Midtown’s New Afro-Caribbean Restaurant Has Chicago Ties

MIDTOWN, GA — Main courses such as handmade black pepper pappardelle pasta with slow braised oxtail, braised jerk chicken, Kreyol seafood curry and brown stew lamb shank are just a few examples of the savory entrees diners can enjoy at Rock Steady, a new West Midtown restaurant that opened in November. There’s even a menu of hand-crafted cocktails to complement the meal.

"King of Chicago Nightlife" and restaurateur Joe Russo brought the concept to the Atlanta neighborhood with business partner and friend, Jacob Thomas. The co-owners of the new Afro-Caribbean restaurant said they wanted to bring an upscale feel with a modern twist to popular Afro-Caribbean dishes.

The menu focuses on contemporary renditions of traditional Caribbean cuisine with West African influences. Many of the plates are meant for sharing, giving restaurant goers a true Afro-Caribbean experience.

In addition to the dinner menu, there is an edited after-hours dining menu available until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The "Late Nite" menu features unexpected twists of the elevated dinner menu such as Jerk Lollipop Wings and a Rock Steady Burger with a Caribbean kick.

Located at 907 Marietta St., N.W., the venue sits on the corner in a new development area, almost incognito. Long drapes on the windows, dim lighting and a side entrance give it a mysterious feel. Step inside and the Caribbean vibe is immediately felt from the music curated by in-house DJ, Fathom DJ, to the decor.

A signature curved metal canopy frames the restaurant’s main entrance and leads to elegant, but casual, interior spaces created by acclaimed California Designer Sam Cardella of Cardella Design. Sculptural sea urchin-like lights suspend throughout the dining room highlighting the array of African textiles and artifacts, which hang alongside original artwork by abstract artist Christopher Shoemaker.

Russo said he’s been traveling to and from the West Indies for almost 20 years, falling in love with the people, culture, music and food from his first visit to Jamaica. Later, he would make Kingston his home for six months. During his time there he said he was involved with a music festival that immersed him into the culture even more, but the food has always kept him coming back.

“I just love the flavors of the West Indies, particularly Jamaica,” Russo told Patch. “There are so many fantastic food scenes in the West Indies, but I’ve never seen it packaged in a way that glorifies the culture in a real stylish way like we’re doing.”

Thomas, whose mother is Haitian, said he and Russo shared a very similar vision for the restaurant, which is why he wanted to team up.

“I never thought it would be in Atlanta,” Thomas said. “We were thinking Miami, New York, of course Chicago, but this landscape ended up being very welcoming to what we were doing. I do think people here are looking for something like what we’re doing with the vibe, the music, the food. For my culture, our food is often not presented like this.”

He said people should have fine dining options for this cuisine and that’s what Rock Steady offers.

“We wanted to show that this cuisine and culture can be on that level. There are a few places we’ve been to around the world that kind of have that,” Thomas said.

The co-owners said that the restaurant isn’t just limited to those with Caribbean roots, but that Rock Steady welcomes all.

Thomas said that he’s discovered Atlanta has a strong community of Jamaicans, West Africans, Guyanese and Nigerians. The menu will include dishes they’ll recognize, as well as music like Afro beat, reggae and more.

“We wanted to bring all of that together in one space,” he said.

THE EARLY DAYS

The business partners met in Chicago at The Shrine, a popular “soul" nightclub founded by Russo in 2009. It was known for its live performances and Afro-centric decor. Artists such as Ludacris, Larenz Tate, Jeremih, 50 Cent, Common, Kendrick Lamar, and The Roots have all hit the stage at least once. Spike Lee's “Chi-Raq” movie even filmed a scene at the club in 2015.

Thomas at the time was an event producer and talent buyer who organized concerts.

“His venue was hands down the best,” Thomas said. “We started with a couple of shows, and just kind of quickly realized we had an aligned vision on music, style and design. We developed a friendship.”

He said they worked together on at least 70 concerts together over a four-to five-year span.

After The Shrine closed in 2016, they kept in touch, oftentimes meeting up in different countries to explore and brainstorm potential concepts.

Russo also founded iconic Chicago nightclub Funky Buddha, along with several other concepts in the city. This isn’t his first time in the restaurant business. He’s also the creator of the upscale French restaurant and companion bar and lounge, Thyme and Sinibar.

So why not stay in Chicago for his next venture?

“I had been checking out Atlanta for years, but when I came back, maybe two years ago, it just seemed like it may be the right time to give something a shot here,” Russo said, adding that he was interested in aligning himself with Atlanta’s blossoming music and movie industry.

Other cities were considered, in fact Russo said he spent six to eight weeks in places like Miami, Houston, Detroit, Los Angeles and more.

“I thought if I was able to somewhat produce the style of venues that I had in Chicago, I thought Atlanta might be the perfect city to embrace some of the things I’ve already done,” Russo said.

After exploring metro Atlanta, Russo said he and Thomas decided on West Midtown, which has nearly 7,000 residents, for its “edgy” feel and food scene.

Chicago had its ups and downs, said Russo, who is now using that experience to create a more successful business.

“I would say having a small intimate restaurant is more conducive to what I’m trying to convey in terms of a lifestyle,” he said. In Chicago, Thyme seated 300 and Sinibar, about 65. Rock Steady, however, includes a 70-seat dining room, 15-seat cocktail bar and a 12-seat private lounge.

Russo said the intimate setting is what he’s going for now.

“The goal is to sort of create a buzz around the idea of a restaurant that has an emphasis on what we’re calling Afro-Carribean cuisine,” he said. “It’s a dining experience.”

Rock Steady is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, closed on Monday. Hours are:

Tuesday – Thursday: 5 p.m. – 12 a.m., bar closes at 1 a.m.
Friday + Saturday: 5 – 11:30 p.m., bar closes at 2:30 a.m.
Sunday: 5 – 11 p.m., bar closes at midnight

Late Night Menu:
Friday + Saturday: 12 a.m. - 2 a.m.

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