The White Bull coming to Decatur in 2018

In early spring 2018, Executive Chef and Partner Pasquale “Pat” Pascarella will open The White Bull, a new restaurant on Decatur’s historic E. Court Square. With a name inspired by literary icon Ernest Hemingway, who referred to the blank page as “the white bull,” the restaurant will showcase a thoughtful menu of simple, farm-forward American fare prepared from the finest ingredients in an inviting and approachable atmosphere.   

THE TEAM

Executive Chef and Partner Pat Pascarella will helm the kitchen, drawing expertise from a culinary background that most recently included serving as Executive Chef at Ford Fry’s The Optimist and ownership of Pascarella’s renowned Italian restaurant Bar Sugo in Norwalk, Connecticut. Prior, he cooked in Manhattan at restaurants including Eric Ripert’s famed Le Bernardin.

Born in Italy, Gabriele Besozzi will serve as Partner and General Manager, following his position as Service Manager at The Optimist. His restaurant experience includes time working in London, New York, Miami, and all over Italy, including at famed Cantina Bentivoglio in Bologna.

THE MENU

A nod to Hemingway’s literary style, The White Bull’s menu will focus on simplicity, allowing locally sourced ingredients to shine. Guests can expect around fifteen seasonal dishes with hints of global cuisine, created based on what’s growing in Georgia at the time. Drawing on Pat’s lifelong love affair with pasta, around five menu items will be pasta, made from flour milled at The White Bull. Like it’s culinary counterpart, the drink menu will rotate with the seasons to highlight fresh flavors.

THE SPACE

Neighboring Decatur’s beloved Brick Store Pub on the city’s historic square, The White Bull’s red brick exterior will lead into an open and airy long, rectangular gathering space. Upon entering, guests will be greeted by a clean and bright design, representative of the “white bull” and blank canvas from which the restaurant draws its name. There will be 75 seats including the bar. Neutral interior walls will serve as a pristine backdrop for the expansive front bar with unique design details like antique cigar boxes, beckoning regulars and visitors alike to pull up a seat. Natural light cast through wide windows lining the restaurant’s walls will fill the open room, including a sophisticated dining space just beyond the bar.