Ratamacue Stew: March 2010

Good Eats: Atlanta, GA

While attending a conference, I had the opportunity to eat at two very good restaurants in Atlanta, GA. One I sought out as the Chef competed with his brother on Iron Chef America (more on that later). The other came as a recommendation from a friend. Both are excellent restaurants with fantastic food. I would highly encourage you to go to one or both the next time you are in Atlanta. I will certainly look for an excuse for a return visit.

Kevin Rathbun Steak

Steak houses in the U.S.A. are becoming somewhat of a cliche. Most have good, although predictable, food and atmosphere. You have your chain restaurants like Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Capital Grille, etc. You also have your one-stop shops that emulate the aforementioned national chains. Decent food, good steak, reasonable wine collection, but boring and unimaginative nonetheless.

Kevin Rathbun Steak is not one of these places. I sought out this steak house as I knew Kevin had competed with his brother Kent (Abacus) on Iron Chef America. In that competition, Battle Elk, they beat Bobby Flay. No small feat and the staff at Kevin's restaurant now call him the "Flay Slayer".

The atmosphere of the restaurant was fantastic. A beautiful bar complete with copper ceiling to mirror the darkened bar. The brick walls gave it that industrial look. We ate at the bar (which is full service) as it was packed the night I was there and we didn't make reservations ahead of time. Sampling many of their dishes, below are pics of the ones we had that night. Among the other libations consumed, we ordered a 2007 Elizabeth Spencer Cabernet to go with dinner. An excellent wine that paired well with all the dishes we had.

Baked Escargot
w/Parsley Garlic Butter & Crispy Shallots

Lobster Fritters
w/Lemon Zest Honey Mustard

Japanese Wagyu Beef

Grade A-5, 8-10 BMS

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast
Roasted Root Vegetables, Quince Mostarda

Smoky Braised Greens
w/ Kentucky Hog Jowl

Elbow Mac & Cheese Tart
w/ Truffle Crumbs

Caramel Brule

Baked Alaska
(Before Fudge Pour)

Baked Alaska
(After Fudge Pour)

Scott and Kevin

JCT Kitchen & Bar

Billed as "Southern Farmstead Cooking", I also was told this was a place to get traditional southern soul food. I'm now positive about the former and not so sure about the latter. I've never had soul food like I had at JCT. Whatever the case, the bottom line is that it was a fantastic meal. JCT takes the southern cooking style and ups it several levels with creativity, wonderful plating, and rich flavors. I chose a 2007 Henry Estate Pinot Noir to go with dinner. This worked fine for the lighter dishes. But, in retrospect, I think a fuller wine would have been better. A fruity California Cab or spicy Syrah would have stood up fine to the bolder flavors on the menu without overpowering the lighter fare given the richness in flavor of those dishes.