Omnivore Atlanta

NUMBNUTS: The Asian meatballs at 30 Tables

It’s easy to see why restaurants are becoming safer and less eccentric. When times are tight, the reflex is to return to simple, nonthreatening food that appeals to the masses. 30 Tables, in the Glenn Hotel, reflects that tendency, both on the part of the hotel and on the part of Concentrics, the group brought in to run the restaurant.

Let’s start with the Glenn, and the space 30 Tables inhabits. The restaurant is the third establishment in this space in three years. The hotel’s tried one outlandish concept after another, starting with the ludicrous and preposterously bad B.E.D., and then Maxim Prime, a collaboration between Jeffrey Chodorow and the men’s magazine of the same name. Maxim Prime was only slightly less garish than B.E.D. in its design and concept, and the food was far more successful. But ultimately, the ’80s-themed den-of-iniquity decor, eggs topped with gold leaf, and Russian waitresses dressed up like “Simply Irresistible” dancers didn’t hold sway over enough diners to make Maxim Prime a success. So what next?

Continue reading “Review: 30 Tables”

(Photo by James Camp)

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With the recent decision to abandon the space formerly occupied by Trois, Concentrics had some re-arranging to do. Drew Van Leuvan (whose cooking I loved at SAGA), who was to be the chef at whatever re-concepted concept Trois turned out to be, was left without a position. So a shuffle has taken place. As of this week, Van Leuvan will take over the kitchen at One Midtown Kitchen, and the chef there, Tom Harvey, will be moving to the executive chef spot at Murphy’s.

“Tom is known for his comfort food, so he’ll be infusing some of that at Murphy’s” says Concetrics’ Hannah Huffines. “Although we will be keeping a lot of the menu favorites. And at One, Drew will be doing more small plates and there will be some Meditteranean influence as well.”

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To shed light on last week’s suspicions, The Reynolds Group PR Rep Jill Caramella sent out a press release yesterday about the changes coming to Trois. The dining room will have a new concept in September, though the bar and event spaces will remain open. Trois plans to give their employees jobs at other Concentrics restaurants in the downtime.

The release quoted owner and founder of Concentrics Restaurants Bob Amick.

“We conducted intense guest focus groups and surveys at TROIS which revealed the restaurant was not meeting guest expectations,“ he said. “As a result, we feel it is necessary to adjust the décor and menu to better please our guests. We are excited to provide more insight on the new concept when all elements are solidified.”

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I heard a rumor this morning that Trois, Concentrics’ glittering French restaurant in Midtown, will be closing within the week.  Calls to the restaurant and the restaurant’s PR rep garnered a lot of “no comment”s (although PR rep Jill Caramella at the Reynolds Group promised more information by the end of the day). But we were able to find three separate sources who told us, off the record, that the downstairs bar will stay open, probably serving food, while the upstairs dining room is “re-branded”. We’re told that concept, price point and decor will all be changed. It will no longer be Trois.

We’ll keep you posted as the official word comes down.

(Thanks to intern Robyn Baitcher for her intrepid reporting, which contributed to this post)

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This just in from Concentrics:

Atlanta, GA (March 31, 2009) – Concentrics Restaurants’ Bob Amick and Todd Rushing are proud to announce that New Orleans’ native Nick Melvin has assumed the lead of Executive Chef of PARISH: Foods & Goods. With a passion for food and all things pure and local, nationally acclaimed Chef Nick Melvin will create New Orleans-inspired dishes with modern influences at the Inman Park neighborhood restaurant and market.

“Nick possesses the ideal qualifications that I’m certain will make for a standout chef at PARISH – he is New Orleans born and bred with an exceptional passion for farm to table fare and was a part of the Concentrics family for quite a while,” said Concentrics Restaurants founder Bob Amick. “While at Serenbe, he utilized the local, sustainable and farm-to-table philosophies that PARISH embraces, and he brings the flavors of his hometown back to Atlanta. We are excited to have him back as a part of the Concentrics team.”

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After the announcement that Maxim Prime would be moving from its spot in the Glenn Hotel, little was said about what restaurant would replace it (one of the reasons given for the restaurant leaving was to give the Glenn more meeting space). I’ve learned however that Concentrics plans to open a restaurant in the space called 30 Tables. This hasn’t been confirmed by Concentrics, but 30 Tables already has an OpenTable page.

In other new restaurant news, Micropundit reported last week on Atlanta magazine’s blog that Gary Mennie, formerly of the recently closed Taurus, has signed on as head chef at the new restaurant planned in the Georgian Terrace hotel. The restaurant will be called Livingston.

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Brad writes to ask:

Have you heard anything about the remodeling activity at the former Pie Bar location? I saw a for lease sign up just before they started, so I wonder if it is not Concentrics venture.

We called Concentrics to ask, and they said they are no longer involved with the location and don’t know who has leased it. Anyone else have any info?

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I’ve got to stop going out of town. Last time I left for a few days, Element had closed. This time, I came back to town last night to find that Piebar shut its doors over the weekend. Concentrics Restaurants, which owns the business, said it’s hoping to have another concept open in the space by spring. I would imagine it’s a bit of a blow for the restaurant group, which usually presides over resounding successes. I am glad it’s planning to do something else with the space — the building has always been cooler than the high-concept pizzas.

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Over the weekend, two much-awaited openings happened in Atlanta, right across the street from one another. Being fully committed to serving my readers, I managed to hit both of them.

On Friday night, Tap opened its doors on the corner of Peachtree and 15th streets. Tap is the newest project of Concentrics Restaurant Group and is modeled after the gastropubs of London. Word is that chef Todd Ginsberg did a tour of London gastropubs as research for this venture.

One thing’s for sure, they have put a lot of cash into this joint, in places you might not expect. The beer system is so complicated-looking, it made my wallet hurt just thinking about it. Red is the color of the day, and for some reason, there’s a life-sized, lipstick-red deer in the corner of the dining room. Design geeks will swoon over the small touches, including menus that look as though they belong in a trendy gift shop (seriously — according to our waitress they’re worth $25 each), and coasters with a cute conversion chart from metric to imperial. I was most impressed with this awesome box of matches.

On Sunday, directly across the street in Colony Square, one of Atlanta’s best Thai restaurants reopened its doors with very little fanfare. Tamarind Seed (formerly just Tamarind) lost its lease to eminent domain on 14th Street last year. On Sunday, it quietly told friends and family it was opening the doors of its new establishment, and ended up with a packed house. Seriously, it was madness. I was just lucky to stumble across the opening, and while there were the usual opening-night nerves and not much to choose from in the drinks department (apart from gloriously fruity cocktails), the food came out quickly and was delicious.

Look for coverage for both of these fine new establishments in the upcoming weeks in the Food & Drink section.

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