BluePointe

[jordyn]

A few weeks ago, I had dinner at BluePointe in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. I did not have a reservation, but simply wandered in at around 9:30 and was promptly seated--no surprise, as the reservation was less than a quarter full on a Monday night.

The space is enormous, with a large number of seats and a soaring ceiling. Tables are reasonably well spaced, but it was tough to get sense of what the noise level might be like if the restaurant were full because it was so empty. The design touches are all modern, with a bright red metal "wall" element dividing the room and serving as a contrast to light wood walls. Blue, green and red tones are present throughout the room, which is generally attractive.

I was dining alone, and service generally seemed to be smooth and responsive, without rushing me through my meal. Questions about the cuisine were handled competently, although without a tremendous degree of insight.

I started with shrimp potstickers with a toasted peanut vinagerette. These were fairly good, with a pleasant shrimp flavor and good mouthfeel. The vinagerette was a pleasant acoompaniment, and the overall dish had a good balance between sweet and slightly sour.

For my main course, I ordered cashew crusted halibut in rice paper. This dish was much more interesting to read about than to eat. The halibut did not seem to be of particularly good quality, and there was not much flavor throughout the dish. The rice paper added an interesting textual note, but was another bland element that threatened to underwhelm an already underwhelmingly flavored dish.

I chose not to have dessert. Total for the meal, including a glass of Brancott Sauvignon Blanc, tax, and tip, was $45.

Overall, I'd probably give this restaurant another chance. The room is nice, service is pleasant, and one of my two dishes was good. It's possible that other entrees are more interesting, although I will confess that few of the items on the menu really sang to me while I was reading them.

[Rail Paul]

I was surprised to hear your comment about the fish, since BluePointe has received generally good comments among my Atlanta associates. It's possible that ordering fish in Atlanta on a Monday isn't a good idea, or maybe you just received a bad piece of fish.

The owner, Buckhead Life restaurant group operates Atlanta Fish Market, and has been a major buyer of wholesale fish for years. They also operate several steak houses and staff a few corporate kitchens, I believe.

[jordyn]

I suspect I shouldn't have ordered fish on Monday. The shrimp was good.

[stellabella]

i inquired several months ago about buying fish in atlanta. i find it to be very tricky and have come home more than once with rotten cod, shrimp, etc. rail paul, or anyone, do you have any ideas about the buckhead life restaurant group's wholesale business--do they sell to the public?

[Dave the Cook]

Stella,

The Fish Market has a retail section where you can buy the fresh/live version of whatever is on the menu that day. Usually very good stuff.

Have you been to the Harry's/Whole Foods in Duluth? I have had pretty good luck there, as long as I am patient with English skills and insist on close inspection.

Maybe an Atlanta-eGullet field trip is in order...

[joler]

Does this restaurant group also own "Goldfish" (in Perimeter Mall)? I was in Atlanta on business recently and ate dinner there twice, it was very enjoyable. The sushi bar is lovely and the perfect spot for dining solo.

[Dave the Cook]

Does this restaurant group also own "Goldfish" (in Perimeter Mall)? I was in Atlanta on business recently and ate dinner there twice, it was very enjoyable.  The sushi bar is lovely and the perfect spot for dining solo.

Goldfish is owned by Tom Catherall, not Buckhead Life. Nevertheless, he is well-respected in the city, and has several very good properties: Prime, Noche, Twist, and my favorite, the late lamented Tom-Tom.

Goldfish is a conceptual experiment (how would you describe it, joler?) that seems to be paying off. They serve a lot of people a lot of pretty good food. I think the place seats 300.

[joler]

How would I describe? Hmm. It is certainly not a place I would expect to find outside of a shopping mall.

The concept is I guess not really what you would call "fine dining", but definitely upscale, primarily seafood, with sushi. The seafood preparations vary and are not by any means strictly Asian influenced.

The first night I was there, I dined with a companion in the dining room. It was nice that I could order a sushi appetizer to accompany my meal. I remember the dessert was really nice too - a lemon napolean accompanied by a raspberry sorbet.

On my second visit, I sat at the sushi bar which is positioned in front of a very large fountain - a veritable "wall of water", behind which you can see the open kitchen. Great atmosphere, and it is always fun to make conversation with the sushi chefs. I do recall that I was not too impressed with the wine they were pushing that night. I think it was Anapamu or something like that at $8 a glass, seemed a bit ridiculous.

[Dave the Cook]

...On my second visit, I sat at the sushi bar which is positioned in front of a very large fountain -  a veritable "wall of water", behind which you can see the open kitchen...

I believe the waterfall and sculpture was done by Catherall's wife.

[stellabella]

The Fish Market has a retail section where you can buy the fresh/live version of whatever is on the menu that day. Usually very good stuff.

Have you been to the Harry's/Whole Foods in Duluth? I have had pretty good luck there, as long as I am patient with English skills and insist on close inspection.

Maybe an Atlanta-eGullet field trip is in order...

yes, it is. atlanta is so badly unrepresented on these boards, and i don't know why. as others have noted, it's possible to have some very fine fish in restaurants, but the retail selection can be tricky.

i know folks who buy huge salmon filets at Sam's and find the quality to be consistently good. but i don't belong to sam's. and i know that harry's offers very good quality in just about everything--but that's a long haul for me. i also hear the whole foods in atlanta has good seafood.

thanks, dave--next time i'm getting my hair cut [near pharr rd] i'll stop into the fish market to get fish for supper. i haven't eaten there in YEARS.

[joler]

I also ate at Buckhead Diner while I was there. It got so much hype on the Internet I thought it was going to be something special, but I was very disappointed. As soon as I walked in the door I noticed something just didn't smell right - that stayed with me during my entire visit. The food was very mediocre in my opinion.

[Dave the Cook]

atlanta is so badly unrepresented on these boards, and i don't know why. 

Because there's only two of us?

You might also try your local Publix. Maybe it's only because I'm in suburbia -- meaning you might not have the same luck out in Rutledge -- but I've been having success lately by cultivating butcher/fishmonger relationships at the store near us. (I must thank Col. Klink for prodding me to do this.)

They actually seem to want to be helpful, and though some of them have the brains of a catfish, at least they try. They willingly cut steaks to order (and they've been having some great sales on ribeye, strip and Porterhouse lately), grind chuck and brisket for my burgers, and brought in real oxtails and English short ribs on request (they even stock tripe!). Another big plus for me is that their chicken and pork is minimally processed -- no injecting or tumbling. This is entirely unlike Kroger where most of the chicken and pork is "enhanced" (their term), and when I asked if they would grind a hunk of meat for me, I was told, "I don't think we can do that." Kroger seems to work almost entirely on a commissary system. They can order things, but they can't do much at the store.

Publix claims to have fresh fish deliveries six days a week (may just be in the 'burbs), and again, if you insist on having your own sniff of the product (to which they will assent), you can do pretty well.

OTOH, Publix doesn't do nearly as good a job at produce, health foods or non-foods (you can't buy a lawn mower or DVD player there). Still, I've handed over most of my business to Publix, because of the meat situation and because it turns out that Publix, despite its reputation, seems to be cheaper. Also -- no loyalty card. Now I go to Harry's for produce (it's on my way home from work), and the occasional extravagance.

You probably know most of this, and the rest we could do this by PM, but I post in such detail in the hopes of drawing Atlanta-based lurkers out of the shadows.

[Dave the Cook]

I also ate at Buckhead Diner while I was there.  It got so much hype on the Internet I thought it was going to be something special, but I was very disappointed.  As soon as I walked in the door I noticed something just didn't smell right - that stayed with me during my entire visit.  The food was very mediocre in my opinion.

This is disappointing -- and surprising. It used to be a great place (five or six years ago; I haven't been since), and in the last year or so, it was overhauled. Guess it didn't take. I love the concept, though.

[joler]

I like the concept also. And I loved the idea of cheddar cheese soup swirled with a little Texas Pete and garnished with popcorn. Sounds great, but the actual product left a lot to be desired. It did inspire me to start putting Texas Pete on my popcorn now though.

[davidthomas8779]

Actually, it appears that there are 3 of us from the greater Atlanta area. I live in the Eastern suburbs (Tucker) and am partial to buying my meat and fish at the Dekalb Farmer's Market.

[Dave the Cook]

(Stella! STELLA! I FOUND ONE!)

Edited February 6, 2003 by Dave the Cook (log)

[Dave the Cook]

Welcome™, David.

Are there really 8778 more of you?

Maybe you could post a few paragraphs about the DeKalb Farmers Market. I haven't been in several years. Is it still as great as it used to be?

[stellabella]

hi, david! [hallelujah chorus thumping in background]

don't be shy. while certainly competent, at least one of us is lazy, and it's a tall order for me and dave to represent this city of 4mil.

you're in tucker so of course you go to dekalb. this is our major shopping hub, too--we live 50 mis east so pick up "extras" at the convington kroger, but try to stock up at the DFM at least twice a month.

i've been using the DFM religiously since I was a poor college kid on a mountain bike in 1987. in the last 15 years my lifestyle, tastes and bank account have changed dramatically. i used to be able to get a huge amount of food for $20--i could live a week off the bagels, produce, cheese & milk and occasional treats.

these days we spend anywhere from $50-$120 when we go to stock up. my husband buys most of our wine [a large selection of affordable wines] here--we gets cases, which are discounted 10%. the beer selection is also really good.

i first suspected a problem with DFM last feb when i brought home some french cheeses for my birthday--one guest sniffed and proclaimed it rancid. last fall i bought some cod--when i got it home and opened it it was a stink bomb--like, WAY past bad. the cheeses: they slice cheeses and wrap them, and the date of packaging is always on the label. i look for something packaged THAT DAY if possible--otherwise, forget it--i have brought home cheeses a couple times that had a slimy coating.

it looks to me like the selections have expanded recently--esp on the packaged food aisles, crackers, etc. i have never had a problem with dairy, besides cheese. we try to eat as much organic as possible--the selection of milk, yogurt, european style butter, etc is very good.

in general, my complaint is that it's not consistent. the prices and selections are always good, but why would a place like this be selling rancid cheese and meat? if you've shopped there you know that this place does huge volumes of business.

a couple times we went to the whole foods on briarcliff instead--but we balked at the prices--we can afford to shop there, but we are politically opposed to their open highway robbery.

so, what i'm left with is a sort of confusion about where to get food. i feel like a city the size of atlanta should have more options--but maybe i just don't know what they are.

i'd say a field trip is in order. dave, would you be willing to take me to my local publix and show me how to befriend the catfish behind the counter ?

sorry to preempt this thread, but i've tried how many times? to start conversations about atlanta to no avail!

[dlc]

(Stella! STELLA! I FOUND ONE!)

Dave,

I am not from the immediate area but drive 2-3 hrs to eat there. I have been surprised that there is so little about greater Atl on these threads. Last wknd of Jan had 2 superb meals one at Joel and one at Bacchanalia. We think that Atl. has lots happening in the "food arts". A e-gullet get together sounds like fun.

[Dave the Cook]

Welcome, dlc.

It would be great if you could post even something short on either or both venues.

For those not familiar with Atlanta, Bacchanalia and Joel are certainly among the top five restaurants in Atlanta, if not the top two.

Personally, I'm interested because I have a birthday coming up and have been promised dinner at the restaurant of my choice. These two, plus Seeger's and The Dining Room comprise the pool.

[stellabella]

any others?

i'm way ready for an atlanta get-together. dlc--know how you feel about the commute

[davidthomas8779]

In fact, there are 8778 other David Thomases. In addition to revolutionizing the fast food burger, our forefather was quite fertile and active*.

I'm going to DFM tomorrow and will look for rancid cheese. I always try to go first thing in the morning so that I can get a good selection. I've not yet had a problem with any items that I've purchased being off.

I think that DFM has the best produce and meat selection in the greater Atlanta area. I've shopped intermittently at the Whole Foods on Briarcliff and at several Harry's before they were sold to be part of the WholeFoodistan empire but think that the prices are highway robbery and that you are paying extra for packaging and handling of your food. I prefer to break down my own meat and fish and don't want to pay more to have someone make it look pretty for me.

Given that Dave The Cook is Dave on Egullet, I'll make this the second place that I'm referred to as David (the first is my mother's house "I don't have any children that I named Daaaaaaaaaaaave [insert sneer as said]")

*Note for lawyer running site--This is an obvious joke and Mr. Thomas is a god-fearing and moral man loved by all.

[dlc]

Dave,

The Dining Room has just re-opened after a make-over and has a new chef. His first day was like Jan 6 or 7. I have not tried his food yet. The pastry chef is the same though. He is an ace with spun and pulled sugar. I have a friend (recent CIA grad) who just went to work for him. Seeger's is a spot that I have enjoyed but haven't been in 6 months or so. I love the old house and have enjoyed what Gunther has done since his Dining Room days. My notes on the other 2 are at home and will post later but I liked Joel over Bacchanalia. We also liked the bar in the same complex as Bacchanalia but around the back and upstairs. I can't think of the name right now.

[Dave the Cook]

So Menard is gone? To where?

And who has replaced him?

[stellabella]

Atlantans--I'm gonna start a thread on dining in Atlanta. Would ya'll get yer hind ends on over thar and post to it?

Thaaanks,

S