Woodfire Grill

For those of you who are Top Chef fans you probably know Kevin Gillespie. On this past season he made it to the final 3 next to the Voltaggio brothers & was known for many of his pork dishes. His restaurant in Atlanta is Woodfire Grill and last night it's tasting menu became the inaugural dinner party for a dining club group that included myself and a handful of classmates. Woodfire Grill creates it's menu from seasonal, local, sustainable ingredients. The menu varies and depends on what is the freshest, most flavorful offerings from local purveyors. This dinner was truly a southern food fine dining experience. The tasting menu consists of a 5 course small plate sampling menu that showcases the chef's abilities and specialties.

Here's a look at what was on the menu:

Amuse

sweet grass chevre, buttered toast, salsa verde

First Course

confit laughing bird shrimp salad tart, gremolata aioli, avocado creme fraiche, salsa cruda

Second Course

pan seared diver scallop with Moroccan spice rub, sumac roasted hen of the woods,
spiced wine syrup, ras el hanout

Taste

creamy potato and leak soup, micro radish

Fourth Course

smoked berkshire pork loin and belly, slow roasted anson mills grits, pickled cabbage,
roast pear and apple relish, espelette honey

Main Course

wood grilled lamb loin, grilled veal sweetbreads, confit fingerling potatoes,
charred baby vidalia onion, roasted lamb jus, cranberry gel

Dessert

apple cake, candied walnut anglaise, apple relish, brown sugar ice cream, honey gastrique

Each course was beautifully presented and offered layers of flavor throughout each ingredient and plating component. My personal favorite was the 2nd course with the Moroccan spice rubbed scallop and wild mushrooms. Tasting the scallop alone was fantastic but when combined with the wine syrup brought out many more layers of flavor like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. The meatiness of the mushrooms may have overpowered the delicacy of the scallop but the spice rub and red wine syrup brought each element together in such a fantastic way.

I have to admit this was the first time I've had grits. The thick creamy texture reminded me of risotto and was very nice mixed with the pickled cabbage, and apple/pear relish side. The grits and relish were topped with two cuts of pork, tenderloin and belly. Pork tenderloin is one of my standby regulars when deciding what to prepare for a simple, yet impressive, dinner. However, I wasn't too sure about the pork belly. After watching Kevin Gillespie on Top Chef, I knew at some point pork belly would be part of the tasting menu and I was intrigued by it's flavor and presentation. I'm not entirely familiar with pork belly and did not know until someone explained that it is basically bacon but a much thicker cut that is mostly fat. (I'll learn more about that when I get into Culinary Foundations 3 and cover everything about various cuts of pork and beef.) For someone not accustomed to southern cuisine, pork belly is probably more of an acquired taste but I was impressed with the smooth, tender texture of the meat.

The lamb was also a favorite. Plated on a bed of Vidalia onions, the tenderness of the lamb combined with the sweet, smoky flavor of the onions was a fantastic layer of flavor. It was combined with a small portion of veal sweetbread over confit fingerling potatoes.

Overall the entire evening was a great dining experience. The attention to detail in plating, flavors and ingredients was meticulous and delicious. If you're ever in the Atlanta area I highly recommend making plans to try either the tasting menu or the regular menu. The only thing I advise is making reservations at least a month in advance. The tasting menu is $65 a person but definitely worth the flavors and experience.
-CLG