The List: Wrecking Bar Brewpub
If you live in the Atlanta area and you only visit restaurants in your neighborhood, you are missing out. This city has SO many incredible restaurants, but to hit them you absolutely HAVE to be willing to get in the car and drive. No area of town has a corner on the "fun" dining spots. Billy and I live in East Cobb and we constantly find ourselves 10-20 miles away in search of a tasty and/or unusual dining experience. Our goal is to find both! Any out-of-the-way drives, we reason, just give us extra time to catch up in the car.
One of the most recent finds for us is the Wrecking Bar Brewpub on the edge of Inman Park. This pub isn't your typical fish fry and hush puppy spot; it's much MUCH more adventurous than bar food. For one thing, the pub is located in the basement of famed Atlanta landmark, a former Victorian home which has had numerous lives as a church, dance school, and antique store. The vibe is casual, but hip. During the early hours, families bring their short people with them and then, as the night progresses, the place feels more grownup.
We were there to knock off a couple of items off The List. The first was the Seasonal Barley Plate. This risotto dish varies according to the season (clever how it relates to the name, right?!), so order whatever happens to be on the menu. The night we went the dish had sunchokes, spinach, and pumpkin seeds. YUM!Also from The List was the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts hash. This dish was even better than the barley. In fact, I've been trying to knock off the recipe at home for the last few weeks. (I hope to have a recipe up shortly, so stay tuned.) I doubt there's much more than olive oil, salt & pepper, but the seasoning is flawless and the vegetables are perfectly roasted.
Delightful!For all of my enthusiasm for The List, Billy went rouge and decided to order the chicken special with sweet potatoes and green beans. I only had a bite since Billy was far too happy with his choice to share much! With entrees in the $13-15 range, we were also VERY happy with our bill.
If you aren't already exploring our city, the Wrecking Bar Brewpub is a good place to start!