Of the sea.
I had a special treat this past week. I got a sneak preview of a new restaurant that's opening in Madison. It's called Atlantica, and it's DIVINE! It's upscale and serves primarily steaks and seafood. The restaurant is located in Madison, near the Home Depot shopping center. Just travel west after you get off Interstate 55, and you should see it.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is lovely - dimmed lighting, art on the walls, cushy booths for large groups, and tables scattered throughout. The restaurant features a semi-open kitchen; there's a large picture window on one of the walls through which you can see the chefs preparing your food. I thought this was a nice touch, and I loved "peeping" into the world of a professional chef.
The restaurant also features a glass room lined with wine bottles, and there's one table in the middle of the room that would be wonderful to reserve for special occasions. Lastly, the restaurant features a full bar and an extensive wine list.
The food is YUM. We tried several things:
1.) appetizers - my pick here is the asian shrimp dish. It's rounds of pineapple, with a perfectly cooked shrimp resting on each one. The little packages are coated in a delicious sauce, and the dish comes with a garnish of fried rice noodles that, if eaten, provide a satisfying complementary crunch. I thought this was a highly inventive appetizer, and unlike anything you might order elesewhere in the Jackson area.
2.) salads - the restaurant really shines here. We tried the salad Atlantica and the Boston Bibb salad. Both were exceptional. The salad Atalantica is garnished with pine nuts (which I thought was a great, original touch) and REAL olives - briny, firm, probably imported - not the mushy schlock you get in most restaurants. The Boston Bibb salad was a standout as well, a beautifully presented head of lettuce with blue cheese, tart dressing, and nuts. YUM! Again, what struck me about the salads was their uniqueness. I have eaten at many restuarants in the metro area, and I don't recall much duplication of what I saw at Atlantica. I thought the inventiveness of the menu was a really smart business move for them.
3.) entrees - We tried the filet and the quail, both of which I'd recommend. The filet could be cut with a butter knife. The lump crabmeat that we ordered to top it was delicious. The quail entree featured two perfectly cooked quails along with a side of asparagus risotto. (I'm not sure if the quail will be billed with the rositto once the restaurant opens. They were still testing the menu, I believe.) Excellent. The quail was accompanied by a delicious pomegranate suace, which I requested more of. (I could have eaten a VAT of that stuff.)
4.) dessert - Needless to say, after consuming all of the above, I didn't have room for dessert. So you're on your own there.
Prices are spendy but worth it (and not out of line with what other upscale restuarants in the metro are charging). The restaurant is scheduled to open May 22, so fire up your tastebuds and get ready!!
The atmosphere of the restaurant is lovely - dimmed lighting, art on the walls, cushy booths for large groups, and tables scattered throughout. The restaurant features a semi-open kitchen; there's a large picture window on one of the walls through which you can see the chefs preparing your food. I thought this was a nice touch, and I loved "peeping" into the world of a professional chef.
The restaurant also features a glass room lined with wine bottles, and there's one table in the middle of the room that would be wonderful to reserve for special occasions. Lastly, the restaurant features a full bar and an extensive wine list.
The food is YUM. We tried several things:
1.) appetizers - my pick here is the asian shrimp dish. It's rounds of pineapple, with a perfectly cooked shrimp resting on each one. The little packages are coated in a delicious sauce, and the dish comes with a garnish of fried rice noodles that, if eaten, provide a satisfying complementary crunch. I thought this was a highly inventive appetizer, and unlike anything you might order elesewhere in the Jackson area.
2.) salads - the restaurant really shines here. We tried the salad Atlantica and the Boston Bibb salad. Both were exceptional. The salad Atalantica is garnished with pine nuts (which I thought was a great, original touch) and REAL olives - briny, firm, probably imported - not the mushy schlock you get in most restaurants. The Boston Bibb salad was a standout as well, a beautifully presented head of lettuce with blue cheese, tart dressing, and nuts. YUM! Again, what struck me about the salads was their uniqueness. I have eaten at many restuarants in the metro area, and I don't recall much duplication of what I saw at Atlantica. I thought the inventiveness of the menu was a really smart business move for them.
3.) entrees - We tried the filet and the quail, both of which I'd recommend. The filet could be cut with a butter knife. The lump crabmeat that we ordered to top it was delicious. The quail entree featured two perfectly cooked quails along with a side of asparagus risotto. (I'm not sure if the quail will be billed with the rositto once the restaurant opens. They were still testing the menu, I believe.) Excellent. The quail was accompanied by a delicious pomegranate suace, which I requested more of. (I could have eaten a VAT of that stuff.)
4.) dessert - Needless to say, after consuming all of the above, I didn't have room for dessert. So you're on your own there.
Prices are spendy but worth it (and not out of line with what other upscale restuarants in the metro are charging). The restaurant is scheduled to open May 22, so fire up your tastebuds and get ready!!
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