 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Justin's; Southern Food With an Attitude by Osha Ana Curran Atlanta is well know for its tradition in excellent southern food. Restaurants ranging from roadside shacks to elaborate buffets offer some of the best cooking this side of the Mississippi. To indulge in this excellent cuisine you can ask any Atlanta native and they will direct you to some of the most well known spots for fried chicken, barbeque ribs, fried catfish and collard greens. A more recent addition to the city’s offering of down home delights, is the rap mogul Sean “Puffy” Combs’ restaurant, Justin’s. Justin’s, the second restaurant named after Combs’ young son, with the first located in New York, serves up southern food with a flair for fashion. The restaurant, in its prime Buckhead location, boasts a New York attitude and elaborate decor. Justin’s, touted for its Southern and Caribbean cuisine, presents a dichotomy between its swank, upbeat atmosphere and its down home, mama’s kitchen cooking. The space is elegant and hip, with vaulted ceilings, medieval chandeliers and velvet drapery. Everything is on a grandiose scale and has the feeling of an English castle with lots of modern conveniences. On the weekends the restaurant takes on a club-like atmosphere with lots of action at the chic bar offering a wide selection of scrumptious specialty martinis. Upon arrival, my dining companion and I were escorted to our table and introduced to our attentive waiter who immediately presented us with their wine list that we quickly overlooked. Distracted by the enticing martini list, we started right in. My companion ordered the P’Diddy Martini, named after the restaurants humble proprietor and I selected the yummy Peach Martini. Both were delicious and almost enough to make us forget about dinner entirely. But alas, the appetizers called our names. Shrimp Wellington and Catfish Fritters arrived, filling the air with the nostalgic aroma of fresh catfish frying on my Grandmother’s stove. The Shrimp Wellington consisted of two jumbo shrimp wrapped in puffed pastry and stuffed with crabmeat. This dish was overshadowed in flavor and size by the meal-size portion of Catfish Fritters. Served in a not too spicy chipotle sauce, the catfish was lightly battered and fried to a tender and juicy perfection. We found it quite difficult to stop eating half way through this sizable appetizer in order to save room for the main course. For my entree I found the P’Diddy Pan Roast to be an irresistible choice with its plethora of shrimp, scallops, baby lobster and wild mushrooms with rice. My companion, at the suggestion of our well versed waiter, chose the Turkey Wings. Most entrees are served with a choice of two side items: he chose the macaroni and cheese, and candied yams. The P’Diddy Pan Roast was a healthy portion of seafood and wild mushrooms immersed in a butter and thyme broth that dominated the flavor of the dish. The dish was much like a New Orleans gumbo sans the creole kick. The Turkey Wings with mac n’ cheese and candied yams immediately transported us again to my Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. Ahh, crisp and cozy November in a country home in Virginia... This entree truly tasted homemade; no gourmet flairs, just down home, good cooking. With our dinners we both enjoyed Chardonnay that nicely accented our dishes, although my companion felt a bit odd sipping wine while eating turkey. He remarked that sweet iced tea may have been a bit more appropriate, but found the flavors complimentary none the less. As the martinis and tryptophan started to work their magic, we settled down for our final, and my favorite, course of the evening. Dessert! Once again taking our waiter’s recommendation, we selected the Apple Crumble Cobbler with streusel topping and vanilla ice cream, along with the Bad Boy Chocolate Terrine topped with chocolate ice cream and served over a strawberry coulis. Both created comforting, home baked ends to our evening of southern indulgence. My favorite part of our dessert was the martini that accompanied it; a chocolate martini made with Vanilla Stoli and Godiva Liqueur, absolutely sinful! Justin’s is a great way to enjoy Atlanta’s tradition of southern cooking in a less traditional, more upbeat ambience. Take a date on a weekday and enjoy good food and conversation, or go solo on the weekend and check out everything this restaurant and bar has to offer. Justin’s is located at 2200 Peachtree Road. For reservations call (404)603-5353. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
