Vinings’ Canoe a Beacon of Fine Southern Cuisine

Along the banks of the Chattahoochee, situated somewhere between serenity and salutations, lies a restaurant that manages to take my breath away every time I step upon its pristine grounds. Canoe, located just off Paces Ferry Road behind the backdrop of Atlanta, is a restaurant that manages to represent both the old and the new in their approach to fine dining and Southern cuisine.

My girlfriend and I spent our first “big” (as we called it) date at Canoe back in 2012, and we saw it only fitting that we should return for our second anniversary this past Friday. The ambiance of Canoe is mesmerizing; the restaurant looks equal parts rustic and modern in its approach to an atmosphere that is uniquely elegant in a city that is constantly changing. As you step outside the rush of the restaurant, you come upon a beautiful landscape interwoven with trails, an outdoor bar, and an expansive garden that grows all of the vegetables used by the restaurant in their dedication towards sustainable sourcing. As the waters of the Chattahoochee flow by, you can feel all of your anxieties and worries float away with it as you take in what can only be described as “The Canoe Effect.”

The natural feeling of the restaurant translates effectively well towards the cuisine of the restaurant. While not entirely modern by today’s standards, Canoe never feels dull in their approach to food and drinks. The wine list, one of the best in Atlanta, is updated often with new and exciting labels from all over the world. The cocktails feel both classic and modern at the same time; the Ward Eight, a classic rye cocktail blended with lemon juice and orange juice, is updated with a house-made pomegranate molasses that takes the drink to another level, while the B & E sour reinvents the whiskey sour with shaken egg whites and a splash of ruby port. Neither cocktail is new by bar standards, but the simple tweaks make them feel as if you are tasting them for the first time.

Ward Eight

B & E Sour

Cranberry-Walnut & Sourdough Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you wait for you meal to be served, freshly-made breads are never more than a basket away, as hosts glide from table to table to offer you a refresher before each course. The service and attention to detail is extraordinary, as you are never left with an empty plate by your side and your water glass can never be more than half-full before it is filled again without you even realizing it. While the service makes it a priority to make you feel welcome, it is sometimes a bit too grandiose a gesture when your waiter or waitress is trying their very best to explain every formality of the restaurant as you try to order your meal. If you hesitate for even a second in ordering, you may find yourself waiting longer than expected as the same routine is being described to five other tables.

When the food does arrive, detail and skill play off of each other as each course becomes a culinary triumph, yet there is still the occasional hit or miss. The grilled Australian octopus would be a delightful appetizer to start with, yet is was heavily weighed down by the horseradish tomato broth and broccoli rabe that came with it. The bitterness of the broth and broccoli was too much for the mildness of the octopus, and the chorizo that was mentioned on the menu was barely noticeable. It was nice to see that the dish was affectionately split for my girlfriend and I, which again goes to show how well Canoe takes care of their guests.

The Cornbread Stuffed Vermont Quail was a seasonal masterpiece, utilizing a house-made chicken andouille and corn relish with crisped okra and a chipotle puree underneath.The quail, perfectly cooked to a staunch medium, was filled to the brim with the cornbread stuffing and well-seasoned chicken andouille. The skin of the quail could have been a bit crisper, but it was a minor hiccup compared to the gloriousness of the melding of flavors in the dish. The corn relish was one of the freshest I have ever tasted, as the corn had a sweet and succulent profile that went incredibly well with the wonderfully fried pieces of whole okra. The chipotle puree was a brazen finishing touch, giving a wondrous depth to the dish as a whole and making it feel uniquely Southern yet outstandingly different.

Cornbread Stuffed Vermont Quail

Duck N’ Beef Burger

 

 

 

 

 

The Duck N’ Beef Burger, a staple of the Canoe menu, was a glorious example of a common yet often misrepresented American icon. The burger, made from a combination of 70% Beef and 30% Duck, was a glorious hybrid of meats to grace the undersides of the freshly baked bun. The richness from the fattiness of the duck paired wonderfully with the essence of the beef, melding the two flavors as one to produce a unique and outstanding celebration of all things American. The sunny side up egg on top broke into the meat, melding the three flavors together to produce a trifecta of culinary art. The wilted spinach and pickled cabbage on top was almost a side note to the burger as a whole, and was not entirely needed as a replacement to the standard lettuce leaf. The truffle fries were some of the best fries I’ve had in Atlanta, enhanced by an influence of truffle oil, fresh herbs, and shavings of pungent Parmesan. This burger may be the most underrated burger in all of Atlanta, and I say that with confidence.

The evening was perfectly wrapped up with the Chocolate Grotto, a delicious and devilish dessert that is commonplace among the diners of Canoe. The chocolate shell was delightfully dark, highlighting the natural flavor of the cacao bean in all its glory. Inside of the shell was the grotto, a salted caramel core that flowed out as the shell was broken. The soft, cake-like interior along with the ribbon-y liquid caramel was a perfect compliment to the chocolate, further heightened with a pretzel dust on the side that made this dessert absolutely divine.

Chocolate Grotto

Can I say that Canoe is perfect? No, but I can say that it will continue to lure me back into its soft, caring embrace. There isn’t another restaurant in Atlanta like it, though many try to capture the ambiance felt along the banks of the Chattahoochee. The attention to detail, the familiarity of the service, the reminder that romance blossoms when happiness is enjoyed together; these are the things that keep pulling me back to Canoe.

 

Canoe

4199 Paces Ferry Road, SE  Atlanta, Georgia 30339 T:770.432.2663

Price: $$$$-$$$$$

Food: American/Southern Cusine

Drinks: Rotating wine menu and seasonal cocktails

Service: Very professional. Servers are very knowledgeable and friendly.

Best dishes: House Smoked Salmon, Cornbread Stuffed Vermont Quail, Duck N’ Beef Burger

Hours: Lunch: Mon. – Fri. 11:30 am – 2:30 pm Dinner: Mon. – Thur. 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm Fri. – Sat. 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm Sun. 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm Brunch: Sun. 10:30 am – 2:30 pm

Reservations: Highly Recommended. Restaurant is usually booked on the weekends.

$ = less than 15.00 $$ = 25.00 and less $$$ = 50.00 and less $$$$ = 80.00 and less $$$$$= more than 80.00