If you go
› Where: Bantam + Biddy, 728 Market St.› Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday› Price range: $2 for a cooked egg to $18 for the Vegas Steak special (Saturday night only)› Alcohol: Selection of draft beer available› Phone: 423-498-4367› Website: www.bantamandbiddy.com
The stretch of downtown Chattanooga from the riverfront to the growing M.L. King Boulevard/Miller Park area has been a tough nut to crack for restaurants and night life over the past several years.
The West Village near the Westin Hotel has begun to break that jinx, but the stretch of Market Street from Fifth to Eighth streets has remained lacking in new retail and restaurants even as the center city continues to grow.
The construction of Market City Center apartment complex has created new space for businesses in that area and is attempting to attract residents. With hopes of sparking interest in an area of town in need of life, Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere have brought Bantam + Biddy to Chattanooga for a second location after starting in Atlanta in 2012.
As the name would suggest, Bantam + Biddy specializes in fried chicken and Southern comfort food in a casual dining experience.
THE SPACE
As Market City Center complex gains more tenants, the need for a place to grab a quick meal or cup of coffee hopefully will grow in the 700 block of Market Street. Bantam + Biddy is seeking to fill that space.
The restaurant is brightly lit and has an open kitchen visible from the bar area. There are tables throughout and even some tables sitting in the lobby area of Market City Center. There are also some couches for guests wanting to relax with a cup of coffee while using the complimentary Wi-Fi.
Bantam + Biddy is designed with an open kitchen visible from the dining areas.Several vacant retail spaces remain in Market City Center, and more activity would help the entire area as well as Bantam + Biddy feel more vibrant and alive. But the addition of this solid restaurant/coffee shop is a good start.
THE MENU
The specialty of Bantam + Biddy is chicken and contemporary Southern comfort food. The menu features items for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there is a limited selection of breakfast dishes served throughout the day.
In addition to chicken, there are soups and fish dishes available. Friday night's special is a fried fish basket ($15), and Saturday night features the Vegas Steak Night special ($18). A selection of sandwiches is also available for lunch or a quick meal.
There is a front area serving coffee and other treats as the restaurant looks to attract a coffee-shop crowd for grab-and-go business.
While keeping its focus on the fried chicken business, the menu is broad enough for most diners to find something that is appetizing to them.
THE FOOD
For a Sunday brunch, it was impossible to pass up the Fried Chicken & Cheddar Waffle ($14.50) with a side of smoked bacon (because, of course, bacon). The savory waffle paired with maple syrup and butter was a great flavor combination, and the chicken tenders were lightly breaded and well-cooked.
On a previous visit for dinner, I had chicken tenders ($14.50) with Bantam + Biddy's honey and wasabi mixture, a delightful substitution for the traditional honey mustard one usually gets with chicken. Get the wasabi-honey for sure.
The food was presented simply but well. It's a step above a diner, but it still feels comfortable for a meal with family and friends.
THE SERVICE
The staff at Bantam + Biddy is friendly and helpful. It was nice to see a busy brunch crowd on a Sunday in the usually quiet 700 block of Market Street.
Drinks were kept full and the feeling in the restaurant was relaxed and perfect for a weekend meal.
THE VERDICT
This area of downtown Chattanooga is desperately in need of something to bring people to the area. Bantam + Biddy is the first piece of the puzzle that can make this area attractive to prospective tenants of Market City Center and folks just exploring the area.
Bantam + Biddy serves as a good anchor to this area - it provides a convenient meal for people living in the area as well as a new place to try for folks venturing in from other parts of town.
The still-vacant spots in this building clearly show the need for more investment from retail and other restaurants/bars, but Bantam + Biddy hopefully will prove to be the start of much-needed revitalization in the central business district of downtown Chattanooga.
Contact Jim Tanner at JFTanner@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/JFTanner.