Holman & Finch Public House, Buckhead

If you go, go with a group. I went with three others who were all down to share and it was perfect! I think in total we ordered eleven dishes. The restaurant is small and doesn’t take reservations so we had to wait a while but they did a good job of making sure we had drinks, thank heavens! The cocktail list was fun and nothing run of the mill but since I was still on a high from my Manhattan the other night I didn’t stray away.

Once we sat down and asked if there were any more burgers (they had 1 left!) we got down to business. First up was the Soft Pretzel and Deviled Eggs Three Ways next we tossed & turned about which wine; we ended up going with a bottle of Château d’Oupia Les Hérétiques which was a pleasant wine to drink with food since it didn’t detract from what we were eating, over all pretty enjoyable but not remarkable. The out-of-towner got The Burger since the rest of us had all previously enjoyed one. I would say our table was lucky too since we asked around 9:15 and burger time is promptly at 10.

Then for the next forty minutes our table became an awesome turn table for food. The Hot Dog which could seem out-of-place was dang good, they put these pickled jalapeños on it that made it more exciting than your average ol’ dog. The Potato Dumplings were a fantastic delicate combination of potato and squash! The Steak Tartare was mixed with a farm egg and creole mustard, which did not disappoint. It was topped with shoestring potatoes and they through us all for a loop, they didn’t taste like anything but the airy crunchy texture kept you wanting more. Red Beans & Rice on its own did not sound like much but with the addition of pickled pigs foot I would say this dish was the most surprising. The Fish & Chips and Wild Catfish were the last to come out. Never having catfish before I was curious but half of the table was not feeling it. My friend who has had it before was actually surprised at how good it was normally mushy this was nice and firm. The grits and gravy didn’t hurt the dish either.

Last but not least the table gave into examining a couple of desserts, the Bacon Carmel Popcorn and the Sticky Toffee Pudding. This popcorn didn’t just have a spirit of bacon but rather a hearty dosage. If you like sweet and salty all in the same mouthful this would be your jam. The toffee pudding was warm and sweet a good counter to the popcorn.

While all the food was “American” if you’re looking for traditional fixings I would advise against going here. But if you’re up for whatever spin the kitchen wants to put on food you’ve found the right place.