Rolls of brown paper on the table, mason jars for wine glasses, a big bowl in the middle of the table marked “carnage.” This isn’t your usual chef’s table experience.
The Kitchen Table at Park 75 in Atlanta is meant to be a more fun, intimate experience for the 14 guests gathered there each Thursday night. I was lucky enough to join the other diners for a multi-course feast recently.
After being escorted through the elegant dining room, located up the stairs in the spacious lobby of the Four Seasons, I felt right at home in the cozy atmosphere. I was greeted and poured a glass of Champagne to begin the evening of casual indulgence.
Perched on stools, the 14 of us were treated to one delicious dish after another. I kept reminding myself to take it slow: that night’s menu drawn on the large chalkboard let me know of what was to come.
The idea is that you really are in a chef’s kitchen, being served as if you were in their homes, eating what they would like to cook and eat. “We wanted to make the Kitchen Table fun,” said Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker.
The five- to seven-course menu will change each week and all dishes are served family style. My favorite dishes were the crispy tuna rolls, scallops Rockefeller and the lamb kofta kebab. The Best Presentation Award goes to the dessert. We were intrigued when what looked like large chocolate spherical bombs were set on the table. As a chef poured warm caramel sauce over it, the top began to slowly melt to reveal heaping scoops of ice cream on the inside. We all eagerly dug in.
The Kitchen Table is $75 a person, which includes two glasses of wine, and reservations are required. Call 404 253 3840.
(Photos by Cliff Robinson Photography)
