A new month means a new dining excursion. This month features a return trip to Atlanta's finest restaurant, Bacchanalia, for a four-course showdown. At your left are the combatants -- Max and Tim, each prepared to select wisely and win the course-by-course foodie battle.
After settling in with cocktails at our perfectly placed table for two, we receive a couple of tempting surprises from the chef: a warm and tangy cheese puff and a cup of chilled asparagus soup. Then the fun really begins as assorted servers bring us the various utensils required for our four courses.
First Course -- Sweetbreads (Max) vs. Shrimp (Tim)
The sweetbreads, lightly breaded and fried to tender perfection, are served with rustic mushrooms and chunky bits of artichoke in a delicious pan sauce (just begging to be sopped). The combination is heavenly -- creamy, savory, earthy, decadent. The shrimp, accompanied by cubed fennel and bacon, arrive steaming in a covered ceramic pot. After lifting the lid, the server pours an aromatic shrimp consomme into the pot to create a simple, clean, and straightforward bowl of shrimp soup. Round One goes to the sweetbreads -- Max 1, Tim 0.
Second Course -- Lamb (Max) vs. Scallops (Tim)
The lamb is served medium rare and presented three ways -- a loin, a sausage, and a chop -- with a roasted fennel bulb on the side. The loin is tender and spicy with a hint of sage while the sausage is rich and full-bodied. The chop is equally tender and meaty. The scallops -- seared to a crispy finish on the outside yet still creamy and smooth on the inside -- are served atop fava beans and mushrooms. Round Two goes to the lamb -- Max 2, Tim 0.
Third Course -- Feta and Radishes (Max) vs. Goat's Milk Cheese and Beets (Tim)
On Max's plate, chunks of sharp feta are tossed with slivers of radishes to make a clean, crisp, and bright salad. Meanwhile, Tim is presented with two dollops of creamy goat's cheese atop slivers of raw beets, chunks of roasted beets, and, most surprisingly, a scoop of cold, icy, and delicious beet sorbet! The beets take Round Three -- Max 2, Tim 1.
After the Third Course, we have an Intermezzo -- a break in the formal proceedings to enjoy a special treat from the pastry chef -- a sinfully delicious bowl of rosewater panna cotta topped with macerated fresh strawberries. We both could have licked our bowls clean, but we refrained in preparation for the final course.
Fourth Course -- Meyer Lemon Pie with Buttermilk Sorbet (Max) vs. Strawberry Souffle with Grey Salt Ice Cream
Max's lemon pie is appropriately tart with a buttery crust and slivers of tangy candied lemon, but it needs more of the smooth buttermilk sorbet to counteract the lemony punch of the pie. Tim's souffle arrives tall and light -- and then gets punched by the server who proceeds to pour the ice cream right into the middle of the warm souffle! The result was light, sweet, and creamy with just the right hint of strawberry. The Final Round goes to the souffle and we finish in a tie -- Max 2, Tim 2!
We wrapped up the evening with coffee and a selection of petit fors (a strawberry and cream cheese pastry, a chocolate truffle, a coconut macaroon, and a fresh-from-the-oven madeleine). For this contest, a tie was the perfect conclusion!
