Hot Dish Review

This may be hard to believe. Despite its location five minutes down the street from my condo and the positive media attention since it’s opening eight years ago, I had never visted P’cheen until last weekend. It was already on top of my short list when friend BB, owner of There Brookhaven, stopped by my office with their revamped menu and some gluttonous gossip. Armed with this titillating information, I couldn’t put off a visit another day, so I talked LC into giving it a try that very night.

Having never visited the former incarnation of P’cheen, I can’t compare the decor before and after, but the space was casual and funky, with bamboo shades and copper trimmings adding warmth. Music was too loud initially, although our late arrival (around 9:30pm) would indicate that most folks have finished dining and have turned to drinking in many establishments….but not here, and not us.

Now for the gossip. Jeff Myers, formerly partner at Top Flr and still sharing ownership of Sound Table with fellow DJ Karl Injex, was expediting dishes alongside owner Keiran Neely. Coupled with the dining room makeover which Myers completed almost overnight on a $500 budget, one might conclude some sort of partnership had been arranged, but again, it’s only gossip.

We debated briefly over sitting outside where it was chilly, or indoors where it was loud, finally deciding on a table inside where we promptly ordered drinks. LC will often try a cocktail from the specialty list, this time ordering a black tea infused moonshine with lemon. I ordered an inexpensive glass of bubbly, but later switched to LC’s impressive selection, a new cocktail developed by Nate Shuman of Proof and Provision.

Moving on to the gluttony. P’cheen’s new menu is designed for sharing, with a variety of small plates that run the gamut from frog legs to turtle soup. Although I recommended we order only four dishes, it was impossible to narrow it down to so few, especially since LC threw in the Thai grilled chicken wings as our server was walking off. No surprise there.

BB had recommended the grilled octopus but it unfortunately didn’t make the cut. Instead we ordered the coconut curried mussels, baked jumbo lump crab mac ‘n’ cheese, potted duck confit (I insisted), Malaysian steak, sorghum glazed baby carrots, and the previously mentioned wings.

I was hoping a couple of dishes would arrive first, then perhaps a couple more, but everything came out almost at once, covering the surface of our tiny two-top. Coconut curried mussels were reminiscent of chef Devereux’ version at Top Flr, although not as spicy. Malaysian steak was in fact a salad, much like the beef salad I’ve ordered at Surin for years. Baby lettuces, cucumber, shaved onion, and cilantro were topped with a generous portion of thinly sliced steak, cooked medium.

Who can resist baked mac ‘n’ cheese? Neither of us, apparently. I loved the crispy edges of elbow noodles and cheese, finding the subtle bits of crab when I dug deeper into the cheesy goodness. I also can’t resist duck confit. P’cheen serves the pulled meat in a bit of light broth in a tiny Mason jar. Thick slices of grilled sourdough provided the crunchy vehicle for the duck, perfectly paired with a sweet and sour cherry chutney.

The Thai grilled chicken wings, a surviving dish from the original menu, were glazed with a spicy sauce then charred until crisp. LC would have been happy with a dozen of these and nothing else, except maybe the moonshine. However, it was his idea to order the carrots…we needed a veggie, right? Whole baby carrots in every shade of orange, yellow, and even purple, turned out to be one of my favorite dishes of the evening.

As we were licking the remnants from each plate, we noticed a bicycle parade passing in front of the restaurant, some riders with brightly colored afro wigs bobbing as they passed. Our car would not be retrievable from valet just yet (yes, thankfully there is valet!), so we ordered a couple of shots of moonshine, this time choosing vanilla bean infused. Smooth dessert.

Myers was spinning at the DJ booth in the back as we left, waving goodbye to him and the new and improved P’cheen.

701-5 Highland Avenue 404-529-8800

Tucked into the alleyway between Cosabella and Tootsies, Drew Van Leuvan’s new restaurant in the Shops Around Lenox is truly a hidden gem. DC chose Seven Lamps for our Atlanta Eats writers meeting, and of course, to eat, drink, and socialize.

When I arrived, he was seated at the communal table chatting with two contributing bloggers, one of whom was enjoying a cocktail with a salted rim. It turned out to be a Paloma made with tequila, grapefruit, and soda. Moments later I was sipping my own Paloma…tasty but certainly not enough alcohol to warrant it’s $10 pricetag.

Although there are only five actual lamps on the exposed brick wall and four naked bulbs over the communal table, they provided the kind of warm amber lighting that makes everyone look pretty. The dining room is dressed in cool shades of gray against thick repurposed wood tables and schoolroom chairs. Shiny white subway tiles provide a clean backdrop for the staff working in the open kitchen next to shelves of put-ups like pickled fiddlehead ferns.

L and J were already having some cheeses with accompaniments, including L’s favorite pistachio macaroons filled with mortadella mousse. Apparently, they make one want to go topless, so perhaps I’ll get some to go on my next visit.

KR, who is already a Seven Lamps regular, arrived as I was pondering what I might put in my mouth. I decided on a small plate of savory crepes filled with wood grilled Tuscan kale and vidalia onion, then sliced and baked with a gruyere gratin in an iron skillet. The decadent dish was finished with a smoked vinaigrette. Loved it! Another cocktail was in order as we discussed why some folks think all we do is drink and eat, this time a “fizzy lifting drink” made with Bacardi Superior, fresh lime, black peppercorn syrup, then carbonated while shaken. Again, delicious but not enough liquor.

A selection of four handmade pastas, each offered in two sizes, included the alluring black linguine with braised rabbit legs, in a white bolognese sauce. I ordered the small plate for $10. The wonderful toothsome quality of the pasta, colored black with squid ink, was the perfect match to the succulent pulled rabbit meat and sinfully rich sauce. It was the very definition of comfort food…one of the best dishes I’ve eaten in recent memory.

Van Leuvan’s menu evolves with the seasons, and is tweaked daily reflecting the fresh ingredients available at the farmer’s markets. Among a table of food writers, there was not a single complaint, which is a strong indication that Seven Lamps will continue to shine brightly.

3400 Around Lenox Road #217 404-467-8950

Maybe it’s a sign of our fear of commitment. Temporary boutiques are popping up everywhere, food trucks roam our streets setting up shop in parking lots, and now there’s a pop up restaurant at Atlantic Station….but only through the end of the year.

After an ill-fated Yelp party located in the vacant former Fox Sports Bar space, BB and I ended up at this foodie find operated by Billy and Jenn Streck of Cypress Street Pint & Plate. Staffed by a hodge podge of industry pros including chef Bart Hibbs who’s worked with such stars as Iron Chef Michael Symon, Hudson North feels as polished as any restaurant in town.

Decor is simple, puncuated by candles in mason jars strung across the intimate dining room abandoned by The Grape. The addition of Christmas trees adds to the Wintery festivity. We chose seats at the bar, always enjoying the entertaining banter of a witty bartender….perfect since this one was a stand-up comedian on holiday. With champagne on my brain, I chose the cocktail made with it, hibiscus liqueur and bitters. Sparkly and subtly sweet.

Although we snacked on a couple of things at the party, BB was ravenous, starting with the pickled plate, an assortment of things like country ham, ricotta, mixed olives, and pickled cantaloupe balls. I hate cantaloupe and actually have an allergic reaction to it as well, but was still tempted to try it pickled. Mistake for me, but BB devoured ‘em. I stuck to the meat, cheese, and olives with toasted sourdough.

Turns out, chef Hibbs had just left, but owner Billy arrived and made up for his absence by sharing his off-menu Brussels sprouts and filling us in on his pop up concept. Sure, I’ll have another cocktail!

We moved on to a couple of shared plates, the shrimp dish at his suggestion, braised chicken tacos at mine. His was better, a thick ragu of cannellini beans and lamb sausage providing a platform for the succulent shrimp. Sections of orange added an acid zing while the mint that usually decorates the top was put on the side to spare me and my distaste for it.

The pair of tacos were overstuffed corn tortillas that became unfortunately soggy due to the ancho chile sauce on the braised chicken. But a crisp root vegetable slaw gave the dish a pleasant crunch and saved the day. Although my choice was twice the quantity of food, it was about half the price of the shrimp dish.

Like a one-night stand, Hudson North will be a distant memory in a few short weeks. Difference is, we’ll actually miss this one.

264 19th Street NW 404-747-2297

Originally posted about a year ago….funny, it sounds like it could have happened yesterday.Friday night LC and I found the dining room at JCT Kitchen jam packed, despite the torrential downpour and severe thunderstorm warning. We had an evening to ourselves and wanted to enjoy a nice adult meal at a cool place.

Surprisingly, I had never made it to JCT before. It was one of the first restaurants to lure the trendy dining crowd to this somewhat industrialized neighborhood. Everything I had heard was positive so I was excited to give it a go.

The space is open, exuding warmth and simplicity, much like its neighbors Quinones Room and Baccanalia in the same complex. Across the way is the White Provisions building home to culinary star Abattoir and right next to the original Yeah! Burger.

Seated across from each other at a two-top along the wall, LC commented that conversation was nearly impossible, given the constant chatter from tables nearby. It was true, the atmosphere was anything but intimate. We would have preferred the patio had the weather cooperated.

We started with cocktails from their creative list, utilizing spirits like bitters, bourbon and rye, which has become rather de rigeur for upscale trendy restaurants these days. I was excited to see a sloe gin fizz on the list, taking me back to my childhood when my parents hosted card games and my Mom made this drink by the pitcher.

After delivering our cocktails, our server read off an entire menu’s worth of specials. I almost stopped him, having already decided on the bacon wrapped pork loin, when he said the word “duck”. The game had instantly changed. It was a breast and confit, I assumed a leg, with an orange champagne sauce served with sauteed peppers….a weird pairing but he had me at “duck”.

But first we wanted to sample a couple of starters, the “angry” mussels and the bacon wrapped figs with blue cheese. We found both dishes to be very impressive. The figs were not baked but rather raw, sliced in half with a thick strip of chewy bacon intertwined among the halves, which rested in an intensely sharp blue cheese sauce that provided the appropriate balance to the dish. A smattering of toasted almonds added a fun crunchy element.

A medium-sized bowl of mussles arrived, steaming in their aromatic broth flavored with peppered bacon, serano chilis, and onion. Although small, the shellfish were great. I especially enjoyed dipping the crusty rustic bread in the spicy broth. We loved ‘em!

When our server checked in I switched to prosecco. LC ordered the shrimp ‘n’ grits and I went for the duck, of course. His dish was richer than the Kennedys, grits engulfed in cheeses and butter, topped with shrimp and a battered and deep fried poached egg. A week’s worth of calories and fat, but decadently delicious.

My duck, however, was not exactly what I expected. Yes, the breast was nicely displayed with a crispy skin. Based upon our server’s description, I was expecting a leg confit, but instead the breast was served on a mound of shredded confit, seasoned with the orange champagne sauced described, creating a concoction which sort of reminded me of BBQ. The oily, crispy, gaminess of the confit was entirely lost. I wasn’t thrilled about the peppers to begin with and they did little to elevate the entree.

An unexpected favorite of the evening was the side dish of corn succotash that LC ordered. Bathed in butter, it was the epitome of Summer in the South. Ironically LC had actually changed his order to the squash, but it was a happy mistake.

We decided to forego edible dessert in favor of the liquid variety upstairs at JCT Bar. An acoustic guitarist entertained the crowd of thirty-somethings inside as the drizzle continued outside. A train chugged past as we headed to the car, anxious to get home and work off the surplus calories.

1198 Howell Mill Road 404-355-2252

On a recent weekend, LC and I revisited Fig Jam with a business client of his, determined not to over-order like we did on my birthday. We ate like it was our last meal!

Arriving before our dining companions, we took a seat at the bar and ordered two cocktails, the eponymous Fig Jam that we enjoyed on my birthday. As we sipped our drinks, JE and his girlfriend walked in. Joining us in trying the signature cocktail, the four of us moved three feet to a hightop adjacent to the bar.

We started the same way LC and I did before, with the mini cheddar cheese sandwich. Lightly grilled and cut into bite-size strips, it’s the apple chutney that elevates this everyday sandwich into an upscale appetizer.

Our table of four would have had a hard time devouring what we ordered on our first visit….seven dishes altogether. This time, we shared three more small plates, the apple curry chicken skewers with mango salsa and vegetable spring rolls, both of which were unremarkable. However, the mussels in coconut lemongrass curry broth were as fragrant and delicious as before.

A big bowl of ravioli florentine didn’t make the cut on my birthday, but we managed to split it four ways on this occassion. And thankfully so, it was decadently rich. Another round of drinks appeared.

We both settled on the same large plate, each couple sharing the duck confit with parsnips and a sweet smudge of cherry jus. Fig Jam does a great job with the duck, delivering a perfectly crisped skin and succulent meat.

By now, our plate count was up to seven, but it was quite manageable with four rather than two sharing everything. In fact, we even had room for dessert! Cheesecake for our guests and two scoops of fig vanilla ice cream for me and my sweetie.

This dinner took place a while back, likely at the tail end of their Winter menu. A quick check of their current menu online reveals numerous Springlike changes like a starter of quail with kimchee and cilantro and fried green tomatoes with frisee and chili oil. Guess it’s time for a third visit!

1745 Peachtree Street NE 404-724-9100

LC and I have made a habit of dining at Goin’ Coastal. It is easy, the staff is extra friendly, and the food is always satisfying. More often than not we sit at the bar and get a pound of steamed shrimp, seasoned just right, ready to peel and eat.

We’ll also get a side or two….the jalapeno cornbread pudding is my favorite. One time, LC ordered the fried pickle chips with chipotle cream sauce….he loves pickles! However, he’s on a bit of a health kick so when we stopped in last week, he got a salad special, a simple yet vibrant combination of greens, grape tomatoes, roasted yellow beets, and avocado with a delicious jalapeno vinaigrette. We split an order of sweet and buttery corn on the cob with our shrimp.

But first, an order of baked oysters in two flavors started off our casual meal. Three oysters Rockefeller topped with spinach, bacon, and parmesan cheese and three stuffed with blue crab meat and cheeses. Generally, I love seafood, but I can live without oysters.

LC loves Goin’ Coastal’s dirty vodka martinis, made with Webster’s special mix of olive juice and herbs, garnished with two blue cheese and bacon stuffed green olives. I often try one of their signature cocktails, like the awesome watermelon jalapeno margaritas we were addicted to last Summer (we still miss them!).

Lobster, crab legs, sustainably caught fresh fish and shrimp….it’s all good at Goin’ Coastal!

1021 Virginia Avenue 404-941-9117

Last night, a group of food bloggers descended on four Midtown restaurants that will be dishing up samples at the 10th annual Taste of Atlanta, October 22nd and 23rd.

When I was contacted by event founder, Dale DeSena, I was excited, not only to be invited to participate, but also because my company, Cooper Global Transportation, was chosen to provide the luxurious chauffeured transportation to drive us eaters around town!

Our group of 25 bloggers, Brave PR staffers and Dale herself, started at JCT Kitchen, welcomed with a couple of signature cocktails that captured the essence of Autumn. The scarecrow was made with pumpkin ale, spiced rum, brown sugar chai and orange. Myself, and a few others, found it heavy on the cloves. But everyone seemed to enjoy their signature martini the JCTea, a mix of tea infused gin, Grand Marnier, lemon, Fee Brothers orange bitters.

Two big platters of delectable morsels were placed on the communal tables, photographed like starlets by the hungry (literally) blogger paparazzi, as Chef de Cuisine Brian Horn described the selections. Then we each grabbed a plate and a bite of each….the pork belly appetizer I was hoping to try and a taste of pasta from their entree selections. Crispy chunks of pork belly sat upon fried slices of banana and frissee, dressed with peanut sauce. Amazing! Even better was the sweet onion and fontina agnolotti, dressed with crumbles of Humboldt Fog and shitake mushrooms, wittily described as “expensive” on the menu. A great start to the TOA Tweet-Up!

On to our second restaurant, Ri Ra, an Irish pub in Midtown. The enormous space is striking, constructed with pub salvage from County Wicklow near Dublin, including ornate crystal chandeliers and intricate woodwork.

Our server took drink orders, so I tried a Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. Platters of beer battered fish with two dipping sauces were placed on each table. After a few photos we were ready to dig in but the platters were inexplicably taken away to another table for serving. It was curious that they served us fish without the chips. One of the bloggers’ companions….not even a food writer, mind you….noted that there was no seasoning on the fish. Indeed, it was apparent in the first bite that salt was omitted. The sauces did little to perk up the flavor.

We boarded the Cooper minibus and made our way to Tuk Tuk Thai Loft, owned by Dee Dee Niyomkul, who’s family owns Nan Thai and Tamarind Seed. The space is gorgeous. Inspired by the street food her grandmother used to sell in Bangkok, Dee Dee recreates these dishes with great success. Our group was served lychee mojitos, which I skipped but heard was great.

Servers appeared with platters of tastes, many of them disappearing before we could get our cameras out. Chicken satay and Thai vegetable samosas to start, then a platter of miniature spinach leaf wraps filled with minced chicken, peanuts, onions, and ginger. My personal favorite was the Thai beef jerky with sticky rice and cilantro. Chef DeeDee came out to chat with us after we had sampled many delectable dishes, making for a memorable visit.

Everyone was feelin’ good, and having a great time getting to know each other! Our last stop was The Barrelhouse, a new gastropub on 5th street. Tennessee barn wood covered the walls, making for a warm and casual atmosphere. A cocktail called fruit cup was offered, made with vodka, simple syrup, cherries, pineapple, mint, and soda.

A tiny hot dog bun was delivered, filled with meltingly tender beef short ribs. It was a little dry, but the flavor was fantastic. I gave my little cup of banana pudding to a fellow blogger, anticipating a sweeter dessert as I texted LC, who was arriving from Texas via the Marta station nearby. Perfect timing!

Don’t miss this year’s Taste of Atlanta on the streets around Tech Square….with more than 80 restaurants participating you won’t leave hungry!

A long overdue visit to Serpas immediately reminded me of what sets apart a good restaurant from a great one.

There are only a couple of foods that I would categorize as disgusting….chicken livers and cucumbers. Then there are a few that I can eat, but generally choose not to, such as tuna, broccoli, and beets.

It is a rare restaurant that can make me want to eat tuna. Top Flr is one, Serpas is the other.

My first experience with Scott Serpas’ tuna tartar was at the opening media dinner. I would not have ordered it, however, our big table of food writers received a chef’s tasting of practically half the menu.

Many of the tastes were fantastic, but I was particularly enthralled with the chef’s tuna tartar, its tiny cubes of fresh ahi tossed with diced onion and green apple in a sweet and spicy sesame dressing. He served housemade potato chips alongside for scooping up the tartar, providing a slightly salty crunch that complimented the silky sweet tuna.

On a subsequent visit with B and our sad excuse for boyfriends at the time, we ordered several appetizers to share before our entrees. That is when I met the Serpas house salad. Butter lettuce, candied pecans, goat cheese, and his signature blistered grape vinaigrette. It’s just a salad, right? Not quite. Like the dressing on his tuna tartar, Serpas has a knack for sauces and such that is unrivaled. This salad makes me salivate.

A few other appetizers remain on the menu from those opening months like the delicious eggplant hushpuppies and savory crispy duck rolls. The chef’s Louisiana heritage is evident in dishes like chicken-andouille gumbo and flash fried oysters, both dishes he introduced during his long stint at Two Urban Licks. It is easy to make a meal of starters at Serpas.

After being snowed in for days, LC and I ventured out for a meal of modern comfort food. Chef Serpas’ approach remains unpretentious, stearing clear of silly trends, although I did see he added an appetizer of pork rillette.

The space is industrial chic with a dose of Southern charm. A mural that looks like billowing orange clouds at first glance is actually a photo of cotton. An open kitchen allows diners to see Serpas in action. There is a marked lack of chaos as he expedites orders.

Both of us were having a hard time deciding on drinks so we ended up trying a specialty cocktail made with tequila, pear compote and bitters. I considered a temperanillo or pinot noir but ended up ordering a Brooklyn Chocolate Stout. Well, they were out of the beer so my next choice was another specialty cocktail with gin and fig jam, a better choice than his. LC tried a Dixie ale later that he really enjoyed.

Thankfully, LC likes to share so we started out with the tried and true tuna tartar and the fried green tomato and crab stack. The tuna was as amazing as ever with just a hint of sweetness and a dose of heat that creeps up on your palate.

My history with fried green tomatoes is lengthy, having grown up in the South eating my Grandma’s, sliced thin with a scant cornmeal and flour coating. I often have issues with fried green tomatoes being served as an appetizer since they are really just like any other vegetable side, to be eaten with your protein. No matter, here they were, as an appetizer, all gussied up with crab and avocado, both of which I love. I had to have it.

The stack was comprised of two slices of fried green tomatoes layered with crab salad. One of the tomato slices was perfectly thin and tender, although a bit heavy on the breading, while the other was sliced too thick and therefore hard to cut. I didn’t find the avocado until the end, when a bit of it made an appearance, perhaps going unnoticed due to its hue being identical to that of the tomatoes, or it could be that the kitchen accidently went light on it. That’s a shame because I love avocado and it might have swayed my overall opinion of the dish. It was good, not great.

We decided to split the duck breast for our main course, along with the house salad. Again, I can’t even explain how perfect that salad is. The duck, cooked to medium, was stuffed with pecans and cranberries, then rolled and wrapped in bacon. Good Lord! Three pieces were placed on a creamy bed of pureed sweet potatoes with a hint of chili. I swear, there couldn’t be a dish with more bells and whistles for me than this one. It didn’t just sound or look pretty, it tasted gorgeous. And that’s coming from a chick that likes a crispy skin on her duck breast. I didn’t miss it.

Despite the duck being an obvious choice for me, I still had difficulty not ordering the jumbo sea scallops with Serpas’ rich and fragrant panang curry. LC considered the braised beef short ribs before I trumped him with the duck. A diner seated next to us had the gigantic veal porterhouse….I swear it must have weighed five pounds!

In an unexpected turn of events, we skipped dessert. On our way out I said hello to Scott. He’s such a genuinely great guy and knows by best friend B quite well. My next visit will undoubtedly be with her for brunch.

Three out of four dishes were stellar. Days later, I am still reliving the salad, the duck, the tuna. So, if I didn’t mention it before, that is what sets the good apart from the great and why Serpas is in my Top Ten list of Atlanta restaurants!

659 Auburn Avenue, suite 501 404-688-0040

A Memorial Day weekend repost, in honor of my first return visit to the boat!
Day three of LC’s birthday/Labor Day weekend bash found us at Sunset Cove at Lake Lanier. Our group was supposed to dock there the night before but there were no spots big enough for the Cooper boat.

So after a day and night on the water me and LC planted our feet back on dry land and headed for the manmade beach at Lake Lanier Islands for a drink. Which turned into five or six, of course.

Frozen pina coladas with Myers rum floaters made for low-brow deliciousness as we celebrated the gorgeous weather on his birthday.

Drinkin’ makes us hungry! Burgers are required eatin’ on Labor Day weekend but first we were craving something spicy. LC wanted the firecracker shrimp. A plate full, butterflied and fried with a coconut breading then drizzled with a cloyingly sweet sauce with a little kick. Decadent for all the wrong reasons, these shrimp contained the trifecta of food addiction: fat, salt, and sugar. Served with celery and blue cheese, we cleaned the plate.

Sunset Cove is relatively new, just up the beach from the masses of houseboats full of bikini-clad chicks, dudes with mullets, and the professional partiers keeping their boats afloat in a lake of liquor, luring all the unsuspecting barely-legal dudettes with the promise of free shots. Sorta reminds me of guys with shag carpet and panelling in their vans. I can just hear ‘em now….”I got a cooler full of cold beer in the back!” Indeed.

As we walked to the restaurant we noticed several stands with drinks and one that offered burgers and brats. Once seated at Sunset Cove I figured we’d get a burger off the menu. But LC couldn’t resist a second appetizer and bought a brat on his way back from the long trek to the restroom.

This is all before the burger, which thankfully we split. Covered in cheese and caramelized onions (not shown in photo due to their late arrival), it was juicy, messy goodness. Onion rings were awesome, just not plentiful enough.

There is a huge bucket that slowly fills with water suspended menacingly above the waterslide next to Sunset Cove. If you wait long enough it’ll tip over, splashing (or drenching) everyone below. The path to the car went around the waterslide’s bucket but LC and I went under it, of course. Then to the car to throw on my swimsuit. How dare I put on a bikini after the meal I just described? Insanity perhaps.

We took a stroll down to the sand, got our feet wet, and made some new friends before making our way back for round two. Not remembering how we ended up at a table with some pretty cool people isn’t too surprising. I think they bought us margaritas. A stage was set up in the water and the band began to play as the sun set on a fun, spontaneous day at Sunset Cove.

The expectations that come with a name like Tantra are hard to ignore….dining there would be a sensual experience. But just how sexy can food be? Sure, there would be raw oysters and cocktails with tantilizing names like the Forbidden Fruit. The space was dimly lit, as expected. Red velvet banquettes and chairs….check. Kama Sutra-esque artwork….check. The atmosphere was adequately sultry.

LC joined me, seated at a table in the main dining room. I was hoping for a secluded booth, perhaps with curtains, so we could feed each other succulent morsels in privacy. Starting off with specialty cocktails, I tried the Gigi, a bubbly drink made of prosecco, Gran Marnier, and blood orange juice, while he ordered a drink called Exuding, Stoli Vanilla mixed with almond milk and cinnamon. Both were yummy.

The internationally inspired menu by chef Terry Dwyer features middle Eastern flavors and spiced up American classics. LC and I started with three appetizers. Paneer and mushy pea samosas with a cilantro yogurt sauce were tasty but not quite as good as the delish chicken version at Spice Market.

He also got the short smoked salmon rolls with basil, mint, cilantro, and arugula. Their phallic shape was the sexiest part of the dish. LC enjoyed them but I thought the salmon was a little fishy.

More foreplay came in the form of foie gras. I’m in love with it. Seared and served with pear and quince chutney, brioche, and sauterne-saffron gelee, the piece was large enough to be duck rather than goose. That’s OK. I revisited my old habit of requesting a handful of undressed field greens with it to balance the richness of the foie gras. Noticing that many of their dishes contained mint, I specified only greens, no mint. However, the dreaded herb was mixed in among the greens. Nonetheless, it was my favorite dish of the evening, every rich bite matched with a sweet bit of chutney. I was particularly impressed that the brioche was dry and crisp, not greasy like it so often can be. The removal of the mint leaves was an easy task that hardly detracted from my enjoyment.

I switched up my drink to red wine as we awaited our two entrees. Basil caramelized scallops came with golden potato puree as did the strip steak, so we substituted mushroom-herb polenta with the scallops to avoid being redundant. The scallops were nicely seared but overly salty. They also came with ginger braised collard greens. Although slightly undercooked, their flavor was awesome.

The steak was cooked to the correct temperature but didn’t melt in my mouth. It required more chewing than I would have liked. Asparagus and potato puree alongside were not noteworthy.

Other entrees include chili seared Hawaiian tuna and pan roasted seabass. There isn’t anything inherently sexy about either of these dishes, but maybe if a hot guy is buying it for you it’ll turn you on.

We chose another side, the sauteed okra, to share. It would have been more sensual to feed them to each other by hand but that may have drawn unwanted attention so we ate them with our forks. We both loved this dish.

Ending on a sweet note, we sampled the ice cream sandwich…. orange honey and rosemary ice cream nestled between two chewy molasses spiced cookies. Unfortunately, the nutmeg and cloves in the cookies overpowered the subtle flavors of the ice cream.

2285 Peachtree Road 404-228-7963