4th & Swift
I’ve enjoyed Chef Jay Swift’s continental cuisine back when he was still at Rainwater (Alpharetta, now closed). Now in Midtown, his take on farm-to-table comfort food is refreshing.
The menu is divided into the day’s dishes, as well as the current seasonal offerings. On a recent visit, all I wanted to eat were the small plates. My first of three started with the Crispy Brussels Sprout salad which came highly recommended by our server. These are small sprouts, flash-fried, served with North Georgia apple slices. This salad was really delicious. I loved the crispiness of the brussels sprouts whose slight bitterness was countered by the tart apples and the sweet apple cider reduction then tempered by decadent creme fraiche.
The Slow Braised Lamb Cheeks was the one thing I really wanted to eat that evening and I was not disappointed. The lamb cheeks were so tender and tasty. The reduced braising sauce was so dense and intensified in flavor. The accompanying diced, root vegetables provided some crunch, while the smoked bacon provided smokiness and a tiny hint of saltiness to the sweetish sage jus. It was reminiscent of braised brisket but with more character. Delicious.
I love risottos so getting the Champagne and Oyster Mushroom Risotto was a natural choice. The oysters were fresh and the light dusting of batter gave them a bit of crunch while still retaining their original softness. However, the risotto wasn’t as creamy as I wanted it to be. It was also more on the runny side, with the grains separating from each other. While I don’t like gluey, clumpy risotto, I also don’t prefer it to be soupy.
I was able to taste other dishes my friends ordered. The Pan Roasted Duck Breast was just divine, served at the perfect medium-rare temperature in some tangy berry sauce. The Veal Schnitzel was ever so tender with only a thin coating of batter. The spätzle that came with the dish was perfectly prepared, with the Swiss chard, and farm egg, all rounding up this great dish. We were all curious about the Mac ‘n Cheese so we talked someone in the big group to get it with his meal. Good choice, it was creamy and just plain good.
Service and food are all top notch.
Insider tip:
The floor-to-ceiling, glass-walled kitchen is an exciting sight to see, visible from any part of the restaurant.
The scoop:
4th & Swift
621 North Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
(678) 904-0160
Technorati Tags: Jay Swift, American, Midtown, Old Fourth Ward
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Atlanta Food 101 // Nov 4, 2009 at 4:48 pm
What a neat place! I love all the different and unique combinations of food!
2 Ashley // Nov 9, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Those brussel sprouts look to die for!
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