4199 Paces Ferry Road NW
Atlanta, GA 30339
http://www.canoe-atl.com/
When travelling, it's typically best to leave the food decisions to the locals. Or in this situation, the transplanted local. Trang's recommendation to have lunch at Canoe turned out to be quite a good one. The combination of the locale, the food, and the company make this one of the more memorable dining experience during out trip.
Atlanta, GA 30339
http://www.canoe-atl.com/
When travelling, it's typically best to leave the food decisions to the locals. Or in this situation, the transplanted local. Trang's recommendation to have lunch at Canoe turned out to be quite a good one. The combination of the locale, the food, and the company make this one of the more memorable dining experience during out trip.
The location is one that can only be found in the South. The restaurant sits in a somewhat out-of-place strip mall. It appears on the side of the road, along a two lane road that meanders through a woodsy, residential neighborhood. The houses here were large estates that sat back from the main road behind a few rows of trees. It was a noticely affluent area.
The property is large and green. Behind the restaurant is a oversized backyard, which appears large enough to cater weddings and other gatherings. Running along the edge of the property is the Chattahoochee river. Overall, an ideal setting for a leisurely Southern-style lunch.
our new favorite drink: sweet tea - Really just ice tea with sugar. Not sure if there was something special with the brew or just the fact that you're drinking tea in the South that makes it extra yummy. This version was served with simple syrup on the side. A very nice touch.
1. Blue Hill Bay Mussels, Coconut Milk & Lemongrass Broth and Toasted Baguette - Plump, juicy and naturally sweet. Of all the times we've had mussels before, we've never had a preparation this good. The broth was sweet, with a hint of acidity, but mild enough for the natural flavors of the mussels to really shine. Excellent.
2. Canoe’s House Smoked Salmon, Crispy Potato Cake and Vermont Goat’s Cheese - Another example how the combination of simple, quality ingredients, with minimal intervention, can make for something delicious. All the ingredients compliment each other well. Smoky salmon, creamy cheese, crispy cracker makes for a yummy dish.
3. Crispy George’s Bank Cod Fish Sandwich with Deviled Green Curry Mayonnaise - Probably the best fish sandwich I've ever had. Light and crispy. The bun was soft and sweet. The mayonnaise was creamy with a slight hint of heat. Would order this again. Fries were good too.
4. Crispy Rock Shrimp Salad with Napa Cabbage Slaw and Sweet Pepper Remoulade - More shrimp than salad. Although, under most circumstances wouldn't be an issue, the deep fried battered crustaceans made this less of a salad and more of a popcorn shrimp plate. Overall, the dish was tasty, but just not what was expected of a salad.
5. Valhrona Chocolate & Salted Caramel Grotto with Pretzel Hazelnut Dust - When presented with the option of salted caramel, the decision is always to order it. Doing so left little regret. Its combination with the Valhrona, the Cadillac of chocolates, supported by the pretzel crust made this a fantastic way to end the meal.
One of the better lunches we've ever had. The service was attentive. The food was of high quality. The environment was superb. And the company was fun, as always. Canoe is definitely a place we'd return to on our next trip to Atlanta.