I don’t think I’ve ever given Restaurant Eugene a full review. It is my absolute favorite restaurant in Atlanta. If you have a nice occasion coming up, book a reservation here ASAP. Chef Linton Hopkins has been nominated for buckets of awards (James Beard, Food & Wine, etc) and he does the best farm-to-table food in the city. His menu is always full of gems, and it’s just been revamped to include all small plates. The menu is divided into three sections: fish, vegetables and meat. The dishes get larger and more expensive as you go down each column.
This is one of my favorite dishes ever: kumamoto oysters (my favorite kind) with pickled ginger shaved ice on top. Simply sublime.
Next I ordered the peach salad, but somehow accidently ended up getting served the vidalia onion tart. As soon as I pointed out the mix-up, I was told the tart was on the house and that I’d have a peach salad shortly. Within two minutes my peach salad showed up. That’s the level of service you can expect from RE.
Vidalia onions are grown in south Georgia and are known for being sweet. Rednecks down there claim to eat them like apples (ew). However, the sweetness makes them excellent for a dish like this, mixed with some cheese and perhaps some egg in a delicate flaky crust and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
My peach salad was also divine. Hopkins lists his sources on the menu, and the farms he uses deliver heavenly produce. This salad included candied bacon that added a nice crunch to the arrangement.
We ended the meal with a chocolate caramel tart. It was good, but not as amazing as the other dishes I had that evening.
The wine list is fabulous, but tends to run on the expensive side. They make amazing cocktails, and I’d definitely recommend ordering one.
Service was a bit slow throughout the night, but that was likely due to the fact that we were ordering dishes one at a time, and not all up front. Any missteps were more than made up for when our server offered to take me back into the kitchen and introduce me to Chef Hopkins. I babbled a few things about how he’s my favorite chef in Atlanta and he was exceedingly gracious.
The decor is “understated elegance.” We were seated at a very pleasant booth overlooking the whole room. Parking is easy, as they provide complimentary valet.
As I said above, it’s one of the more expensive restaurants in Atlanta, so save it for a special occasion. It’s also the best. ;)
food-29
decor-25
service-27
|#