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| Metropolitan Meets Mediterranean by Jennifer Grzeskowiak The winter chill is beginning to subside and what better place to celebrate the impending warmth than at a Mediterranean bistro? With a large, open patio facing Peachtree Street in Buckhead, Milan is the ideal place to relax and enjoy a truly metropolitan setting. And once you experience the food, you’ll be hooked regardless of the weather forecast. The patio alone affords a postcard view of the city’s lights, buildings and thriving energy. But if the hustle-and-bustle atmosphere of Buckhead doesn’t suit your fancy, Milan’s interior offers a relaxing respite. The restaurant greets diners – and drinkers – with complementary hues of orange, green and blue. Earth-colored tiles add to the relaxed, Mediterranean atmosphere. Along with oversized, well-cushioned booths, Milan also offers a semi-enclosed bar area pervaded by deep blue walls. If you need more to eat than the olives in your martini, Milan’s menu includes enough variety to please any palate. Offerings range from cold and hot tapas to entrees, pasta, and pizza and calzones. The kitchen is run by Daniel Andre, a Paris native who has been in the restaurant industry for more than 25 years and has collaborated extensively with the Ritz Carlton. Andre describes the food as “Mediterranean with a Continental flare,” and currently is reworking the menu to skew it slightly away from its American influence. Lovers of the tapas trend easily can create a meal from the full page of small-plate choices. I opted for the lamb kebob served with Greek yogurt enhanced by cucumber, mint and garlic. The lamb was tender, lightly spiced and satisfying on its own. The light yogurt, however, helped balance the heaviness of the meat and combined with the mint added a cool, refreshing element to lamb, which traditionally is more weighty. On the cold tapas side, I was tempted by the shellfish salad with shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari mixed with aged sherry vinaigrette. But, alas, I had to ensure that I saved room for an entrée and dessert. To depart from the initial meat dish, I decided on the grouper, which is pan-seared and served with lump crab, béarnaise sauce and asparagus. Despite mainly consisting of fish, this dish proved to be rich and very filling. The sauce, with a hint of garlic, provided additional flavor to the grouper, which was meaty in texture and mild in taste. Like the fish, the two generously portioned crab cakes also were meaty and contributed an appropriate amount of salt. The crisp, colorful asparagus helped lighten the overall tasty entrée and cut through the sauce. If you are feeling adventurous, each night at the restaurant entails a new round of specials. The night I ate there, the restaurant offered a beef filet swathed in a thin layer of phyllo dough and bathed with red wine sauce. The most noticeable distinction of the dish was the earthy flavor that was created by the combination of the wine, dough and rosemary. The elements truly worked together to bring out the rustic nature of the filet. In case you aren’t full just from reading the previous commentary, my meal concluded with some delectable sweets, most notably, Milan’s signature dessert, which ended up being unexpectedly unique. Considering I was dining at a restaurant under the direction of a French chef, I was anticipating my favorite dessert, crème brulee, throughout the whole dinner. But upon recommendation, I instead ordered the sabayon with fresh berries, which proved to be a wise decision. (You can, after all, make your own crème brulee based on the recipe from Milan’s Web site, provided you own one of those fun and versatile kitchen torches.) The thick and sweet custard was served in an almond tuile, basically an incredibly thin, basket-shaped cookie. The crisp, crunchy texture of the tuile contrasted nicely with the softness of the custard and the juiciness of the berries. For devotees of more traditional desserts, the restaurant also serves tiramisu, key lime pie and cappuccino mousse cake. The service at Milan reflects the hospitable atmosphere of the adjoining Crown Plaza Hotel. Both the servers and the management go out of their way to ensure that guests are properly accommodated. Chef Andre also can be coaxed from the kitchen to answer questions about the food. Adding to the convivial ambience, musicians strum and stroke their instruments on Friday and Saturday nights. By next August we all probably will be sick of the hot, southern weather. But for now, I’m looking forward to a spring and summer full of skirts, cool drinks and umbrella-covered patios. And if you want to enjoy the hubbub of the city in conjunction with all the beautiful Mediterranean has to offer, look no further than Milan. Milan is located at 3377 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30326. For more information please call (678) 553-1900 or visit the restaurant’s Web site at www.milanatlanta.com. |
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| From top: Tomato basil mozzerella; Roasted garlic parmesean crusted salmon; Chef Daniel Andre; Sabayon and berries. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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