Pictures from my dinner at Miller Union
Cliche Pun on Book Title
eat. drink. be merry.
This is a hidden gem in Decatur. I have now been to Feast three times, and apparently never blogged about it. Rectifying that situation now. I was there last night for dinner, and it was one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve had in recent memory.
The host/bartender/manager (I’m not sure what his official title is) always greets me so warmly when I walk into this place. I love actually feeling welcomed into a restaurant. Feast is in an old brick building that was formerly an ice cream parlor and a radiator factory. The exposed brick and ceiling beams showcase the building’s history, and beautiful hanging lights and the wood-burning oven in the corner make the space feel warm and cozy.
Every time I’ve come, I’ve had excellent service. Last night was no exception. We were 15 minutes late for our 9pm reservation, and it wasn’t a problem- even though the restaurant was having a small concert that night. The concert actually added an interesting vibe to the restaurant. The owner apparently knew the band, and all of her friends came to the show. This made my mom and I feel like we had stumbled into a neighborhood bar where everyone knew each other. It was a really fun atmosphere. The owner even came over to our table and chatted with us for a few minutes.
Let me rhapsodize about their wine list- it’s suberb for a restaurant of this size. My favorite part about it- they have a whole section of wines by the glass or bottle that are $6/glass, $20/bottle and a section that is $7/glass, $25/bottle, as well as a full wine list. They also have some interesting beers on tap (Left Hand, Brooklyn, Ommegang). I can go on and on, but just check out their website.
The food is so, so good. I literally cannot express how happy my mom and I were last night. We had the crab dip appetizer (lemony and cheesy all at once); a spinach salad with baked brie, pecans, apples and a vanilla bean dressing; and a small plate (basically an entree without any side dishes) that was a trout filet stuffed with artichokes, fennel and lemon and drizzled with citrus butter.
I can’t wait until the next time I go here, and I want to take everyone here. The best part- our entire dinner, plus a bottle of wine, was less than $60, including tax and tip.
food- 26
decor- 25
service- 24
I visited Miller Union earlier this week with my family. It’s the current darling of the Atlanta foodie scene, and I have to say, I was underwhelmed. The decor by ai3 (they did FLiP and a slew of other new Atlanta joints) was beautiful, but felt very austere. I think they should ditch the tablecloths and some of their other “fine dining” accoutrements.
Miller Union is the marriage of Steven Satterfield (who most recently worked at Watershed, the venerable southern restaurant in Decatur) and Neal McCarthy (a well-known restaurant manager, recently at Sotto Sotto in Inman Park). The service was friendly, but a little slow for our 9pm Tuesday-night reservation. I expect a lot more attention when dining at off-hours.
I wanted to try the dishes I had read about, so we ordered the fried cheese grits and the farm egg baked in celery cream as our starters, the poulet rouge and braised rabbit as our entrees, and the herbal ice cream trio for dessert.
The fried cheese grits were bland. I liked that they were using the stone-ground grits that Watershed uses, but there was no zing in this dish. My former employer- The OK Cafe- does a much better version. The farm egg was good, but it wasn’t the promised “orgy in my mouth” that I had read about on some food blogs. It would be a great brunch dish, but tasted much too breakfast-y for 9pm.
The entrees were sumptuous, and I have to give recognition where it’s due. If I go back to Miller Union, it will be for the braised rabbit over grits. It was creamy, rich and everything I look for in a main course. The poulet rouge involved several small cuts of chicken with crispy skin baked on top. It came with a side of vegetables, and again, Satterfield’s Watershed training showed in his skillful preparation of the veggies. We cleaned the plate.
I had read several people’s account of the herb ice-creams as surprisingly good, and while I found them interesting, it’s not something I’m going to crave. The herbs were thyme, rosemary and sage. I think the dish would be better with smaller portions of the ice creams (I couldn’t even finish mine- three full ice cream parlor scoops…I was expecting quenelles). And I also think adding some food coloring to the dish would help…the only way to tell the flavors apart was the small sprig of each herb placed atop each scoop. Again, an interesting dish, but not one I’d recommend. My mom and brother hated it.
Ultimately, I think Miller Union lacks soul. There were some good dishes here and there, but I didn’t get a great feeling from my visit, and ended up liking Wednesday night’s restaurant much better.
food- 22
service- 21
decor- 17
(I fully realize this is almost a month late-whoops!)
Eric and I went to graham elliot in Chicago for Valentine’s Day this past year. I’ll keep the review succint, especially because I’m starting to forget some things.
There was a nice prix fixe menu with a floral theme. Each dish incorporated a flower in some way. I really loved all of the food we had, but the outstanding dishes were the toasted almond bisque with lavendar marshmallow, green apple, grilled onion and smoked salt; and the braised beef shortrib with black bean, palm heart, young coconut and hibiscus jus:
The portions were all nicely sized, and every dish included a little surprise, whether it was a soba noodle cake under fish, or the candied rose petals with the dessert. I really enjoyed Chef Bowles’s whimsical style.
The only serious downer about our meal was the service. It was possibly some of the worst service I’ve ever had, hands down. I made a joke at the beginning of the meal about how easy it would be to be a waiter on a prix fixe night. Apparently I jinxed us. The servers seemed like they were just having a good time, and if graham elliot wants to be a big player on the fine dining scene, they need to step up their game.
I would recommend going to graham elliot on a slower night where service might be more attentive. The food was lovely, and the atmosphere was downtown-chic.
food-25
decor- 22
service- 8
Also, I loved the take-home gift of caramel corn. Instead of bread, they bring you gourmet popcorn because Chef Bowles doesn’t think there’s a good bakery in the city. I’d say bake your own bread, but the popcorn was tasty. Eric and I enjoyed the caramel corn later that evening.
If you look up “Boys’s Club” in the dictionary, you might just find a picture of Chops.
Chops has secured its place as an old school Atlanta steakhouse, and a Buckhead mainstay. When I heard they were offering a special $29 three course menu, I was tempted to try the place. The food was good, and the steak was amazing. While the fare didn’t disappoint, it didn’t wow me either. Both the decor and the menu seem a little dated and boring. Then again, Chops isn’t trying to compete with Blue Pointe and Rathbun’s. They know their place and they stick with it. Bachelors know Chops is a comfortable place to smoke cigars and sip on Scotch.
I had the crab fritters, which were like mini fried crabcake balls. They lacked seasoning. The steak was perfectly cooked, but it didn’t really come with much in the way of sides. For dessert I wanted the red velvet cupcake, but my waiter talked me out of it. I wish he hadn’t because the sweet potato pie wasn’t any good either. When I don’t finish a dessert, you know it’s bad.
The decor is typical for a steakhouse, dim lighting and a lot of dark wood. They also subscribe to the idea that art means caricatures and photos of famous people.
The one thing I can’t complain about is the service. It was perfectly on par.
I would recommend Chops for a big occasion for the special man in your life, especially for your dad or grandfather. Anyone who likes traditional notions of fine dining would be comfortable in Chops. Also, although the website mentions a strict dress code, I didn’t see a single man wearing a blazer, and I saw a lot of denim. Hmm.
Food- 21
Decor-10
Service- 25
I have kept a list of the restaurants I’ve been dying to try ever since I moved to Chicago. Always at the top of my list were two. Charlie Trotter’s and Alinea. This past weekend, thanks to the generosity of Eric’s parents and my mom, I was able to try both. I don’t think I’ll look back on the weekend so much as graduation weekend, as the great culinary weekend.
First, Trotter’s.
We arrived at Charlie Trotter’s a few minutes early, as we had a six o’clock reservation and were informed it would not do to be late. We were, after all, sitting at the coveted kitchen table. As a total foodie, the Charlie Trotter’s kitchen table was like something out of a dream. I have worked as a waitress before, and been in the middle of a kitchen, but this was an entirely different experience. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, we were seated in the bar area, as we were early, and our table was not yet ready. There was a minor mix up when they came to get us and a member of our party was in the restroom. We were shuffled to another waiting area, right behind the studio kitchen. Finally, we were retrieved and escorted to our table in the kitchen.
They poured complimentary Fiji water in our glasses and we chose the wine pairing as our beverage for the evening. One member of our party was underage, so they brought her a sparkling fruit beverage. Upon sitting down, I wasn’t sure what to do with my purse, but the waitress took it and placed it on a shelf.
First Course: Bento Box
included roasted red pepper dish, tuna dish, cod, cuttlefish, tempura turbot, and snails with arugula foam. The cuttlefish was my favorite, it tasted similar to octopus (no surprise there, as they’re in the same family). I was also surprised by how much flavor was imparted by the arugula foam. This was a perfect opening dish.
It became immediately apparent that the kitchen was a well-oiled machine. There was no yelling or cursing, everything was in its place and the whole place was fastidiously clean.
Second Course: Trout and Salmon
This was trout and salmon wrapped together with salmon roe, clover and vegetable broth. I always love cold, raw fish, so this was another pleaser. There were tiny crayfish sprinkled in that added a nice contrast in texture.
Third Course: Vegetables
White asparagus, morel mushroom, fava bean and purees. I am going to butcher all of these descriptions because I’m working from memory and all of the dishes were much more complex, but the restaurant is mailing us menus, and I can edit when I have a copy of the actual menu. This dish was interesting, but I don’t really care for the flavor of fava beans. Charlie Trotter’s is known for their inventive use of veggies, and they even have an entirely vegetarian tasting menu, so it was cool to see an example of that style of cooking.
Fourth Course: Soup
This was an artichoke soup with artichoke chips and potato pieces on top. The soup was poured into bowls table side. A note on the presentation: each course was presented to all 5 of us at once. The plate always came from the same side. All the plates were cleared simultaneously as well. I loved this soup, and the chip was easy to break up with a spoon. The potato pieces were like a shredded tater tot, but much more elegant.
Fifth Course: Scallops
These were slices of seared diver scallops with a strawberry sauce. This was by far one of my favorite dishes. The scallops were really tender and melted in your mouth, and the strawberries were a nice, sweet counter-point to the previous vegetable-based dishes.
Sixth Course: Cock’s Comb
This officially surpasses every other odd thing I’ve ever eaten. It takes the cake. Emily (Eric’s sister) asked me what it was, and in one of the memorable moments of the evening, I played a bit of charades with a hand gesture imitating the red “comb” that is on top of a rooster’s head. Although it was quite strange to think about, the dish was tasty. Emily didn’t make it all the way through her portion. I forget the exact seasoning, but I remember mine tasting like a grilled onion.
Seventh Course: Mackerel
Mackerel is not a fancy fish. It’s also not probably something I would ever order. This dish was a little bland in my estimation, even with the mushrooms and mushroom foam. There was a gelee (I forget what flavor). Obviously, not my favorite dish.
Eighth Course: Squab
Ah, the squab, better known as pigeon, or in my terms, winged rat. However, when you call it squab and serve it with a chocolate sauce, it can become quite elegant. The squab reminded me of quail. It was good, but I’m still not used to using chocolate in savory dishes.
Ninth Course: Elk
I love eating game. My brother and uncle both hunt, and I am used to eating the animals they kill, so I always enjoy it when a restaurant goes out on a limb and serves something a little unusual. Elk is like a much more interesting steak. This was elk loin, and it had sea salt on top. The tortellini served with it had plum filling.
Tenth Course: Beef
This was a 48-hour braised wagyu beef short rib. The sauces below it were blackberry and roasted garlic. The beef was so tender, it fell apart when you touched it with a fork. Apparently wagyu is the new kobe.
Sorbet:
In the traditional manner, sorbet was served after the savory courses, before dessert to cleanse the palate. This was the only dish I forgot to photograph. The sorbet was fenugreek flavored with celery slices on the plate.
Here’s a kitchen shot:
The chef with our head waitress:
Dessert:
There were four desserts.
The first was potato ice cream with a sliver of potato skin and a homemade marshmallow. The savory ice cream flavors are another trend I’m not sure I support. I think this would have been better with graham cracker ice cream, or at least something sweet.
This one was a chilled rhubarb soup of sorts with crumbled shortbread and white chocolate flavored frozen yogurt. Possibly my favorite of the desserts. I was surprised by how much I liked the rhubarb flavor, but the frozen yogurt was perfect.
This was the favorite of the table. It had chocolate semi-freddo, a Mexican chocolate chip, a pickled carrot, and carrot juice with a spot of red wine. Again, unlikely flavors, but this really paired well. Also, you may have noticed all of the different dishes. They stock 70 different service pieces at the restaurant, and the chef selects the plate specifically for the dish.
Another savory ice cream, olive oil flavored this time. The smashed item on the plate was olives soaked in wine, with millet seed on top. The millet added a nice crunch and reminded me of blackberries.
I can’t say I was a huge fan of any of the desserts, but I don’t like going avant garde in that arena. I’m a traditionalist and I like my dessert sweet.
To finish our meal we had coffee and a small plate of after-dinner treats.
A chocolate with dulce de leche filling, ginger gelee, a candied pistachio with dark chocolate coating and a licorice macaroon with apricot gel on top.
Then, we got the most elaborate bait and switch ever. We were offered a kitchen tour, and while walking around the kitchen, I noticed our table was being cleared. It was 9, and apparently, after three hours, it was time for the next seating of the kitchen table. They finished the tour and brought us back up front to the bar where our coats and purses were waiting for us.
prep station
garde-manger (cold-prep station)
pastry
the line, this is where all the hot food comes from.
The grill on the right is burning hickory wood, and on the left is a Japanese yakitori, where they roast meats like over a campfire, never actually setting them down. This is how the cuttlefish was prepared.
I loved the copper pots.
Overall, Charlie Trotter’s was one of the best meals of my life, and sitting in the kitchen was an absolute dream come true. I will post my review of Alinea in the coming days, and will follow that review with a comparison of the two restaurants and their respective merits.
Food- 30
Decor- (kitchen—does this count? i walked through the restaurant, and i’d say 22)
Service- 25 (for the bumble coming in and the elegant way we were tossed-dinner service was perfect)
Hot Doug’s is a glorified hot dog stand in the best way possible. It is billed as “Hot Doug’s Encased Meat Emporium”. They keep extremely limited hours, but as far as I can tell are always busy. I dropped by around 2:30 on a Tuesday afternoon and the line was out the door. I had heard about the place from my friend nickd.
The restaurant is known for having rare encased meats with elaborate gourmet garnishes. I ordered the BLT dog, bacon sausage with lettuce, tomato and avacado mayonnaise. It was good, but my sausage was a little dry. I infinitely preferred Eric’s more interesting choices.
Eric chose two, the lamb sausage with curry sauce and the Ostrich with strawberry Dijon mustard.
We also ordered fries, but sadly the much-anticipated duck-fat fries were only available on Fridays and Saturdays.
The decor inside is all kitsch. The restaurant is painted in bright colors and tacky Elvis posters adorn the walls. The service isn’t really noteworthy, you order at a counter, sit down, and a waitress brings your order when it’s ready. I have no complaints about it, they got everything right, it just wasn’t anything remarkable.
The dogs were all different combinations, and mine was easily the most boring of the three. My favorite was probably the Ostrich with the strawberry sauce. I also wished I had tried the duck sausage with foie gras, but was afraid it might be too rich. Every week they change their menu, and they always have a game sausage of the week.
I’d recommend going as a fun lunch place, but it’s pretty far west of the loop, and they keep strange hours, so it’s definitely a place where you have to plan ahead to make a trip.
Food-20
Decor-17
Service-15
|#