Longtime Pop-Up Eat Me Speak Me Finally Says Goodbye in June

Chef Jarrett Stieber finally says goodbye to his longtime pop-up series Eat Me Speak Me (EMSM) after six years on Saturday, June 29 to focus on opening Little Bear, his new restaurant in Summerhill this fall. EMSM moved from its previous residency at Gato in Candler Park to S.O.S Tiki Bar in Decatur two years ago.

Stieber thanks his regular pop-up guests, staff, and restaurant hosts for their continued support over the years in an Instagram post Tuesday evening.

The chef provided Eater Atlanta with the following statement:

I’ll never be able to thank everyone who has supported me over the years enough. From restaurant hosts to regular guests to the staff family I’ve had the privilege to work alongside for over half a decade, I’ve been surrounded by sensational people and created memories that will last a lifetime.

Candler Park Market and The General Muir trusted me and allowed me to start this crazy endeavor from the very beginning, long before anyone really knew what Eat Me Speak Me was. Nick Stinson of Gato saw us struggle to survive as we built our business from the ground up in his space and never lost belief in me. We would sell $100 or less some nights, wouldn’t break even some weeks on costs yet, still, he let us stay and fight to grow. Without that encouragement, we would never have been able to thrive at Gato, turn into a functional business, and set a foundation there for future pop-ups.

And now at SOS, Victory Brands has been so kind to us — from ownership sharing their infrastructure down to store managers working alongside us and employees of other concepts in the company coming in to eat. They’ve provided us with more space and equipment to use than we’ve ever had, which has allowed our food to become the best it’s ever been.

Most importantly, I want to thank all of our amazing guests over the years. It has been an honor to feed such wonderful people for all of these years, and I cannot wait to share Little Bear with them!

Stieber plans to hold bi-monthly Little Bear preview dinners from July through September at various spaces along Georgia Avenue in Summerhill. For those hoping to be one of the first to grab a reservation, Stieber suggests emailing reservations@littlebearatl.com. The chef also expects to pop-up at events around town and at future Summerhill neighbors like Halfway Crooks Brewery, opening imminently in the neighborhood.

All of EMSM’s social media handles change over to @littlebearatl once the pop-up ends in June.

Little Bear

The 30-seat Little Bear, located along Georgia Avenue, is named for his dog — a fluffy and friendly Pyrenees mountain dog really named Fernando who resembles a small bear. Those who frequent Chrome Yellow Trading Co. coffee shop on Edgewood Avenue are likely familiar with the convivial beast.

As with EMSM, the menu for Little Bear features seasonal produce and proteins from local farms as well as longstanding favorites like Steiber’s raw beef lettuce wraps and blondies with rum or whiskey milk. And yes, some dishes include his signature “pretentious flowers”.

Stieber gained national attention during his time at Gato. He was named an Eater Young Gun in 2014 and in 2017, and a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s rising star chef award in 2016.

• Popular Pop-Up Chef Settles on a Permanent Restaurant Space in Summerhill [EATL]
• Jarrett Stieber’s Eat Me Speak Me Pop-Up Is Moving to The SOS Tiki Bar [EATL]
• All Eat Me Speak Me coverage [EATL]