empire state south

down south, done right. if there's one thing i know, it's southern food/cuisine. i had been wishing to dine here for some time (for free). last night was my chance. beautiful evening, 85/sunny, midtown was hopping at 7pm and many ppl were dining at empire.

i reviewed the menu on line several times. i had three items i wished to sample, if available. they were. the place is a 20 ft high flat floored warehouse with southern decor. the bar is vast, almost too big. they have outdoor seating available under canopies and also boccee ball for whomever wishes to partake.

the prices, in my eyes, are steep but befitting of a high rent joynt in midtown. the menu is limited. they have five (5) "snacks", seven (7) apps and only five (5) entrees. plus, there was no special for monday nite. odd.

i settled in with a dozen mixed oysters on the half. 3 varieties, fresh-cold and tasty. served with 3 sauces. next up veal sweetbreads. cooked til pink, tender, sauce was soft and you could savor the flavor of the brains. not for everyone, but we grew up on offal foods. i would have liked more for $14, but it was good. the oysters were pricey at $26 per dozen as well. i also had the onion soup ($7) and it was fabulous.

for dinner, i really thought i was pushed into a corner here. 2 fish, 1 pork, 1 steak and 1 veggie entree. i really wanted something more southern, chicken fried ribeye or something. maybe shrimp n grits, etc. i had the redfish. it was good. served on polenta with roasted root veggies. not a lot of food, but enough. you'll need an appetizer if you wish to walk away stuffed. i had a side of ramp faratto, which was prepared perfectly, ramp isnt something most places do well, thus you never see it. i finished the meal with the best fried strawberry handpie i have ever had. you must try the handpies.

the bar was packed and the restaurant filled with 25+ business people and families.

the one huge negative was the service. they only had one bartender for 20+ patrons and he absolutely could not either ask for assistance or work it himself. we waited 20 min each for all courses to arrive and another 10 for him to run our bill. it appeared that diningroom waits were doing alright, perhaps they should have ranfoodquicker.

bottom line: $50 per person with one cocktail. incl app + entree, no dessert.

by far one of the best restaurants i have ever eaten at, thefoodwas phenomenal and the atmosphere was perfect. i congratulate mr. acheson on yet another wonderfully pulled off fine dining experience.

the ambiance is great and the concept is very cool. the bocce courts outside are a great touch. thefoodis good but i think there are better options in midtown of similar price and ambiance. worth a try but was a one time go for me.

outstanding. solid all the way around.
thefoodwas 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.

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


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

skip it! thefoodis not sp.... skip it!
thefoodis not special .... the location, service, atmosphere, bar, and outdoor terrace are awesome, but thefoodis 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 thefoodis supposed to be tasty. i'll never go back.

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. thefoodwas 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 goodfoodbut 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 southernfoodbut 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.

amazingly wonderful! awesomefoodin a laid back southern style. great staff and a wonderful menu. the duck breast is truly wonderful. nice bourbon list adds to overall experience.

for my farewell lunch in atlanta my atlanta office dined at hugh acheson's empire state south in midtown atlanta. i am so glad i had the chance to try this place before we left because it was great and it was a really fun place for a group lunch. the highlights for me included the superfoodsalad plate - available with the standard hangar steak, chicken or fish. the farro and radishes on the plate particularly shined but everything really worked together well. the pimento cheese with bacon marmalade was truly out of this world also - a must-try starter. everyone enjoyed their meal and we enjoyed sharing several desserts to top it off. the brownie ice cream sandwich was a bit too sweet for me but i like how they have baked goods available in the center of the restaurant for eating in or take-out. several in our party also tried the specialty sourced coffee, which proved to be tasty. the atmosphere here is versatile with an airy, inviting dining space suitable for...

very good, but.foodwas very good. i liked the steak tartare apetizer with the breaded & fried poached egg on top. that was creative. my wife had the scallops appetizer, which was good but small portion. i had duck over barley as the entre, and my wife had the ny strip over farrotto (similar to rissotto), both good. they do have a tendency to use sweeter sauces on the meats, which i typically do not like, but it wasnt overpowering. our waiter was reggie, who was as good as you can get in a waiter. he was the best part of the night. he was much more professional than the younger, white, very loud, waiter in a plaid shirt that had the poor judgment to fuss at reggie on the floor for chatting too much with his customers. i am sure we weren't the only ones that noticed this. so, i give reggie an a+, the restaurant an a, and the other younger waiter a needs improvement.

bad for those withfoodallergies.. i have a severe allergy to egg. our waiter was not helpful at all. i said to him, "i am allergic to eggs, what can i eat on this menu?" i was very open to trying anything that they say is safe. however, he said the whole menu was safe. that is impossible. bread, creams, sauces, noodles, fried items....these are only a few things that probably have eggs. he said he would ask the chef for more clarification, and when he came back, he said the chef said the same exact thing--the menu is safe. as a 27-year-old woman who has been to her fair share of restaurants and had her fair share of allergic reactions, this restaurant's response to my question was unacceptable. i did not eat. needless to say, regardless of all the menu items that probably contained egg, my co-workers sandwich actually came with a fried egg on top. the whole menu is safe, huh?

they don't care about their patrons - just your wallet. it's disappointing to be so upset by an experience that you feel compelled to write a review to warn others. not once, but twice at ess, my party has been asked to relinquish their seat immediately after paying our tab so management could turn the table. not small tabs mind you. the manager was downright rude requesting we get up, although we were demonstrably gathering our things and saying our goodbyes. it was mortifying and felt akin to a fastfoodjoint. if it's happened in my presence twice, it must be common. so, if you are looking for a nice relaxing experience, this isn't the place for you. the service was fine. thefoodwas good, however atlanta has so many amazing chefs and restaurants who appreciate their patrons i suggest you think twice about this establishment. i enjoy dining out and experiencing chef's talent, it's where i spend my free money, however this seems more like big business.

came back with the gf and i think this might be the best restaurant in atlanta... simply spectacular...


-----05 sep, 2011-----

after hearing sooo much about this restaurant not.only from the internet but also from friends and customers, i finally got around to going with my gf.... it was awesome!!!! kinda pricey n the portions were smalll, but thefoodwas cooked to.perfection... my lovely gf had the duck that was the special. it was insane! and i went for the pork tenderloin, i have never had pork that was cooked so perfectly... a must try on atlanta.. huge winelist too, were gonna attack that next time ....

great night on the town spot. hard to believe this place is on peachtree road given the really great partially covered lawn and bocce ball court out back. really great atmosphere inside and out.
we went on a saturday night and both the bar and restaurant were hopping. had reservations so no issues there
i started with the crispy pork belly over "kimchi rice grits" that was a very nice mix of creamy and crispy, with rich and sharp flavors. my wife had the heirloom salad which was just an absolute pile of tasty heirlooms and something she enjoyed. as a main i had the gnocchi with spring vegetables that was very good, with small fluffy gnocchi. only possible complaint was that i had to hunt for the diminutive little pasta among the pile of crisp peas, squash, carrots and other veggies and they could have gone with a higher "gnocchi to veggie" ratio. my wife had the strip steak medium-rare that was prepared perfectly and served sliced over a pile of tasty farrotto (new to me).
service seemed very good on our trip, but will say that the preoccupation with designer cocktails and the inability to make something as basic as a french martini ("we don't use any juices that we don't squeeze ourselves") is just a little over-the-top pretentious at the expense of their customers.
with all that said, we did really enjoy thefoodand the atmosphere and are already looking for another excuse to go back.
by the way, will echo one thing said in another review: they have a very small menu with some unusual choices. in other words, if you or your guests going here are only looking for the standards and are not the least bit adventurous in what you eat... this may not be the place for you.