It
was a warm early April evening in 2004, Pano Karatassos
sat totally bewildered in his virtually empty Pano’s
and Paul’s restaurant wondering where all his customers
had gone. Just a few short miles away on Peachtree Street,
Restaurant Eugene was the new kid on the block and the
stylish well-heeled retirement crowd was eating it up.
Nearly two years later, Restaurant Eugene is still fashionable
yet warm – and a surprise to nobody – remains the popular
choice among the elderly who seek refuge from the hyper-ambience,
high-decibel dining culture that has tragically seized this city.
But it’s not only the excessively aged who enjoy Restaurant
Eugene these days. Since opening, the word has spread like wildfire
among foodies of all ages – main reason being executive
chef/owner, Linton Hopkins. Hopkins carefully sources local ingredients
and from them – deftly constructs gentle masterpieces. Think
Bacchanalia but slightly innovative and just downright better.
One of the many qualities I like about Hopkins’ style is
his inclusion of Japanese flavors, despite a menu that leans
heavily towards American. For example, Hamachi Kama (collar cut
of yellowtail) frequently appears on the menu and arrives the
size of a ribeye steak – I found myself picking my lower
jaw up off the floor.
But what I find most impressive about Hopkins is his relentless
pursuit for perfection. I mean, how many hours does he spend
in the lab? According to chef, his so-called lab begins by hitting
the books and learning what makes a particular dish unique to
role-model chefs such as Thomas keller. He then formulates his
own understanding of what makes that specific dish special to
him and then takes it to the kitchen – creating and recreating
until perfect, or as close to perfection as one can possibly
achieve.
Now consider the pricey product he’s playing with and imagine
the exorbitant cost. Hours are spent thoughtfully calculating
each ingredient’s measurement so that its flavor, just so
gently persuades the others until forming that impossibly precise
bite.
During a recent meal at Eugene, I was captivated by roasted pheasant
covered with a slightly clingy foie gras and chestnut pan sauce,
which wasn't bitter, nor sweet. Not creamy, nor runny. Not greasy
but bursting with flavor nonetheless.
A first bite momentarily froze time. Somewhere in the world,
a bomb rushing towards its target halts mid strike, a starving
baby’s pain is eased and then a definitive measure of peace
is unexpectantly laid upon us – and just like that – the
world has suddenly become a perfect place.
And that wasn’t the first time a bite of Hopkins’ food
had a soul altering affect on me. I experienced an epiphany while
eating a simple, unassuming gnocchi on that warm early April
evening in 2004. That’s when I first realized this new kid
on the block was going to be something truly special.
His cuisine comes with a high sticker price, but effortlessly
exceeds all expectations. |
Cheese & beer tasting - St. Feuillien
triple paired with Restaurant Eugene's sublime cheese selection
Price Range:
$$$$$ - expensive
Type of Cuisine: American
Hours:
Mon - Sun: 5:30 - 10:30pm
Sun: 5:30 - 9:30pm
Address/Tel: 2277 Peachtree Rd, Buckhead Tel:
404-355-0321
Notes:
*The food at times may seem straightforward but
will enamor with its flavor.
* Service is mostly solid and thankfully not nearly as
stuffy as you'd expect.
*Make sure you give the high gravity beers & cheese
a shot.
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High gravity beer goes highfalutin
Chef Hopkins not only cares deeply about the food you consume
while dining in his restaurant, but he’s also concerned
about the libations you drink while eating his sure-handed
fare. As a result, Restaurant Eugene is the first of our
city’s finer restaurants to make the bold jump into
high gravity beer. Personally, I'm not sure why the others
are so reluctant.
Eugene currently offers six choices by the bottle (750 ml)
as well as a $30 beer & cheese tasting listed on the
dessert menu featuring St. Feuillien – a yeasty, fruity
Belgian ale with spicy hops. For those in the know, they
also carry St. Bernardus Abt 12 and Saison Dupont.
During a recent phone conversation regarding these new beers
Hopkins had this to say, “When I hear cheese, I now
automatically think beer – not wine.”
Welcome to my world, chef.
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