Holeman and Finch Public House

Atlanta is the major city of the Deep South.  So all things Southern exist here, including the food.  But being a cosmopolitan city that attracts transplants across the country and the world, that Southern cooking has been taken to the next level.  Enter the New Southern cooking, which is reflected by Holeman and Finch Public House.

This place is part of chef Linton Hopkins' twin restaurants in the Buckhead neighboorhood.  Next door is Restaurant Eugene, which specializes in fine dining.  Holeman and Finch is more egalitarian. The crowd here is younger and trendier. Okay, there are a bunch of hipsters here.  But that's reflective of the surrounding neighborhood. 

The menu changes daily based on what is seasonally available.  There are two menus here: the regular menu and parts menu.  The food here is simple and uses primarily local ingredients.  There's also a drinks menu but I'm not much of a drinker, so it won't count in my book.

Parts means organ meat and some "exotic" bits.  Yes there are brains and testicles. But that was just for the night I dined there.  This is not a gimmick.  The cooking methods used here make the offal more palatable.  And these parts tend to taste much better the muscle or meat of the animal.

So here's what I had that night.

Deviled Eggs

This may not sound exciting, but like me I'm sure you would scarf down this stuff all day long at your next house party. These are done three ways: country ham, jalapeño, and bread and butter pickle.  The jalapeño was my favorite and strangely, it isn't spicy.  It was about the essence of the heat that could be tasted.  The pickle flavored one is made from housemate pickles from the chef's personal recipe.

Poached Duck Egg

This is an exquisite version of breakfast food.  A poached duck egg sits atop bacon, a squash and kale johnnycake, boiled peanuts, and sorghum syrup.  This has to be the best dish of my meal.  The sourness of the syrup with the savory johnnycake and the salty bacon is just perfect. The boiled peanuts? I have no idea what they're doing here.  It's probably a Georgia thing but I think the dish would be better without them.  But I could be wrong.

Veal Brains

A tiny sliver of brain is served with black butter, capers, and for some reason, bread.  The brain itself was more intense than I thought.  It has a creamy texture and a gamey and milky taste that is countered by the capers and butter that it's sautéed in.  This my first time having brains and this one good preparation.  I just wish that they served more than a tiny slice.  I would also prefer less bread.  But the bread is good, nevertheless.

Sidenote: there is no such thing as "black butter".  Beirre noir is just butter that is cooked over low heat until it turns dark brown and topped with something acidic.  In this case, there is apple cider vinegar.

Lamb Testicles

The testicles are cooked like veal scallopini.  The testicles were mellow and the taste was not as pronounced as the brains.  It is served with string squash, eggplants, and pea shoots in a creamy sauce.  Overall, it's a very mellow dish.  Even though I really hate eggplants, the ones they served here were not bad.  

Surry Ham

More meat to end the meal.  This ham is from Edwards in Surry, VA.  So it's not really local but oh does it taste good.  This is their premium Surryano Ham, the American version of the Spanish Jamón Iberico.  The pigs are purebred Berkshire pigs that are heritage raised.  There is a nuttiness in the flavor that comes from the peanut feed the pigs have. 

Since I got to the restaurant really late, as in after 10pm, I missed one of the things that they are apparently known for: burgers.  They only serve 24 of them as that is how much griddle space they have.  People order these 2 hours in advance apparently.  The reasons that the burgers are so special according to some are:

1. the bun, which is from the chef's own bakery, is toasted on the grill

2. the patty, which is made from a blend of chuck and brisket

3. the pickles, mustard, and ketchup are made in house

In my opinion, it doesn't sound like something to lose your collective shit about.  It's a burger not the lottery jackpot.  The toasted bun sounds good and all, but I personally don't like ketchup or pickles, especially on a burger.  But that's just my opinion.  I'm sure this burger is better than any you can find in town.  They seem to really focus on each aspect of the burger, not just the patty.  That's a plus in my book.  When I get to town, I'll probably try it then.  They also serve this on the regular Sunday brunch menu.  So yeah, there's always next time.  And considering how exciting the menu is, there will be.

This is small restaurant with bar seating and tightly packed dining area. Since they don't take reservations, either come early or late.

2277 Peachtree Road NW 

Atlanta, GA 30309