The Optimist - America's Best New Restaurant?

If you didn't catch wind of it, Esquire Magazine named Ford Fry's latest, The Optimist, the "Best New Restaurant in America." If this is America's best, well then Amurica is facing more problematic times than the presidential debates would let on. I'm no longer standing on my chair screaming, "USA! USA!" Needless to say, my meal last night at The Optimist left me an enormous pessimist. In fact, it was the worst meal I've ever shelled out one hundred bones for. Putting my credit card down, I felt duped and knew that I could get much better meals in Atlanta for much less money.

If you're reading this review, well then you have certainly heard about The Optimist. You've heard about its gorgeous dining room and inviting bar(s). You've heard about the masterfully appointed lighting and stylishly tasteful touches. And all of these things are absolutely, in the fullest sense, true - the design team for this restaurant knocked it out of the park. And perhaps you've heard about the food. And that's where I'm taking a stand - if you heard wonderful things about the food at The Optimist, you heard wrong.

If I had to sum my meal up at The Optimist in one, brief phrase, if would be, "Nothing tasted like anything." The dishes overall were devoid of any flavor with the exception of a salty Monkfish entree. I adore the scope of the menu and had a hard time deciding on anything because everything sounded so interesting, refreshing or delicious. The service, I should mention, was flat - not particularly friendly and nobody ever came to check on us after we got our food. 

The Optimist has fresh oysters on the regular and I feel like oysters are omissible from any review. The truth is, if you have a fresh product and a good shucker, oysters are going to be good. And they were. We also ordered the $9 cup of gumbo. With ample amounts of seafood (including a crab claw), I suppose they can get away with the price. The broth was nothing special, however, and lacked thickness and depth of flavor. The accompanying "Potluck" garlic bread was absolutely unnecessary and didn't even deserve to be called garlic bread.

The mains were the real let down of the evening. My monkfish entree, with a tomato broth, pickled fennel and hen of the woods mushrooms was simply not good. The monkfish was cooked appropriately but the accompanying broth tasting like nothing but salt with no tomato flavor. In fact, after a few bites, I couldn't eat any more of it. The pickled fennel kept to itself and didn't compliment the dish in any way while the the hen of the woods mushrooms were kept to a minimum - there was only one in the dish.

Kins ordered the yellowtail tuna dish which was supposed to feature a charred octopus & potato salad. The yellowtail was cooked properly with a nice sear to the outside. The potato salad was even interesting - fried rather than boiled (think well cooked home fries). However, the charred octopus was much like the mushrooms in my dish - non existent except for one, measly piece. I'm sorry, but when you shell out $26 for a dish, there needs to be more than one bite of the ingredients mentioned on the menu. And like the monkfish entree, this dish didn't really have any flavor. The corn milk hushpuppies fell into the same category of everything else - no flavor. They were also entirely too dense - hushpuppies from a modest fish shack are worlds better.

Nothing at the Optimist was revolting or inedible. The problem was that nothing tasted great or even good. While a modest home cook may not be able to prepare a piece of monkfish to perfection, they could surely impart more memorable (or in this case, existing) flavors. The best bite I had all evening was the complimentary bread - fluffy, buttery and topped with some quality salt, it was a nice bite to kick off what I (at the time) suspected would be a great meal. But alas, it was the only bite I fully enjoyed for the rest of the evening. I began wondering if I had burned my tongue severely on the gumbo because after that, I didn't taste much of anything.

P.S. The valet parking here sucks - they have a huge lot, with tons of empty spaces, yet it took us about 10 minutes to retrieve our car. When will restaurants stop using valet?

Takorea - Trend Latching Atlantans

Admittedly, I never really liked Hankook and since Takorea is essentially the same food, well I don't like it much either.

Takorea/Hankook's success exemplifies Atlanta's ability to latch on to a trend and perpetuate it into a mass success. In the end, the food doesn't matter so long as the concept is creative (I hesitate to call it that).

Korean/Mexican fusion is a wonderful idea and one that Hankook/Takorea obviously ganked from LA's Kogi BBQ. If you've ever had the opportunity to try Kogi, you'd know how good korexican could be. In the end, Tokorea exhibits little attention to detail. All of the ingredients are there, but the execution is poor.

The takos mainly hit one note. The ribeye needs caramelization aka better flavor development. The sauces need focus on subtle, popping, and complimentary flavors - not beat-you-over-the-head sweetness. The fried items (shrimp, calamari, japanese sweet potatoes) need a lighter, crispier batter. I would have rather eaten the japanese sweet potato naked than their limp, fried (they called it tempura) rendition. The sweet chili aioli dipping sauce was stupidly good.

Your best bet at Takook is the Alton Brown touted bibimbap. While not nearly as good as Woo Nam Jeong, it'll do the trick in a pinch.

The cooks need to try some Kogi to see where they're missing the mark. Again, the concept/menu is great, but they're completely flubbing on the food.

Quickie - Octane at the Jane / Little Tart Bakeshop

For those few of you that haven't heard, Octane Coffee has opened their newest outpost in Grant Park - Octane at the Jane. This wouldn't concern me much, as I don't drink coffee, but the new lofty digs houses The Little Tart Bakeshop which makes this far more than a coffee shop. I first had the opportunity to try the Little Tart's offerings at an Atlanta Underground Market and I was floored by how good her pastries were. The apple/cheddar and pear/ginger turnovers were some of the best fruit filled pasty I've ever had.

Rather than wait for the next local Farmer's market, Little Tart's goods are now offered up around the clock at the new Octane. And the best part about that is, you can have items warm from the oven. The technical prowress that is exhibitied behind the display glass is astounding. Flakes are where they should be, moistness remains at the forefront, and unique flavor combinations are embodied in a variety of items. The aforementioned turnovers are not to be missed, nor should the pain au chocolat. However, the item that truly blew both kins and I away was the bacon/cheddar scone. More like a biscuit in texture (a fluffy center with layers of texture/flake surrounding), these scones are irresistible and have kept us coming back way more than we should have. Make sure you get their early to not only enjoy a warm scone, but to actually get one - they're made in small batches and run out frequently.

This is certainly my favorite option for morning pastries in Atlanta.

HD1 - Haute Doggery Opening Night

I got a chance to stop in and try HD1 (Haute Doggery), Richard Blaise's latest endeavor last night. If you couldn't tell by the name, the concept is supposed to be a new take on hot dogs, much like his flagship operation, Flip Burger Boutique. Being a big proponent of Flip, I thought I'd walk away from HD1 a big fan.The experience was nice enough and while I can't point out any particular shortcomings, I left shrugging my shoulders. The atmosphere is a little more laid back than Flip and the servers and vibe are less pretentious/clubby feeling. Interestingly, orders are placed at the counter and a very swift team serves and removes your items from the communal dining area.

Kenturkey

We started with a shrimp in fried grits appetizer which unsurprisingly, was nothing more than well, fried shrimp. The Haute dogs were good. I ordered a Classic (beef with mustard and kraut) and a Kenturkey that came with bacon, mornay, and tomato-pimento marmalade. The Classic was probably the better of the two. It had some nice snap and the kraut and the mustard were perfect classic compliments. The Kenturkey was well done but a little too sweet. The New England style hot dog buns are addictive with that sublime combination of buttery, sweet, soft and crispy. For a side we opted for the waffle fries and while covered with maple, they were particularly boring.

Waffled Fries

If you get a chance to study the menu, you'll notice that you can purchase most every one of the hot dog/sausage varieties somewhere in Atlanta. And let's face it, cooking a hot dog might be a culinary step below making a proper grilled cheese. However, the creativity and uniqueness of HD1 is in the toppings, rather the tubed meat and that is HD1's shorcomming. One of the things I love about Flip are the nontraditional patties. You can't get a shrimp burger, ossobucco burger, chorizo or tuna tartar anywhere in Atlanta. This is why I can't possibly hold Haute Doggery in the same regard as its older brother. HD1 is definitely a good place to stop for a quick bite, but not destination dining.

The Classic

First Look - 5 Napkin Burger

I managed to stop in last night (grand opening) at Atlanta's latest and tardy entrant into the Burger Wars (eye roll) last night. If you don't follow my tweets. A hamburger is easily my favorite food item ever, but I'm so sick of burger joints sprouting up (and doing well) in Atlanta. Are Atlantans really that unadventurous that they need to have a specialty restaurant for sandwich that they can already order in every single other restaurant? What I hate most about the trend is that all of the new contenders sell a glorified diner burger. They're all cooked on a flattop, thin patties and none are cooked below medium well. I'm sorry, but essential and important flavor and juiciness is eliminated by cooking any burger above medium and I for one order mine medium-rare at a trustworthy establishment. This is exactly why, as contradictory as it seems, I was moderately excited about New York chain, 5 Napkins. I knew they used a 10-ounce patty and cooked to desired doneness which sounded very promising.

Situated in the former Nickimoto's spot at Piedmont and 10th, the location will get a ton of traffic. The inside comes off nicely, sort of like a Concentrics restaurant and it's certainly noisy like one too. The service was excellent for a first night and I have no complaints at all. I also have to say the food was good to excellent. I ordered the original which comes with gruyere, caramelized onions, and rosemary aioli. All the ingredients worked well together - the creamy tang of the gruyere complement the sweetness of the onions and the aioli had some nice garlic flavoring that hit the mark. The bun was also exceptional - perfectly buttered and griddled, it was soft, slightly sweet and not that dry spongy type of bun that I get too often with a burger. The only shortcoming on the burgers was that they were both overcooked. I ordered mine medium rare and definitely got an uneven medium well. Kins ordered hers medium and also received medium well.

Appologize for iPhone photo, forgot my camera

The fries that come with the burger were close to shoestring style and similar to In N' Out's rendition(I considered these to be better). We also both ordered shakes, which left a little something to be desired. They all sounded fantastic but the two we had came up short on execution. I believe that a milkshake should be a perfect combination of thick and smooth - not thick enough that you burst blood vessels sucking it down, but certainly not as simple as sipping a soda. The cookies and cream shake was fine but slightly runny. The peanut butter-chocolate one really fell short. I'm pretty sure they use chocolate syrup (as evidenced by the remnants in the mixing cup) which left a very sharp, chemical note to each mouthful. I little fine tuning on the shakes and they could be excellent.

All in all it was a very enjoyable meal for an opening night. The service was very pleasant and helpful, but did seem a little unrehearsed which is completely forgivable given that they just opened. I will say that the meal was pricey. Two burgers (came with fries) and two shakes ran us $44.00 before tip. I certainly like the burgers at 5 Napkins better than most of their competition (Grindhouse, Yeah!, and the likes), but the price will definitely won't keep me away from my regular jaunts.

Humble Pie - Pie Shop

With various songs and quotes featuring pie slathered across the wall, I didn't know what to make of Pie Shop. For one, what a strange location. Behind and under a little fenced-in commercial property with a pay-box lot, this diamond in the heart of all that I can't stand about Atlanta (primarily Buckhead) really is a refreshing slice of what this city needs. My first bite of that ganache pie sent me into a transcendental spin - was I really eating something this good, this simple in Atlanta? Coming down off my high, I just smirked and made sure I dabbed every bit of the crust flakes with my finger tip and returned them to where they belonged - my mouth.
Mims, the owner and baker extraordinaire, (wo)mans this newly-opened spot with 2 or 3 other ladies who are as equally passionate about (you guessed it) pie. Saying that Pie Shop serves up humble pie is an understatement. They did everything to make my compadre and me feel comfortable. They fielded all of our questions, provided us with generous samples and provided quality service for a place that's essentially grab-and-go.
The pies were a huge success. We first sampled the mojito/mint bite. The staff told us it was similar to key lime pie and they weren't kidding. Just really great flavors in this one - I swear I even tasted a hint of sharp cheese in my bite. The banana caramel was absolutely decadent. Talk about a just smooth, rich bite. Next we tried their savory fried pie which featured corn, chive and something else I can't remember. I was probably most excited by the sound of this one, but it didn't really hit the mark for me. The dough was a little too heavy for a fried pie and didn't really give way to the more delicate filling. This is a minor complaint - I still had no problem polishing it off.
Also sampled were the date, mint crostata with fresh whipped cream. As someone who doesn't particularly go nuts for dates, this was a hit. The flavors just hit the mark and well, I'd eat that whipped cream off of the asphalt outside. I can also attest to how well crafted the watermelon chiffon was. While I hate all things melon, the miniature pie was like eating perfectly flavored watermelon air - exactly what a chiffon should be.
The grand slam for me however, was their simply titled ganache pie. Sumamabitch. I'm constantly complaining how chocolate desserts in Atlanta just aren't chocolatey enough. I can complain no more. This is not that Hershey pie they serve in a box at your at BK. Oh no, this is far more enjoyable. Essentially it looks just like an icebox pie, but calling it that would be and insult. The intense chocolate filling is exactly what my insatiable chocolate hound self has been looking for. I ate this slice slow, and not because it was hard to stomach. So light, but so full of flavor. Wow.
I can't stress enough how Pie Shop is already one of Atlanta's best dessert spots (it's actually difficult to name many more). The boutique and artisinal pies are perfectly executed and the staff isn't pretentious in the slightest - which is often a by-product of such quality goods. They're cranking out new pies every week, so while it might be impossible to get the above examples, it doesn't matter. When you visit Pie Shop, you're in capable hands. Trust.

My gripes: My only criticism of pie shop was that the same type of crust was used on all pies except the mojito one. I think some additional variety of crusts that are more complimentary to the fillings would really be a bonus to the near-perfect pies. Secondly, I sure as hell hope that Pie Shop doesn't inspire a whole bunch of other pie shops. I realize that delicious pie is delicious pie, but like cupcakes and burgers (of which Atlanta was a late adopter of) pies have been the big "thing" in larger cities (especially New York) the last couple of years. What I do hope, is that Pie Shop inspires more varied concepts of different, well-done specialty joints across the city.

I leave you with this little diddy from the wall of pie:

Awesome New York Subway Car Supperclub

If you haven't seen this yet, give it a watch. Several supperclubs came together to serve unsuspecting MTA riders a multi-course meal. Awesome.