Omnivore Atlanta

Despite the frantic rumors that Home was closing, owner Tom Catherall announces a new chef and menu that will, Market-like, reprise some of his greatest hits:

Bookmark to:

THE OFFAL TRUTH: Foie gras and buttermilk pancakes at Home

We love lists – especially at the end of the year. And so, in no particular order, here are my top 10 picks for the best dishes I had in 2008.

The almond croissant at Parish.

Mussel and salami salad at Cakes and Ale.

The Proscuitto de Parma at La Pietra Cucina.

Fesenjan stew at Falafel Café.

The vegetable plate at the National in Athens

Buttermilk pancakes and foie gras at Home.

The burger at Holeman and Finch.

Apple and beet soup at Dynamic Dish.

Korean BBQ at Hanil Kwan.

Monkfish liver at Sushi House Hayakawa.

(Photo by James Camp)

Bookmark to:

You may have already heard, but Richard Blais has resigned as chef at Home. You can read the full AJC story here. As I made quite clear in my review of Home, I never thought Blais’ talent was properly showcased there.

Last week I got a new reason to get excited for whatever comes next for Blais. A friend took me to Eno’s foie gras dinner on Thursday – six courses of foie prepared by six Atlanta chefs. It was an interesting night and I feel as though I’m still recovering. I haven’t wanted to eat much since then – each course on its own would probably have been wonderful, but six courses was a bit much.

The one course that stood out was prepared by Richard Blais, and it made me terribly nostalgic for Element and Blais totally unrestrained. It was classic Blais – very lightly poached lobster tail over sweet corn puree with maple foam, pickled lichee, and shaved foie (it had been frozen and grated, and looked like the shaved chocolate on top of a black forest cake). The flavors together were so bizarre and disorienting and ultimately delicious. The lichee made the dish, despite being the weirdest thing on the plate.

As of this post, Blais’ only definite project is Flip, the gourmet burger joint. But I’ve heard he’s looking for a “small restaurant” space. We’ll keep you posted as we find out more.

Bookmark to:

I heard from Richard Blais today – he is in the process of negotiating a TV show and a book deal. No word yet on what kind of show, or what network it will appear on. I’ll keep you posted…

And watch next week for my review of Blais’ latest efforts in the kitchen at Home.

Bookmark to: