UNCLE JACK'S MEAT HOUSE, Duluth, GA

I've been wanting to try a new restaurant that opened near me in the 'burbs of Atlanta.  We are so hungry (pun intended) for great food in the outlying areas of the city.  The norm is to have to drive 30 minutes or more to get really good food.

Uncle Jack's is owned by Food Network star, Willie Degel, who owns numerous restaurants in New York City. He has left no detail behind in this newest restaurant opening!

UNCLE JACK'S MEAT HOUSE

6590 Sugarloaf Parkway

Duluth, GA 30097

770-497-2400

Uncle Jack's is located in a small strip center adjacent to the Infinity Arena in Duluth, GA.  It's in the corner spot and is easy to miss.  But...upon entering the restaurant the interior feel is nothing like you'd expect.  It's beautifully appointed - cool lighting over the bar, wood plank tables inside with a very cool vibe (unlike most suburban chain restaurants).  It was a lovely night in Atlanta so we opted for the outside seating.

Here's a view of the exterior:

unclejacks

And a pic of some of the gorgeous lighting over the bar area:

unclejacks

Even the floors are cool with paint splattering:

unclejacks

Outside, it was absolutely beautiful.  We watched the sun set while sipping on Moscow Mules (made with fabulous Ginger Beer I might add).

The concept is this - quality food all local all farm to table.  And it shows - excellent food.  And - the people he has hired to work there are top notch.  From the hostess to the bus boys to our server (Bailey) - all outstanding.  Clearly, they have put trained people in place.  It felt like the place had been around for years rather than weeks.

 Lighting and seating outside:

 The view from our seats of the Infinity Arena:

 The drink menu:

 Our delish Moscow Mule:

 Very cool flatware and dishes:

 We had just come from playing golf and were starving!  We decided to start off with a charcuterie selection (4 local cheeses, 2 "meat" selections and yummy bread along with a pickled jar of veggies = a delectable combination):

 We were debating back and forth what to get for our main courses.  The menu is chock full of meats (naturally) but there are chicken and fish selections as well, and there was a special sandwich (redfish) that sounded amazing too. BUT we were in a meat frame of mind!

There were so many items to chose from that sounded great - and on their website they have (very smartly) included beautiful pictures of each dish: http://www.unclejacksmeathouse.com/gallery

Here was my steak sandwich.  Served with their fabulous fries and a jar of pickled veggies and au jus.  Very very very good.

 My son and husband both went with their burger. It was devine - it's called the Oooey Gooey Mooey Burger for a reason - blue cheese fondue, prime beef, onion jam, their "special sauce" and maple pepper bacon.  Served with heirloom tomato, lettuce, fries and those pickled veggies.

 We had no room for dessert but those sound so so good - next time....all sound enticing.

So all in all the dinner was fabulous.  We totally enjoyed ourselves and I kept saying how happy I was that this restaurant is in my back yard (as we have very few really good places nearby).The place is impeccably appointed and clearly is managed well.

But I would be remiss if I didn't also add one big piece of information - - - it is on the expensive side.  You need to be prepared to pay a bit more.  Realizing we were eating only the finest organic ingredients that were masterfully prepared, our bill still was pricey for Duluth, Georgia.    BUT, I really hope that this place finds a following.  The location is nice in that it is right next to a popular venue, and there are loads of local businesses that have employees and customers that are starving (pun intended again) for good food. I've already found myself talking it up to friends and neighbors since my visit.

We will be back for sure - many more items to sample...

***All photos are mine unless otherwise noted.

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KIMBALL HOUSE TIME!

I had been wanting to go check out Kimball House for a very long time.  Decatur is a bit out of our way, so we made choices to go elsewhere time and time again.  Finally, we had an open Sunday and headed over.  It turned out to be a very wise decision.

KIMBALL HOUSE

303 East Howard Avenue

Decatur, GA  30030

404-378-3502

Kimball House is located just off the heart of Decatur housed in the old Decatur train depot. It's got a great atmosphere - open, bright with lots of wood and brass accents.  Overseeing the food are co-chefs Jeffrey Wall and Phillip Meeker, who apparently met while working together at Joel.  The focus is fresh, local and seasonal food preparation.

One reason we shied away from driving to Kimball House in the past was because they do not take reservations - unusual for the ubiquitous Open Table Atlanta crowd.  However, going on a Sunday evening, there was no wait.  And the bar is fabulous, so in the future I'll go and not mind (maybe even hope for) a wait!

We were meeting another couple so actually joyously stopped in for a beverage before they arrived.  I sampled one of their cocktails that was really wonderful, and my husband had a Moscow Mule that might have been one of the best I've tried.  Really great ginger beer.

AFTERNOON DELIGHT
pacifique absinthe verte, lemon balm, lime, honeydew, mercat brut nature

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

MOSCOW MULE

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

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Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Our friends arrived, and we were quickly seated in a great corner booth where we could easily talk and take in the entire restaurant at the same time.

And a note about the staff here - really really top notch.  From the bartenders to the host/hostess to the waitstaff - all were friendly and knowledgeable.  They were spot on in terms of each step of the dining experience from taking our orders to refilling our water to bringing out the dishes.  Can't say enough about them.

The menu changes daily, so you can't get your heart set on one dish, as it might not be there.  Before the entrees however we were craving oysters!  I had seen that they had Island Creek Oysters on their menu, but alas, when we got there, there were no Island Creek Oysters on the menu.  No matter, our waitress was happy to choose 3 different ones that were comparable.  All were delicious!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Raw oysters served with a medicine dropper of great shallot and vinegar mignonette:

Photo Credit: Google Images 

We also sampled the Kona Kampachi appetizer, but unfortunately, we scarfed that down before taking a picture.  You'll just have to take my word for it that it was fabulous. I'd get that again in a heartbeat!

I love how the tap water is served at your table:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

We didn't have much difficulty figuring out what we wanted for dinner.  

GRILLED KING SALMON
wood roasted corn, oyster mushroom, leek, green tomato, holy trinity, mizuna
I could've eaten this salmon for days.  I don't think there was a morsel of anything left on our plates, but we all loved how this one was prepared over the corn medley. Really really yummy.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

GRILLED TROUT
summer squash, leeks, maitake, chinese celery, mussels escabèche, filet beans, basil broth
Really great trout with a crispy exterior and flaky perfectly cooked body.  The veggies were outstanding.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Garden tomato salad
Light and delish!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

New Potato Salad

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

BEEF SAUSAGE

romano beans, radish, sweet pepper, lady peas, king trumpet mushrooms, sauce soubis

My husband ordered this dish so we could all try something other than fish.  It was very good.  Nice combination of flavors.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

OCTOPUS
sungold tomatoes, sweet onion, arugula, peppers, romano beans, shiitake mushroom, barigoule

This dish was what I ordered.  It comes as an appetizer, and it was a small portion but just what I wanted.  It was delicious!  I don't think octopus photographs particularly well ever, but it was magnificent!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

We will be back.  I'm dying to come back in the colder weather months to see what the chef comes up with then!