Omnivore Atlanta

HOW SWEET IT IS: The peekytoe crab cake at Market

Remember when “chain restaurant” referred to McDonald’s and Burger King? Stand on any corner in just about any city and you’ll see at least two members of fast-food chains facing one another. These days, they all seem to be competing by offering lunch specials that will feed a family of 10 for $3.50.

Now you can stand in Buckhead and see expensive gourmet chain restaurants staring one another down. Among the latest to open is Market in the W Buckhead (3377 Peachtree Road, 404-523-3600). It’s across the street from Craft. Both restaurants are part of New York-based chains owned by big-name chefs — Tom Colicchio in the case of Craft and Jean-Georges Vongerichten in Market’s case.

This is Vongerichten’s second Atlanta restaurant. His other venue here, Spice Market, opened in early 2008 at the W Hotel in Midtown and features mainly Asian flavors. (He also operates a Market in Paris.) The newbie’s menu, while also includes some Asian flavors, is described as a compendium of “greatest hits” from Vongerichten’s popular New York restaurants including JoJo, Vong and Jean Georges.

Market’s interior was designed by Karim Rashid, well known to New Yorkers for his ultra-modern, slightly Jetson work in multiple disciplines. The operative word here is curvilinear. I’m sure you’ll find a straight line somewhere in the two-level restaurant, but it won’t be easy. Some of the super-graphics remind me of those biomorphic psychedelic projections you used to see on stage when groups like Jefferson Airplane performed. You remember those, right? Picture yourself inside a very colorful lava lamp. (more…)

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STEAK IT OR LEAVE IT: The Kansas City strip steak

Last week, Our Fearless Leader finally uttered the “r” word: recession. Never mind that anyone who has rolled a cart in a grocery store or coasted to a gas pump has known the word has been applicable for months. Now it’s an official part of reality. We’ve been in a recession for a year.

Given that, it’s surprising that restaurants, especially higher-end restaurants, continue to open. My bank account says “burger,” not “steak,” so it felt almost decadent to show up at a new steakhouse last week. Parker’s on Ponce (116 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-924-2230) is located in the former Mick’s building across from the courthouse in downtown Decatur.

The restaurant seems huge – all restaurants look huge to me these days, owing to their epidemic emptiness – but Parker’s space is broken up into several dining rooms. We ate in the front room, where a few other tables were seated.

It’s been years since I was in the building, so I’m not sure how much remodeling has occurred. The space is warmly lit, almost minimalist in décor, and features a few glowing fireplaces. I saw my first Christmas decorations of the year here – a few poinsettias and a silvery stocking.

Our server gave us the scoop. The restaurant, more than a year in planning, has been opened by brothers JT and Chris Scott, who earlier worked at Mick’s. (They are the sons of the late Tom Scott, DeKalb County’s longtime tax commissioner.) Chef is David Hartshorn, who earlier was the chef at Einstein’s in Midtown. (more…)

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