Staplehouse — Restaurant in Atlanta

BEWARE! This is a place you need to know about!

We wanted to first pay respects to Jake, the head chef, watching him direct his kitchen and being waited upon by his staff was truly a wonderful experience in itself. Me and my wife sat down to eat this last Saturday at this establishment and we wanted to tell you our thoughts about the meal.

The surprise starter course we had was caviar in a tart that was an explosion of chilled fish with pops of freshness, the second was an oyster that was served with a basil on top, it was a little bit too salty maybe because of the bacon or ham in it, but all around it was a different take on fresh oysters that left me wanting good old fashioned oysters with Tabasco sauce, lemon and a cracker.

The 1st course was an amazing display of cucumber over a mix of puffed rice and yellow fin tuna marinated in fermented yuzus and habanada pepper. It was masterfully crafted, every bite left me wanting more, so fresh and so light. Perfectly tart, like just a kiss of lemon over expertly prepared fresh caught fish.

The 2nd course was definitely Japanese inspired. The Uni toast was everything my mouth was waiting for. The combination of herbs and flowers with Uni and a tomato parmesan sauce that enriched the toast made this savory seafood dish one of my favorites. They paired it with an amazing cup of egg based broth with peeled cherry tomatoes and other various herbs and flowers that made the experience feel like a sophisticated Michelin star level grilled cheese and tomato soup with that umami factor!

The 3rd course was a carrot vadouvan dish that spoke to me texturally, but not my taste so much. It was all vegetarian that had a great smell, great visual, great texture, and an interesting flavor experience from the slice carrots and vadouvan, with a deep fried sesame leaf over the braised carrots, vadouvan, and dill oil with a cashew sauce. I couldn’t taste much of the dill oil, but overall the dish left me feeling slightly underwhelmed by the heaviness of the dual-toned flavor experience, but overall appreciative of the finely crafted course.

The 4th course was my second favorite overall. Pairing the blueberries with the beef tenderloin was a divine choice, reminding me of a nice braised duck confit, and then being paired with a stuffed beat roll with crunchy beets on top, with a wonderfully fresh baked laminated roll to sop up all the juices, left me feeling extremely satisfied. I don’t smoke, but I felt like I needed a cigarette after that.

The 5th course was Dolce de Le Che Brûlée custard tart with fresh figs, milk ball fritters, and mint for more flavorful adornment. That, plus the fig ice cream was something that will live with my soul forever, whatever they did to it to give it that coconut aftertaste left me in blissful awe. I had to close my eyes and eat it so slowly to savor every last bite.

In conclusion, me and my family have found our Thursday market lunch spot, and anniversary dinner spot due to the HIGH CALIBER & MASTERFUL CRAFTING OF TEXTURES AND FLAVORS THAT WERE SO GENUINE AND NOSTALGIC...

We were a party of 2 at 8:45 pm on Friday, March 6th. It’s pretty casual. We were fine in jeans and a top, or jeans and a collared shirt.

As the host walked us to the table, we stopped at the kitchen for our first bite. That was a nice touch!

The staff explained every dish and beverage as it was served. They did their best, but we really didn’t understand most of what they said. It’s possible that we’re just not sophisticated enough, in terms of our palettes and our knowledge of food and alcohol.

It was $105 per person for the food tasting menu, and $85 per person for the beverage pairing. (The beverage pairing included beer, wine, sake, kombucha.) Add in tax and tip, and it came out to just under $500 for 2 people. For that much money, we expected to eat the best meal of our lives, and it just wasn’t. For that reason, we probably won’t be back.

Our menu, including beverages, with our comments:

Uni, yuzu, chive - good

Chard, yeast - lacked good flavor, tasted like dried spinach Duck slim jim - the dollops of jam were good

Carrot, roe - the puréed carrots were a little too salty, the roe gave it a nice pop Foradori, Nosiola, Fontanasanta, Italy - good

King crab, radish - third best course we had Sōtō, Sake, Junmai Daiginjo, Japan - very good, smooth

Striploin, bone marrow, truffle - first bite was a letdown, but got better as we ate it Charles Ellner, Rosé, Brut, Champagne, France - bubbly

Broccoli, benne, yolk - second best course we had, the broccoli was well-seasoned and the yolk gave it a nice pizazz The Veil Brewing Co., As I Am, Richmond, Virginia - tied with the sake for our favorite beverage, it was a wine-like beer, smooth and not very carbonated

Sturgeon, fennel, quinoa - well-prepared fish, not too fishy, the quinoa gave it a nice crunch Albert Boxler, Riesling, Reserve, Alsace, France - fine

Chicken liver tart - very rich, tasted a little like blue cheese, we didn’t really care for this one Ben Ryé, Donnafugata, Sicily, Italy - good

Grandma Lillian’s potato bread - very good, the spread was delicious Aged duck, polenta, corn miso - favorite course of the night, very good flavors Maître de Chai, Zinfandel, Clements Hill, California - good

Kombucha - fine Sunflower, white chocolate - enjoyed the white chocolate Cara cara, oat, bay - nothing special, the sorbet tasted like crushed up vitamins Bordiga, Vermouth Bianco, Torino, Italy - fine

Beet, ginger - tasted like straight beets, really did not like this one Shiitake chocolate - good

We also checked out the Paper Crane Lounge upstairs. There’s a beautiful story behind it. The colorful lights made for a great atmosphere. Definitely check it out!

Fun experience, good service, good beverages, but food...

Just an example of a few of the courses from Staplehouse last night. Our group of four was floored by the food and the service. We had the best conversations with Kara Hidinger, I am still thinking about her today! She is a true gem with a big heart. We all hugged her on our way out. I feel like I made a new friend but I am betting she makes everyone feel that way! When Willie asked her about the bricks in the building, yes, Willie loves bricks lol, Kara came to our table with historical documentation related to the building and old photos. She sat with us and told us all about the building, how fantastic of her! We talked to her about Abattoir, she was the GM there, and a friend of ours who still mourns the loss of it, and of course, Kara remembered our friend fondly. One distinct memory about the service last night - one member of our party was in the restroom when one of the ELEVEN courses was served. That person's plate was taken back to the kitchen to be kept warm and when our friend returned to the table, her plate appeared immediately. We all noticed this, it was the type of courtesy and attention to detail none of us expected. We'll talk about it forever, I can promise you that!

The food, the food, the food! Just wow. And our server...the epitome of great service, everything was perfect, he answered every question, got us great information from the kitchen, had a wonderful suggestion on the wine and it was one of the least expensive too. I could go on and on and on. I would have more photos but usually don't even try in low light situations and in restaurants specifically. But my husband and friends encouraged it and all got out their cell phones to provide me more light haha! Now I wish I'd photographed ever course!

Last notes. I am NOT an apple desert fan. That said, the apple desert last night might be the best desert I've ever eaten. To call it pecan cake, toasted hay ice cream with shaved, dehydrated apple slices does not fully encompass the wonder of that desert. Our server went and got me detailed instructions on the apples which involve a sheeter, which I have, and will he attempting at home. And yes, I said hay!

P.S. The bread is made from a 15 year old starter and was served with thyme infused butter - incredibly flavorful, all of it.

P.P.S. When everyone at the table agrees that one of their favorite course is the KALE, well, that never happens! Guarantee you would've...