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| Restaurant Eunene 2277 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, GA 30309 404-355-0321 It’s been quite a while since Atlanta has spawned a sophisticated yet un-showy restaurant. Restaurant Eugene, named after Chef Linton Hopkins’s beloved grandfather, is a gorgeously adult space with blissful acoustics—you can really hold a conversation here. Add a confidently restrained chef and the result? A snug room filled with a tony mix of appreciative diners. MENU: **** This is not a multiple page affair, but rather a well-edited menu with numerous choices rom surf and turf to vegetarian plates. Seafood fans will be particularly pleased with the variety. FOOD QUALITY: **** Chef Hopkins’ menu is driven by what is seasonal and can be obtained locally; preparations change monthly. The seafood is top-drawer, the bread, baked in-house is served delightfully warm, the FOOD PRESENTATION: ***** Spare and graceful, just like the surroundings. The plates showcase small, but completely adequate servings that look delectable and approachable. ATMOSPHERE: ***** Some may find the room quiet stuffy, but I found it a harmonious relief in these days of “high energy” restaurants (read: noisy with poor acoustics). Located on the bottom floor of a South Buckhead residential high-rise, the interior is elegant and restive to the eye, in a palette of soft grays and beiges, high-end leathers and fabrics, cherry wood tables and dramatic lighting. There’s also a snappy little bar perfect for post-traffic highball. CLEANLINESS: ***** Impeccable. The owners had the space outfitted to their specifications so everything SERVICE: **** Smooth as silk. Unobtrusive and mature, the servers float through the room. Petite, raven-haired Gina Hopkins, the genial wife of the chef, circulates as well. It’s nice to experience a seasoned group of professionals at work. MENU RECOMMENDATIONS: The chicken livers, are lightly battered and fried downy nuggets served with baby artichokes and applewood bacon vinaigrette. A tower of crab, a cornmeal-crusted soft-shell crab and a jumbo lump crabcake propped upon chopped cole slaw were excellent, as was surf and turf, featuring a chubby, buttery Painted Hills tenderloin and a butter-poached lobster tail served with creamed spinach in a puddle of cognac sauce. The cremosina cheesecake, a fluffy dome scented with lavender strawberries is perfectly accompanied by a glass of Westerly late harvest viognier with a pleasantly smoky finish cutting the caramel sweetness. OVERALL RATING: ***** In under a year, Hopkins has put his name back on the culinary map—he was an Emory University student and his dad still teaches there. A certain cut of the city’s most discerning diners has already made pricey Restaurant Eugene an early success and the rest of the city is planning a special occasion visit to this gracious new eatery. by:Suzanne Wright |
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| Above: The elegant and sophisticated dining room of Eugenes; Executive Chef/ Proprietor... Linton Hopkins. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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