So i'm playing a little bit of catch-up. My intentions were to post all about my restaurant week escapades, alas that didn't quite work out as planned but i'll do a quick recap:
First stop -
Bistro Niko
This is the newest Buckhead Life Restaurant Group restaurant to open in a while and it's been on my radar to try. The atmosphere was darling and very stereotypical "French." The decor actually reminded me a lot of this bistro i was in when i visited Paris a number of years ago. All the posts, the booths and the color scheme... it all had a sense of Je ne sais quoi.
Now i understand the whole point of restaurant week is the "great deal" you get from ordering off the $25 prix fixe menu but I, of course, decided to order off menu instead. Nothing spoke to me! I just couldn't help it.
Since I'm a sucker for escargot, we started with those -- and it was done pretty well. Not too salty, not too much garlic and it came topped with a sort of choux pastry which was a delight.
Entree consisted of Skate, pan seared with a lemon butter sauce and capers. Pretty traditional. I haven't had skate since Food Studio but always seem to enjoy it. It's odd to me because i don't normally see it on the menu but it's a fairly common item as far as seafood is considered. Although, this year i saw it on several different restaurant menus and let's just say after Bistro Niko -- i'm not sure where else i would want to order it.
No dessert for me, but one of my friends ordered off the restaurant week menu and got the creme du pot which is basically creme with out the brulee in a pot and chocolate dipped madelines. They were cute but nothing extravagant to note.
Second stop:
Kevin Rathbun Steak
You'll have to forgive the lack of pictures, they were taken with my phone but i won't post them because pictures would not do it justice. I am a huge fan of Rathbun Steak. Albeit a little on the pricey side i still concede that it's probably one of the best steaks in Atlanta. I've been a couple times now and have never had a bad experience. This time i stayed on menu, started with the Ahi Tuna Poke. Pretty standard, nothing earth shattering -- but I eat so much sushi and tartar that i'm rarely phased by anything anymore. (not sure if this is a good or bad thing yet).
The steak was a flatiron steak served with herb roasted potatoes and a red wine shallot sauce -- cooked to a perfect medium rare. It was just the right portion tender. I grew up very much a "steak and potatoes" kind of girl so this was particularly enjoyable. Dessert was a ridiculously rich chocolate mouse with a hard chocolate shell. I will refrain from commenting as i'm not a big chocolate fan so this was wasted on me. Lets just say you come here for the steak...and that's pretty much it.
Third stop:
Bluepointe
This is an establishment which I've long wanted to visit but just never had the opportunity to. Our server was ....well... special, but that aside the food was decent. I might have hyped it up more in my head than I should have. The GBF and I ordered a bottle and naturally, went off-menu. (we just can't seem to stay on budget to save our lives) Started with one of the house rolls. Ordered Butterfish as an entree. Have you ever had Butterfish? I once had Escolar and was told Escolar was a Butterfish. Unfortunately, i since discovered this was a lie. sad times... The fish was done very well. it has a consistency and texture not too different from Seabass or Kompachi (which i ADORE). Paired with the coconut rice everything was a nice complement; however the soy broth was a bit too salty for my taste. Overall i enjoyed Bluepointe and i enjoyed the Butterfish -- maybe next time i'll try something a little more outside the box.
Fourth and final stop:
Wisteria
Again, no pictures. Sorry! I'll have to be better about breaking out the camera. Now the rest of my friends visited Wisteria Wednesday while i took in a show at the Fox (Spring Awakening, Duncan Sheik = AMAZING) so i came prepared for the worst on Friday. I was briefed on what they enjoyed, what they found to be common and most importantly what they did not enjoy.
I was good, stayed on menu but may or may not have opted for the $35 instead of the $25. I know, I know... this is why i will soon be living in a box. The appetizer was a seared scallop served atop thing slices of pork belly and some sort of
bourbon molasses reduction (which in my opinion, could have been left off). Pork belly is again one of those items that i'm just a sucker for -- so needless to say the scallop and pork belly combination went over very well with my palate. The thick/burnt/glaze/reduction whatever it was however did not. Originally i wanted to go with the shrimp and stone ground grits... but the description of the tomato/shrimp brine broth on the menu didn't sound the slightest appealing. That in addition to poor reviews i opted for the
Gemilli Pasta in an Arugula Almond Pesto tossed with sweet corn, roasted tomatoes and shaved Grana Padano with Georgia Coastal Shrimp. This dish far exceeded my expectations. I'm normally not a fan of pesto but it was done so well with a hint of basil and arugula. The corn mixed with the sweetness of the tomatoes and the abnormally large shrimp -- I was very pleased with my entree. Based on that alone, I would recommend the restaurant.
Final Thoughts...
I think if I learned anything from restaurant week (other than the fact that i'm now completely broke) is that what you order can dictate your entire experience. It's very rare i find a place that i enjoy every single item on the menu but it's my new mission in life to find such a place. The problem is the journey and sifting through all the poor dishes and finding what's good and will suit your palate; however its a challenge i'm happy to take on. :)
So by "quick recap" i clearly meant, "let me tell you exactly what i ate and where i ate" during restaurant week. Toss in a friend from out of town and you can also note that i did brunch at Parks Edge and lunch at Flip before she went home. Such an orgasmic week as far as food is concerned but not quite as pleasurable for my wallet. Oh well... no use crying over spilt milk. I may complain but you know when the next neighborhood restaurant week comes around i'll still be all over it.
