Empire State South's website states that it takes a "modern approach to creating authentic Southern dishes, relying on the beautiful foods of this region."
999 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-541-1105
Located in Midtown
Pics from their website:
And one from the interior:
From their website:
Josh Hopkins is the Executive Chef of Empire State South.
Josh Hopkins is the Executive Chef of Empire State South.
Joshua Hopkins is the Executive Chef at Empire State South. He was raised in Atlanta, GA. He learned how to cook from the women in his family and by watching cooking shows like “Wok with Yan.” Chef Hopkins’s philosophy is simple, “cook good, local food.” In lieu of culinary school, Hopkins started his career with a formal apprenticeship for French Master Chef Christian Chemin. He has since worked in many acclaimed restaurants throughout the Southeast. He spent the first 8 years of his career working in Charleston. During that time he cooked at Slightly North of Broad and High Cotton. Upon his return to Atlanta he worked as the Chef de Cuisine of Bacchanalia and at Abbatoir, where he served as Chef and co-owner. He then took the lead at STG Trattoria. Josh came to Empire State South during the summer of 2014. In his free time Josh enjoys spending time with his wife, Kristine and their two dogs, playing Frisbee golf and cooking with family.
Hugh Acheson is the author of the James Beard Foundation Award Winning Cookbook “A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen,” “Pick a Pickle: 50 Recipes for Pickles, Relishes, and Fermented Snacks,” and “The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits.” He is a chef/partner of the Athens, Georgia, restaurants 5&10, The National, the Atlanta restaurant Empire State South, and The Florence in Savannah. He is a James Beard award winner for Best Chef Southeast and was named a Best New Chef by Food & Wine Magazine. Hugh competed in Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, Season 3 and currently stars as a judge on Top Chef.
We have been wanting to try this restaurant for years, and we finally pulled the trigger!
As you walk toward the restaurant there are outdoor seats and a bocce ball court.
It was a GORGEOUS evening in Atlanta, so we opted to have a drink before dinner and sit outside with our friends.
The menu (Drinks, Food and Wine) on the evening we were there:
Once we were seated for dinner, we decided to start with what they call, "IN JARS" - 5 unique dips or spreads to enjoy. Great for a group, and all were fabulous! Pimento cheese with bacon jam, picked vegetables, a pork spread, a crazy good hummus and a pickled mustard seed topped catfish spread. We ate as much as we could and loved it!
We decided to go with 2 small plates to share as well.
Farm Egg fried rice, hot dog, sugar snap peas, tamarind
I can't say enough about this dish! It was recommended to us by our server, and I'm SO glad he did. We were instructed to immediately break up the soft cooked egg once it arrived and stir the egg up into the dish (see the before and after pics):
SO SO YUMMY!
I wanted to love this dish but sadly did not. The burrata was delicious but the remainder of the dish was very bitter - like vinegar only. It was the only thing we weren't able to finish that we ordered. I liked that it was fresh and healthy, but it was just too bitter.
We were pretty full from the other dishes, so we decided to split 2 entrees between the 4 of us. Our friends split the filet and loved it:
My husband and I chose the snapper to share - so fabulous!
Snapper cucumber, tomato, shrimp, black-eyed peas, baby fennel
 |
| Add caption |
A blueberry surprise compliments of the chef:
Grasshopper Ice Cream Sandwich chocolate whoopee pie, mint cocoa nib ice cream, marshmallow, toffee buttercrunch
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TIM!!!
And, after our fabulous dinner, we went and saw "HAMILTON" at the Fox Theater! Wonderful night!
A fabulous evening at Empire State South - would highly recommend to anyone!
MENU FROM THEIR WEBSITE:
SNACKIES
ESS Bread corn molasses butter 9.
In Jars southern styled spreads with toast & pickles 32.
Artisan Cheeses ESS quinoa crackers 20.
Potato Chips & Dip white BBQ 6.
Meat & Pickles mustards & preserves 13/26.
Beef Hand Pies black pepper, pickled turmeric, rutabaga chutney 10.
Chips and Dip white bbq 6.
In Jars southern styled spreads with toast & pickles 32.
Artisan Cheeses ESS quinoa crackers 20.
Potato Chips & Dip white BBQ 6.
Meat & Pickles mustards & preserves 13/26.
Beef Hand Pies black pepper, pickled turmeric, rutabaga chutney 10.
Chips and Dip white bbq 6.
BEGINNINGS
Peach Toast blue cheese butter, turmeric onion, arugula 12.
Beets radicchio, rhubarb, strawberry, pecans 12.
Burrata squash, black olive, pepitas, basil 14.
Porcini Mushrooms celery, arugula, pecorino, hazelnuts 14.
Black Rice sweet potato, radish, pistachio, garlic scape, cashew pesto 14.
Farm Egg fried rice, hot dog, sugar snap peas, tamarind 13.
GA Clams pork belly, avocado salsa verde, jalapeño, grilled bread 15.
Baked Oysters nasturtium bagna cauda, spicy breadcrumbs 18.
Octopus cucumber, gochujang, chicory 15.
Veal Sweetbreads capers, lemon, parsley, breadcrumbs 16.
Beets radicchio, rhubarb, strawberry, pecans 12.
Burrata squash, black olive, pepitas, basil 14.
Porcini Mushrooms celery, arugula, pecorino, hazelnuts 14.
Black Rice sweet potato, radish, pistachio, garlic scape, cashew pesto 14.
Farm Egg fried rice, hot dog, sugar snap peas, tamarind 13.
GA Clams pork belly, avocado salsa verde, jalapeño, grilled bread 15.
Baked Oysters nasturtium bagna cauda, spicy breadcrumbs 18.
Octopus cucumber, gochujang, chicory 15.
Veal Sweetbreads capers, lemon, parsley, breadcrumbs 16.
ENTRÉES
Snapper cucumber, tomato, shrimp, black-eyed peas, baby fennel 32.
Catfish morels, turnips, chard, ramps, kale flower, lily buds, caviar 31.
Quail field peas, bamboo, kale, peanut hummus 28.
Lamb peach, celery, shiitake, radish, herbs, pistachio vinegar349.
Tenderloin bok choi, farro verde, green garbanzo, rouille 40.
Duck for Two dirty rice, asian broccoli & herbs, cracklings, strawberry gel 60.
Catfish morels, turnips, chard, ramps, kale flower, lily buds, caviar 31.
Quail field peas, bamboo, kale, peanut hummus 28.
Lamb peach, celery, shiitake, radish, herbs, pistachio vinegar349.
Tenderloin bok choi, farro verde, green garbanzo, rouille 40.
Duck for Two dirty rice, asian broccoli & herbs, cracklings, strawberry gel 60.
EXTRAS
Braised Greens ESS hot sauce 6.
Field Peas okra, benne, dandelion, pepper vinegar 6.
Roasted Squash basil pesto 6.
Field Peas okra, benne, dandelion, pepper vinegar 6.
Roasted Squash basil pesto 6.
SWEETS
Chocolate Tart buttermilk sorbet 10.
Peanut Butter Parfait milk chocolate crunch, peanut black sesame sponge, caramel ice cream 9.
Toasted Lemon Pound Cakemoscato sabayon, strawberry compote, rose petal ice cream, candied pistachios 10.
Grasshopper Ice Cream Sandwich chocolate whoopee pie, mint cocoa nib ice cream, marshmallow, toffee buttercrunch 8.
Ice Cream Flight three ice creams, cookies 7.
Dessert Board four small desserts 22.
Artisan Cheese Plate three selections, ESS quinoa crackers, accompaniments 19.
Peanut Butter Parfait milk chocolate crunch, peanut black sesame sponge, caramel ice cream 9.
Toasted Lemon Pound Cakemoscato sabayon, strawberry compote, rose petal ice cream, candied pistachios 10.
Grasshopper Ice Cream Sandwich chocolate whoopee pie, mint cocoa nib ice cream, marshmallow, toffee buttercrunch 8.
Ice Cream Flight three ice creams, cookies 7.
Dessert Board four small desserts 22.
Artisan Cheese Plate three selections, ESS quinoa crackers, accompaniments 19.
