7 Overall Rating - Empire State South 2/1/11

Suite 140
999 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 541-1105
http://www.empirestatesouth.com/

Recommended by Jeffrey
Had dinner with long lost & found again friend, Sabo!

Ambiance: 8
Open space, with a few partitions to break up the space. Empire State South offers a spacious bar area perfect for accommodating larger groups.

The pre-paid self-parking in the adjacent covered parking deck was very convenient. The rain was heavy tonight and it was nice not having to worry about bringing an umbrella or waiting for valet parking. The path from the deck to both restaurant entrances is completely covered. The restaurant is conveniently located on the corner of 10th and Peachtree.

Food Quality: 7
Kudos to Empire State South for their food presentation and creativity.
We whet our appetite with the "In Jars pork rillette, chicken liver pate, pickles, pimento cheese, bacon marmalade, boiled peanut hummus".

The chicken liver pate and bacon marmalade topped pimento cheese were absolutely delicious! I can definitely understand why their pimento cheese is voted the best in the ATL! However, I didn't care for the pork rillette. And the pickled jar...what's the point? The overpriced pickled starters are overrated and have outstayed their welcome, in my opinion.

Sabo ordered the Triggerfish entree, but they 86'd it and substituted the triggerfish with monkfish. It was tastefully complemented with meyer lemon marmalade, brussels sprouts, confit onions & carrot puree.

I enjoyed my beef tartare, interestingly prepared with a sweet mustard aioli, topped with a barely fried egg evidenced from the nearly intact egg yolk, with thin egg white crisps scattered about the plate.





I also ordered the Fingerlings w/ mustard & candied shallot at Selah's recommendation. It was interesting, but the mustard sauce was too strong for me.

Finally, we ended the meal by splitting Selah's recommended Banana Pudding w/bruleed bananas, house vanilla wafers.

Everything was beautifully presented displaying good color contrast on the plate and stacking the ingredients.



Service: 8
Our server, Selah, was very friendly and made our experience enjoyable. He didn't seem to be as knowledgeable or crisp in explaining the menu, but he attended to us very well keeping our water glasses full and frequently clearing our table. I didn't care for the small tumblers they used for water; however, I appreciated them leaving the glass bottle of water on the table so we could help ourselves if need be. At the end of service, he brought individually wrapped fudge for Sabo and me, then patiently waited for us to pay our tab. Oh, and let me not forget to mention the couple wine tastings that he brought for Sabo...who eagerly enjoyed every last drop before ordering her own glass :)

Value: 5
The food was of good quality, but the portions were entirely too small for the most part. The meal wasn't terribly expensive, but you may leave there hungry for something else. $96 includes tip for two appetizers, one entree, one side dish, one dessert and two drinks.