Atlanta Restaurant Scene

KR STEAK BAR A TOP PICK

Attending one of the art gallery openings recently in Atlanta, our party decided we were still hungry for a bite and a martini; hello KR Steak Bar. A bright idea moment! 😉

I suggested we head over to the little place in the trendy Peachtree Hills area next to ADAC (Atlanta Decorative Arts Center where all the designers go to shop). I had noticed a substantial crowd pouring into it at 6:00 the last time I went by.

I told them I had no idea what it was but it looked contemporary and nice from the outside; just our kind of place so why not give it a try? So off we went, wondering (stupidly as it turns out) if it might be too late since it was already 10:00 and counting.

NICE CROWD AND ENERGY IN TRENDY BUCKHEAD

Upon entering we were surprised to see that it was still quite busy with a young to preddle age (pre-middle age) crowd; it felt pleasantly busy but not super loud like so many restaurants do these days. A nice big bar was right in front of us.

That would normally be where we would warm up a couple of seats with some small plates. You know by now we love some small plates so we can taste more things and see what the chef is up to. Our British friend who was in town visiting hates to sit “up high” (I don’t know why).

So we were whisked around the corner to a nice three top where we could see exactly what the line chefs were up to as the food was passed off to someone to plate in a beautiful way before being taken by the servers.

KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF AT KR STEAK BAR

The server is friendly and knows her stuff; she gets right down to business, telling us the specials and taking our drink orders. Very dry martini’s all around! (Vodka is my preference as you know).

I looked around and notice how cozy and nice the place is; fresh and contemporary with low lighting and good acoustics so as not to be too loud (did I mention that already?). Yes, I quite like it. When the server comes back for our order I ask where we are.

She laughs and says “You don’t know?” I say “Nope we just decided to drop in and take a chance just on how it looked from the outside.” She says “You are in KR Steak Bar.” Ahhhh……now I get it.

I know that Kevin Rathbun has several eateries and this is one of them. So now I know exactly what I will have. Meat; namely some version of carpaccio or the like as it is a favorite of mine. I try it in a lot of places but I know it is going to be special in a place that belongs to a Rathbun. These brothers know their way around a piece of meat.

BRING ON THE MEAT

My husband opts for the pork belly; a dish he has had a thing for ever since we had it in Ireland (we love some pig on any level)! My British friend is vegetarian so even though we are in a steak place, she orders pasta; the tonnarelli to be exact.

We enjoy our drinks and watch the show that the chefs are putting on. They are busy and very dedicated to how every plate is coming out. It is always magic to watch this process in a good restaurant.

The menu is nice. It is simple, covering one page only, and divided up into three sections; Antipasti, Pasta and Terra E Mare. Rathbun’s was one of the first restaurants in Atlanta to offer small plates. Very smart I thought because they priced them higher than apps but lower than entrees because they saw people were sharing plates anyway.

Since this is an Italian steak house the usual suspects are available such as bresaole, formaggi, copa, prosciutto, salumi and calabrese but nicely rounded out by Tartare, Blue Point Oysters, Seared Tuna, Pork Belly and Octopus.

OTHER TEMPTING CHOICES ON MENU

Entrees are equally appealing with four cuts of steak, veal, fish and lamb chops. Our choices arrive and I snap a couple of pics and we dig in. Just as I thought the steak is delicious; so thinly cut with excellent seasoning and flavor from just the right amount of fat to lean.

Our British friend announces that the pasta is delicious with a beautiful white sauce and the saltiness of pecorino cheese and a good dose of pepper for spice. My husband’s pork belly was a super complex dish with bacon and sweet potatoes that was salty and sweet in the traditional way we love in the South.

I will say that the Irish had them beat on the melt in your mouth tenderness of the fatty inside against the crispiness of the exterior. It needed a little more time of cooking to reach that.

You might enjoy this video interview with Chef Paul Westin. Mouthwatering pics of the food too!

CONCLUSION

All in all the meal was one of the best we have had in awhile which is why it is our pick of the month. My suggestion is to run, don’t walk, and get yourself a plate of meat or some fresh pasta; Kevin Rathbun has done it again!

You might also enjoy some of the other blogs under Edible Fare and hey, don’t be a stranger! Let me know if you have eaten there, what you thought and what you want to read about here OK? Until next time…

Cheers,

ArtsyChowRoamer

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TO MY READERS: This post was updated with info, pics and video on 6/19/20

As an update, Kevin Rathbun reached out to me after reading the blog. He invited me to a speakeasy, The Bureau, located right behind KR Steak Bar. I say speakeasy because there is no signage and it really does appear to be a word of mouth kind of place.

It is only open on Friday and Saturday evenings starting at 8 so don’t come early and expect to drop in as I did! 🤣🤨 Read the blog review I wrote on it here.