Great Article with an Atlanta Connection

I know I have not been doing very much this month, but I have been doing some great reading. Here is another great article with a connection to Staplehouse in Atlanta.
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/08/06/underground-supper-clubs/

Fabulous Fall Dinner with Staplehouse

I have been waiting for months to get a seat at this dinner table! Prelude to Staplehouse is a supper club of sorts hosted by Chef Ryan Hidinger  and Jen Hidinger. Ryan attended the Art Institute here in Atlanta after high school before returning to his home in Indianapolis to begin a career as a chef. That career took him from top restaurants in Indiana to Atlanta where he worked at Bacchanalia, Float Away Cafe, and finally Muss and Turners. Today the Hidingers are working on a new restaurant concept Staplehouse, which will feature fresh ingredients, craft beers, and a great bar. They hope to have great food in a comfortable atmosphere with a reasonable range of price points. The Prelude to Staplehouse dinners have quickly become one of the hottest tickets for Atlanta foodies. The moment an invitation goes out, hopefuls respond to the email invite and cross their fingers for one of the 10 seats. They have been hosting formal five course dinners, and some family style three course meals on an almost monthly basis. I tried for two months to snag a seat, responding three minutes after the email came out to no avail. Then finally I grabbed two spots for the October 24th family style dinner!

We arrived at the cute house in Grant Park for the reception and were greeted warmly by Jen and introduced to the other guests for the evening. Mostly Atlantans, the crowd ranged from younger folks to slightly older couples, but we all had an interest in food and wine. Ryan was hard at work in the kitchen, and the smells were amazing. The menu for the night was to be served family style and paired with wine and beer. They served a fennel apple salad with hazelnuts, grain mustard and goat cheese, a roasted loin of boar with caramelized apples, onions and sage, and finally the best homemade pumpkin pie I have ever eaten (sorry mom).

The fennel and apple salad was crisp and fresh, topped with goat cheese, nuts, and bacon (yes please!). It had the perfect balance of clean crisp texture and a rich fall  flavors to complement the cozy meal.  The boar loin was something I had not experienced. I have eaten wild boar several times in Italy and here in Atlanta, but typically had seen it served stewed or as a part of a ragu or bolognese sauce. The wild boar loin was tender, lean and ultra flavorful. It was served atop caramelized apples, onions, and sage with other fall root veggies. The meat was not too rich, and without knowing it was boar most would have though it was a heavenly marinaded pork tenderloin.

Finally the dessert, the pumpkin pie had a homemade crust, a real pumpkin filling (no canned pumpkin here) and was topped with a maple syrup whipped cream. This was paired fantastically with a pumpkin ale. The flavors washed together to create the perfect ending to a great meal.  For some great pictures of the food taken by Jen as well as recap of the meal, check out their blog.

Ryan and Jen were such gracious hosts, welcoming us to their home, and sharing their fantastic food. Ryan took time to tell us about his concept, his cooking style, and the plans for the new restaurant. Today another dinner invitation came out, but sadly I will be out of town. So now, I wait poised over my gmail for the next invitation, and am eagerly awaiting the opening of Staplehouse.

And finally, your first installment.....

Our first day began with a picnic of breakfast foods, and ended with Hidden Kitchen. I had been dying to try this since the moment we planned our trip. As you may recall, I snagged the last two seats way back in March! One week prior to our arrival we were sent directions to the stylish Paris apartment where our chef hosts were to treat us to a multi-course gourmet feast. As we arrived at the apartment, we entered the code and went up the elevator, the building was what I had imagined, the perfect dream of a Paris apartment. The door opened and we were greeted by Laura one of our hosts. The candlelight flickered around the room as she served us an aperitif made with leeche syrup, leeche vodka and sparkling wine, delicious. We entered the dining space and were introduced to the other  guests. We met a great couple currently living in Beaufort, SC, but headed home to New Orleans and had a great time celebrating our first nights in the city.We bonded over our love of food and blogging. Check out her blog Im a Nola Girl.

Finally, the menu was out on the table and I couldn't resist sneaking a peak of what we were going to enjoy. And here it is...

We started with a watercress salad served with a poached quail egg, beautiful...

This was followed by linguine with radishes and pesto.

Up next, Salmon in a hibiscus bay leaf sauce over fingerling potatoes. The sauce was lightly sweet and a perfect complement to this flavorful fish. We then had a palate cleanser. I am not a fan of the drink, but the Mint Julep Cleanser was amazing. Served in a small cup with bourbon like jello and a mint lime foam. This was the perfect way to break up the meal. This was a great example of the creativity of this team! See more about it on their web site.

The next course was a chicken liver and artichoke ravioli. I am not a big fan of chicken liver, but the flavor of the artichoke balanced this dish so well. The added fennel and preserved lemon added the right amount of tart contrast to these strong flavors.

Up next cumin encrusted flank steak served over a polenta cake. I always love red meat, and this was a great combination of salt and texture.

Our salad course featured white beans with roasted beets and dill.

Finally we ended the night with a dessert of strawberry shiso sorbet on top of a puff pastry and slices or rhubarb. After dessert we were treated to homemade doughnuts and great rich french coffee.

This was an evening to remember. Laura and Braden were such gracious hosts. Laura served us wine paired with each course and Braden took the time to explain each dish and answer questions about his cooking and his ideas in the kitchen. They welcomed us into thier home and made each guest feel welcome and well cared for. Here are some photos that put mine to shame. I can't wait to return to Paris and to Hidden Kitchen. Thank you guys for a great night!