ANTEBELLUM: a period before a war especially the American Civil War

After hearing good things about this restaurant, my husband and I decided to check it out this past Saturday night.  Boy, are we glad we did...

Antebellum

5510 Church Street

Flowery Branch, Georgia  30542

770-965-8100

www.antebellumrestaurant.com

Their website states that Chef Nicholas St. Clair, a high honors graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, California, brings his passion for Southern cuisine and more than 14 years experience in the restaurant business.  The idea is "contemporary Southern" cuisine, and the restaurant is located in a charming historic old house right off the square in Flowery Branch.  He along with his wife, Alison, opened the restaurant this past year.

Photo Credit: Antebellum

We heard about the restaurant, as one of their sous chef's, Chad, is my husband's Go Performance  instructor at Gold's Gym.  So, we made the drive north to check it out...

The interior is warm and inviting with hardwood floors, black tablecloths and napkins (love that). 

Photo Credit: Antebellum

As you enter, you immediately see the open bar area.  When we arrived at 6:45PM it was bustling.

Photo Credit: Antebellum

When we entered Antebellum, we were quickly greeted and seated with menus.  The dinner menu is enticing.  They also have a Sunday Brunch I'd love to try out that looks very good.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Here's a more legible version from their website:

Appetizers

Sweet potato soup with apple cider cream and fried collard greens

Wild salmon chowder with cornbread and buttermilk snow

Fried green tomatoes with bacon jam, brioche, fried egg, hot sauce and mimosa ice

Grilled Louisiana andouille sausage with fried chicken, Cajun remoulade, chow-chow peanuts and celery

Wild mushrooms and toast, with Benton’s country ham, truffle cream, celery and a merlot poached farm egg

Salads

Finch Creek Farms arugula with Benton’s country ham, poached pears, brie, pecans and black truffle vinaigrette

Butter crunch and red leaf lettuce with red delicious apples, goat cheese, red onions, pistachios and lemon honey vinaigrette

Finch Creek Farm lettuces with Cass’s pickled radishes, cucumbers, sieved egg yolk, buttermilk dressing and GA blue cheese

Classic Caesar salad with house made croutons and shaved parmesan

Entrees

*Grilled wild salmon with crispy cheddar grit cake, smoked tomato vinaigrette, jalapeño jam country ham chip and local greens

Grilled Georgia quail with pumpkin pirloo, wild mushrooms, Finch Creek Farms arugula and port poached figs

*Grilled, high choice flat iron with rosemary roasted potatoes, creamed Finch Creek Farms kale Pickled radishes and GA blue cheese

Pan seared scallops with wild mushrooms, Benton’s country ham, grits, celery red wine jus and black truffle oil

*Rye and mustard crusted, 8 oz Niman Ranch pork chop with “beer cheese soup”, mustard greens, bacon, boiled red potatoes and north GA apple relish

Root beer braised bone in short rib with fried pumpkin, corn bread puree and cranberry relish

Wild shrimp with Logan Turnpike cheese grits, country ham, peppers, onions and lemon butter sauce

*8 oz high choice burger with pimento cheese, bacon, Texas toast, horseradish and sweet potato wedges

Sides-

Pumpkin Pirloo Logan Turnpike cheese grits Sweet potato wedges Collard Greens Creamed Kale Wild Mushrooms

We support these local farms

Chestnut Mountain Egg Farm Veggie Patch at Bouchard Farms

Circle A Farms Finch Creek Farms

Love the ice water served in Mason jars!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

They have a nice wine and beer list as well as a good number of specialty cocktails.  

Handcrafted Cocktails

Southern Martini

“Peppar” Vodka and Dry Vermouth with a Splash of Olive Juice

Hard Apple Cider

Journeyman Rum, Apple Cider, Sweetened Lemon Juice with a dash of cinnamon

Blueberry Citrus Martini

Blueberry Vodka, 360 Lemon Vodka and Sweetened Lemon Juice Garnished with Blueberries

Maple Twist

Uncle Val’s Gin, Bourbon, Maple Syrup, Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice with a dash of cinnamon

Cucumber Lemon Drop

Cucumber Infused Vodka with Sweetened Lemon Juice

Velvet Jack

Jack Daniels, Chambord Liquor and Sour Mix

Pomegranate Martini

Citrus Vodka, Triple Sec, and Fresh Squeezed Lemon Sweetened with Pomegranate Juice

New Fashioned

Makers Mark Whisky and Amaretto with a Dash of Bitters and Lightly Sweetened

French Martini

Chambord Vodka and Chambord Liquor with a splash of Pineapple Juice

Vodka with house stuffed blue cheese olives made my husband happy, and I went with their fabulous version of a Lemontini but with the addition of cucumber, it was not too sweet - just devine!

Cucumber Lemon Drop

Cucumber Infused Vodka with Sweetened Lemon Juice

Then, fresh, warm cornbread sliced was delivered along with marmalade - well done!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

We decided to start with an appetizer to share that sounded just amazing.

Fried green tomatoes with bacon jam, brioche, fried egg, hot sauce and mimosa ice

This appetizer was stupendous!  It was beautifully presented, and we were practically moaning over every bite! And the champagne ice was so nice to have as a palate cleanser between bites.  The combination of the creamy egg, the tart green tomato, salty sweet bacon jam along with a bit of hot sauce - OMG!  Loved!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Butter crunch and red leaf lettuce with red delicious apples, goat cheese, red onions, pistachios and lemon honey vinaigrette

I went with the leaf lettuce salad. The dressing was to die for! I'm a big goat cheese fan, and that, along with the superbly fresh ingredients, hit the spot!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Finch Creek Farm lettuces with Cass’s pickled radishes, cucumbers, sieved egg yolk, buttermilk dressing and GA blue cheese

My husband went with the salad with blue cheese, and he loved it.  The fresh radishes were a nice touch and brought me back to my childhood.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Grilled wild salmon with crispy cheddar grit cake, smoked tomato vinaigrette, jalapeño jam country ham chip and local greens

I ordered the grilled salmon, and am I glad I did. Sitting atop a cheddar grit cake, and swimming in a smoked tomato vinaigrette, it was fantastic!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue 

Root beer braised bone in short rib with fried pumpkin, corn bread puree and cranberry relish

My husband ordered the meal of the night - the beef short ribs. We were fighting over the last few bites of this delicious dish (which had been highly recommended by Chad). Again, I feel like I'm repeating myself, but I just love how they marry the flavors. Never had short ribs with cranberries. One word: AH-MAZ-ING!!!

We were too stuffed to order dessert, but with the bill 2 cinnamon shortbread cookies were presented.  Lovely touch!

So happy to have this restaurant in our backyard (sort of) in the suburbs of Atlanta!  It truly is a Southern gem, and I cannot wait to go back and bring friends.  So so so good!

*And a note on the service - our server (Charis) was very good.  She was attentive without being overbearing, and she was right on the money with her recommendations.  Dishes were brought out in a timely manner without feeling rushed.  The kitchen feels well-run for sure.

FOLLOW UP VISIT:
I returned to Antebellum last night and another A+ meal was enjoyed.  The restaurant was packed on a Saturday night at 6:45PM.  Reservations are a must on the weekends.

We started with the Wild mushrooms and toast, with Benton’s country ham, truffle cream, celery and a merlot poached farm egg and it was devine!  I love country ham, and this one was so good.  Not too salty and just amazing with the mushrooms.  Next up we shared a bowl of Sweet potato soup with apple cider cream and fried collard greens.  It was very rich, and I was glad that we shared it.  But it too was delicious - although I'd prefer it a bit less sweet.

For entrees this visit we went with the Grilled, high choice flat iron with rosemary roasted potatoes, creamed Finch Creek Farms kale Pickled radishes and GA blue cheese and the 8 oz high choice burger with pimento cheese, bacon, Texas toast, horseradish and sweet potato wedges. Both were good, but the burger (which Charis recommended highly) needs to have a gold star by it on the menu.  OMG!  It was fabulous, and there wasn't a crumb remaining of that dish.

So excited to have this gem nearby!

NEXT UP:

Cakes & Ale
Holeman and Finch Public House
Tomo
Empire State South
Ecco
And I'm dying to try El Taco Veloz!

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