Good Morning, Darlings!

It is a rare event when one is invited to experience excellence. But tantalizing excellence is exactly what Eric and I found recently at The Ritz-Carlton’s Atlanta Grill.

By invitation from dear Sandra Ryder, Area Director of PR for The Ritz-Carlton hotels, we attended the first installment in the series “Young Chefs of the Southeast,” featuring Chef Adam Cooke of Blackberry Farm, the exclusive Relais & Chateaux rated property in Walland, Tennessee. Chef Cooke’s accolades include cooking at the James Beard House, “Grand Chef” status by Relais & Chateaux and the honor of The Mother Nature Network’s “Top 40 Chefs under 40.”

And on top of all that – Adam is humble. And nice. Amazingly nice for someone who could easily be haughty. More on my visit with him coming up in the future. But let’s get to the dinner.

But before arriving in the dining room, we were greeted at the hotel’s front door by Matthew, who escorted us up the expansive staircase to the Atlanta Grill, introducing us to charming EB, who showed us to our table, where we were greeted by Kerem, the ever delightful Food & Beverage Manager. Taking care of us for the evening were Sefik, our steward and Joseph, our server – two of the warmest gentlemen I have ever had the opportunity to meet. Both funny and engaging without being intrusive. A perfect way to begin our culinary journey.

On this magical evening, Chef Cooke teamed up with the Chef de Cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton, Chef Bennett Hollberg, to create an exquisite multi-course dinner with wine pairings.

The repast began with an amuse bouche by Chef Cooke

Black Truffle and White Asparagus Soup

Raw Asparagus Salad

The fried pork rind served atop the soup was worth the price of admission. Unlike any pork rind I have ever eaten, crispy and imbued with rich porcine flavor. It set the tone for the delicacies to come.

First Course by Chef Cooke

Heirloom Beets, Fresh Sheep’s Cheese, Dandelion Greens, Pickled Strawberries, Candied Walnuts

Reisling, St. M, Pfalz, Germany

Let me just tell you that the majority of the produce for this dinner was sourced directly from Blackberry Farms and brought down by Chef Cooke himself. The passion he feels for fresh ingredients is inspiring. You can taste it in every bite.  I loved how the pucker of the pickled strawberries played against the creaminess of the sheep’s cheese and the sweetness of the heirloom beets. Swoon-worthy.

Second Course by Chef Cooke

Morel Mushrooms, Country Ham and Wild Ramps, Crayfish, Garden Peas & Scrambled Farm Eggs

White Blend, “Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne”, Washington State

I love how the photo makes this look as if there is caviar swimming in cream.  In actuality, this dish is equally luxurious as any caviar I have experienced. The lush scrambled eggs gently enveloped the morel mushrooms stuffed with country ham & ramps, while cuddling the the crayfish and garden peas at the bottom of the bowl. I never knew scrambled eggs could be so glamorous. If I had been at home, I would have been licking the bowl. But this is The Ritz-Carlton, after all. Some decorum is expected.

Entrée by Chef Hollberg

Braised Painted Hills Short Ribs, Handmade Scallion Pasta, Grilled Torpedo Onions, Baby Carrots

Cabernet Sauvignon, Louis Martini, Napa Valley

The menu never mentioned the tempura squash blossoms, as seen here in the photo. I have always stuffed the blossoms before frying. Chef Hollberg opened my eyes with this preparation. This interpretation allowed us to truly taste the blossom, not just a filling. Spectacular. The short ribs yielded easily under our forks, tender and rich. The grilled torpedo onion was the first to ever pass my lips, but hopefully not the last. Eric commented on how “carroty” the carrot tasted. Fresh really does make a difference. And we both agreed that cooking at home makes for a much more satisfying dining out experience. Our homemade pasta is tasty, but nothing compared to Chef Hollberg’s scallion version. A revelation.

Dessert by Adjryche Channing, Pastry Chef, Blackberry Farm

Blackberry Farm Sheep’s Milk Yogurt Parfait

Cherry and Wildflower Consomme’

Fresh Almonds, Petit Bitter Almond Madeleine

Sparkling Demi-Sec Style, “Celebration”, South Africa

At this point in the meal, I wasn’t sure I could soldier on. But the lightness of the parfait found the last bit of room in my tummy. And cherry and wildflower consomme – how could anyone say no to this elixir? And so we didn’t say no. We asked Joseph to bring it on. And so he did.

Fresh Crafted Assorted Filled Chocolates and French Macarons

Could we possibly finish these gorgeous chocolates filled with rum and other goodies? Could we? How could we say no more? They were made just for us. It would be rude not to indulge. And they were small, yes?

By now, we could barely move. I now knew how James Beard felt after a night of dining in Paris. When one is faced with culinary treasures such as these, you can always abstain tomorrow. This night was certainly not the time to refrain.

To top off the evening, we were visited by both chefs, who were so kind to sit and join us. And allowed me a photo op.

And bless their hearts, to stave off our hunger before we had a chance to arrive home, they sent us off with goody bags of homemade goobers & raisinettes, as well as homemade granola.

Another triumph for The Ritz-Carlton. They continue to amaze and astound me.

Wouldn’t you like to be amazed and astounded, too? Join me on either June 25 or 26 at The Ritz-Carlton downtown Atlanta for the second Young Chefs of the Southeast dinner, this time featuring Sue Zemanick of Gautreau’s, New Orleans.

A finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Rising Star Chef” award in 2009 and 2010, Chef Zemanick’s cuisine may be both down-to-earth and out-of this-world. She was named one of the “Top Ten Best New Chefs” by Food & Wine in 2009, as well as “Chef of the Year” by New Orleans Magazine. Gautreau’s is renowned for its classic New Orleans flavors and largely French-inspired menu, and is consistently rated one of the “Top Ten Best Restaurants in New Orleans” by the Times-Picayune. For information, please visit http://www.gautreausrestaurant.com/.

The cost of the dinner is $85 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuities and exclusive of wines. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Atlanta Grill at 404-221-6550 or visiting http://www.opentable.com/atlanta-grill.  I can truly say I have never found a comparable value.  It’s like a vacation for your senses, without leaving town!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to The Go-Gos, Turn to You