Atlas: Four Hands Collaboration

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/8/21

The moment you walk into the St. Regis, you’re greeted with a towering chandelier and sweeping staircase leading you to a dimly lit library with a sprawling illuminated bar and intimate tables filled with couples and friends smiling over delicious dishes. At Atlas, there are three words to describe it: impeccable, perfection, opulent. This does not only describe the ambiance, but some of the best food in all of Atlanta. The night we went was during the Four Hands collaboration 7-course tasting menu that married the genius of Chef Money and Chef Paul Liebrandt, the guest chef, in one miraculous meal. It’s a culinary masterpiece with the beautiful plating, scrumptious tastes, wonderful wine pairings, and the best white-glove service. This is definitely one to remember and we want to share the details with you.

 

When you arrive and sit down at your table, they immediately send over treats before you get your meal, like the Foie Gras Bon Bon, the “Cloud”, Puff Pastry, and Liquid Olive. Being about one bite each, the perfect little tastes are packed with flavors like the foie gras is rich and meaty, the cloud is earthy and literally melts in your mouth, while the puff pastry is dill forward and crispy, and the liquid olive was smooth with a little bit of olive on the end. We think the cloud was the best with the balance of cheese and beet flavor and were very impressed with the liquid olive, not too strong.

 

The first course is the Golden Caviar. Starting out, they place the caviar from their exclusive collection on the trout and accompany it with a tuna belly and a fantastic aioli. The caviar itself is a wonderful mix of saltiness and slight fish that accompanies that perfect pop. Underneath is the light, silky trout and juxtaposes the earthy micro greens. On the side, the crispy lightly fried tuna belly is perfection with a tasty creamy and earthy aioli for dipping. This course (and the next two) was paired with a delicate Rose champagne that is light and crisp to go with the lightness of the fish and caviar.

 

On to the second course, we got the Beets, which were paired with preserved plums and soft goat cheese. On top, the earthy and tangy beets are frozen in a ball then below is a moat of cheese, plums, and roasted beets that you can mix up together to get an amazing earthy, creamy, tangy bite. This one was so much fun to eat, a real treat.

 

Just behind this course, was the Scallops, but we opted for the Hamachi Crudo instead since we don’t eat shellfish. The presentation on this one was the absolute best of the entire meal. Served on a hand plate, it felt “hand delivered” to you! The fish is served raw but is so tender, it literally melts in your mouth and goes flawlessly with the creamy avocado, bright citrus vinaigrette, and amazing cold cilantro jalapeno sauce. In love with all the flavors creamy, earthy, spicy, bright, and add the crunchy beet flakes for one of the best bites of the night.

 

Moving on the fourth course where we got to pair a perfect poached cod and a bright Chablis. One of the best poached cods we’ve ever had, it was fall-apart tender. It’s light and mellow and pairs so well with the multiple forms of grapes that accompany this dish. The sweet and tart of the grape gives this little number an earthy and tart with a slightly salty end. The Chablis on the other hand was acidic that juxtaposed the sweet and salty of the dish. Just perfect.

 

When you didn’t think it couldn’t get any better, course five knocked it out of the park with the Westholme Wagyu. Buttery, slightly charred, and melt-in-your mouth wagyu that was too tender and delicious to even use the Italian knife they let us pick out. Topped with a candied fig that gives the meat a sweet, brown sugar, earthy, and tart bite on top of the already perfectly cooked wagyu. On the opposite end of the plate is a too beautiful to eat flower and gelatin concoction. It adds the right amount of creaminess. Overall, when you mix all the flavors together you get a creamy, rich, sweet, salty and a myriad of other flavors that let’s you know this IS the dish to remember. Paired with a heavy Cabernet is just right.

 

On to the dessert portion, they brought out course six, the Green Apple palate cleanser. They pour a citrus green apple sauce over this frozen, green apple treat for a boost of brightness. The entire dish is earthy and crisp with a complex mix of tartness and nuttiness from the pistachios, granola, diced apples, and mandarin. Then, for the finale, the Vol Au Vent is a decadent, crispy, bold bite. With layers of flaky pastry and bold caramel and apple flavor all around. Then, on the side, a rare dessert wine ice cream is boozy and sweet that goes well with the bold apple and caramel flavors. Paired with a Royal Hungarian dessert wine is rich and drinks like brown sugar, what a great sip with the dessert.

 

As a thanks, the Chefs brought out Petit fours after our meal. These candies are so fun, what looked like an Oreo, matcha gummies, and more. Just like these gifts, the entire meal is a total gift from beginning to end. From the delicious meal to the best service, it was one to remember.

 

Would you go to Atlas for a tasting menu?