Cripplingly Good

So maybe the title is not PC, but it is how we felt at our dinner at Shaun's in Inman Park the other night. I was worried because I have eaten there a million times, always had a superb meal, and recommend everyone to visit. A friend recently went and had a less than thrilling time, so I had to check in to see how things were. Now mind you I always seem to eat at the bar here, and the service is always wonderful, not sure how table service is.

I love the decor of the dining room and the patio though I have never made it physically into either...so light, airy, organic. Suits me. Somehow I just never make it past the bar. (Please no jokes.) I started with what turned out to be the best Pimm's cup ever. I love Pimm's and most places just don't have it. This version of the drink was so crisp, lemony and refreshing. I couldn't believe it, but we opted not to have wine with dinner,and we both ordered another drink. The boy had a Brooklyn Brewery Pumpkin Ale and a shot of jack...I admit I had a shot of Bushmills also.

oh goodness it was good. We had:

Cheese (Cripplingly good...we were doubled over groaning with lactic pleasure. We both agreed this has been a very good year for cheese for us.)
They had the Georgian sweetgrass green hill, so of course we got it.
The bartender also recommended the humboldt fog, a californian goat ashy cheese. We loved it, finding it somewhat less "footy" than my beloved cambazola, but with an ever more delicious rind, and several varying layers of complexity...
A single little flaky pastry bursting with raisony/datey/compotey stuff was a beautifully fruity rich accompaniment to the cheese.

#1 tuna tartare with dill cream, trout caviar and quail egg
...and it was #1. Our first thought was yay! It is the "toad in the hole" from Trois, but we were wrong. It was far superb. The tuna was the freshest we have had in town, including sushi joints. And there was even a hint of chopped pine nuts in this dish that lent a surprisingly pleasant little crunch texture...just a hint, but perfect.

Pommes frites "graisse de canard"
I get this every time I come here. Hand cut fries cooked in duck fat. I've had these elsewhere. But here they are like little ducks dancing around your tongue. The boy indicated they were not only as good as he imagined but "transporting" when sinfully dipped in fresh creamed butter. (I count the days to our first heart attacks.)

Homemade Biscotti with olive oil ice cream
Reminiscent of the "reconstructed olive" we had in Washington DC at the 20 course "Minibar", it was everything sensual about olive oil, and the very best of them, paired with cream. Soft and silky on the tongue, the biscotti was subtly sweet (and not teeth chippingly hard), soaking up the flavors and crumbling in the mouth at just the right moment. We are not big dessert folks, but mmmm...

And wow. That's it. It was enough. We couldn't believe it, but it was so rich and good. Just those few things. As an aside, I have also had the Flatbread, beef tartare, and wagyu burger, amongst others, but they do vary the menu seasonally. I have never been disappointed.Also, the sangria here is great in the warmer months, and I had a fabulous Pinot Noir, Samantha Starr here as well. I do believe Shaun's is in my top two restaurants in Atlanta.

I am bummed my friend's experience was not perfect, but I invite them to join us at the bar for a second chance.