Dante's Down the Hatch

I grew up in Atlanta and one locale that was iconic around town was Dante Down the Hatch. The main restaurant was in the heart of Buckhead but there was for a minute a location in Underground Atlanta. The owner, Dante was an eccentric fellow that always had spunk and a certain spring to his step. He could tell a good story and regardless if it were a tall tale, he entertained like a showman. What we deem as progress in Atlanta often takes form of hydrogenous store fronts with no sense of history or character. This is what happen to Dante's Down the Hatch after he got an offer too good to refuse. Dante did share his bounty and give his employees a year's severance and Jef Bredemeier took it as an opportunity to capture the ship under Peachtree Street. The movie centers on Dante's philosophy and he takes credit for bringing the fondue movement to the South. Mix with Jazz and an eclectic décor, this restaurant was quite an adventure. It served as a hub of first dates, celebrations, and good old fashion bar talk. The movie does a good job of capturing the tales from a 43 adventure as a restaurateur and even showcases the live crocs that lived in the motes. Dante's Down the Hatch is a nostalgic trip to an Atlanta institution and also a road map to the tenets of running a successful business. I viewed it as part of the 2015 Atlanta Film Festival in Atlanta Georgia.