Chef's Table at Park 75

A couple weeks ago, lucky me got to experience a much deeper dinner experience when my boyfriend surprised me by taking me to eat at the chef’s table at Park 75 for a special occasion. As much guessing as I try to do about these kinds of things, and usually being right, this one really caught me off guard in an amazing way. Our host walked us through the dining room into the kitchen where the butchering table was (slightly) transformed into our dining table for the evening right in the middle of the restaurant kitchen (as opposed to the pastry and catering kitchens). Unfortunately, Chef G himself wasn’t in that night, but we very much enjoyed the experience Sous Chef Sydney Jones served us.

The evening was a long and tasty one with 7 courses, 6 wines, and a tour of the rooftop gardens afterwards. The real standouts of our special menu were the Ahi Tuna Tartare with crispy won ton, spicy avocado, and citrus on top of watermelon, the NC Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Grits, and the Midnight Moon Goat Cheese with blueberry compote and the Four Seasons honey. Although all of the other dishes were very good too, those 3 are what put the meal above and beyond a good meal.

I wish I knew more about wine to appreciate all that I drank, but what I know is that the more wine I had at the beginning of the meal, the more willing I was to drink the reds later in the meal. Normally I’m not a huge fan of reds, although in the 7 months I have legally been able to drink I haven’t done too much wine experimenting.

View from our table

Ahi Tuna Tartare with crispy won ton, spicy avocado, watermelon, and citrus paired with Ruinart Rose champagne

Seared Diver Scallop with lobster chowder, swiss chard, artichoke heart, and tomato paired with Jean-Luc viognier

Halibut with confit fig, pickled red onion, brown butter caper, and (I think) whipped white carrots paired with Matanzas Creek chardonnay

Seared Duck Breast with duck confit cake, farro, and bourbon-cherry sauce paired with Robert Sinskey pinot noir

NC Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Anson Mill Grits with tomatos paired with Beaulieu Vineyard cabernet sauvignon

Sadly, I forgot to get a picture of the Midnight Moon Goat Cheese with Blueberry Compote and honey harvested from the Four Seasons rooftop garden (no wine pairing)

Compressed Pineapple Tart and coconut ice cream paired with Nivole moscato d'asti

Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week, a 1-week special giving diners the option to get a $25 3-course meal (or the occasional $15 or $35 3-course meal) at some of Atlanta's best restaurants, seems to be happening all over the city. It appears that almost every area of town has one now, as well as the new themed restaurant weeks like those of Concentrics Restaurants and hotel restaurants. The idea is to draw people who may not normally go to pricier restaurants to these areas and allow them to explore the changing and growing culinary scene of Atlanta - or it can be for the people who do go to these places more regularly to dine for cheaper than normal.

In the past year I have attended 3 restaurant weeks: Buckhead, Inman Park, and Midtown. For Buckhead Restaurant Week 2010 I tried Coast for the first time, and for Inman Park Restaurant Week 2010 I had my first visit (and only so far) at Rathbun's. This year I went to Ecco for Midtown Restaurant Week where I had been to once before. At least for Inman Park and Midtown Restaurant Weeks I carefully narrowed down the places I wanted to go to from several to 1 based on menus posted online and, naturally, reputation.

After arriving to Coast and Rathbun's for my reservations, it didn't take long to see the franticness that Restaurant Week probably added on top of their usual Friday and Saturday night business, at least I assume this is the case for Rathbun's. In general, the service wasn't great and the food was fine and probably in smaller portions. But when going somewhere like Rathbun's, I'm definitely not looking for "fine". I'm wanting great - and that shouldn't be compromised during Restaurant Week.

On the other hand, I went to Ecco on a Sunday night when the restaurant was maybe half full. This experience was much closer to a non-restaurant week experience with good service and great food.

When it comes down to it, $25 for a 3-course meal at a great restaurant will probably always be a draw to taste the town for many, but be prepared for an experience that may not be representative of what the restaurant offers on a regular basis.

To get your own taste of restaurant week, check out Inman Park Restaurant Week going on this week.