Pick of the Month: Downtown Kitchen
Downtown location hosts popular spot for the best in food
AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER
Pick of the Month:
DOWNTOWN KITCHEN
There are a number of high quality, consistently good eating spots in downtown Canton, Georgia. One of our latest favorites for date night dinners is Downtown Kitchen. Claiming not to follow trends but setting the standard, this local favorite wants to provide perfection for your best dining experience.
Downtown Kitchen is listed as well as a few other great spots
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN LOCATION
Located behind the black exterior at 140 East Marietta Street, this cozy casual spot offers bar, booth, table and outdoor patio dining options. Simplicity is the word of the day with entrees changing daily according to market and seasonal availability for a farm-to-table experience from a practiced hand in the kitchen.
We hit the place with friends most recently on a Friday evening without a reservation. We like early dining so the fact that Downtown opens earlier than most is great. At 4:30, we were one of two or three tables and had our pick of where to sit.
COCKTAILs & BREAD
Our waiter arrived with cocktail menus and trays of fluffy fresh bread with a spicy tomato dipping sauce on the side. We looked over the menu and odered a few drinks first. While some of us stuck to the usual like a martini with blue cheese olives, others chose a Tom Collins, a Georgia peach old fashioned and a ginger jackass mule from the make-your-own-mule choices.
Martini with blue cheese olives and a Tom Collins make for lovely signature cocktails
Our drinks arrived quickly and perfectly with the right chill, glass choice and garnishes-both pretty and delicious. They were a heavenly match with the bread and spice of the dip. If those don’t do it for you, there are Margarita and Sangria choices as well as a very nice curated menu of white and red wines.
California, Oregon and Washington are represented with a couple of Rieslings, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnays ranging from $7-11 a glass. Italy and Eastern Europe provide some nice Pinots. California and Italy provided some lovely reds like Malbec, Zinfandel and Cabernets ranging from $8-12.
FIRST COURSEs
We opted to order both Caesar and kitchen salad plates for table sharing with our bread and drinks. Both were very good with fresh crisp greens and just the right amount of dressings with anchovy forward creaminess and sweet tangy balsamic vinaigrette.
The caesar had crunchy bits of sunflower seeds for a twist making it even saltier with the sprinkle of parmesan. The kitchen offered juicy grape tomatoes, red onion and crisp cucumber with bits of blue cheese.
SECOND COURSE
Pay attention to the blackboards for the daily soups and specials. We ordered the French onion and fall squash for a second course. Both were a tasty different take on the usual recipes. The broth had a different herb that popped with gruyere cheese instead of Swiss while the squash offered creamy smooth texture and warm herbs like cinnamon and nutmeg.
We also decided to try the Asian tuna tartar. Served in a martini glass, the fish was rough chopped in small cubes and super chilled. Cold avocadoes and chopped green onions were mixed in with a dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil for shut-the-front-door goodness topped off with a crunchy crisp fried wonton chip.
Want other choices? You got them with fried calamari or shrimp, hanger steak wontons or crab cakes. We’ve also had the spinach and artichoke dip mixed with cheese along with tortilla chips for some lip smacking dipping on previous visits.
ENTREES
The kitchen specializes in steak and offers a lot of different items to pair with it should you opt to go that way for your entree. A sirloin, filet, strip or hanger are the four cuts of choice. Your pairings range from Asher blue cheese to mushrooms and chimichurri or horseradish sauces.
We opted to try a special from the board as one choice and took two items off the regular menu as well. Fried green tomatoes came to the table crispy and hot with a touch of sour cream, sweet berry jam and micro greens for a perfect finish. The mushroom raviolis with tomato cream sauce are a menu staple that everyone raves about. They were pretty gosh darn good. Hands down however, the winner was the short ribs over creamy mashed potatoes with crispy fried onion rings. The demi-glace was delicious and hearty while the meat was fork tender.
DESSERTS
A word about desserts. Leave room for some. We decided two to share was about all we could do so pistachio pie and creme brule were the evening picks. The former was creamy and semi-sweet with the crunchiness of fresh nuts on top. The brule classic and prepared properly with the crisp sugar topping to the finish.
COZY DATE NIGHTS
I like sitting at the bar on the weekends just to run in and grab a quick drink sometimes. The interior is casual, dark and cozy which makes for the best date night dinners. The high booths provide privacy and a level of quiet that makes this restaurant unusual as well. Loud experiences are the norm everywhere anymore so this spot makes it easy to have a conversation with your peeps.
This will give you a good idea of what to expect at Downtown Kitchen
CONCLUSION
This is the same team that brought you Queenie’s and Goin’ Coastal also in downtown Canton. So you can see why this spot should be next on your bucket list whether it’s for date night or a get together with friends. The food is simple, well prepared, fresh and tasty. The seasonal changes mean you won’t tire of the menu. You never know what might be on the blackboard as a special. Grab your better half and check it out soon. Tell ‘em I sent ya OK?
If you enjoyed what you read, you might also enjoy other posts under Edible Fare. There you will find restaurant reviews, recipes, foodie tips and best spots to eat in a variety of cities. Check out the next post on traveling off-season in Italy. Until next time…
Cheers!
ArtsyChowRoamer
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