New Additions to the Five Points Palate

Historic 5 Points has become one of the hip and happening spots in town. In addition to neighborhood favorites like The Mossfire Grill, O’Brothers Irish Pub and Sake House, a handful of new spots have opened and business is booming.

Black Sheep Restaurant (1534 Park St., 355-3793, blacksheep5points.com) is open for lunch and dinner. The spot, Orsay’s sister restaurant, serves new American favorites with a Southern twist. With the rooftop bar now open, Black Sheep will debut a brunch menu in the weeks ahead.
Black Sheep pays great attention to utilizing locally sourced ingredients and plating them beautifully. At lunch, meals arrive at your table on shiny silver retro cafeteria-style trays. The pimento cheese-stuffed fried green olives are stacked high with a creamy dipping sauce, while the Black Hog Farms Egg Toast is a sturdy rectangle of brioche topped with melted cheese and two symmetrical parallel placed eggs.

The vibe is fun and hip, with large floor-to-ceiling windows that are perfect for sunlight and people-watching.

Derby on Park (1068 Park St., 379-3343, facebook.com/DerbyOnPark) replaced the former Derby House with new owners, a new space and new menu at the corner of Park Street and Lomax. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and brunch on Sunday, Derby touts a $3 to $5 drink and appetizer special list for happy hour.

Cozy Tea Café (1023 Park St., 329-3964, cozyt.com) moved down a few storefronts to a larger space and has reinstated its celebrated Friday and Saturday Indian dinners in addition to its popular Monday-through-Saturday lunch service. Every time I stop in for lunch, I snag a warm lemon cookie. The freshly baked treat has a perfect chewy-to-crispy ratio, and the warm lemon drizzle on top sends it over the edge.

Spot 5 on Park (1020 Park St., 655-5533) recently opened and serves lunch and dinner, coffee and drinks. Spot 5’s simplistic menu includes salads, six styles of hot dogs, and sandwiches.

Corrado’s Bakery N Bistro plans to open at the former Domo Crepes spot at 813 Lomax St.

Relative newcomer Tapa That (820 Lomax St., 376-9911, tapathat.com) recently celebrated seven months of being in business. Owner Michael Coutu and his sister Chef Arielle have a tapas-style eatery with a changing menu — more than half of the items utilize local and sustainable ingredients. Go for the roasted vegetable salad with goat cheese and balsamic reduction, the braised chorizo in red wine and the bite-sized banana beignets (say that three times fast!) — if they’re not sold out.