[ATL] Holeman & Finch Public House

[Dave the Cook]

Given the associations that proprietors Greg Best, Andy Minchow and Regan Smith of Holeman & Finch have with mixology (the bars at Restaurant Eugene and Repast) one shouldn't be surprised to be served an excellent invention like the Kitty Hawk: cognac, maraschino, lemon and lavender, let alone a terrific version of the classic Monkey Gland. But a couple of those, and you forget that Linton Hopkins is a partner in the project, and that he was in on the menu design. The result is a litany of well-executed comfort foods interspersed with expert takes on charcuterie, cheese, and the occasional special that takes advantage of whatever's good and local -- a late-night menu for the drinking afficianado.

I've been through about a third of the dishes, and can recommend 1) oysters in any form -- well-sourced and treated respectfully, whether they're served raw or fried; 2) crawfish beignets (made with Louisiana bugs); 3) the Crunchy Gentleman, perhaps the best Croque Monsieur I've ever eaten; 4) sweetbreads with greens and guanciale, which don't quite equal the sweetbreads at Home, but make up for it with a crispy curl of jowl and a generous portion size; 5) marrow-parsley salad -- need I say more? 6) the sugar-glazed dougnuts, just so you don't have to hope that Krispy-Kreme will have its "Hot" light lit on the way home. I haven't tried the pimento cheese, but I assume it's the same as you get across the driveway at Eugene, and it's stellar. Last night, a special of halved cherry tomatoes, black basil and something that wasn't quite burrata in a well-balanced vinaigrette made an excellent foil to the fat level in the other dishes.

What all that adds up to is this: everything I've tried has been if not excellent, at the least very good. If, like me, you're a bigger fan of the small dishes at a place like Repast than you are of the mains, you'll love the Holeman & Finch menu. There are a number of things I haven't tried, of course: there's always a raw fish on the menu; I've seen deviled eggs three ways, catfish fingers with sunchoke pickle sauce, and many plates of house-cured meats. I don't know how they tasted, but they looked on par with what I've eaten.

The wine list is a study in idiosyncratic discovery. The rich food menu allowed them to consider wines that might not make the cut elsewhere. That gave them the opportunity to assemble a roster that's interesting, well-arranged and affordable. Only a few are over $100, with most in $30-$40 range, and 11 by the glass. There's also a corkage policy: a measly ten bucks.

Beer is respected, too. It's not a Taco Mac-sized selection, but there are five on tap, with nothing from a container bigger than a pony; most come from bullets. In a brave but sensible nod towards one of the few legitimate American-style lager/pilseners, Miller High Life is on the list. Which not to say you can't get Abita Jockamo or Duck Rabbit Porter.

Oh, and the cocktails: the menu changes form time to time. Out of the ten or so featured drinks, only one -- the metamorphosing nightcap called Southern Cola (Amaro Cio Ciaro and Coca-Cola served over a cube of frozen lime juice) -- was on both menus I've seen. In addition to the Kitty Hawk and Monkey Gland, I sampled the Agro Non Dolce (borrowed from Restaurant Eugene, where the mixture of bourbon, lemon juice and biscotti liqueur was invented by Nick Hearin). I don't much like bourbon because I find it too sweet; this drink is a balanced, enjoyable surprise. I also had a Smith & Thomas, a tall drink of iced tea, lemon and raspberry that's a nice reach-out to vodka drinkers (I had them make it with Plymouth Gin).

Of course, you don't have to stick to the cocktail menu. They seem to be able to mix up pretty much anything, from a classic Aviation to something invented on the spot or dragged out of a voluminous memory of recipes and history. My dining partner asked for something with scotch, and Greg poured out a perfect Bobby Burns with Glenmorangie 10 -- a perfect drink on which to say good night.

If you go, go on a weeknight, or go early -- I mean like 5:30 or 6. After about 7:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, the place is slammed and noisy. In which case, you can walk across the driveway and have a quiet, expertly made cocktail at Resturant Eugene -- hardly sloppy seconds.

Holeman & Finch Public House

2277 Peachtree Rd. NE

Atlanta, GA 30309

404.948.1175

No reservations.

Website here.

[Chris Amirault]

The Kitty Hawk? Say more. Ratios? What does "lavender" mean?

[Dave the Cook]

It was a while back, but my recollection is:

1-1/2 cognac (Landy)

1/2 maraschino (Luxardo)

1/2 lemon juice

The lavender appeared as tiny shards of dried flower petals sprinkled on the surface of the poured cocktail. Maybe 1/8 tsp: enough to add a tiny floral note without taking over the drink.

That's my recollection. At the time though, they were doing a lot of stuff with lavender, so maybe it was a syrup. I'll check and report back.

[Dave the Cook]

Every time I drop in at Holeman and Finch -- which is as often as possible -- I find that they've become even harder core than the last time. On the menu these days are veal brains grenobloise and schnitzeled veal fries. The terrine selection has expanded from souse to include campagne and rabbit, and the charcuterie offering includes finnochiona, smoked lardo and something called "sake-lami."

We didn't indulge in any of the nasty bits; we were on our way to dinner elsewhere. Nevertheless, we tried the buttermilk fried quail (one split bird, served with creamy Tabasco butter), currywurst with red pea dahl (red peas, which were new to me, resemble fat little lentils) and a big bowl of fresh peas dressed with a bit of onion and cream. The worst thing I could say about the food is that the sausage was a bit dry. The peas -- the green ones -- were simple and wonderful.

The cocktail menu has dispensed with presenting the classics as such; it's entirely the invention of the bar staff now. That's not to say that you can't get a Sidecar or even a gin-and-tonic, but they're now putting their own creativity front and center, even when they reference old-school concoctions. The Re-Animator (Bluecoat gin, Obsello absinthe and Cointreau) is a nod to Corpse Revivers; Buck the Recession (Old Overholt and Miler High Life) owes an obvious debt to the Boilermaker.

We tried the Harrier (Hayman's Old Tom, lavender, grapefruit juice) and A Punch in the Rye (Rittenhouse, pineapple juice, rhubarb bitters and Fever Tree ginger ale). Both on the rocks, they were great spring-summer drinks, though the Harrier was a bit sweet for my taste. When I asked for something on the dry side, Greg stirred up a Manhattan-esque cocktail with rye, amaro, bitters and both Carpano Antica and a dash of Punt e Mes. My companion got a sour (we can't remember the citrus involved) made from applejack, housemade grenadine (more hard-core stuff; they break down their self-sourced pomegranates) and something I'd never seen before: truffle liqueur. Funk in the nose -- truffles? really? -- but very tasty in the cocktail.

I haven't been to brunch in a couple of months, but I was told it's just gotten nuts; they're now offering their burgers to go in an attempt to keep the crowd from spilling out onto Peachtree.

[JAZ]

We went to brunch here last Sunday and as usual, enjoyed it immensely. The brunch menu is more limited than the dinner menu, but what's there is great. We had the fried oyster sandwich and a version of eggs benedict with chunks of pork belly instead of Canadian bacon.

The oyster sandwich, similar in all respects except the bread to a po' boy, was the best I've ever had (my apologies to New Orleans). The balance of flavors and textures was phenomenal. The egg dish was only slightly less successful. The eggs were expertly poached, the hollandaise was excellent, and the pork was the perfect accompaniment. Three or four large chunks were (I think) poached or cooked sous vide, then pressed and deep fried. My only complaint about the dish was that the bread underneath, while tasty, had a crust that was very difficult to cut through. Thinner slices or a different bread would be a better choice.

Drinks, of course, were great as always.