides like lobster mac ’n’ cheese and soy-glazed Brussels sprouts. Salads run the gamut from the classic iceberg wedge to the continental burrata with heirloom tomatoes. Wine lovers will thrill over the world-class, 350-plus bottle wine list. Appetizers, salads: $10-$110 Mains: $33-$59 Sides: $11-$18 Desserts: $11 thecapitalgrille.com

F&B

Like its predecessor, the much-loved former Brasserie le Coze, F&B delivers timeless Provençal fare in a classic brasserie atmosphere. The menu is bolstered by comfort dishes portioned with hunger in mind, but it’s also fortified with lighter salads, sandwiches and soups. Classics such as steak frites and skate wing with a brown butter sauce are deeply satisfying in their rustic charm. Mussels come piled high in a white wine and shallot broth, along with crusty French bread for sopping. The drink menu is built on interesting French wines and remarkable cocktails such as the well-balanced, bourbonbased Line of Destiny. Appetizers: $6-$18 Entrees: $11-$42 Desserts: $6-$8 fandbatl.net

GRINDHOUSE KILLER BURGERS

The Piedmont Avenue location of burger-preneur Alex Brounstein’s success story is where you go for a superbly flavorful, juice-dripping, napkin-soaking beef patty with all the trimmings. Though you can customize your sandwich, consider the signature “Cowboy” treatment: cheddar, bacon, barbecue sauce and a beer-battered onion ring—for a slim $7.99. To gild the lily, add an order of Frings (that’s fries and rings), and ask for a side of the chipotle ranch dipping sauce. Here you can quaff a draft brew, slurp down a boozy shake, like the banana-flavored Puddin’ Out, or sip a “Snooty” cocktail such as the mezcal-based El Guapo. Starters and sides: $2.50-$5.50 Burgers: $4.50-$7.99 grindhouseburgers.com

LE COLONIAL

Le Colonial’s website describes this upscale French-Vietnamese restaurant as “a luxurious escapist oasis,” and we’d agree. Amidst potted palms, starched white tablecloths and whirring vintage fans, glitzed-up diners are transported back to 1920s Vietnam and enjoy the culinary synthesis of the era. Favorite street fare such as banh mi thit nuong (chargrilled pork sandwich) and pho bo (beef noodle soup) get the white glove treatment with chef Richard Lee’s skillful way with Asian herbs and spices. Classic favorites of crispy panseared chicken dumplings, garlicky beef rice noodle rolls and curried green papaya salad will have you hankering for a one-way ticket to Saigon. Small plates: $12-$24 Soups and salads: $10-$18 Large plates: $14-$60 Sides: $4-$11 Desserts: $12-$14 lecolonialatlanta.com

THE ONE SUSHI +

This glam space wedged in the back corner of Brookhaven’s Town Village is a neighborhood hot spot for Japanese small plates. The freshest fish flown in from Japan’s Tsukiji Market will impress the discerning sushi eater, while colorful rolls with clever names please the occasional dabbler. Sharable offerings and inspired snacks of zesty, yellowtail jalapeño shots and crispy fried bang bang rock shrimp are as fun as they are tasty. The drinking experience is worth celebrating as well, with a large selection of sake, shochu and whisky. We recommend the smoked toro, tender slices of tuna served under a dome of hickory smoke and the bulgogi-like Gangnam-style roll. Dinner: $6-$37 theonesushiplus.com

PASTA VINO

You can surely find trendier pizza parlors or posher places to eat Italian in Atlanta. But if you’re looking for old-fashioned linguini with clam sauce or chicken Florentine in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere with a loyal following, this Buckhead favorite has got you covered. The restaurant is beloved by many for its home-style cooking, casual ambience, reasonable prices and a staff of servers who have acquired faithful customers of their own. Owner Nancy Powell treasures her crew, most of whom have been on the job for more than a decade. Given the refined state of Italian dining in America today, Pasta Vino is not likely to win any awards for innovation or

So savory and flavorful, the Georgia pecan waffles at Treehouse don’t need syrup.

inspiration, but it remains a perfectly fine, frequently delicious trattoria. Starters and salads: $2-$10 Entrees: $10-$22 pastavinoatlanta.com

PRICCI

Opened in 1991, Pricci is the Italian jewel in Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s crown. This Buckhead institution still aspires to (and delivers) exceptional service, superlative Italian cooking and a vibe that’s both elegant and inclusive. Nothing says buon appetito like silky burrata Pugliese (cream filled mozzarella), tangy parmesan and anchovy-rich Caesar salad and aromatic steamed cozze (mussels in tomatogarlic sauce). Barbera-braised short rib ravioli, pecorino-sauced cacio e pepe and pizzas of all varieties are favorites, but if you’re extra peckish, order the Dutch-imported 16-ounce veal chop.

Inviting and casual, Pasta Vino triumphs with classics like eggplant Parmesan. Mangia bene, but don’t forget to try Pricci’s world-class tiramisu. Appetizers and salads: $8-$26 Pizza and pastas: $17-$27 Entrees: $24-$46 Desserts: $6-$15 buckheadrestaurants.com the New York strip au poivre. He also curates a mighty fine list of craft beers. Brunch: $8-$10 Appetizers: $3-$13 Burgers and sandwiches: $7-$10 Large plates: $17-$22 treehouseatlanta.com

TREEHOUSE

Occasionally, sitting at Treehouse feels more like a cookout. Neighbors and regulars have been coming here for the familiar comfort food and laid-back atmosphere for more than 20 years. Brunch is a big deal, with a large menu and generous portions of favorites such as the Georgia pecan waffle and Southern-style eggs Benedict covered with sausage gravy. It’s all about the patio here, and dogs are welcome guests. The chef works to enliven old favorites with as much attention to the all-American fried chicken sandwich as

ZAFRON

If you’re like us, the minute you hear Persian foodie buzzwords such as mirza ghasemi, hummus and kabob, your mouth starts watering, and you’ve got one foot out the door. If you’re smart, you’ll head directly to Zafron in Sandy Springs. Once seated, a beaming server will bring a complimentary sabzi plate and pita from the wood-burning oven. That extra-mile hospitality spills over into all areas, especially the food: world-class lamb kabob, fire-roasted salmon and the “Zafron special” made with chile, mango and eggplant. Plenty of classic small plates and rice dishes are joined with a few East-meets-West treats such as spicy Zafron chicken wings and tiramisu. Starters and salads: $5- $9 Wraps (lunch only): $12 Entrees: $12 - $32 Sides and rice: $3 - $7 Desserts: $5 - $7 persianrestaurantsandysprings.com

Note: Prices and menu items may have changed since original publication.

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