empire state south

the farm egg is recommended by our server and we strongly suggest you try it if you eat here.

wonderful pri fixe. boyfriend and i went for an after valentines dinner last night and had a great time. the tables are kinda close (we got to listen to one patron two tables over say "f**k" over and over and give his opinion on the dishes we were about to enjoy) and it was a little more casual than we were looking for, but still a fun environment. the staff is very attentive and friendly and everyone seemed to know every component of every dish. the sweetbreads were amazing, the braised hanger was deliciously red in the middle and charred on the outside with a potato "macaire" that i have to learn how to make, and we finished with something that tasted almost like a modern strawberry shortcake (no cake involved) that was a wonderful light end to a meal that progressed from simple and delicate to steak and potatoes. a little pricey for dinner and drinks for 2 at $300, but well worth it and not unexpected.

pork belly over kimchi grits with crunchy peanut garnish. certainly one of the better pork belly dishes i’ve had. another impossibly perfect cook on the belly. nicely cooked grits but the flavor as a whole composed dish was a little off. the kimchi lended a bit too much acid but still a very solid dish.

awesome drinks!. love, love, love the bar here. some of the most well balanced offerings this side of the mississippi. a+, will be back.

amazing dinner. we made reservations from a distance, and the restaurant confirmed twice to make sure we would honor the reservation. when we entered the restaurant 20 minutes early to have a glass of wine, we understood the confirmation process; a very busy place.

wait staff was very good and explained not only the menu, but had opinions on their favorites and why. we had two small plates, 3 jars of heaven ( pimento cheese with bacon marmalade x 2 and the deviled ham) and the charred octopus. all were amazing and the octopus was the best i have eaten, surpassing a famous miami chef at her former palm beach restaurant.

will we be back? absolutely, when we are in town!

sorely disappointed. i'd never heard anything but good things about empire state south, so you can imagine my disappointment when it simply failed to deliver.

i think the best way to put it is this: the restaurant is more concerned with its quasi hipster bistro aesthetic than its genuine execution. none of our party of eight felt like there was a course amongst the several ordered by each that did not underwhelm--if not completely bomb. my experience involved several oysters that left me feeling as if i'd played russian roulette (will i puke in the middle of the night? better lay on my side), an entirely tepid tripe stew (room temp, under seasoned, no savoriness or contrasting flavors as would be suggested by the preparation--simply no tlc), and an unmemorable but relative to the other dishes decent pork loin. my dad's lamb was cooked "well done" (not by request) and was as poorly tended to as any dish i've seen at a restaurant that prides itself in "good food" lately.

the lone bright spot was the service. if it hadn't been great, and had they not kept the booze flowing, there would have been eight grumpy diners as opposed to eight disappointed diners.

outstanding. solid all the way around.
the food was outstanding. the bread, which is usually an afterthought, was great (the butter was basically a dipping sauce). cheeses (blue and goat) were excellent. wife had the trout, which she enjoyed. i had the pork belly with veal sweetbreads - and they were awesome (literally invoked awe). this was my first introduction to sweetbreads (a veal thymus gland), and they were the highlight of the meal. finished with a pineapple side-by-side cake with an edameme ice cream - which was my wife's favorite.
long story short we'd go back in a heartbeat.

after first glancing at the menu and instantaneously falling in love with our bubbly server, i felt like i’d hit the jackpot with my invitation to spend seven days with such a fun group of people visiting a handful of cities (many of which i’d never been to) and going to nothing but the best bars and restaurants in each locale. my new found friends took the reigns when it came to our wine order, and were adventurous in sampling a lot of options off the seasonal and local menu – my kind of people! and if you ever find yourself in atlanta and need some recommendations, here’s one (see below) and a few more to tie you over.

the “beginnings” section of the menu is filled with enticing options, and i happily choose two in place of an entree. executive chef ryan smith, although i don’t even see him, makes me forget all about hugh acheson once i taste his food. chilled corn soup with shoyu gel, onion, jam, sourdough, mint, and nasturium is everything i could hope for in a soup, and then some. it is rich, creamy, sweet, and salty. every bite brings forth new flavors and textures.

skip it! the food is not sp.... skip it!
the food is not special .... the location, service, atmosphere, bar, and outdoor bar are awesome.


-----06 jun, 2013-----

skip it! the food is not sp.... skip it!
the food is not special .... the location, service, atmosphere, bar, and outdoor terrace are awesome, but the food is totally over rated. also, to make a point, the check in desk will make you wait... or to get you to open a bar tab....then seat you at a table that was clearly open from the outset.

very disappointed. i treated some friends to dinner recently, i wish i had picked another place. the service was slow and the menu was full of pretense. i didn't enjoy it, the silly combinations were taxing. they seem to be trying so hard to be different that they forgot the food is supposed to be tasty. i'll never go back.

i can definitely see why this biscuit sandwich was on the cover of atlanta magazine--it was amazing! the biscuit was better than any biscuit i've ever made (and i make pretty darn good biscuits if i say so myself), the chicken was moist and crisp to a tee, and the eggs were so light and fluffy, yet so smooth and creamy. (i don't even know if that can really exist!) it was the ultimate breakfast guilty pleasure!

dinner 2/12/2013. we went for an upscale birthday dinner. the hostess was sourly with a poor attutude, but the male host was very friendly. the service staff was exceptional - knowledgeable, efficient and friendly. the food was creative and excellent. my only disapointment was the duck entree - for $30, i got a 2 ounce piece of duck meat with a slab of sausage and vegetables.

pretty good food but not blown away. i came here on a saturday for lunch. great decor and atmosphere. loved it. the service was great and very friendly. i ordered the english muffin and it was pretty good. i'm not in love with southern food but i will always try something new. it was fairly flavorful with a hint of sour (almost like eggs benedict). yet, it was difficult to eat since the entire muffin was covered in butter. it kept slipping out of my hands which i did not enjoy. i think they've got a neat idea going but i don't for-see myself returning for a while, especially since it's not the cheapest. i wanted to fall in love with this place but i just couldn't.

dont go!. omg. rude hoetesses and the place was empty


-----27 jan, 2013-----

not good. we live south of atl we go to two urban licks six feet under etc. tonight my husband and i were excited to try empire state south. i have never been treated so badly. we went to the fox and then headed over to ess. we walked in and the hostesses looked at us. didn't say any thing. omg what's up? no one was there but the bar was full. never have i've been treated so poorly. they finally told us to try our luck at the bar.