With the sun just starting to lower in the sky, we arrived at the venerable Horseradish Grill on a busy Tuesday evening. As you walk up the path to the restaurant, the lush backdrop and country-style cottage reminiscent of an old horse stable evoke quiet charm and seclusion from the hectic Buckhead traffic just yards away.Moments after I entered the front door, I was holding a "Buckhead Bowtie," a refreshing cocktail using Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey as the main ingredient, along with a topping of fresh chocolate mint. This is the newest cocktail being served at the bar that was once a quaint country store. The Buckhead Bowtie is Horseradish Grill’s entry into the “Battle of the Bottles” sponsored by the Atlanta’s Visitor and Convention Bureau. As I sipped my drink, I was introduced to Steve Alterman, Horseradish Grill’s owner, who immediately made me feel at ease and welcome almost as though I had entered his own home.
Along with the other members of the Atlanta Food Bloggers’ Society, I was seated in a private dining area that resembled a front porch. We all sat and chatted as an appetizer sampler was brought to the table. The plate included a pimento cheese grit fritter sitting on a dollop of country ham aioli with homemade bread & butter pickles; a delicate strip of fried fish with served with Alabama white sauce and crispy garlic chips; and, a fried green tomato topped with goat cheese and remoulade topped with spiced pecans. A crisp un-oaked Chardonnay was a wonderful pairing.
As the plates were cleared, plates of shrimp and creamy grits followed. Roasted red peppers and caramelized onions braised in a spiced sherry cream sauce accompanied the plump fresh shrimp and flawlessly prepared Logan Turnpike Mill grits. Executive Chef Dave Berry who has rejuvenated the HRG menu while remaining true to historic recipes, came in and described the dishes, listened earnestly to our comments, and cheerfully answered questions. With few exceptions, all dishes on the menu are made from scratch.Chef Berry and Steve Alterman then led a tour of their full garden located behind the kitchen which included a healthy stand of (yes, you guessed it), a healthy stand of horseradish. As we nibbled on fresh strawberries and leaves of chocolate mint, Alterman explained, “Atlanta’s concept of Southern farm-to-table cuisine originated at Horseradish Grill. When we started, people told me I was crazy. At the time, Southern food was just a caricature like mushy black-eyed peas cooked with fatback. Today, there is a plethora of sophisticated Southern restaurants.”
We returned to the table to find plates of braised pork belly served atop cornmeal pancakes with a rhubarb-red onion jam and a glass of lovely dry Cabernet Sauvignon which offered a nice contrast. Each plate was garnished with a beautiful chive flower fresh from the garden.
Still licking our chops from the tender pork, dishes of pan-seared sea scallops with Carolina Gold rice “middlins” topped with fried Savoy cabbage, black-eyed “peanuts” and drizzled with a barbeque vinaigrette. Middlins are a by-product of milling Carolina Gold rice. The broken pieces of the fragile long-grain rice take result in a creamy, risotto-like texture. I must admit that this was my favorite dish of the evening.
All of us were getting full and loosening our belts as yet another course was delivered to our table. Perfectly wood-grilled ribeyes which had been rubbed down with HRG’s own dry rub sat in a puddle of smoked garlic and corn puree crowned with Parmesan fries. Feeling satiated, we all pushed our chairs back as the conversation continued. Looking down the table, it was genuinely refreshing to see the owner fully engaged and enjoying himself as he sipped on his martini.
When plates of dessert samplers arrived, we all gave a collective sigh, but no one could resist the trio of treats set before them which included homemade pecan pie, Kentucky oatmeal spice cake topped with caramel ice cream, chocolate-chocolate layer cake served with fresh crème and sliced strawberry, and Berry’s signature sweet potato crème brulee.
We extend our sincere thanks to Steve Alterman, Executive Chef Dave Barry and the amazing team at Horseradish Grill for showing us the true meaning of Southern hospitality.
