Craft beer, coffee, cool cuisine...and more
Sprawling food halls are commonplace in many of the world’s cities. Hawker stalls packed into every nook and cranny of endless buildings compete to sell their specialty dishes, out-do their neighbors, and feed food-obsessed inhabitants.
In Singapore, there are food halls with food stalls with Michelin Stars, a far reach from our local familiarity of modern-day shopping mall food courts.
Grand Central Market in Los Angeles comes to mind; crowds flow through aisleways eating fresh pizza or bowls of noodles or a myriad array of tacos as they sip on local brews and mingle with all walks of life. And good news greets us! Chattanooga is catching on.
Can we call it an empire yet? The Monen Family Restaurant Group has been instrumental in the expansion of Chattanooga’s dining foundation. Taco Mamacita, Urban Stack, Community Pie, Milk & Honey, Hi-Fi Clyde’s; it’s difficult to even discuss our eating options without considering the Monens.
Their newest project? You guessed it; a food hall. At long last, Chattanooga will join the ranks of prominent food cities with a communal gastro-focused space.
The corner of Main and Long Street will soon be home to Chattanooga’s new food hall, Market South. Three established restaurants, a coffee, cocktail, wine, and vinyl shop, Five Wits Brewery, and a chef incubator concept will inhabit the space. Think Indian street food, Pizza al Taglio, and an Asian fusion wok-focused eatery in the front to start the hall off. A wide array of beers will fill the indoor/outdoor brew hall.
“Five Wits is a Shakespeare reference to our five senses. The whole idea is to educate people and give them a sensory experience about beer,” says Nathan, one of the brewery’s proprietors. “We want to put Chattanooga on the map as a beer town and we have to do that together.”
Beer is a highly sensual experience. The can or bottle or pint glass sets the mood with designs that put an initial perspective on the drink. The color, haze, and foam complement the nose. If you listen closely, you can even hear the beer’s subtle whisper of screaming bubbles. We’re three senses in without even tasting it. The mouthfeel, flavor, and temperature all play a part in the overall message of a good brew.
It’s so easy to crack a beer and gulp it down without paying attention to the long hours of dedication from the brewer. At Five Wits, learning to enjoy all the aspects of a beer will help us develop a deeper understanding of this beverage we enjoy so much.
My favorite part of the whole concept is tucked neatly in the back, off of the brewery’s taproom. “We have always wanted to give back to the restaurant community,” continues Nathan as he discusses the concept of their chef incubator.
Hopeful restaurateurs will be provided with mentorship and a rent-free space for residencies where they can test their menus and develop their business plans. If you haven’t heard of Lil Oso yet, you’ve got a pretty nice surprise on the way.
A rotating menu of six to seven items will have your mouth begging. Cheeseburger fried rice, crispy mushroom salad, spicy pork noodles, apple carrot cake with pineapple jam, caramelized shrimp with romesco, smashed cucumber and herbed melon... I was lucky enough to attend a private and super-top-secret Lil Oso dinner a while back. Finally, the secret is out.
A parking lot out back is free for Market South customers. Puppers are allowed on the patio, but please reserve the beers for responsible adults. I promise you won’t want to share your frosty beverage anyway.