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| In Search of The Perfect Meal by Suzanne Wright Perhaps the most perfect meal I’ve ever had was in Santorini, Greece. I’d been out all day trekking on the island. Headed back to my inn, I saw the most extraordinary sight: fresh-caught squid hanging to dry on a clothesline stretched between two trees. I vowed to come back to this tiny bistro for a sun-dried squid dinner. Under a star-strewn sky, I ate the most succulent squid, simply grilled with a lick of olive oil, lemon juice and herbs. That’s the thing about memorable meals: You don’t necessarily remember every detail, but you are filled with a warm glow when you are asked to recount them, and you will remember something specific. It might have been the atmosphere. Perhaps it was the stellar service. Maybe it was a palate-surprising entrée or swoon-inducing dessert. Or the perfect bottle of wine. Then again, it might have been the company — although the perfect meal can compensate for-less-than-ideal companionship. I still love to globe hop for an ethereal meal, but here are some places in Atlanta (listed alphabetically) that have given me fond memories. Aria: Ebullient Gerry Klaskala is a tremendously gifted chef and a swell guy. Modern French fare with an occasional Asian or Mediterranean accent rule at this gorgeous Buckhead spot. Aromatic, creamless celery root soup is a subtly rich starter as is smoked mountain trout with horseradish crème fraiche. Zinfandel braised beef short ribs are like eating a cloud, so melting is the meat. Seared ahi tuna is pleasantly earthy and gets a kick from wasabi-mashed potatoes, while the pan-roasted duck with fuji apples is supple and satisfying. Kathryn King’s desserts are stunners: outstanding sorbets, especially the lemongrass and meyor lemon (“like the 4th of July in your mouth” said my companion) and the pinwheel-like warm chocolate cheesecake is legendary. Canoe: Canoe’s pluses are many: a warm, comfortable interior that is part country club/part mountain lodge, a tranquil setting on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, assured service from polished youth under the watchful eye of attentive managers and very good food. Chef Gary Mennie is in his prime creating dishes that defy categorization. Gobble up the delicately smoked salmon slicked with a goat cheese dressing on a crispy Yukon gold potato pancake and a puree of sweet pea soup with crab. Not all restaurants will serve rabbit in the summer (or at all), but Mennie’s version with Swiss chard and bacon ravioli and root vegetables is sublime. Ditto a beautifully roasted Alaskan halibut with artichoke risotto and cilantro-coconut puree. Sarah Koob does wonders with fruit-based desserts such as Gewürztraminer-roasted Georgia peaches with snappy gingerbread ice cream and a sophisticated mission fig cake with honey-acacia cream. Floataway Café: Chef Anne Quatrano made this blighted locale trendy with cheeky Zen décor and fantastic, organically derived ingredients. Roasted, marinated gold and ruby beets with goat cheese are the stuff a gardener’s dreams are made of, but I adore the grilled organic chicken livers, nearly pate-like in consistency and served on rosemary skewers, their smoky flavor enhanced with a red onion jam. The pasta is transcendent: Thin ravioli encases the simple, flavorful ricotta and spinach pasta with a shaving of Parmesan. Sautéed turbot is nicely pan-crisped and the lemon nage gives it a puckery boost. The terrific salt cod is served like a bouillabaisse with beans, sausage and greens. As for dessert, there’s an alluring brown butter tart or the perennially lovely medjool dates with lavender honey, along with exceptional sorbets. On my latest visit, I fell in love with the liqurian olive oil cake with its intoxicating basil gelato. Joel: Chef/owner Joel Attunes is a charmer, and his eponymous eatery is a gorgeous space to while away a few hours. Salmon sashimi with sushi rice and mustard (!) ice cream is exquisite, as is the fresher-than-fresh gazpacho with tomato sorbet. The sautéed breast of quail with lentil salsa is savory and roast duck with a roasted per and granular polenta is toothsome as are the plump seared sea scallops. The showstopper among desserts is a pretty pavlova, a melt in your mouth meringue shell filled with pastry cream and served with an exotic fruit sorbet. But the chocolate pistachio dariole, a bittersweet cake that oozes pistachio cream and sits in a frothy almond mousse is a worthy second place finisher. Kyma: From the dazzling display of fresh fish flown in from Greece to the exciting wine list, Panos Karatossas has given a valentine from his country to our city. Inspired classics include mezedes (appetizers) such as addictive eggplant and mint puree, Greek caviar mousse and breathtakingly good wood-grilled octopus with red onions and red wine vinegar. For an entrée, try the full-flavored rouget or mild loup de mer, simply grilled with a side of the giant white beans. Dessert of choice: the astonishing olive oil ice cream. Oscar’s: The best thing to ever happen to College Park. I swoon for the crisp, aromatic Sardinian flatbread with fennel sausage, Parmesan reggiano, micro greens and black trufle oil. If fresh English peas with pecorino are on the menu, don’t miss them. This is the kitchen at its most assured. Follow up with a perfectly cooked on-bone skate wing with a spicy couscous and a velvety calf’s liver with astringent mustard greens and grilled onions or duck breast with butternut squash and Nicoise olives. I can’t say enough about Laos-born genius Souli Lasosalie, the pastry chef. The Georgia strawberry shortcake is heavenly; the tangy lemon goat cheesecake divine; the anisette bitter chocolate tart with fresh whipped cream pure bliss; the ingenious, herbaceous rosemary cake with blood orange sorbet a stunner. The Palm: Sometimes a girl just wants red meat with bourbon. Get your greens if you must: the Gigi salad of chopped green beans, bacon, shrimp, onions and tomatoes dressed in vinaigrette is a terrific starter, especially with the addition of bleu cheese crumbles and asparagus fritti are little sticks of fried goodness. But you’re here for the outstanding steak a la stone, a perfectly seared, well-marbled sliced steak dredged in olive oil and Kosher salt and placed atop grilled onions and pimentos and toast points. The rib eye is also tender and flavorful and perfectly cooked. Save room for a heavenly, unadorned slice of cheesecake flown in fresh from S&S Bakery in the Bronx. Seeger’s: Chef owner Guenter Seeger is a character, but he is almost single-handedly responsible for elevating modern haute cuisine in our city, and he’s certainly the most lauded chef in the region. Not everyone likes such an obsequiously choreographed evening, but I think it’s a kick every now and again. And the food is nearly unequalled in its quixotic creativity. English pea soup served with mint and jumbo lump crabmeat is like spring in your mouth. Gorgeous, fresh silvery sardines are paired with a bracing pink pepper and onion broth. Quail served with smoky Serrano ham and a parsnip crepe is inspired. A poached scallop slicked with “horseradish snow” is perhaps the tiniest bit bland, but the glazed beet sauce provides punch. Velvety bittersweet chocolate tart served with coffee crème brulee and vanilla sorbet is stellar. The herbaceous tarragon truffles served at the meal’s end have me plying the hostess for takeouts. Tamarind: My choice for the city’s best upscale ethnic dining, run by affable Charlie Niyomkul and his wife, Nan, as the chef; a son and daughter also help out. The room is elegantly beautiful, the service effortlessly graceful and the food wonderful. The fried spring rolls have the right crispy skin and a nice vinegary/sweet sauce. The duck salad should not be missed: tender slices of meat kissed with a lemon/palm sugar/chili broth with just a little heat and garnished with cashews nuts and fresh fruit — divine. The Chilean sea bass with three sauces is delicate, and the tender BBQ lemongrass chicken with a bracing green curry wakes up your taste buds. Woodfire Grill: Chef/owner Michael Touhy’s casual neighborhood eatery is ravishingly inviting. Come in jeans or come in a little black dress; come for the monthly Cheese Club or for the frequent wine dinners. Come for the organic, seasonal artisan ingredients masterfully prepared. Quickly fried, velvety Canadian smelts are a winner as is a salad of earthy roasted beets with chevre. Mushroom soup is a savory bouillon-like liquid loaded with various meaty funghi. The musky, seared foie gras is a melt-in-your-mouth delight with the accompanying quince. The wood-grilled Kobe flatiron steak is richly marbled and memorable. The cedar-planked snapper is also a standout, retaining its moisture and boasting an intensive woody flavor. The fine desserts include pineapple upside down cake with lemongrass-ginger ice cream and coconut rum anglaise, hazelnut-crusted ricotta cheesecake with lavender marinated strawberries and a luscious coconut crème brulee. Suzanne Wright is a food and travel writer living in Atlanta. |
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| Delectable treats from Atlanta's Woodfire Grill | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Aria's amiable and extremely talented Chef/owner Gerry Klaskala. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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