Hot Dish Review

B is addicted to Groupon. She’ll buy anything that’s a good deal….golf lessons, restaurant coupons, clown suits. Once you buy it, you are obligated to use it, no matter how ridiculous it might be. But her recent purchase of a $35 food voucher at La Fourchette for a mere $17 was not ridiculous at all, so we made a reservation for Saturday night.

La Fourchette mean “the fork”, a reasonable monicker for a place that serves French inspired cuisine that one should probably eat with a fork….or does it imply something more?

The restaurant’s sterile glass exterior on busy Piedmont Avenue belies its simple yet inviting space, warmly lit and full of young and trendy diners. B arrived tout de suite and we proceeded to order a couple of glasses of inexpensive bubbly. Cheers!

We had so much catching up to do we almost forgot to look at the menu. Among the list of ten appetizers, a couple intrigued her and a couple intrigued me. I would have tried the smoked trout tart with pink lady apples, or even the foie gras despite its unfortunate au torchon preparation, especially since it was paired with roasted black mission figs and brioche, but it was the pan roasted sweetbreads that made both B and I salivate.

Served on a smudge of slightly bitter fennel puree, and slightly bitter kale, the sweetbreads were thickly sliced and perfectly accented with sweet and tart cherry confiture…a bit of each on my fork reminded me that the generous portion and overall deliciousness made it worth the hefty $16 price tag. There went half our coupon already!

B and I moved on to red wine, giving a spicy red zin a try, at $12 a glass. Our server recommended the grilled loup de mer. B often orders fish so she took his advice. It was served with leeks, crispy fingerlings, and saffron emulsion. She loved the little discs of potato. My bite was tasty but hardly memorable.

I thought momentarily about the bistro steak frites with sauce bordelaise and the grilled pork loin, but was predictably compelled to order the duck confit instead.

Two thigh and leg portions with nicely crisped skin were placed upon a generous heap of black eyed peas and leeks. I was looking forward to the leeks but the side was really just peas…and their eyes were green. It was an odd choice to pair with duck. Much like pork and foie gras, a sweet accompaniment somewhere on the plate is always a nice contrast to rich duck meat. Ironically, the veal was served with apricot puree and brocollini….probably a better match with the duck.

I rarely order chicken because, well, it’s just chicken. But La Fourchette’s roasted chicken with local okra, tomato confit, bacon, and basil puree sounds really good. Entrees ranged from a somewhat boring vegetarian plate with all the sides mentioned above for $18 to B’s loup de mer coming in at a whopping $32.

Much like the interior of the space itself, the duck was nice, just not compelling. Dessert, on the other hand, was a deliriously delicious plate of little square beignets tossed with orange blossom honey and sliced almonds with a bit of honey ice cream on the side. Crisp, light, and sticky, all at the same time.

I hate to belabor the point, but the expenditure at La Fourchette was surprisingly high, especially considering our $35 coupon. But we forked it over, with the sweet memory of the beignets and the last sips of cote de rhone softening the blow.

3133 Piedmont Road 404-748-1229

Saturday night B and I dined at Abattoir. I was interested to hear what chef and partner Josh Hopkins thought of my interview with him and the article on the restaurant that just came out in the current Atlanta’s Finest Dining. And of course, we were craving some freshly butchered meat. (Abattoir means slaughterhouse in French, by the way.)

Waiting for B at the bar, I ordered my usual Karl Erbes riesling poured by the gorgeous bartender with the mesmerizing eyes. We decided to make ourselves at home there rather than at a table, as we often prefer. It’s just more interactive! I had a chance to meet Rick, the restaurant’s manager, who was a gracious host.

The space is like a modern barn, with rough unpolished wood, light gray banquettes, and high ceilings. Lighting is warm and cozy and makes everyone look gorgeous.

I think it’s worth mentioning that, unlike many food writers, I don’t see the problem in writing a review based on one visit, even if it’s a media dinner. Good is good. And bad is, well, not so good. My opinion and impressions generally remain consistent if I visit once or ten times. And really, it’s just not that serious folks.

So, on this, my second visit to Abattoir, I was excited to try something new. I had eaten my way through half the menu at the media dinner a couple of months ago, loving the rabbit rillette, the chicharrones, and the lamb liver fritters. I started with a salad of roasted figs, gorgonzola, and bacon, the heady flavors tempered by fresh greens. Divine.

Our bartender, now our server, delivered a lovely crisp baguette with butter as I switched to a glass of the smooth cab B was drinking. She chose a couple of cheeses, one of which was my standby, the Humboldt Fog, served with Marcona almonds. Cheese service at all of Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison’s restaurants is always stellar.

One of my colleagues said the quail was awesome so that’s what I ordered. Stuffed with sausage and served with a succotash of cabbage and bacon, it was true comfort food. B chose the slow cooked rabbit (I referred to it as a wascal-y wabbit) as her main, with stewed okra and tomatoes. As we noshed on bread, cheese and wine B struck up a conversation with J, a fellow diner at the bar. We ended up sampling his lamb which he described as rich and somewhat gamey. No problem, we like gamey. My horoscope said I would meet some interesting people tonight.

There was bacon in my salad, bacon in my entree, so why not bacon in the dessert? Abattoir’s maple bacon beignets are already nearly famous. Doughnuts drizzled with syrup, they are as good as they look.

The restaurant was busy throughout the evening but as the crowds waned, chef Hopkins came out to say hello….how nice!

Despite being known for offal, none was ingested on this visit.