Leap Year Dinner at One Eared Stag

(from Origami USA)

Leap year come but once every four years. The rest of the time it does not exist. Why shouldn’t we do something grand and adventurous to celebrate this ephemeral ghost of a day? This year I did just that. No, I didn’t propose to a man in Ireland or jump from a high cliff, I attended the Leap Year Dinner at One Eared Stag with a collection of some of the finest cooking talent in Atlanta and I had a transcendental experience doing it.

I was welcomed as I stepped through the door with a French 75 and quickly introduced to the couple that would be table mates with us. My date and I were encouraged to mingle and enjoy the appetizers circling on silver platters. It was such a fun and relaxed atmosphere. I was able to speak with many of the chefs for the night and meet a few interesting new friends.  Forgive me for the photos but it was rather dark (romantic, good dark) in the restaurant.

trotter fritters with honey (I think I had 180)

head cheese with minute pickles

Someone clinked on a champagne glass and Robert Phalen welcomed us to One Eared Stag and introduced us to our chefs for the evening.  Our three tables were already having a wonderful time engaging in conversation. It is such a positive experience to dine in a restaurant when everyone is delighted about the evening and there to support the ensemble of chefs. Bring on the first course

Buttermilk fried white Georgia shrimp heads with romesco aioli-such a great way to start. So crispy with a flavor of the sea. From Robert Phalen-One Eared Stag

1st course wine pairing: Domaine Ostertag Les Vielles Vignes de Sylvan

Crisp and bright with a minerality that played well with the shrimp and the roe.

Fine herb custard with asparagus, roe, pork fat croutons

Easily my favorite dish of the evening and perhaps so far this year. The photo doesn't do it justice but this dish was creamy, but not heavy, and layered in textures and flavors. The bacony pork fat croutons were a flavorful end component to each bite and the 'pop' of fresh caviar tantalized my palate.

From Drew Belline of 246

Braised Eden Farms bacon, bacon brodo, kale

Bacon in bacon broth paired with bourbon. You already know this is good, right? Our table was silent while we finished this dish. We savored every bit in the bowl.

From Robert Phalen- One Eared Stag

The bourbon pairing: Black Maple Hill 8 year small batch

Incredible delicious, warm and smoky on it's own and paired so wonderfully with the bacon and the duck. It really cut the richness of both and added another dimension. I really love that this course was paired with bourbon.

Scallops, crispy smoked duck salad, burnt maple bourbon

My first bite was of the duck and it was a spectacular mouthful; so smoky and rich. This was such a mix of texture and flavor, warm and cool, soft and crisp, and sweet and smoky. Really makes me look forward to the opening of STG.

From Josh Hopkins of STG Trattoria

Brasstown Beef heartare, bottarga, southern giant, toast

I love dishes with unexpected ingredients married together and this certainly qualified. The dense, rich, and a lil gamey (good gamey) beef heart finely minced with salty bottarga (poor man's caviar) and southern giant greens on the thinnest sliver of delicate toast is a preparation that underscores the unique texture and flavor of the heart.

From Robert Phalen of One Eared Stag

3rd Course wine paring: Domaine de Nerleux Saumur- Champigny Clos des Chatains 2006

What a great food wine-dry, tannic, savory. It tasted of plums or cherries with notes of spices and a hint of roastiness. Terrific Cabernet Franc.

Sea Island red pea consomme', skin, bloodogna, crisp garlic

This dish was beautifully pulled together and playful. The consomme' arrived in a small mason jar. I tasted it by itself before pouring in the dish of spring veggies and pork. It was vibrant yet simple; uncluttered would be a great descriptor. Once added to the pea shoots, crispy garlic, rich and flavorful bloodogna and crispy pork skin, it transformed as a carrier of incredible flavors. I need more bloodogna in my life.

From Ryan Smith of Empire State South

Barley fed chicharrone with powdered kimchi

Crispy, salty, interesting.

From Robert Phalen of One Eared Stag

4th Course pairing: Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale

Japanese hamburg, poached egg

A delicious play on a Japanese hamburg, a popular Yoshoku (Japanese western-style dish), only this version is way more delicious with the addition of a poached egg. This bento box staple usually is accompanied by a thick brown, Salisbury steak-like sauce. Guy's sauce was delicate and slight. Every person around me cut into the egg and watched it ooze over the tender meat and then we sat together in absolute silence. So very good.

From Guy Wong of Miso Izakaya

Sweet Citrus Cream

Ambrosial, light, citrusy (obviously). Loved the thinly sliced dried slices on top.

From Robert Phalen of One Eared Stag

We also enjoyed a cornmeal cake with confit citrus and honey cream from Stuart Baesel of Community Q. My photo is blurry (ahem, 6 drinks) and I apologize. It was a great way to end the meal. Super light and sweet but not over bearing.

I left with a huge grin on my face and a satisfaction of money well spent. Such a great evening was had by all. Atlanta really showed its culinary chops and I was a lucky girl to be there. Leap year lucky, even.

One Eared Stag lunching

One Eared Stag possesses a neat parity for me. It is enchanting when the sun streams in on a sunny afternoon yet holds the coziness I crave on a dreary day. On this particular visit the white washed walls were bathed in light. It almost looks like the animal busts are enjoying here too, huh? I had not appreciated what a beautiful day it was until I saw the sun this way.

On the way to my corner table I glanced at the long table in the middle of the upstairs (upstair?) room. Pears. This inviting table seems to always have a different tablescape and today it is a smattering of pears. One of these days I am going to reserve that table for me and 13 friends. From here one could see what is going on in the kitchen, check out the interesting cabinet of goodies and stare at the shelves of canned veggies lining the walls as we wait for the ever changing menu items from Robert Phalen.

The bar has an impressive wall of bourbon. I gazed longingly and finally ordered a couple of cocktails to try.

My favorite: The Boozy Floozey (background). Also: root beer-like drink in process (middle) and the Roselinda (foreground).

First up, cold water oysters. They were perfectly shucked (lately a few restaurants I have visited have been a bit sloppy with their shucking). I loved the presentation. The plate was beautiful but didn’t need to be. I scraped off the mignonette. The best part of eating an oyster (to me) is tasting the sea. I think I usually close my eyes when I eat one. ..”smell the sea, and feel the sky let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic.” But I digress.

My favorite dish in Atlanta currently: rabbit rillettes with tomatillo escabeche and toast. As I try to write this, I gush. This peasant pate is just the perfect combination of soft, smooth, savory comfort . If the term rillettes is new to you, it is simply a potted meat a little less processed than pate. The board is beautiful and the components are warm and cool, savory and tart, soft and crunchy. I love the celery leaves with the rillettes, as they lend a subtle earthiness. I eat the tomatillo escabeche alone. It is crunchy, tart and a lil spicy. I have had Thomas Keller's signature rillettes many times and this is, well, better.

Buttermilk fried chicken with roasted veggies and Eden Farms bacon. Super moist, flavorful chicken fried to perfection over carrots, turnips and collards. What’s not to love?

Virginia lump crab roll with lemon aoli and an arugula salad. Not for the faint of heart or the small of jaw, this large roll thrilled me. The best part was the buttery goodness of the toasted bread. Don’t get me wrong, the roll is filled with sweet crab meat and a zingy lemony aoli, but the bread is heaven.

House cured Lomo and peach preserves, arugula, sweet balsamic. So good.

Apple bourbon and a Boozey Floozy

Trotter fritter with fried farm egg and wax bean salad. Tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside and oh so good smeared in the yolk of the farm egg. Eating trotters make me feel good much like recycling. I would order this again and again. * Since I wrote this, I have. I have visited One Eared Stag several times and each time was enchanting. The food thrilled me, the atmosphere was just my speed and the service, THE SERVICE, was the standard by which other restaurants should be judged. Any of these three could be the reason for a return visit but all three makes One Eared Stag a must visit restaurant. Period.

I am so looking forward to One Eared Stag's leap year dinner on February 29th with Robert Phalen (One Eared Stag), Ryan Smith (Empire State South), Drew Belline (No246), Josh Hopkins (formerly of Abattoir, will now head STG Trattoria), Guy Wong (Miso Izakaya), and Stuart Baesel (Community Q). Info here on Chow Down Atlanta's blog.