I have always loved downtown Dalton because the buildings intrigue me. I always wonder what businesses were in the buildings before my time. I wish I had taken photos of the fabulous structures back in the 1960s and 1970s.
One building I am very familiar with is the Belk-Gallant location on Hamilton Street. I worked there as a salesclerk during my college days at Dalton Junior College and the University of Georgia. I worked in the ladies department upstairs and in the houseware department in the basement.
I remember the wooden floors, the huge staircase and the marvelous glass front entrance containing the display windows. It will always hold a special place in my heart as one of my first places of employment. (You would find me walking from the store to a local restaurant for supper and enjoying the best coconut crème pie around. Ah, good times.)
I was beyond thrilled a few years ago when a local business created a wonderful place to gather in the location that was the entry of the Belk-Gallant store. I drove by it often as the construction was taking place. It made me smile thinking that something amazing was going to be housed in the building.
Life happened, so it’s taken me too long to get by and see just how awesome the location looks and to step back in time in my memories. The Gallant Goat has made a sweet home there since July 2022. (The name derives from the first tavern in Dalton, The Goat Tavern, built in 1830.) The cocktail bar is an upscale place where friends gather and enjoy food, drinks and conversations. The co-owners stress that they strive to provide a place in the community for all to hang out, whether having food or drinks or just food and fellowship. It’s a place for everyone! (The remaining portion of the building houses an 18-unit apartment building — how cool is that!)
The co-owners have a background in business, both holding MBAs, so they developed a business plan and went for it. The building is a historical location, being built in 1941, so they wanted to keep the historical presence front-and-center in the refurbishment as the community recognizes and appreciates the architectural heritage of the storefront of the building.
The large Belk-Gallant sign atop the building draws you into a place back in time, and the elegant and stylish front and interior make you want to stay and see what exciting experiences await.
And await they do! The co-owners and the chef will make you feel like an important guest. They cater to your every need and will prepare a special drink or small plate just as you request.
The menu is more than ample and contains varied choices. The small plates are really not small, and you will enjoy each bite of any dish you pick. I selected the kimchi grilled cheese sandwich, which proved to be a wonderful choice. It’s cheddar cheese with pickled cabbage (made in-house by the chef) on miche bread, which has a hearty, mild flavor (miche bread is reportedly easier to digest). The sandwich is a large portion and comes with chips. You will enjoy eating each bite.
I also chose the chicken salad sandwiches, which are two of the tastiest sandwiches I’ve eaten. The bread is so fresh and delicious, and the filling of chicken salad is so large and creamy. The flavor is just wonderful. Since I am a chicken salad connoisseur it pleased my taste buds. The sandwiches also come with chips.
And if that was not enough, I selected the pork potstickers. The pork is mixed with a honey soy sauce that will knock your socks off. It’s that great. The pork is cooked in a dumpling (also called a potsticker) and is juicy and delicious. A soy dipping sauce completes the most amazing small plate. It not only tastes great but its appearance is one of artistic beauty. It’s like food on an artist’s canvas.
So many more selections of food are on the menu, including spinach and artichoke dip served with tortilla chips; marinated olives; a charcuterie board featuring olives, cheese, bread and meat; pan con tomate (the Spanish version of bruschetta with grilled bread, tomatoes, olive oil and garlic sauce); salmon lox with cream cheese; and a toasted baguette and mushroom crostini, which is a blend of fresh mushrooms cooked in butter and rosemary, served on a baguette crostini.
Also featured is the honey goat, which is a plate of toast points covered with honey goat cheese, orange zest and rosemary. The choices go on, and that’s pretty impressive for a food menu of small plates. The food is very impressive and elegant, along with delicious and tasty, too.
If you are craving a special drink and don’t see it on the menu, let them know and they will make something just for you, whatever you’re in the mood for enjoying. I requested a drink based on my love for cranberry juice and my dietary restrictions and they created a perfect drink for me. It was a nonalcoholic, wild berry mojito. It’s a berry puree with lime, juice, simple syrup, ginger beer and soda water. It was wonderful. The berry flavors taste so good, and the puree gives it a stronger taste. It’s perfect for a warm summer afternoon or evening. The folks at The Gallant Goat will make something for you that satisfies your taste buds. Just let them know.
Their bestsellers are the spinach and artichoke dip, the grilled cheese sandwich and seared tuna. Their social media pages are good places to see photos of the array of delicious food served and the specials that are featured twice a month, which include both food and drinks. Their website is a place to find out information on the business. I find it very wonderful, it’s creative, bright and very attractive. It is one of the best sites I’ve seen. It details the business very well, lists the menu (look for an updated menu soon) and lets customers know who they are, what they do, and tells of their history. The website will also allow you to make reservations and purchase gift cards. They have thought of everything.
The hours of operation are Tuesday-Friday from 4 to 11 p.m. and Saturday from 2 to 11 p.m. They are very easy to locate, just look for the Belk-Gallant sign on South Hamilton Street, find a parking space and enter the very attractive, glass-front building. They offer outdoor seating in the front of the business, too. The interior is oh, so inviting. The owners have created a stylish and friendly place to enjoy all things good. The eye-appealing seating areas with tables, chairs, sofas and stools provide a relaxing and fun environment.
All the food prepared is fresh, and you can tell the chef and owners only want the best products for their customers. You can taste the goodness. Two products from local companies are used in their menu. The bread is supplied by Highline Bake Shop in Dalton, and the mushrooms used in their dishes come from Gowin Valley Farms in Rocky Face. Once you sample the bread and mushrooms used it will be hard to go back to anything other than homemade bread and naturally grown mushrooms. They are that good!
I just love that they are partnering with local businesses to get the freshest ingredients and products. I’d say that shows just how much they value the products they supply to their customers. Pretty special!
The next time you are in the mood for a special drink or food give The Gallant Goat a visit. Downtown is such a vibrant and fun place to go. Downtowns are special. They are as special as the wonderful folks who have a warm heart to bring excitement back to towns. They can visualize making those memories we have come to life again in a different form.
We Dalton folks can’t shop at Belk-Gallant downtown for those Girl Scout or Boy Scout uniforms but we can have our memories. We can enjoy some of the best food and drinks in town at the same location, enjoy meeting the two fantastic owners (one is a former student of mine), meet one of the best chefs in town and just have a good time eating some great food prepared just for you.
You will probably see other people you know at the establishment and enjoy catching up and socializing. (I saw other wonderful people I know on my visit, plus one of my former sweet students. She is the person who encouraged me to share my thoughts on great local food with others. Thanks to her for the start of these articles that I’m sharing with the community. She’s rather amazing. Thank you, Julie.)
Buildings from the past are unique. If walls could talk, as I was leaving work from Belk-Gallant back in the 1970s the building would tell me not to be worried about the future of the historic place, that one day angels would refurbish the location into a place for delicious food and drinks, and a place for everyone in the community to gather and enjoy life and each other. You can experience this for yourself when you visit The Gallant Goat. They invite you to be their guest and enjoy the hospitality. They will treat you well.
Sandra Derrick, a lifelong Daltonian, is a retired educator who taught home economics for 30 years in Whitfield County Schools.