Tag Archives: Manhattan

H. Harper Station

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H. Harper Station, Reynoldstown

This place used to be a railroad station and when the owner turned it into a restaurant he kept a lot of character, I took note of the super high ceilings and exposed brick, clearly I’m no architecture buff but nevertheless I thought it was cool! The owner is a mixologist so the cocktail list is lengthy and well crafted. I went with a group of five on a Friday so I did my share of checking out what they had to offer. I had their version of a Manhattan and Dirty Gin Martini, while neither were too crazy I throughly enjoyed  both. The snacks were tasty; we ordered five and thought this might have been too much, however, they have a very literal meaning of the word  snack. We ordered the Deviled Eggs with bacon crunch, the Smoked Pimento Cheese with jalapeño red marmalade & crispy bread, Fried House Pickles which consisted of carrots, cucumbers, and radishes served with a sriracha mayo, Bacon CrackerJack- caramel corn, bacon, & salty peanuts, and lastly the Cheese Plate that had two Consider Bardwell cheeses and one Jasper Hill. I was surprised to find all Vermont cheeses but still excited since I love all three. Fun fact the Consider Bardwell logo is actually my favorite logo in the cheese world. I would order the fried pickles, the bacon crackerjack and cheese plate again but not the other two. Not to say they were bad they just didn’t leave me wanting more. They have about six to seven bigger plates. I ordered the North Carolina Catfish that was served with romanesco, sunchokes, celery & orange. I often find myself thinking that catfish will be gross since they aren’t pretty things alive but I should probably get over that notion already since I’ve had two good catfish dishes recently. This is a cocktail centric place so on the dessert menu they did a marvelous thing and paired the two together. I ordered The Dude, a white Russian (if you got The Big Lebowski reference props to you!), one of the best I’ve had and a warm chocolate chip cookie. This by far was my favorite… how could it not be? The food was good and had some fun things on the menu but I would come back more for the drinks and ambiance than anything else.

Kevin Rathbun Steak

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Kevin Rathbun Steak, Inman Park

It’s always a good day when I go to a Rathbun restaurant but it’s always a better day when I choose to go to Rathbun Steak. From the quality of food to service I could not ask for a better dining experience. I had no occasion to splurge on except wanting to applaud good food and in honor of this night I started out with a dirty Martini. In addition I ordered the 10 oz Ribeye, the Mac & Cheese Tart with truffle crumbs, the Apple Crisp with ginger ice cream, and finally a Manhattan. When you compare their menu to other steakhouses in Atlanta it’s not all that different but it’s their quality that stands far above the rest. My steak was pan seared and then perfectly juicy on the inside. The mac & cheese while comforting like home is not comparable to anything you would find at an average kitchen table. The apple crisp was a true ode to fall and the ginger ice cream was out of this world, just a fantastic pairing . And of course both the martini and Manhattan were exceptional. I cannot say enough good things to persuade people that Rathbun Steak is wonderful whether you have an affair to celebrate or just feel you deserve a terrific meal.

Canoe

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Canoe, Vinings

The whole meal was simply marvelous. I sat in the bar area which served its full menu and had pretty lush seating, looked more comfortable than the chairs in the dining room! I peaked outside and would have loved to sit at that bar and listen to the live music (Blue Grass) but it was cold and I of course forgot a jacket. My server, Leigh, was well attentive, personable and of course steered me well through out the meal.

She informed me that they are known for their Manhattan’s so I order one on the rocks with Buffalo Trace. I’m not well versed with whiskey and have not indulged with many Manhattan’s but after this stellar example I think I just might start enjoying them more. For food I started off with another house favorite the House Smoked Salmon, which rest upon a crisp potato pancake and a goat cheese spread. It was indeed rich but ordering the smaller portion allowed me not to feel overwhelmed. With all flavors and textures being perfected this appetizer would probably rank in my top five. Another thing that I hadn’t seen before was bread being served piece by piece. They make all their own bread in-house daily; I opted for a piece of the sourdough and the spicy flat-bread.

For my entrée I excitedly picked the Slowed Roasted Carolina Rabbit, it was de-boned and oh so tender– no knife needed. It was served with swiss chard and bacon ravioli, sweet potato, and a candied ginger sauce. Only one word would be able to describe this dish and it would be…decadent. I had a glass of Muga Reserva from Rioja Spain and it was a great tempranillo, very jammy on the front end but had a spicy finish, which paired with the rabbit sublimely.

And last but not least I ordered the Mercier Apple & Almond Butter Cake with Cinnamon Creme Fraiche. After such a rich meal I didn’t want anything heavy or overly sweet. This was perfect– light and savory but still satisfied my need for something sweet at the end of the meal. I have never had cinnamon creme fraiche and it was a welcomed fall twist to the original. Canoe is known for their fish & game and having the  pleasure of trying both I was not disappointed. I can now see why Canoe continues to be highly regarded year after year.