Cellar 56
Located downstairs on what used to be East Andrews Cafe and Bar, the place has been transformed to a quieter, more proper, wine bar offering 56 types of wine and small plates created by Chef Paul Agnelli (Capital Grill, Van Gogh’s) to complement the wines. The menu is divided into four sections: Garden, Land, Sea, and Sweet. I went with two friends to maximize the number of tapas plates I can taste. I’m glad I did because Jake is a good eater just like me and he’s willing to try everything.
Grilled Flat Iron, Chimichurri, Arugula: excellent, excellent steak grilled to a medium perfection; the chimichurri and arugula adding earthiness to the dishChipotle Pork, Corn Relish, Arbol Vinaigrette: saltish, cajuny pork with a good amount of heat
Green Chile/Prosciutto Mac & Cheese: spicy mac-n-cheese; what’s not to love?
Guinness Braised Short Rib, Natural Reduction: fall-off-the-bone short rib with the taste of the Guinness truly evident; one order is not enough (we had 3)
Grilled Flatbread, Duck Confit, Fig Jam, Point Reyes Blue: a rich and filling dish; very good, and well prepared though I would have loved to see more duck
Seared New Bedford Scallop, Sweet Corn, Nueske’s Applewood Bacon: the gigantic scallop tasted really fresh but the dish overall was a bit salty for my tastes; perhaps the addition of the bacon contributed more saltiness
Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Avocado, Grapefruit Mojo: no skimping on the crabmeat here; I’ve never had these with avocado before but surprisingly, it works; the grapefruit mojo giving it a unique wonderful taste is an added bonus
Sweet Georgia White Shrimp, Tasso Gravy, Logan Turnpike Grits: the grits provided a good background for the large grilled shrimp; very good
Flash Fried Calamari, Peppadew Peppers, Red Chile Aoili: the calamari were great but were overpowered by the aoli; remember to order these with aoili on the side instead
Heirloom Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Sweet Grass Dairy Triple Cream: fantastic; the tomatoes were crunchy and sweet and the SGD cheese was an excellent choice
Saute of Wild Mushrooms, Locatelli Polenta: the mushrooms were really good but the polenta was on the dry side; this dish has potentials, though
Roasted Garlic Humus, Whole Peppadews: creamy, chunky, garlicky-good hummus
Grilled Corn, Spicy Aioli, Lime, Queso Cojita: loved this (but I love corn anyway); I really enjoyed the limey-spicy-cheesy topping (the only downside is that it’s a mess to eat)
Cornmeal Fried Green Tomatoes, Cilantro Buttermilk, Goat Cheese: perfect
Grilled Flatbread, Roma Tomatoes, Maplebrook Farms Mozzarella: an all-around good flatbread; you can’t go wrong with this
Caramelized Garlic Risotto, Aged Balsamic: a great accompaniment to the shortrib
Marinated Olives: a huge serving; marinated just right
Daily Cheeses: you can’t go wrong with a cheese plate; theirs came with medium cheddar, Gouda, Marcona almonds, honeycomb, and crackers
Oolong Tea Crème Brulee: I could really taste the oolong tea on this one; one of my friends didn’t like it but I loved it
Coconut Cream Pie: a must-try fo those who love coconut
Pot of Chocolate: just the perfect ending to a meal
Verdict: I like this place. Service is A-1 and prices are very reasonable (with tapas from $4, wine by the glass at $6 and half-glasses at $3, plus a good many wines by the bottle for $24). Great vibe and atmosphere.
The scoop:
Cellar 56
56 E Andrews Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 869-1132
Monday-Saturday from 5pm –11pm
Technorati Tags: Cellar 56, Scott Serpas, Buckhead, East Andrews, tapas, wine bar
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1 response so far ↓
1 Mags // Sep 30, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Oh, there’s more duck on the flatbread– believe me. Best service in town, besides Anis and Top Floor. And I’m a native.
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