Every city has its specialties, but you'll never try them all in one trip. Quality-over-quantity is the key when there are so many specials and so little time. In a city like Atlanta, you could probably eat for a month and still feel like you're missing out.
I did my research, but the decision wasn't easy. There are thousands of lists, and only a handful are reliable. I sort and I filter; I debate and I contemplate. No matter where I looked, all lists lead to Bacchanalia. Bacchanalia is the best, they boasted. It is as classy as it is classic, the menu is marvelous, and the service is the stuff of legends.
I would not contest a single word. Bacchanalia has a timeless beauty, a studied intimacy in a side-open space. Mood-lit and luxuriously simple, with servers who practically sing when they describe the dinnertime delicacies that change a little every night.
The amuse bouche is a tomato and thyme Financier, a fancy name for a muffin. It is a deceptively simple dot of tangy, sun-dried tomato infused with a sharper sprig of thyme. It's a small bite for sure, but it's surprisingly stimulating; the herbaceous finish opens the palate for the courses to come.
If I could make vegetables taste like this, I would never eat meat again. A hollowed-out Chilled Carrot nubbin is so absolutely satisfying, filled with a refreshing beet puree. It tastes like the very essence of the earth itself, and it washes down with a waterfall of warm Carrot Soup.
You can't go wrong with the Crab Fritter. It is literally a breaded, fried ball, filled with crab. The crab is soft and sweet, the salty breadcrumbs crunch and crackle. I would have been fine with just this, but the smooth avocado puree takes it up a notch, and the bitter tang of grapefruit adds playful notes to an otherwise-serious shellfish.
Veal Sweetbreads. I couldn't resist. They come simply, sauteed and separated into tiny lobules that leave a lasting impression. The texture is almost like fatty foie, but the granules are thicker, like a most scrumptious savory pudding. The roasted garlic really rounds out that savor, and the chanterelle mushrooms finish like a velvet touch.
I couldn't resist the Warm Maine Lobster either. Literally an entire lobster, shelled and served three ways.The tail is in its purest form, hint of celery, essence of almond. The claws are a progression, smeared with a creamy sauce. The rest of the claws stew in a heavier cream, variations on a succulent theme.
The Maple Leaf Duck made it a surf n' kinda-turf, a thick, dry-aged breast pontificates on the palate like a gamey poultry-steak, sweetened by apple, anchored by winter squash.
The cheese course is a breath of fresh air, a palatal reset after the savory storm. Capra Gia is a sweet n' salty, creamy goat. The cheese is a downpour, encapsulating earthy beets that taste like sunshine after the rain.
A Maplebrook Farm Burrata is served with sweeter accompaniments, a jelly-quince of apricot makes a fruit mash-up over an almond cookie.
Hot Chocolate is their cheese-chaser, a decadent almost-fondue in a flavor-shot.
I was thinking pecan pie when I ordered the Pecan Crepe, but it's actually reminiscent of a more refined Pecan Spinwheel, a la Little Debbie. The crepes are thin and soft, stacked in infallible layers. The sugar is stingier than my favorite after-school snack, and there are freshly-candied pecans crushed into every floaty layer.
Pecan then apple: fall flavors that never fail. The Caramel Apple Souffle is so much rich in a single ramekin. The souffle is so fluffy, it's apple-flavored air. The caramel hints melt into each bite, and I swear, before that butterscotch ice cream, no better pairing ever walked this earth.
After-dessert sweets are simple in their perfection. A Macaroon is a labyrinth of twisted, toasted coconut, a creamy Dark Chocolate Truffle takes us by storm, and a perfect butter-cake Madeleine takes the cake.
I am satisfied, I am excited, and most of all, I am enchanted by Bacchanalia. The old-world sophistication, the new-world fusion, the inescapable charm and indulgence of what is clearly one of Atlanta's crown jewels is beyond description. I am blown away by this experience, and I can only hope that a tailwind will one day blow me back.
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