STAPLEHOUSE

The long anticipated trip to Staplehouse in Atlanta finally happened!  This restaurant has been on Atlanta's "Best of" list for quite some time getting rave reviews for their quality food as well as their unique reservation system.  You have to go online the 2nd Friday of the month beginning at noon to request a reservation for the following month.  THEN you prepay online!  It's a fixed tasting menu of 8-10 courses ($105 per person) that changes frequently.  Drinks are extra but, they include a "hospitality charge" of 20% and taxes ahead of your visit.  So, before you've walked in the door your credit card has a $274.43 charge - not for the faint-hearted....

But, that food...

STAPLEHOUSE

541 Edgewood Ave. SE

Atlanta, GA 30312

404 / 524-5005

info@staplehouse.com

Our reservation time was at 6:15 pm, and we were asked to arrive 10 minutes early.  They email you and call you prior to your reservation date to remind you of their rules such as: if you are more than 20 minutes late your table may be given away, and if you cancel within 48 hours of the reservation, your payment is non-refundable.  They also ask several times if there are any eating restrictions or allergies that they need to be aware of.

A sample tasting menu from September 2018

ribeye, cauliflower, hazelnut

crab, papalo, peppers

pompano, sunchoke, celtuce

eggplant, shell beans, basil

squash, lobster mushroom, marigold

soppressata

duck liver tart, black fig

grandma lillian's potato bread

aged duck, chestnut, matsutake

kombucha

white chocolate, hibiscus, ginger

caramel miso chocolate

When you arrive at the restaurant what you see is a nondescript building.

 

You turn left past the sign and brick building and walk down an alley way until you see this on your left:

The menu we were given our evening:

We decided to go with wine pairings for the evening, and they began with serving us a sparking Rose from Italy.  It was out of this world!

ferrari, brut rose, italy

And the first course was carmelized yeast and apple - you pop it in your mouth in one bite.  So good! Served on a bed of sunflower seeds - such a cool presentation!

 And along with the Rose course, we had ribeye tartare with a turnip and cashew topping.  I can't describe how good this dish was - and how well it went with the wine.  I'd never in a million years paired a Rose with this dish.

 The next wine was SAKE - from Japan!  We had been to Japan years ago, and I can't say I was a fan of Sake there and then.  BUT THIS Sake was very good.  And we both loved it with the accompanying course.
manotsuru, crane, junta sake, Japan

 Crab, celery and marigold.  I can't adequately tell you the dimensions of this dish, but the crab was fresh and delicious with a clean feel.  We loved it.

 Next beverage was from Arcadiana (brewery in Athens, GA) surprisingly.  I'm not a big beer fan, but this beer was great.

arcadiana, creature comforts, georgia

And the beer went so well with the fish!  Pompano, sun choke, finger lime
There was fabulous fresh fish with greens and crunchiness as well.  Yet another amazing dish.

The next wine (below) was outstanding and probably my favorite of the night.  It was from Spain - do ferreiro, Albarino.   It had a crisp, fresh taste - dry. I loved it.

 
And the wine paired wonderfully with what was my favorite dish of the evening - mushroom, celeriac and fennel.

It was so so good without being too rich.

The next wine was a chardonnay to go with a cabbage dish and a salami and chicken liver tart concoction.  The French chardonnay was wonderful!

olivier leflaive, chardonnay, france

And THIS dish - just wow!  Such a combination in your mouth with each bite - LOVED IT!

cabbage, sake sushi, rye


salami, chicken liver tart, persimmon

This course was great - the salami perfect, and the chicken liver tart!  I'm not one to eat liver on it's own, but this sort of foie gras was rich and yummy.  I was sad there was only one bite!  Really incredible.

 That's our waiter on the left - he was outstanding!  And my adorable husband and eating partner in life:

 The next drink is one of my favorites that I get when I can - a Barolo.  This particular one was (as you probably guessed) exceptional.

g.d. vajra, albe, barolo, Italy

Bad picture, but the barolo was paired with duck breast.  This dish was decadent.  The duck was thinly sliced and tender, the rutabaga was a nice partner (not too rich) and the schmear that they sat upon was killer!  Don't know what that was but it was all I could do not to lick the plate clean!

aged duck, rutabaga, minutina

 This dense yet airy bread was so fabulous!  I can't remember what was in the butter though, but I could have jumped in and taken a bath in it.  Just incredible.

Then we were presented as sort of a palate cleanser before dessert:

Kombucha

Kombucha is said to have health benefits.  According to wikipedia  it is rich in probiotics — the healthy gut bacteria associated with heart health, lower rates of anxiety and depression, fewer yeast infections, weight management, boosted immunity, and improved digestive health.

And it was a really nice drink to have after a lot of different foods.


The final beverage was
rare wine company, madeira, portugal

It was a sweet madeira wine, and while that's not normally my favorite, it was delicious, and it was lovely with the 2 desserts that evening.

 This delectable morsel was dense dark chocolate - caramel miso chocolate

THE perfect ending to a perfect evening.

 Pic on the uber ride home -

Just an amazing evening.  Can't say enough about Staplehouse, other than it's now my top 3 in Atlanta.  The experience was one of a kind.  You are treated like royalty without pretense.  The food is carefully thoughtfully prepared and expertly executed.  Dreaming of a return now....