My 5-star dinner at Bacchanalia
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Karen Hamilton
April 20, 2008
No matter what I say and show you in this post, words cannot adequately describe how amazing my dining experience was at Atlanta’s culinary darling, Bacchanalia. But I’ll try my best.
Bacchanalia’s format is unusual but simple. Reserve a table to enjoy a 4-course prix fixe menu (which at the time of this writing runs you $72 USD a person). If you can’t decide on a bottle from their extensive wine list, you can opt for the food and wine pairing for a total of $125. That’s what I went for. I figured that the alcohol would help me ignore the “poor girl!” stares that I was getting from other tables as they observed my lone self at a table for two with no companion save my camera and notepad.
It took me twenty minutes to figure out what to order. Everything sounded so appealing. Oysters with lemon mignonette caviar or foie gras terrine with strawberries and almonds? Pork trio or lamb trio? Strawberry souffle with salt (!) ice cream or asparagus cake with lemon gelato? Dare I try sweetbreads for the first time? The mind reeled with possibilities.
Luckily, I was bombarded with dish recommendations by my server (Julie), the sommelier, and even other wait staff who noticed my indecision. Everyone seemed to be dropping by and ready to help. The attention made me feel like a real food critic, or a hotshot VIP, or both. Perhaps I shouldn’t have disclosed that I was a visiting foodie with a camera and a food blog!
Enough with the preamble. What about the food?
I was given bread for my bread plate, which remained untouched thanks to the parade of indulgences that descended upon my table. First up were a pair of gougères, compliments of the chef, made of puff pastry and stuffed with warm, oozy bechamel. A nice start, though they were on the threshold of being oversalted.
Chilled asparagus soup was the next “chef’s gift”. Just enough to fill a sake cup. Beautiful emerald colour and a clean springtime taste. Enjoyed the crunch of what I believe was minced pickled asparagus sprinkled atop the soup.
At this point, I began to anticipate the arrival of my adventurous appetizer choice (veal sweetbreads, here I come!). To my great surprise, the appetizer that arrived was this one:
A full serving of their Gulf crab fritter with Thai pepper essence. Again, compliments of the chef. It was the appetizer that sounded the least appealing to me when scanning their menu. In actual fact, the fritter is Bacchanalia’s most lauded appetizer offering. People pay extra to have this as a 5th course. I thought the kitchen had made a mistake until my server assured me that my sweetbreads would follow the fritter in due time.
Am I ever so grateful that someone wanted me to try this dish. It was simply mindblowing. An Anton Ego revelation. The sweet heat of the Thai pepper essence, combined with the citrus pop of the grapefruit, really did trigger a flashback to my childhood when my dad would carve me a grapefruit splashed with vinegar and Tabasco, supposedly to prevent or heal winter sniffles. From my table, I peered through the windows of their open kitchen to see whether a Pixar-animated chef/rodent was indeed readying my sweetbreads.
The fritter was filling and I devoured every last morsel. It was kind of the kitchen to give me 15 minutes to digest it all before the next item arrived. Was it my sweetbreads? No, it was another indulgence! This time, two pieces of pork rind (yes, pork rind) sourced locally by Star Provisions. Compared to the war-rations variety, these were airy, delicately salted, crunchy to bite and yet melts on the tongue. Think of it as bursting edible bubble wrap in your mouth. Very fun dish.
Ahhh…here we go. My first taste of sweetbreads (from the thymus?). Seared to a golden brown, lightly nutty with a buttery / starchy mouthfeel. There was some resistance to the bite but it wasn’t tough, chewy, or rubbery. Perhaps best described as a portobello consistency. I enjoyed this filling dish very much, but I didn’t want to get full after only the first official course. So I left the last few bites in the bowl and awaited my spring lamb trio.
It was almost too pretty to eat (almost). Cooked medium rare, erring towards rare. Just how I like it. The lamp chop was by far my favourite. The sausage was decent but I didn’t like the casing; the loin was a little too gamey and texturally uninteresting. The braised fennel was superb and is something to recreate in our kitchen one day soon.
This dish ranks second for me (the crab fritter being the clear favourite). The name is a misnomer: it should be called “Beets and Contrast” instead of “Cheese and Contrast” for how truly the beets steal the show. To be fair, the fresh, smooth, and sharp goat’s cheese was of excellent quality. But it was the combination of crisped raw yellow beets, succulent roasted red beets, and the nearly-neon-pink beet sorbet that contributed to the glorious variety in texture, colour, and salt.
The indulgences re-commenced as my menu transitioned into dessert mode. The next one was a hibiscus rosewater panna cotta with strawberries and caramel dust. It looked so mouth-watering that I actually forgot to take a photo before digging in.
Then the worst happened: my camera battery died. Horror of horrors! I wish I could show rather than describe how my coconut tres leches with meringue looked like a seared white chocolate Hersheys Kiss. Or map out the miniature cuteness that was the tasting trio of coconut macaroon, chocolate pecan truffle, and strawberry cream cheese shortbread. Or portray the simple simplicity of the coffee madeleine that rounded off the evening.
Instead, I will end my gushing and implore you to try Bacchanalia for yourself. Order the things I didn’t and report back to me. I want to live vicariously through your tastebuds. Don’t forget to try the Gulf crab fritter. It will take your breath away.
Bacchanalia
1198 Howell Mill Road | Atlanta, GA
Prix fixe 4-course menu for $75
With wine pairing, $125
Categories: Atlanta, Beyond Vancouver, Food, Restaurants, Travel, USA
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Tiny Bites is a food blog that explores all things edible and imbibable in Vancouver, British Columbia. More >
Articles by Karen Hamilton
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Happy to see how much you liked Bacchanalia. I had to remember to go dig your website and read your review.
How is it going?
JuanMi
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