Food Studio is much more than simply a food factory

Food Studio Address: 887 W Marietta St NW # K102, Atlanta

Phone Number: (404) 815-6677 Cuisine: New American

Hours: 5:30 - 11:00 P.M., open until 12:00 A.M. on Fri. and Sat. (reservations accepted)

Price: Entrees from $16 - $25

Vegetarian Friendly: Not Very

Rating: yyyy

Located just five minutes northwest of the Tech campus in the King Plow Arts Center, most students are probably not aware of Food Studio's existence. The Arts Center is a spectacular reinvention of the 90-year-old factory that was once used to produce farm equipment. The highly industrial setting would not seem to be conducive to a fine dining experience, but that is the challenge that Food Studio has accepted.

The first recommendation is to make reservations. With three full days of notice, 10:00 p.m. was the earliest available reservation for a party of four on a Saturday night. Upon arrival, one of the reasons for reservation becomes clear. With only 92 seats the emphasis has been placed on creating a cozy atmosphere for guests, not on cramming in more customers. Guests have the option of sitting outside at a handful of tables.

Don't worry about parking. There is a free valet service by the entrance, as well as plenty of additional parking south of the entrance.

Plush, curvy, mad hatter chairs, and servers dressed like Dieter from Sprockets (sans berets, of course) are some of the more obvious elements that hint at of Food Studio's creative sense of style. The exhibition kitchen is not noisy at all, and propels the atmosphere further. Most importantly, Food Studio merges with its factory surroundings and turns it into an asset. Without being stuffy at all, Food Studio recognizes and displays plenty of character without insisting upon a standard.

While Food Studio is relaxed about their atmosphere, they are very serious about their food. Three appetizers were specifically sampled. The herbed creamy polenta with a saute of mushrooms, snow-peas, baby carrots, and a balsamic reduction was the clear winner. While the texture was softer than expected, the warmed dish's overall flavor was marvelous. The American cheese tasting is an assortment of ripened and unripened farmhouse cheeses with fresh fruits and a port wine reduction. The range of flavors and textures of some of the cheeses may extend beyond the average student's realm of appreciation, but the experience is still a good one. Roasted tomato risotto came with no surprises, but that is just fine. Appetizers range in price from around $7 to $12.

Our server was both attentive and educated. Simple things like prompt water refills were not overlooked. In addition, more subtle touches, like giving a party of three an assortment of breads in a quantity that three people can share evenly, were also addressed. That is excellent attention to detail. As for menu knowledge, the performance only continued. Our server was able to recommend a butter chardonnay and explain that "buttery" is a British term used to describe a level of smoothness. That becomes more impressive when considering Food Studio 200+ bottle wine listing that ranges in price from $20 to $180 a bottle.

All entrees were good, but most left a little room for improvement. The American snapper was overly seasoned and took away from the fine filet's natural flavor. Fortunately, the foundation of arugula and lavender honey vinaigrette over watermelon deserves plenty of praise.

The seared grouper resided in the middle ground between bland and powerful - it just didn't leave much of an impression.

Lastly, the center cut pork chop was a solid choice. Served over braised fennel and a wild rice cake, glazed in molasses and garlic, and accented by a blubbery gastrique, this dish was a pleasant mixture of flavors.

Do beware that the chef's recommendation of medium does cause the pork chop to come out intentionally undercooked. One thing missing from the selection of entrees is a single vegetarian alternative.

When a restaurant has its own pasty chef, serious consideration should be made for saving room for dessert. To be truly decadent, one must order the dessert that is served with real gold - Food Studio's chocolate gold. This dessert is based upon a meringue cookie, topped with chocolate mousse and crunchy praline. The surrounding dots of raspberry sauce and the little gold foil adhere to Food Studio's wonderful emphasis on presentation.

For a lighter dessert, the lemon basil bombe is a great choice. A lemon basil parfait is surrounded by vanilla ice cream and toped with a citrus sauce. The most original dessert had to be the chocolate box. A thin shell of chocolate is home to whatever the chef has decided for that night. In this case, it was a rich chocolate ball in a light, peanut butter ice cream. Desserts are reasonably priced at around $6.

A meal at the Food Studio needs to be a special occasion for a college student considering the price. But if you can justify splurging a little bit, Food Studio will impress you with a refreshingly original take on fine American dining.