Art of the Meal

We Georgians have the world in a state. This northwestern corner, along the winding two-lane called Plum Nelly (for plum out of Georgia and nelly into Alabama), is a cloud-misted tip of the Appalachians, which slopes downward into Atlanta’s lush Piedmont, and all the way to sea level at Savannah. In Rising Fawn, Cloudland Canyon State Park is an impressionist portrait of breathtaking mountain scenery, with a view from Lookout Mountain into the chasm carved out by Sitton Gulch Creek, almost 2,000 feet below.

The people who live here subsist largely on icy oxygen, abundant natural beauty and barbecue. The surroundings represent such a careless wealth of soul-sustaining inspiration that asking for something more than simple country cooking to go along with it seems selfish.

The Canyon Grill was born of simple foodways — owner Cal Hagood’s grandmother cured ham and bacon and served biscuits and sandwiches here at a little country store called Bea’s for more than 20 years. Cal’s father promised her another restaurant would reopen on this spot, and after the place sat vacant for more than seven years, her grandson has more than done her proud.

Open just Wednesday through Saturday, the Canyon Grill still looks a little like a country store. But the young owner’s touches are evident from the moment you sit down, with kosher salt and a pepper grinder on every table. Local providers still supply fresh herbs and tomatoes. There’s no wine or beer, but you may bring your own.

The menu changes seasonally, but offers both the accessible and familiar (fried seafood, steak, grilled fish, roast pork tenderloin, pasta and Southern sides like squash, limas, sweet potatoes) and the challenging: Tautog, a fish more familiar to Northerners, wolf fish, frog legs and a messy but delicious appetizer called rajas: sauted mozzarella cheese with blackened poblanos, onions and cumin, served with flour tortillas. (All the guilty pleasure of fried cheese, with the redeeming qualities of vegetables.)

We weren’t able to resist ordering the signature Slash N Burn Catfish, an eye-popping presentation of whole deep-fried catfish swimming in black beans. You chip off the peppery fried overcoat to release a thin piping of steam and flaky white flesh. The black beans are inspired counterpoints, but the dish’s sheer heft (one and a half pounds per fish, on average) wholly defeated us. It would, however, be a great dish to share.

The seafood platter has more of that cracker-thick, peppery batter on oysters, a more manageable serving of catfish, and two tender, moist, wood-smoked shrimp. Our favorite dishes here are the humble, homely type, their subtleties elevating them to Cloudland altitudes. The roast pork tenderloin is a perfect example, infused with garlic and rosemary, cooked a perfect medium-pink, and served with cream sauce and broccoli. And when cabbage becomes a hauntingly memorable dish, you know you’re in the hands of a real chef. Johnny Holland slices a head of red cabbage in half, brushes it with olive oil and grills it, then smears the softened head with reduced heavy cream, garlic and whole, smushed anchovies. We’d just about make the long trek up this narrow mountain road again just for that.

You’ll have to have dessert, and you must also have coffee: We know of few Atlanta restaurants outside of gourmet favorite Seeger’s that serve it in French press pots, but you’ll find it here at the Canyon Grill. By now, you’ll be unsurprised to find that your unflaggingly cheerful waitress has also warmed the little pitcher of thick cream, so as not to cool your coffee too quickly. The coconut cake — topped with a rich evaporated milk icing and Health bar chips — will be waiting.

Just catch a passing cloud for your ride home.

Krista Reese is Georgia Trend’s restaurant critic. Contact her at gtcritic@mindspring.com.

1. The Georgian Room

Sea Island’s toniest restaurant manages to win national awards and accolades – as well as the affections of its largely Georgia-Florida clientele – with straightforward presentations of full-on flavors. No foams, no sous vides, just the essence of the freshest ingredients, many of them from nearby Sapelo Farms.

Sea Island, 800.732.4752, ext 4347.

2. Restaurant Eugene

Chef Linton Hopkins is forging the way for the South’s next generation of cooks, creating a refined, elegant cuisine from pork belly, deviled eggs and house-made soda crackers.

2277 Peachtree Road (in the Aramont), Atlanta, 404.355.0321.

3. Glen-Ella Springs Lodge

Thankfully, new owners Ed and Luci Kivett revere good food and a quiet, relaxing atmosphere as much as previous owners Bobby and Barrie Aycock. The old BYOB policy is gone – the dining room is now considered a tasting room for Habersham Winery, and offers several Georgia wines.

1789 Bear Gap Road, Clarkesville, 877.456.7527.

4. Greyfield Inn

One day, this mystical property will revert to the National Park Service. Until then, you still have the chance to experience this singular, historic inn and its equally unique guests – not to mention the unspoiled beaches and well-made suppers. Staying overnight is unforgettable, but expensive; however, day trips and dinner visits are also often offered.

Cumberland Island, 866.401.8581 or 904.261.6408.

5. Park 75

Chef Robert Gerstenecker’s rarified menus have a much more pronounced Southern accent these days, available at Atlanta’s only true chef’s table. Four Seasons Hotel, 75 Fourteenth St., Atlanta, 404.253.3840.

6. Canyon Grill

On the twisting roads near glorious Cloudland Canyon, this always-clamoring little gem serves up specialties like the “slash-and-burn” catfish, a hefty feast of fried fish smothered in black bean sauce. BYOB.

Scenic Hwy. 189 at Hwy. 136, Rising Fawn, 706.398.9510.

7. Five and Ten

Celebrated chef Hugh Acheson mirrors the Atlanta model, partnering with Chef Peter Dale and opening less-expensive sister restaurant the Nation-al, with the best lunch in town. Still, Acheson’s quirkily delicious original is one of the best restaurants in the region.

1653 South Lumpkin St., Athens, 706.546.7300.

8. Bacchanalia

What is perhaps Atlanta’s best-loved and most-honored restaurant has its most consistently amazing food – and cheese selections. We hope that a recent visit, involving loud, rowdy neighboring diners and an unscheduled move to downstairs’ Quinones, was an aberration.

1198 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, 404.365.0410.

9. MF Buckhead

Brothers Chris and Alex Kinjo (Nam, MF Sushibar) took a giant leap of faith by opening this gorgeous, massive paean to sushi and Japanese culture. This year, diners were finally welcomed into the even more exclusive “omakase” room, with specialized tasting menus.

3280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, 404.841.1192.

10. Elizabeth on 37th

After all these years, it’s still Savan-nah’s best, even after visionary chef Elizabeth Terry retired from the kitchen. Still, the Alice Waters of the Southeast was one of the first in the region to champion local, seasonal ingredients, and today young chefs at newer hotspots like Local 11 Ten and Cha Bella are following her lead.

105 E. 37th St., Savannah, 912.236.5547.

“There is only one BEST Steak”

2 Inch Thick Center Cut $38.95

2 Inch Thick End Cut $28.95

]]> http://canyongrill.com/?feed=rss2&p=1691 0 http://canyongrill.com/?p=1264 http://canyongrill.com/?p=1264#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:00:20 +0000 Karen http://canyongrill.com/?p=1264 http://canyongrill.com/?feed=rss2&p=1264 0 http://canyongrill.com/?p=865 http://canyongrill.com/?p=865#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:39:41 +0000 Karen http://canyongrill.com/?p=865 Crispy Fried Served With Creamy Herb Dip $8.95