Taste – Summer 2024
SIP AND SAVOR
By Griffin Nelson | Photos by Evermore Photo Co.
Bar Bruno, the latest venture by ZZ & Simone’s owners Ryan and Shae Sims, has been an evolving space for lovers of food and drink since opening in 2022. A focus on wine started the journey under the supervision of Greg Smolik. A native of Southern Italy, Smolik grew up working in his family’s restaurants while simultaneously building relationships with wineries throughout the region. “He’s an excellent teacher, both for our team and our guests,” says Ryan. “He’s a wonderful personality that loves talking about wine.”
Bar Bruno is the perfect place for those who enjoy trying new things and have an interest in learning about a variety of beverages. Flights and half pours are available for those wanting to test drive selections without committing to a glass or bottle.
In addition to an extensive rotating wine list, there are plenty of other specialty — primarily Italian — liqueurs such as amaro, grappa and vermouth that can be sampled in a flight. These liqueurs are often used in their popular cocktails.
Jamie Chang, operator and general manager, has a strong history behind the bar and works alongside Smolik to create boutique recipes. Spritzes are a highlight, with the Hugo Spritz being a bestseller — the traditional light bitterness of the Aperol replaced with the light sweetness of elderflower liqueur.
To round out the drink menu, Smolik takes inspiration from his home for their selection of coffee. Bar Bruno has also taken a few creative liberties to create unique specials such as their own twist on a caffè mocha, a caffè marocchino and an affogato al caffè made with homemade gelato from ZZ & Simone’s.
The small bites menu at Bar Bruno has reflected their success from the beginning. As popularity grew and word spread about quality wines and balanced cocktails, the regulars arrived alongside requests for additional food selections. It’s easy to justify another drink as an accompaniment to a meal, so the staff expanded the menu.
“We listened to our guests and started adding [new items] in phases, beefing up the menu with more substantial dishes,” notes Ryan. “There was a tipping point and we realized we needed to embrace it and go the all-day-cafe route.” Opening before lunch allows the Five Points neighborhood and visitors to treat Bar Bruno more like a small restaurant instead of a spot for a quick aperitivo.
Though the menu rotates somewhat seasonally, it’s always classically inspired by the flavors of Italy, with Bar Bruno favorites including Scagliozzi (fried polenta), house-made Focaccia Siciliana and Whole Steamed Artichoke served with a creamy Romesco sauce. Smolik even contributed one of his own Italian family recipes; baccala mantacato, a creamy salt cod spread cooked down, blended with herbs and topped with caper berries!
Refusing to be outdone by the savory dishes, the desserts and dessert wines hold their own. Marsala and Vin Santo make for a delicious night cap alongside Olive Oil Lemon Cake and Italian cookies. Gelato Brioche (think fancy ice cream sandwich) is a frequent special made with ZZ & Simone’s vanilla gelato, brioche from Independent Baking Co., accented with pistachio and cacao nibs.
The Sims are really proud of their team, what they’ve learned and how they are able to treat their guests to new, but comfortable, culinary experiences.
The quaint space transports you to the tip of the Italian boot. “You cross the sidewalk and you’re in a different place,” says Ryan. “It’s a mini vacation.”
Good wine, simple but elevated dishes and desserts, cocktails, coffee and non-alcoholic beverages, all make for an Italian experience at Bar Bruno, right in the heart of Athens.
GROWING AND GROWING
Photos by Evermore Photo Co.
Sara Skinner is a woman of many talents: an Army veteran and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, a professor at the University of Georgia with a Ph.D. in Social Work, and now, sustainable business owner and mushroom grower.
“It was an indirect path,” she notes. “Gardening was the thing I always did wherever I was living as a stress reliever. When the pandemic hit I went crazy and tried a lot of things.”
With a history of gardening and an interest in sustainability, she started growing mushrooms for her family about 15 years ago. Much of the knowledge she acquired came from books and “about one million YouTube videos,” but Skinner finished her training with a course on Indoor Specialty Mushroom Production from Cornell University.
In 2021, Classic City Gourmet Mushrooms began selling at farmers markets, often with the help of her two sons or her husband, Bruce. They continued to grow until they were selling everything they could produce in 32 square feet. “One of the things I love about [mushroom farming] is that you don’t have to have a lot of space. You can grow 25 pounds of mushrooms per year in one square foot!” Their space was upgraded to 100 square feet until business tested the limits of the production space once again.
The most recent expansion means Skinner now has 230 square feet of space for inoculation and fruiting. She explains that the mushroom itself is a fruiting body on mycelium, a root-like structure of fungus, which grows in a combination of hardwood sawdust supplemented with a non-GMO soy hull. The mushroom “fruit” is like an apple growing on a “mycelium” tree. “All the mushrooms that I grow are substrates that grow on wood, so you could find them in the forest,” says Skinner. “We use a lot of agricultural by-products that we can then upcycle to grow food on.” Once they get as much fruit as possible out of them, the ciliated blocks can then be used in compost for their garden or fed to their chickens — a perfect example of a sustainable circle of life.
“It’s a wonderful community of really good people — both vendors and customers. There are lots of opportunity to donate food as part of their mission is to help food-insecure people.”
Classic City Gourmet Mushrooms can also be found across Athens at restaurants like Five & Ten, The National and Puma Yu’s.
Their mushrooms can be found at the Daily Groceries Co-op, the Athens Farmers Market and weekly at the Marigold Market in Winterville.
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Mane “Crab” Cakes
“Crab” Cakes is one of Classic City Gourmet Mushrooms’ popular recipes, and if you’re a fan of crab, crab cakes, or just want to surprise your friends and family with an amazing mushroom meal, give this a try. (A 1/2 lb. of Lion’s Mane mushroom is enough for four patties.)
Ingredients
• 8 oz. Lion’s Mane mushroom
• 2 Tbsp. mayo (or vegan mayo)
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 1 large egg (or flax egg)
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup finely diced onions
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 3/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2–3 Tbsp. of oil to fry the cakes
• Optional: lemon wedges for garnish
Directions
1. Hand shred mushrooms into small pieces resembling the texture of flakey crab.
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, mayo, onion, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix together until fully incorporated.
3. Mix in mushroom until fully incorporated.
4. Mix in breadcrumbs until fully incorporated.
5. Form mixture into 3 to 4 equal size round, flat patties
6. Heat oil in sauté pan on medium-high heat
7. Cook patties for about 2–3 minutes per side. Should be golden brown and cooked throughout.
8. Add the optional squeeze of lemon garnish and enjoy!
