Review Atlanta

Rock Shrimp with Grits

Subtle changes to a traditional recipe make a world of difference.  Rock shrimp are beautiful in this delicate broth with wine and cream.  The delicate hint of wine and a mirepoix diced to a fine brunoise transform this Southern Classic into a brand new elegant dish.  This dish illustrates the genius of incorporating french technique into our cooking.  By dicing the vegetables to a fine brunoise, it allows even cooking to all of the elements.  Each and every piece of vegetable is not only tender, but, maintains a nice bite that could only be achieved by the perfectly uniform dice.

When cooked properly, rock shrimp are incredibly tender.  And, the flavor possesses all of the best qualities of shrimp with a hint of lobster.  Floating on a bed of tender grits topped with maple cheddar,  this dish is one of  my current favorites.  Love it!

Table 1280 Burger & Steak Fries

Once again, each element of this dish adds up to a near-perfect burger.  Grilled bun, flavorful beef, swiss and portobello mushroom slices work together to form one delicious burger.  Deep dark golden brown fries cut into a wedges complete the package.  They are close to perfection for me.  Since I’ve already discussed this burger here, I’ll be brief.

As shown in this cross-section, it was cooked to perfection.  There is another factor that separates and raises this burger above others.  Each additional element was thinly sliced.  This prevented any one element from outshining the whole.  It’s a simple thing that makes a world of difference.

I love this bread!  Sprinkled with salt and spices, this bread possesses so many elements I enjoy.  The dough has been properly matured to allow for a full, rich flavor.  The dough is dotted with bubbles of all sizes.  The thick crust protects the moist interior.  And, the crisp golden brown shell adds even more flavor.  Brushed with olive oil, no additional butter is needed.  It’s just an extra indulgence.  Love it!

Lemon Panna Cotta with Blueberries

Rich, creamy, and smooth with a lovely blend of sweet and tart, this was the perfect ending to our meal.  We’ll be visiting again… soon!

Table 1280
1280 Peachtree Street N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30309
404 897 1280

Table 1280 Burger with Portobello Mushrooms, Swiss & Steak Fries

The Best Burger in Atlanta
Part 1

Who’s got the best burger in Atlanta?  I don’t think there is an answer to this question.  There are many outstanding burgers to be had in our fair city.  When you think of a burger, do you think of a simple diner burger? …or do you prefer a more upscale burger? …or a steakhouse burger?  Or, is it possible that a fast food chain might be able to create such a magical thing as the “perfect burger”?  For me, I can easily answer no to the last of these alternatives.  But, all of the others are in the running.  Taste is relative.  And, while the burger might be a simple food at heart, it is one that most of us have eaten since childhood.  We all have our own criteria.  So in this instance, I find it more appropriate to create a list of the possibilities. (over time, obviously)

Best Burger in Atlanta
First up:  The Upscale Burger
The Contenders:

Flip Burger — Butcher’s Cut & Lamburger

Flip Burger Boutique

Both of these Flip burgers (and several others) deserve to be included on this list for originality and superior quality ingredients.  And, possibly the best bun of all the offerings I’ll be mentioning today.  The only flaw in this brioche-style bun is its delicate texture.  Ideally, I’d like a bit more structure.  The flavor, however, is near-perfect.  All of our burgers have been cooked to near-perfect temperatures.  The fries are good, but, they could use a bit of work.

Table 1280 Burger
(Pictured Above)

Incredible flavor, the meat is rich and beefy with a touch of charring.  The added elements of portobello mushrooms & cheese add to the rich beefy flavor and complements it well.  The burger itself was cooked to a perfect temperature.  Considerable bonus points added for the perfect super-dark golden brown steak fries.  Fries that can hold their own next to the burger are a requirement for us.  And, at Table 1280, they are divine.

Abattoir Burger with fries

Abattoir

Rich… beefy & porky with an almost bacony smokiness.  The flavor is perfection and the bun is lovely with pleasant hints of smoke from the grill.  And, it was cooked to the perfect temperature.  But, the texture is a bit unique bordering on odd.  Mousseline-like in texture… but, with a distinct firmness.  The fries have a lovely crisp exterior with a moist, tender center.

Bones
(picture coming soon)

This burger has loads of old school charm with its big fluffy sesame seed bun.  And, I love a high ratio of bread to meat.  Some might prefer a smaller bun.  As expected, the beef is cooked to perfection.  Deep beef flavor with a nice amount of fat for flavor.  And, we’ve experienced a nice bit of carmelization to the meat.  Both the fries and the buttermilk onion rings are solid.

The Counter
Our burger of choice:  1/3 lb burger with fried egg, jalapeno jack, & garlic aioli (or peppercorn steak sauce)

A bit on the low end of upscale, but, squeaking onto the list with an offering that has good flavor and amazing consistency in our experience (Even under full-house conditions).  Excluding the English muffins, we love the buns (the English muffin itself is fine… it just can’t hold up to the big burger).  Bonus points have been added for the best sweet potato fries in Atlanta.  And, many of the large assortment of condiments work well with both the sweet potato fries and the regular fries.

More to come… including a list of the best diner burgers and low-end burgers