Lowering the Steakbar

21 May

Before there were four, all three of Kevin Rathbun’s Atlanta restaurants were competing for the top spot on my ATL Faves list.  His fourth and latest concept, KR Steakbar, opened in Peachtree Hills back in February.

I’m often skeptical about the service component at brand new restaurants, so I decided to give it a three month grace period before paying the establishment a visit on a recent Saturday night.  Despite reading mixed and some less than raving reviews, I still had high hopes for the Italian-inspired small plate & steak concept.

We started the evening at the bar, which was large with lots of seating.  The restaurant also had a nice patio area, which appeared as though it would be very pleasant, weather permitting.  The bartenders were friendly, attentive, and efficient.  My off the menu vodka-cucumber-mint cocktail was delivered quickly and tasted quite refreshing.

KR Steakbar drinks

My go-to summertime drink: vodka & water with cucumber, mint, and lime

We were seated right on time for our 8:45 pm reservation.  Although the atmosphere had a nice, fun, and upbeat vibe going on, the restaurant was very loud.  Our 4-top table was also excessively long, to the extent that it was difficult to make conversation across the table.  The hostess attempted to reseat us, but every other table was full – not the end of the world, but worth noting.

Our server gave a brief overview of the restaurant concept and menu – Italian fare, smaller portion sizes, multi-course dining encouraged, steaks highly recommended.  We took her advice.

Course One: a meat & cheese assortment from the a la carte “salumi & cheese” menu.  We opted for the Parmesan, Harbison, and Rogue River Blue, accompanied by some Cacciatorini and Finocchiona slices.

KR Steakbar cheese

The Rogue River Blue was my favorite

KR Steakbar meats

I’d skip these next time and go for something more adventurous

The Parmesan and the Rogue River Blue were both sharp and delicious.  I didn’t care for the soft, almost liquid texture of the Harbison.  The salami slices were pretty standard as far as cured meats go, although I always love the fennel flavor of Finocchiona.

Course Two: kale from the “garden” menu.  The kale was sautéed with cremini mushrooms in a smoked olive oil, and topped with just a tad too much Parmesan.  Although the Parmesan was quite good, it overpowered the dish and masked the earthy flavor of the kale and mushrooms.  The cheese plate would have been sufficient.

KR Steakbar

Cheesy kale

Course Three: ribeye from the “meat” menu.  I was tempted to try a fish or pasta dish, but our server’s description of the ribeye ultimately won me over.  She explained that the ribeye was actually just the center cut piece, so really more like a filet.  She had me at filet, extra rare.

KR Steakbar steak

Too. much. arugula.

Presentation-wise, I was confused by the dish.  The steak was “garnished” with arugula and radishes, which turned out to mean smothered in giant, wilted lettuce leaves.  I quickly brushed the wilty salad off of my steak and cut it open to reveal the important part – the cool, red center.  They were spot on with the extra rare.

KR Steakbar ribeye

Kevin Rathbun certainly knows how to cook a steak perfectly

The flavor of the ribeye was phenomenal.  The outside was seared and perfectly salty.  The six ounce portion was smaller than I’m typically used to seeing, meaning I still had room for dessert and no one had to wheel me out of the restaurant.

Course Four (not pictured): olive oil cake.  Disappointingly, the olive oil cake tasted no different than a pound cake.  It was moist, but lacked any sort of flavor.  The pistachio gelato that accompanied the cake was a nice touch, but there wasn’t much of it to go around.

Bonus Course: After-dinner drinks.  We finished the meal with a round of their house-made “Bailey’s” on the rocks.  This satisfied my sweet tooth in place of the olive oil cake.

KR Steakbar

I can’t remember what they called this, but it was tasty

Overall, I enjoyed the food, the atmosphere, and the service at KR Steakbar, but I definitely was not blown away.  Although the concept was interesting, I’m not sure “Italian fare with an emphasis on Prime steaks” is a cuisine I need to eat again.  Comparatively speaking, I would much rather dine at Rathbun’s, Kevin Rathbun Steak, or Krog Bar over KR Steakbar.  I guess that’s the downside to owning three successful (and delicious) restaurants in one city – when you decide to open a fourth, everyone is going to compare it to the first three…#successfulchefproblems

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How Do You Happy Hour?

12 May

A Thursday evening happy hour is often the perfect only way to make it through a long and seemingly endless week.   This past Thursday, I unintentionally succeeded in crossing not one but two restaurants off my list.

Having read so much about the amazing cocktail program at Seven Lamps, I convinced my fellow happy hour-goers to meet me there for drinks and apps.  Prior to my arrival, they got a head start with an order of oysters on the half shell.  The oysters weren’t a great start, and things only went downhill from there.

Seven Lamps oysters

#oysterfail

While I’m guessing they were trying to be “cool” with the presentation, it missed the mark.  I’m not sure anyone actually wants to eat cocktail sauce that comes out of a test tube.  A mini bowl or ramekin would have been sufficient.  On second thought, horseradish would have been nice as well.  The crackers were another problem.  Not only were they too small for the oysters themselves, their convex shape caused the oysters to slip off mid-bite.

I arrived post-oysters, and not a single server or bartender approached our table for at least fifteen minutes – until we flagged someone down, that is.  We were the only patrons in the restaurant.  The bartender only acted slightly annoyed that we were inconveniencing him by ordering drinks – two “75 Souths” and one unmemorable cucumber-vodka concoction.

We got two of the three drinks and the bartender finally showed back up at our table to inform us he had forgotten about the third.  He must have been busy making drinks for all the other patrons in the restaurant…except that there weren’t any.  We switched it up and went with the “Snow White beer-tail this time.

Seven Lamps cocktails

75 South, Snow White (a little heavy on the ice), cucumber-something

The Snow White was the final straw.  It tasted like an unappetizing, watery Hoegaarden.  At this point, we decided to forgo our original plan and went in search of appetizers elsewhere.

We walked around the corner to Cook Hall, and the evening made an immediate 180-degree change for the better.  Our server, for one, was absolutely phenomenal.  He was attentive, provided delicious suggestions, and was very knowledgeable about pretty much every item on the menu.

We arrived just in time for happy hour and decided to try all five of the $5 “snacks”, plus a few extras.  Everything we tasted was good and perfect for sharing.

The duck tacos were my favorite.  The duck was crispy, the tortillas were housemade and fresh, and the chipotle coleslaw was refreshing and slightly spicy.

Cook Hall appetizers

Duck taco duo

The popcorn shrimp was a clever, tasty, and quite literal dish.  The fried shrimp were served atop a bed of buttery popcorn, and drizzled with a bit of ranch.  The strange combination of flavors came together quite nicely, although the popcorn did get a little soggy under the ranch.

Cook Hall appetizers

Popcorn + shrimp, who would have though they actually tasted good together

The roasted radish bruschetta was bright, flavorful, and light.  The sourdough bread was grilled, smeared with a layer of delicious honey butter, and topped with roasted radishes.  The clean flavor of the radishes perfectly complemented the rich and creamy honey butter.

Cook Hall appetizers

A unique take on “bruschetta”

The pimento mac & cheese surprisingly didn’t taste much like pimento cheese at all – a good thing, because I do not care much for pimento cheese.  The mac was served right in the skillet and topped with panko crumbs for a little extra crunch.

Cook Hall appetizers

We didn’t need the skillet to keep the mac & cheese warm – it wasn’t around long enough to get cold

The deviled eggs were my least favorite dish, probably because I don’t really like deviled eggs to begin with.  The eggs were made with gulf blue crab and dusted with paprika.  I probably could have done without them.

Cook Hall appetizers

If you like deviled eggs, you’d probably like these

Per our server’s recommendation, we also ordered a few non-happy hour extras.  The house made ricotta was the best thing I tasted all night.  The ricotta was light and fluffy, drizled in honey, and dusted with black pepper.  When smeared atop one of the olive oil brushed flatbread pieces, it made for a delicious bite.

Cook Hall appetizers

We had to get extra flatbread to ensure we didn’t leave any delicious ricotta behind

The jalapeño-cheddar fritters were another winner.  They were crispy and salty on the outside, creamy and spicy on the inside.  They basically melted in your mouth and left you wanting more.

Cook Hall appetizers

It took approximately 30 seconds until this bowl was empty

As an added bonus, the cocktails at Cook Hall were spot on as well.  I tried the Grapefruit Cooler, which combined tequilla and grapefruit with a splash of Monday Night Fu Manbrew.

Cook Hall cocktails

Tasted kinda like a grapefruit margarita

The Basil Shandy combined basil-infused vodka with an IPA and raspberry.  Both cocktails were refreshing, unique, and beautifully presented.

Cook Hall cocktails

I didn’t get much IPA flavor in this, but refreshing nonetheless

If the rest of Cook Hall’s menu is as delicious as our appetizer sampling, this is certainly a place worth returning to.  Seven Lamps on the other hand, not so much.

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Patio Season Part II: Park Tavern

27 Apr

Between rainy Atlanta weekends and traveling, I haven’t had much time for patio dining this spring.  Patio season got off to a mediocre start at Treehouse Restaurant & Pub on St. Patty’s Day, and went downhill from there after a less-than-desirable meal at Park Tavern.

Park Tavern’s patio is quite large and ideally located for people-watching in the park.  Despite a welcoming “Seat Yourself” sign at the patio entrance, a large majority of the tables were “RESERVED.”  This made finding a table rather difficult.  We played musical tables for a few minutes until we finally found one in the sun.  While I’m sure the abundance of tents and patio awnings is nice come 100-degree August weather, they shaded nearly 85% of the patio.  Perhaps they should invest in a retractable roof for sunny, spring days – I hear the Dallas Cowboys have a pretty nice one.

Before taking our drink orders or even greeting us hello, our server came over to inform us that our table was, in fact, RESERVED at 3 pm. That left us approximately 47 minutes to order & dine – good thing we weren’t planning to stick around for more than one patio drink.

Park Tavern patio

The clock starts now…

Park Tavern’s menu ranges from burgers to sushi.  Although I normally wouldn’t order seafood (let alone raw fish) at any old “tavern”, their sushi is surprisingly tasty and fresh.  On this particular occasion, I went with the Mahi Mahi salad.

Park Tavern Mahi Mahi salad

Isn’t fish supposed to be flaky??

The Mahi Mahi, which was supposed to be “dusted with spicy seasonings and grilled over an open flame”, came out looking like a gray piece of chicken.  The texture of the fish was similar to overcooked chicken and the taste was non-existent.  Beneath the fish was a bed of greens and barely a teaspoon at most of the promised smoked black bean & corn salsa.

Park Tavern Mahi Mahi salad

Most of the fish never left the plate

I was pretty hungry after eating 1 bite of fish and a plate-full of lettuce, so I ordered sweet potato fries.  They were better, but nothing special.

Park Tavern sweet potato fries

The backup plan

Chad had the Mahi Mahi sandwich, which was slightly better than the salad after he smothered it in lime & tartar sauce.

Park Tavern Mahi Sandwich

Slightly less overcooked than the first piece of fish

Really, the only part of the meal they got right was the ice-cold Sweetwater 420.  Pretty hard to mess that up.

Sweetwater 420

All in all, I probably won’t return to Park Tavern anytime soon, unless of course it’s raining.  When it rains, it pours, and Park Tavern pours $1 drafts.  I guess all those patio tents and awnings probably do come in handy on rainy days…

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H&F Burgers > Baseball

22 Apr

There are a few things I really enjoy about baseball games.  Ironically, watching baseball is not exactly one of them.  Tailgating, beer, and soft pretzels, on the other hand, definitely make the list.  When I heard that Holeman and Finch was opening not one but three H&F Burger stands at Turner Field this spring, attending a Braves game suddenly became much more appealing.

For those of you who are confused as to why I would sit through an entire nine innings just to eat a burger, you’re probably living under a rock not from Atlanta.  In short, Holeman & Finch serves 24 (and only 24) of these famous burgers every night at 10:00 PM sharp.  From what I’ve heard, they’re worth the 2 hour wait it takes to get there early in order to reserve one.  Intrigued yet…?  Read more here.

Although I’ve enjoyed more than a few hand-crafted cocktails at Holeman & Finch, I’ve never been one of the lucky 24 to score a burger.  Naturally, that had to change as soon as opening weekend at Turner Field rolled around.

Turner Field

Braves vs Cubs opening weekend

Fast-forward several hours of tailgating and three innings later, I was ready for a burger.  I was expecting a long line, so I was neither annoyed nor surprised to find that 30 or 40 other Braves “fans” had the same idea that I did.  I waited in line for maybe 25-30 minutes of mouthwatering torture.  Keeping things in perspective, a 30 minute line is much shorter than the 2+ hour wait time at the restaurant itself on any given night.

H&F Burger

Back of the line…

Here’s the skinny (no pun intended): the burger was well worth the wait.  I would absolutely stand in line (and endure more baseball) in order to eat it again.  I’m no burger connoisseur, but this was among the best I’ve ever tasted.

H&F Burger

The burger itself

To start from the top, the bun was phenomenal.  It was one of those toasted-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside buns you can only get when they’re freshly baked.  In between the buns, they stacked two cheeseburger patties, onions, and house-made pickles.  A little ketchup & mustard as well.

H&F Burger

This combo lasted less than 20% of the time I spent waiting for it…do the math

When it comes to burgers, there’s a fine line between juicy and greasy.  H&F served the juiciest, non-greasy burger I have ever eaten.  Throw in a side of salty, crispy, French fries, and you have yourself a delicious $12 meal.

H&F Burger

Um, pretty sure no one is going to stand in line for 30 minutes to buy a $3.50 Coca-Cola…

Even better news: you don’t actually have to wait at the restaurant for 2 hours or endure a never-ending baseball game in order to enjoy the burger.  Holeman & Finch sells an unlimited number of burgers every Sunday during brunch.  Perfect hangover cure?  I think so.

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Battle of the Bakeries

4 Apr

For the first time in the history of giving up sweets for Lent, I made it through all 46 days without so much as a sliver of anything.  Naturally, this meant I had make up for lost time (or in this case, lost chocolate) on Easter Sunday.  In order to do so to the fullest extent, I decided to host a chocolate brunch.  After struggling to decide which of my three favorite bakeries to feature at the brunch, I ultimately decided not to decide.  Rather, I spent half of Saturday driving around Atlanta collecting an assortment of goodies.  This eventually evolved into the “Battle of the Bakeries”, featuring: Highland Bakery, Alon’s, and Henri’s Bakery.

Alon's, Highland Bakery, Henri's Bakery

Chocolate Brunch Spread

While each bakery had a wide array of confections from which to choose, my main mission was quite simple: cookies.  Giant, double chocolate & chocolate chip cookies, to be more specific.  While I rarely turn down anything involving chocolate, cookies are my true weakness.

Highland Bakery, Alon's, Henri's cookies

The cookie spread (note: this is a huge platter, aka ginormous cookies)

Twelve hours and one Easter service later, it was time for the taste test.  In order to eliminate any biases, we decided that a blind tasting was the only way to go.  We started with the double chocolates (and cleansed our palates with mimosas in between bites):

#1: Highland Bakery.  Compared to the others, Highland Bakery’s cookies look more like muffin tops (they’ll probably give you a muffin top too if you have too many).  Their double chocolate cookie was thick, slightly crispy on the outside, and perfectly gooey on the inside.  Across the board, everyone described this cookie as incredibly rich.  It was my favorite indulgence of the day, and well worth the 46-day wait.

Highland Bakery

Highland Bakery – winner of the double chocolate challenge

#2: Alon’s.  A very close second.  Alon’s double chocolate was darker and definitely the most chocolaty cookie of the day.  It too was ultra-rich and velvety smooth (except for all those massive chocolate chunks, of course).  Ultimately though, the gooeyness factor of Highland Bakery’s cookie won out in the end.

Alon's cookies

Alon’s – winner of the chocolate chip challenge

#3: Henri’s.  This cookie was not even on the same planet as the other two.  It was hard, crunchy, and generally unappetizing.  Thank goodness there were two others, because this one certainly did not satisfy my cookie craving.

Henri's cookies

Henri’s – I would have rather had Chips Ahoys

Round two, chocolate chips:

#1: Alon’s.  This cookie was a unanimous winner in the chocolate chip round.  Each bite was dense with the perfect ratio of cookie-to-chocolate chips-to-pecans.  The cookie was soft, buttery, and basically melted in your mouth.

#2: Highland Bakery.  Highland Bakery’s cookie came in second by default, only because once again, Henri’s cookie was terrible.  Similar to the double chocolate, this chocolate chip pecan cookie was extra thick.  Unfortunately, this one was extra hard as well – it literally took a steak knife to get through it.  Minus the less than desirable texture, the buttery, brown-sugary flavor was spot on.  Perhaps they just left this batch in the oven a tad too long.

#3: Henri’s.  By far the worst cookie of the day.  Rock hard, un-chocolaty, and tasteless.  Literally, I think I only counted three chocolate chips in the entire cookie.  Alon’s cookie had three chips in every bite!  Like I said before, thank goodness there were two others.

All in all, the winner is really based on your cookie preference.  If you’re a chocoholic like I am, the Highland Bakery Double Chocolate is a must.

Melt-in-your-mouth delicious

Melt-in-your-mouth delicious

If you’re more of a traditionalist, go with the Chocolate Chunk Pecan at Alon’s.

Alon's cookie

Melt-in-your-mouth delicious, round 2

So while we didn’t really crown a true Battle of the Bakeries champion, we definitely narrowed it down to where not to buy cookies from ever again.  On a side note, if cookies aren’t your favorite (and you haven’t already stopped reading), I promise there is plenty to choose from at all three bakeries…

Alon's, Highland Bakery, Henri's Bakery dessert spread

The spread

Red velvet & Oreo mini cupcakes from Highland Bakery

Red velvet & Oreo mini cupcakes from Highland Bakery

Alon's, Highland Bakery, Henri's Bakery

French Macaroons from Alon’s

Alon's, Highland Bakery, Henri's Bakery

Perfect napkins for the occasion!

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Taco Tour: Verde Taqueria

28 Mar

I like to think of myself as a fairly adventurous eater, I’ll try anything at least once. However, as soon as I find something that I really like, I tend to stick to it. When it comes to Mexican cuisine, I’ve decided that I really like tacos, so I order them everywhere I go.

I’ve had quite a few tacos at quite a few places around Atlanta, but have yet to pin down my all-time favorite. A combination of being in the vicinity of Verde Taqueria in Brookhaven while also starving convinced me to start the process of figuring that out. Basically, over the next few weeks, I intend to eat lots of tacos at lots of places around Atlanta, and decide on a favorite. A Taco Tour, if you will.

Like they say, there’s no time like the present…so the process began promptly with a taco lunch at Verde Taqueria.

Verde’s menu offered 14 different taco options, with all kinds of variety – veggie, steak, chicken, beef, fish, you get the point. I’m typically a two-taco kind of eater, but like I said, I was starving…I went with three. Coincidentally (or perhaps subconsciously), I ate them in the order that I ended up liking them.

Verde Taqueria tacos

These were actually Chad’s tacos, but he takes better pictures than I do

#1: Short rib. The beef short rib taco was braised and topped with pico de gallo and just a drizzle of cilantro sour cream. The beef itself was flavorful enough to stand on its own, but the sour cream provided a nice acidic balance to the bite. The taco was huge – I almost asked for a fork and a knife, but instead, ended up just asking for a zillion extra napkins.

Verde Taqueria tacos

My trio: short rib, grilled fish, fried chicken

#2: Fried chicken. I was skeptical after my first bite of the fried chicken taco – it seemed dry. After I got a taste of the chipotle aioli on bite number two, I had a change of heart. The fried chicken was topped with tons (more than I wanted, really) of thick-cut, applewood smoked bacon cubes, diced tomatoes, and greens. Aside from the satisfying taste combination, this was a really bright and beautiful taco.

Verde Taqueria tacos

There’s fried chicken under there somewhere, I promise

# 3: Grilled fish. I purposely saved this one for last because I thought it would be my favorite of the three. I was wrong. I didn’t particularly care for this taco at all. The flavorless tilapia tasted far from blackened, the slaw was way too sweet, and it did not come with a side of salsa as the menu suggested. I’d skip this one next time and try out the fried calamari or shrimp as a replacement.

Verde Taqueria tacos

Remove the slaw, add some pico and guac, and this would be much better

The positives:

  • The tacos themselves were massive – the shells stuffed to the max. I went into the meal convinced that I would clean my plate, only to find myself struggling to take more than two bites of tacos 2 and 3. No problem there – half-eaten tacos tasted pretty good as leftovers.
  • Across the board, all the ingredients were super-fresh.
  • The a la carte tacos top out at $4, so even the hungriest of eaters aren’t going to break the bank at Verde.

The not-so positives:

  • The grilled fish taco. Not a fan.
  • The lack of tortilla variety. All tacos were served in a soft, flour tortilla. When given the option, I usually prefer soft corn or whole wheat tortillas. Not a deal breaker, but still worth noting.
  • The fried plantains (we ordered these as a side). They were okay – a little too sweet, lacking salt, and not quite crispy enough. I wouldn’t order them again.
Verde Taqueria fried plantains

In my head I was thinking thin & crispy plantain chips, not wedges

The verdict: Although this was only the first stop in my official Taco Tour, I’m not predicting it to be the winner. While I really enjoyed the short rib and fried chicken tacos, I think I can do better elsewhere. Only time (and more tacos) will tell…

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Patio Season Part I: Treehouse Restaurant & Pub

18 Mar

The beautiful weather this past St. Patty’s Day weekend meant one thing – and no, it wasn’t green beer.  Rather, it meant that Atlanta patio season has officially arrived.  There are few things I would rather do on a gorgeous spring day than sit outside, drink a cold beer (preferably a Sweetwater 420 on draft), and have a tasty meal.  That being said, expanding my list of go-to patio spots around Atlanta has become my latest weekend pastime (suggestions welcome).

First stop: brunch at Treehouse Restaurant & Pub in Peachtree Hills.  Apparently several others had this same idea Sunday morning (great minds think alike), so we ended up waiting about 25 minutes for a table.  The restaurant doesn’t have a hostess, just a “seat yourself” line, which was spilling out the door.  Luckily it was a nice day, and the bar right inside has no problem quenching your thirst whilst you wait (i.e. there were a lot of mimosas in that line).

Treehouse Restaurant

420 on draft: check

The restaurant itself is a quaint little house, with the majority of the seating on the outdoor wrap-around patio.  The patio has a fully covered roof, but is open and breezy all throughout.  Dogs are welcome – and there were plenty of them resting underneath tables and basking in the sun.

The brunch menu has tons of breakfast and lunch options, which is perfect because Chad always wants breakfast and I, lunch.  Looking for something on the lighter side, I went for the Treehouse Salad.  The salad itself was pretty basic, so I spruced it up with some Greek dressing and smoked salmon.

Treehouse Restaurant

Simple & light – mealy tomatoes were my only complaint

The salmon was the perfect addition, pleasantly smoky and salty.  You could tell the Greek dressing was homemade, a nice olive oil base with a lemony-vinegar tang.  I wish there had been more croutons, which were freshly baked and extra buttery.  This salad isn’t going to win any awards anytime soon, but it just happened to be exactly what I was in the mood for.

Predictably, Chad ordered the eggs benedict.  The menu had several benedicts to choose from: classic, southern style, and salmon.  Personally, I thought the salmon benedict sounded much more enticing than the others did, but not everyone has an obsession with smoked salmon the way I do.  Chad went classic, served with their “famous” Hollandaise sauce.

Treehouse Restaurant

Brunch potatoes > Eggs Benedict

Famous might be stretching the truth a bit; it tasted like regular old Hollandaise to me.  The entire plate was pretty under seasoned, but nothing that a few dashes of salt and pepper couldn’t fix.

Chad also ordered a side of cheese grits, which were undoubtedly the worst grits I have ever tasted.  They looked and tasted like instant grits gone terribly wrong – soupy, bland, and noticeably un-cheesy.

Treehouse Restaurant

Cheese grits, at least I think they were

Overall, the meal was pleasant enough, but not necessarily a place I would wait in line for again.  To put a number on it, I’d say Treehouse’s appeal is 75% patio, 25% food.  I’m not quite sure the allure of the patio is enough to compensate for the average food and service.  There are plenty of other patios out there with plenty of ice cold 420s, just calling my name.   That being said, assuming the weather is cooperative, look out for Part II: coming soon to a patio near you…

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