Karl Gorline’s Alpine restaurant Avize will replace Nick’s Westside in late summer

Courtesy of Avize

Chef Karl Gorline is ready to give Atlanta his all. At age 37, he’s worked all over the South, honing his craft at notable stops like Mississippi’s Parlor Market and Brent’s Drugs and Atlanta’s Watershed (R.I.P.). Since leaving the Woodall , he’s been obsessing over his heritage, which is Germanic, French, and Polish. In late summer, he’ll open Avize, a “modern Alpine kitchen,” in the former Nick’s Westside space (956 Brady Avenue Northwest). The sophisticated dinner spot will interpret dishes inspired by the region—which includes French, Italian, Swiss, German, and Austrian cultures—using items grown on its 800-acre Bremen Farms. Next door, in the area once home to wine bar Tin Tin, Gorline is creating a brunch/lunch cafe and late-night cocktail area called Bar Avize, set to launch in the fall.

“There is a piece of us in our concepts. This is a big deal personally, professionally, and financially, and it feels right,” Gorline says. “This is high-end. We’re going for Michelin.”

Avize, which means “to examine” or “to discover” in French, will serve complementary bread with house-cultured butter and rabbit rillette. Staples will include wagyu steak with bordelaise reduction made from the oxtails of the steak, roasted potatoes, and mushroom “pie,” and Grenobloise—typically sole—made with local trout. Duck, rabbit, venison, and arctic char will also be on the menu, in addition to a couple of pastas, like rye mezzalune. Dry-aged duck crown for two will be presented tableside in an antique brushed copper pan. “It’s a bit of dinner theater baked into the dish,” Gorline explains. For dessert, expect a spin on black forest cake, as well as Mont Blanc made with chestnut-flavored Alpine liqueur, banana, and coconut, instead of the typical meringue and chestnut cream.

Courtesy of Avize

“My whole path as a chef has been driven by curiosity, wanting to learn and master as many refined techniques as possible. But the more I learned about all the influences in Alpine cuisine, the more I was inspired by something else . . . it was like finding a home for my entire food philosophy,” Gorline says in a press release.

Taurean Philpott, formerly of Atlas and Bacchanalia , is leading the beverage program, focusing on wine and champagne from the Alps. After all, “avize” is also a top wine designation in France. A balanced cocktail menu will be available featuring a variety of spirits mixed with herbs grown onsite. A single tiki drink—the Alpine Swizzle—plays to Philpott’s Bermudan heritage and Gorline’s favorite kind of cocktail. It’ll be served in a German stein. An espresso martini will come with a “special activation,” but neither Gorline nor Philpott are sharing details—yet. Look for an after-dinner drink cart with offerings like amari from the Alps.

Courtesy of Gather & Grow Studios

The 57-seat dining room has been redesigned with a 10-foot mural of an Alpine mountain range, a 27-seat bar, and a dry-aging cabinet with ducks on display. An arch now brings together two previously disparate rooms, with new banquettes and flooring adding a comforting vibe. Textured wallpaper in the chef’s tasting room is designed to connote images of a misty forest. Designer Micah Hall reimagined the patio and added rich, double-layer curtains separating Bar Avize from Avize proper.

The patio will serve as a holding area for Bar Avize—a place diners can enjoy a brunch beverage, pastry, petit fours, and other cafe items before sitting down for a meal. Served all day, brunch will be a prix fixe, multi-course affair with offerings such as duck sausage with buckwheat grits and gravy, pain perdue, salade Lyonnaise, potato pancakes, and schnitzel with frisse.

Courtesy of Avize

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