On Wednesday, April 1 Nové Mesto officially opened its doors at 625 Barber St. just north of downtown Athens. The central European inspired lagerhaus sold out its entire food menu the first week they were open.
Nové Mesto was founded by Jon Andrews, Lauren Owens, Katie Gasperec and T Silva who started the Hi-Lo lounge in 2013. About five years ago, they were looking to expand and Andrews, owner and head of the beer program, said they put their talents to the test.
Gasperec, another owner and head of the kitchen, is of Czech descent. Between her roots and Andrews’ knowledge and interest in European beers they landed on Bohemian, Czech, German and Polish influences for Nové Mesto.
“[We’ve had] a ton of people that are Czech and Polish, and just from generally that central European area of the world, that have been so excited to share in a space and share their culture with us and have food that reminds them of their lives and their homes,” Owens, owner and head of the cocktail menu, said.
Nové Mesto serves small plates including smoked trout dip and pierogies along with meals like the sausage plate and Bruleed Grapefruit or Bruleed Oatmeal kolaches for something sweet.
“The marinated cheese shared plate was the winner for me, and the pierogies was the winner for my friend,” customer Klé Schell said.
Nové Mesto also offers a wide variety of cocktails and beers. A favorite of cocktail creator Owens is the Teddy Dog, named after her dog and described as a “tiki drink.” The Teddy Dog is fruity with rum and coconut, topped with a German digestif.
Nové Mesto means “new town” in Czech, representing the area of Athens where the restaurant is located.
“We feel very close to this neighborhood. Hi-Lo is basically just the other side of that door,” Andrews said. “We know this area really well.”
Nové Mesto is now open Wednesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.