Painted Table Café
465 Boulevard SE
404.622.4353
The first thing you should know about Grant Park’s Painted Table Café is that there are, in fact, NO painted tables. Instead, the name is indicative of owner Omega Angell’s love of the arts, both visual and culinary.
The dining room’s walls are lined with locally produced artwork (five pieces sold in the first week after opening in early November), every restaurant employee is an artist of some sort, and the cafe’s motto is “Let our palette paint your palate with flavor.” Angell even signs every plate he sends out, skillfully dripping the Greek symbol for Omega in various sauces. It’s a classy twist on the diner concept, with the warm orange walls, vibrantly colored paintings, hand-made light fixtures above the bar and sultry Rat Pack-era jazz on the stereo creating a surprisingly sophisticated mood for a place that serves breakfast all day.
Angell, who grew up working in his parents’ restaurant and hung out with punk-rock legends Rancid before attending the Culinary Institute of America, has a decidedly unique, anti-corporate stance on the way restaurants should be run. Nearly 80% of his vegetables are locally grown, and Angell will gladly sing the praises of the Georgia farmers he’s proud to work with. All of his Painted Hills beef is hormone-free, free range and grass-fed, as are the Springer Mountain chicken and eggs. And Angell seems truly passionate about his community, speaking fondly of nearby competitors Stone Soup Kitchen and Solstice Café.
If the chef seems unconcerned about the competition, it’s because his knack for high class/low-cost cuisine more than speaks for itself. His menu offers distinctive twists on traditional favorites, concocting comfort food with creative flair. A simple dish like Crunchin’ French Toast is rendered more complex via Angell’s batter-coated, frosted flake-flecked crust, which is then topped with Georgia peaches and a vanilla-orange anglaise. Angell’s burgers and sandwiches are equally impressive, from the remarkably spicy Blackened Tuna Burger (with cucumber, avocado and wasabi aioli) to the hearty Hot Roast Beef Sandwich, an open-faced smorgasbord of grilled Texas toast, garlic mashed potatoes, succulent beef and rich brown gravy guaranteed to warm you up on a cold winter’s day.
But for the best evidence of Angell’s unfussy culinary brilliance, look no further than the first item on his menu: Shrimp & Grits. The dish has become a must-have for Southern-style restaurants, but his version excels thanks to slow-cooked stone-ground cheese grits, a half-pound of jumbo tiger shrimp, fire-roasted red bell peppers, mushrooms, pancetta, caramelized onion and a spicy red gravy whose secret ingredients include Angell’s own coffee blend (which he’ll soon sell at Painted Table).
Most new restaurants take some time to find their footing, but this one is off to a strong start thanks to the hands-on owner/chef’s distinctive vision and 30+ years of experience. His former employers at the Flying Biscuit (which is now owned by Raving Brands) are making a good run at being the biggest all-day breakfast spot in town, but Angell is clearly angling to be the best. –BRET LOVE
(originally appeared in Jezebel)
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