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Twist
by Suzanne Wright & editor

There’s been a lot of buzz about restaurateur Tom Catherall’s latest culinary mall addition, Twist, in Phipps Plaza. It’s not like he hasn’t done this before – created a frenzy that lights up the local food scene like a bright-burning firecracker.
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So what is Twist? It’s a tapas bar cum sushi bar cum Asian-fusion eatery. The first-floor space was formerly Bertucci’s. It has two entrances and is lit like a nightclub with a thumping dance soundtrack to match. It is all sleek surfaces (dark brown and terracotta) and the noise level is fairly high. One striking feature is a semi-circular bar off the Peachtree Road entrance. Behind the hostess stand, a cascade of light ripples on a silver metal curtain that looks like it’s made of ball-bearings and rises to perhaps nine or ten feet. Yes, there are hotties in evidence at the bar, but the aging, suburban couples with kids are also jostling for seats. The bar offers a list of “signature” $5 martinis such as a Finlandia cosmopolitan and Absolut apple martini, which explains the hub-bub .

Passing through the main bar into the dining room, you’ll see a case with ice and a few oyster shells and shrimp. Did I mention there’s a raw bar, too? Tucked on the other end of the space is the sushi bar (if you eat in the dining room, you’ll have to ask for the sushi menu). We ate in the dining room, where there’s a bit less clamber.

The round-the-world theme continues with the iron curtain’s vodka flights for $12 and perhaps another 30 vodkas from the freezer. Other popular choices include sake and a wine list that has three price points ($22, $33, $44 by the bottle or $6.50, $8.50, $10.50 by the glass) — a concept introduced last fall by Bob Amick at One Midtown Kitchen.

The servers are easy to spot in their black T-shirts that say either “Eat” or “Drink” on the front and “Up” on the back. This is a restaurant where patience is sometimes needed. With the high volume of clientele and busy pace, the service is sometimes a little slow, but usually the enthusiasm of the wait staff makes up for this. Just don’t go if you are in a big hurry.

The menu boasts satays, wraps and rolls, salads, sandwiches, sharing salads, tapas, entrees, a raw bar and sushi, along with desserts. You are meant to share, for portions are small, except for entrées. (The melt-in-your-mouth cheese straws will keep you satisfied between courses.)

The food is surprisingly good, especially for the reasonable price points. It’s the perfect place to go before or after shopping or catching a movie at Phipps. It’s also great if you are looking for a festive time in a high-energy atmosphere. (The tables outside provide a more relaxing experience.) There were two offerings that really made me smile: supermodels’ three-course meal (smoked salmon, sage bleu cheese, chocolate truffle, $6); and soft scrambled eggs with crème fraiche, Russian caviar and brioche ($29). There’s a hanger steak with fries for $19, presumably for the man who isn’t eating any of this multicultural mish-mash but wants to check out the gals at the bar.

After placing our order, we prepare to be dazzled. Dishes arrive swiftly and in no particular order — and everything looks ravishing. The lean, nicely chargrilled Korean BBQ beef with kim chee is flavorful, and the fried calamari with lemon aioli is tender. Grilled miso salmon wrap isn’t really a wrap, but the fish is perfectly cooked. The aromatic smell of lemongrass curry broth makes us swoon, but the shrimp dumplings have too-thick wrappers and are devoid of flavor. Better to spring for the $29 lobster Shanghai. It’s a nice-sized cracked lobster, bathed in a creamy ginger curry with just the right fire and the tasty fried spinach leaves. The sashimi tuna pizza with wasabi mayo has a nice thin crust, but we look hard to find the tuna. The squid and yellowtail sushi are admirable, if not memorable. The lemon tart has a slightly unusual taste, but the accompanying blueberry sorbet is scrumptious.

Twist is located at 3393 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, in Phipps Plaza. There phone number is (404) 364-9360.

From top: Prawns; Sashimi Tuna Pizza; Executive chef & Owner Tom Catherall (right); Chocolate fondue.