Sunday, June 15, 2008
Food, In this Issue...
Make room
For Concentrics' high-style restaurant in Downtown's TWELVE hotel
Our Labor of Love for The Reynolds Group
Arugula salad at Room
DINING ESSENTIALS
Room at Twelve Centennial Park
400 West Peachtree St.
404-418-1250
www.roomattwelve.com
Hours: Breakfast/brunch: Mon.-Fri. 6:30-10:30 a.m., Sat.-Sun. 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner: Sun.-Thu. 5:30-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5:30-11 p.m.; Bar fare Sun.-Thu. 4-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4 p.m.-midnight
Reservations: Recommended; also accepts walk-ins
Dress code: Business casual, jeans accepted
Cuisine: Steaks, seafood and sushi
Alcohol: Full bar
Cost: $$$
Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard and American Express
Outdoor Seating: Patio
Parking: Valet
By Carly Felton
Picture a full bar accentuated from above by multi-layer canopy-like details in shades of orange and white. The area is rectangular with filled seats on all sides. Sleek black leather lounges sit low to the ground for those who want to enjoy a cocktail farther away from the hustle and bustle of the bar. A modern hotel lobby with a ceiling-high mirror shares the bar space; it's almost difficult to discern the hotel's reception desk from the restaurant/bar's hostess stand.
To the right of the bar, separated from it by florescent purple-white neon light spokes, the decor takes on a more soothing—yet still stylish—approach, perhaps one more suited to dining. Dark wood tables are brightened with candles in gold-colored anemone-shaped, beaded holders. Windows are shaded from downtown passersby with sheer gray, floor-to-ceiling curtains. Farther back still, an open kitchen carries on the bar's rectangular shape, this time with a white canopy.
There are also three private dining areas dispersed throughout the restaurant, seating 14, 10 and 8 people. (The main dining room seats 150.) Each boasts a different decor; one with red globe-like lights, another with warm woods and earthy shades of green and beige.
With so many separate areas, it's no wonder Concentrics restaurateurs Bob Amick and Todd Rushing named their first steakhouse "Room". Yes, that's right: The people who brought One Midtown Kitchen, Two Urban Licks, Murphy's, Piebar, Trois, Lobby at TWELVE, and most recently, TAP, to Atlanta, have opened yet another restaurant in a hot new locale—the ground floor of TWELVE Centennial Park hotel and residences. Now, to avoid confusion, let's get one thing clear from the start: Room is at TWELVE in Centennial Park; Lobby is at TWELVE in Atlantic Station. Two different restaurants, two different hotels, same owners.
To be fair, the two restaurants also share an executive chef, Nick Oltarsh, formerly a chef at Murphy's in Virginia Highland. A StarChefs 2007 Atlanta Rising Star Hotel Chef, Oltarsh hails from New York City, where he served as sous chef at Eleven Madison Park and as Tavern chef at Gramercy Tavern. For Room, he designed a menu with a selection of steaks, fresh fish and eclectic a la carte sides, complemented by a sushi list created by Sushi Chef Tomohiro "Tomo" Naito, also executive chef and owner of TOMO Japanese restaurant in Vinings.
The menus at Room are divided into sections named in the past tense, just to be unique. Items under the "started" section (known at most places as appetizers) include arugula salad with snap peas, goat cheese, walnuts, dried cherries and balsamic vinaigrette; and oysters Rockefeller with spinach, bacon and pernod. Seared rare tuna with ginger rice, stir-fried vegetables and spicy scallion soy sauce; spicy braised lamb shank with tomatoes, capers and mashed potatoes; and waygu hot dog with dijon mustard, ketchup and sweet relish are listed under "plated." Two filets (7 and 12 ounces), Kansas City strip, ribeye, porterhouse and rack of lamb are "broiled & grilled." Patrons can elect to add a "sauced" topping like peppercorn brandy or the house steak sauce made from date and sherry vinegar; and/or an "added or topped" extra like king crab or lobster tail. Of course you can't go without a "vegged" or "carbed" item, such as sweet potato puree with crunchy granola, or the three little pigs macaroni with chorizo, bacon, ham and duck eggs.
For sushi, the somewhat-limited list includes a variety of sashimi, a spicy tuna roll, a California roll with snow crab and platters for one, two or four people. Beware: These platters (and much of the sushi) can change daily, depending on what is fresh in stock, and many exotic pieces may appeal only to the most adventurous or experienced sushi connoisseurs.
However, there is plenty to choose from to wash it down with. Room offers 180 wines priced by tier, with 12 wines per tier, and each tier costs $12 more than the one below it. The wines include French, Italian and Napa Valley varieties, among others. Of course there's beer, sake and "shaken or stirred" drinks like the cucumber martini, too.
With a convenient location for tourists, convention-goers, businesspeople and young urbanites, Room is sure to draw a crowd. Make a reservation, as the space may not be room-y for long. SP