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| In The M!X by Christine Woodhouse While going out for dinner and drinks seems to be a city-sanctioned pass time in Atlanta, I sometimes wonder where my fellow Atlantans find the energy. On weeknights, I confess to having more of a love affair with my couch, a good book, and some gourmet takeaway than our city’s bustling bar scene. However, duty calls. When I hear that owners of my favorite restaurant have opened another establishment, the invitation to investigate trumps my date with Tyler Florence and Eat This Book. I’m still pondering the growing trend to meld lounge, bar and restaurant when I pull up to the valet at M!x. Located next door to Haven, M!x is born of the same ambitious duo, Michel and Tonya Arnette, who brought us Brookhaven’s deservedly popular namesake. Once through the front door, I start to really get it. Michel and Tonya took one of the most magnetic elements from Haven, its bar, and gave it a separate venue. The comfortable-chic atmosphere at Haven begs to be soaked up with a few cocktails but the restaurant’s crowd of hungry patrons don’t leave any room for lounging at the bar. Enter M!x, a relaxing, artistic space designed to accommodate mingling singles alongside more serious foodies. Add an energetic chef who really loves his job, and the feel-good atmosphere is absolutely contagious. It’s a relatively quiet Monday night at most restaurants but M!x is serving up food and drinks to a decent sized crowd. Immediately greeted by an expansive, curvy bar, I realize it circles around to the open kitchen where, thankfully, the activity piques my curiosity without adding deafening noise. We choose a cozy booth under a drastically three-dimensional painting – clearly poised to create maximum food for thought. The artwork vanishes from my mind once I spot a neatly printed card listing tonight’s specials and the extensive menu of small plates, not to mention the wine list. While I contemplate where to start, my friend points out a large light fixture nearby that resembles the work of Dale Chihuly. The magnificent display of brightly colored, blown glass is worthy of admiration but I quickly return to my work. The potato leek bisque sounds like a good idea under the current, cool Autumn circumstances. We start there and revel in the richness of this creamy soup. A tiny pool of paprika oil hints at the vivid flavors below and my first spoonful finds the jumbo lump crabmeat promised on the menu. I silently thank the chef for saving me from myself as the mini portion is deceptively filling. Next we dabble in the specials, opting for the rock shrimp pizza. The thin, flat crust serves up zesty chunks of shrimp with cilantro and poblano peppers, doused in a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. The spiced tomato butter is just enough to bring the flavors together without weighing down this delicious gourmet pie. Once the plates are cleared, more food arrives. This time it’s the bluefin tuna – cut into three pristine cubes, decorated with light and dark sesame seeds and neatly displayed on a rectangular white plate. It’s hard to bite into the perfect square block but I manage. There’s just a hint of soy sauce and sesame to heighten the fresh tuna taste, and a dollop of creamy lime dressing for garnish. The hamachi sashimi roll is equally fresh and bursting with yellowtail and crab, topped with a twist of avocado, a touch of pickled ginger and a dash of wasabi soy sauce. You won’t be able to eat grocery store sushi after this. Somehow I save room for the entrée special, pan roasted haddock in miso broth, and when the soothing bowl of soup arrives I’m very glad I did. The seared haddock surrounded by a delicate broth thick with shiitake mushrooms warms me all over. The subtle taste of crab adds the right depth to the overall flavor and I think how lucky I am to be here on a night when this bowl of divinity is served. With nutella pizza and chocolate souffle among the dessert options, there’s even more to sample before I’m done. First, it’s the sweet pizza. The fragile crust is spread with nutella, sprinkled with crumbles of sheep’s milk ricotta cheese, and dusted with finely chopped hazelnuts. It’s like the gourmet version of my friend’s nutella and pretzel invention (born of necessity after a late night of drinking). I love it. The chocolate souffle is, of course, sublime. It’s paired with armagnac ice cream, which may soon be classified as an illegal substance due to its addictive properties. Armagnac is a brandy similar to cognac and it gives the tiny scoop of ice cream a deliciously exotic flavor alongside the gooey centered chocolate cake. After that kind of finale, I have to admit that M!X is the kind of place that’s worth straying from my lazy weeknight routine for any night of the week! M!X is located at 1441 Dresden Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319. Visit www.mixrestaurant.com or call (404) 969-3250 for more information. |
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| From top: Baby octopus, Cannoli, Sweet chili chicken, Foli gras, Kobe beef carpaccio, and Burrata mozzarella tomatoe salad. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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