Joël - Atlanta
Joël is located outside downtown Atlanta (north), and features a twist on French-inspired cuisine with clean, healthy flavors. Simply stated, it’s high-end cuisine that is inspiring, but not cutting-edge. It is creative enough a cuisine to mix flavors, but not be considered “fusion.” And the décor is special enough to serve as a backdrop for a special dining experience.
I read reviews before coming to Atlanta, and saw that no matter where I looked, Joël commanded good reviews, but there was obviously some flaw. 4/5 stars says that something prevents folks, no matter how scientific a rating “Stars” are, that there was something… missing.
I need to reiterate some of my thoughts on what makes a “perfect” dining experience.
- good company
- relaxing comfort
- interesting flavors & textures
- good service
And of course, we could debate tomes at a time, on what defines each of these qualities of the perfect experience… what makes good company, what is “relaxed,” what is “interesting,” and what is “good.” Right?
I had great company, and Joël’s dining room was beautiful, and I was relaxed. The food, as I will come to describe shortly, was on all points interesting in all counts. But it was the service here that was lackluster, to the nth degree: too much wait time, pushiness on certain menu items and wine, and that in part robbed us of our comfort level. It was a shame that at such a nice restaurant service could be so lackluster. The perfect example was that wine ordered for service during the entrée course was brought to table 3/4 of the way through the entrée eating.
Not good.
- Seared Foie Gras with Hon Shimeji Mushrooms and Grapes
- Baked Turbot with Meyer Lemon Sauce
- Chocolate Souflée with Chocolate Crème Sauce
The foie gras dish was delicious; perfectly harmonized flavors and luxury in a bowl. My only complaint was the fine membranes still present in the lobe of liver. It wasn’t overly thick or inedible, but when I cut through, I would have preferred a piece without having to cut through it again…
This really was a winner. The texture of grapes and mushrooms against the seared liver was excellent. The left-over ‘sauce’ was good fodder for using bread as a sponge. A rich treat, indeed.
The fish came in a fragrant dish, scented with rosemary. While I dislike rosemary, the texture of the underlying bed of peas and sauce was sublime. The fish was well-cooked, and tasted healthy and fresh. This was a well-executed dish, although it was my least favorite of the three.
The dessert was a tad sweet, but was a sinful combination of two chocolates: dark chocolate for the souflée (double-sized, incidentally) and a lighter chocolate cream sauce. It was delicious and would have paired well with a coffee, which incidentally, we never had the opportunity to order.
There is no doubt that Chef Joël is a talented man, and knows flavors that combined well together. There were many enticing options on the menu, and mine were all well-executed.
The biggest flaw was the quality of service and timing. When improved, Joël has the potential to be first-rate.
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