Me and my sis having cocktails at the Canoe bar
Our second (and my last) night in Atlanta, we dined at Canoe restaurant located on the Chattahoochee River in Vinings. When narrowing down our final meal choices, it was a toss up between Two Urban Licks and Canoe, both of which had come highly recommended. In the end, ambiance was the deciding factor. And man, what ambiance! The restaurant is beautiful – with big, open windows overlooking the river and the gorgeous grounds.
The view from our table
This is a place that you’re never going to rush through your meal. The classy yet comfortable atmosphere and friendly service caused us to relax and just soak in our peaceful surroundings.
Speaking of friendly service, the bread guy quickly became our friend. Once we discovered the tastiness of their chili-rubbed flatbread, he was summoned to our table more than a few times! That probably wasn’t a wise choice given the big meal ahead of us, but we were hooked. Oh well, I had on a loose dress, so my belly had room to expand….and expand it did!
First courses:
Pekin BBQ’d plantation quail
with chillied local baby collards and star anise boiled peanuts
What is up with quail? Why did I never know how wonderful it can be? The
previous night it was the star dish at Woodfire Grill, and on this night it was no different. The sweet sauce combined perfectly with the slight bitterness of the greens.
Warm bleu cremeux salad
with bacon, baby spinach, red grapes, and pecan vinaigrette
Mains:
Slow Roasted Carolina Rabbit with Swiss Chard – Bacon RavioliSweet Potato Hash and Candied Garlic Sauce
In online reviews this is the most raved about dish at Canoe, so I felt like I should order it. The bartenders that worked there even told us it was one of their top two favorites. But after I ate a couple of bites, I kind of wished I had gotten something else. Don’t get me wrong, it is delicious. The flavors and textures work beautifully together, but it is very rich. If there was some snow on the ground or at least a bit of a chill in the air, this would be perfect. But when it’s 98+ degrees outside, something a little lighter would probably have been a better choice. All that said, I still licked the plate clean….
Chili Glazed Duck Breast
with Foie Gras Sausage and Roasted Root Vegetables
My sister’s duck dish was just as tasty as it is attractive. The roasted vegetables were scrumptious.
It didn’t matter that we were already so full that we felt like we could pop–it was our last night, so we were going all out. We were having dessert. Both of us are chocolate lovers, so one of the choices had to be chocolate. And while it was good, the real standout was our second choice.
Valhrona Chocolate & Salted Caramel Grotto with Pretzel Hazelnut Dust
-AND-
Butter-Pop Ice Cream with Homemade Cracker Jack
Popcorn ice cream!?! This thing was huge that halfway into it I didn’t think I could possibly eat another bite. Yet I did. Every last bite. Gone.
Completely stuffed, we decided to take an after-dinner stroll through the grounds to burn off some of the calories we’d just consumed.
What a wonderful way to wind down our fun-filled weekend. If you’re ever in Atlanta and want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this is the place to do it. Just take the short drive to this little oasis and you’ll instantly relax. Ah, serenity now.
Wow, quite a meal. The desserts sounds deeeeeelicious.
I grew up in Atlanta and when I go home Canoe is one of my must stops. About a year ago, Atlanta also had some major flooding and since Canoe sits right on the Chattahoochee their entire gardens were ruined and the restaurant was under water. They even marked the water line inside the restaurant, behind the hostess stand, look for it next time you go!