America's Hottest New Restaurants

The Daily Beast names Empire State South as one of America's Hottest New Restaurants! Click here to see the full article.

5 & 10 Prix Fixe November 26-December 1, 2010

menu A:

1.

antipasto plate of Benton’s ham, chicken liver pate, and pickles

Pinot Grigio, Borgo M, Veneto, Italy, 2008

2.

housemade potato gnocchi with rabbit sugo and shaved pecorino

Nebbiolo, Fantino, ‘Rosso dei Dardi’, Piedmont, Italy, 2006

3.

Cinnamon toast ice cream with pumpkin cake and plumped rum raisins

menu B:

1.

spinach salad: shallot vinaigrette, spiced pecans, blue cheese, and pear

Riesling, Von Hövel, Mosel, Germany, 2007

2.

crisp panko-chile dusted catfish with lemon emulsion, tomato chutney, hominy grits, fennel slaw, and arugula

Sauvignon Blanc, Le Claux Delorme, Valencay, Loire, France, 2009

3.

Vermont Grafton cheddar with toasted baguette, pecans and seasonal fruit

$25 Prix Fixe

$15 Wine

5 & 10 Prix Fixe Menu, November 18th - 24th

Menu A:

1.

oyster pan roast with breadcrumbs, bacon, celery, garlic, and thyme

Cava, Conde de Subirats, Spain, NV

2.

crisp NC trout, vermouth emulsion, braised fennel, sautéed greens, and citrus salad

Malvasia, Bastianich, ‘Adriatico’, Croatia, 2009

3.

sweet bay leaf crème brûlée with cookies

Menu B.

1.

grilled lamb merguez sausages with cilantro-yogurt dressing, lentil-roasted red pepper salad, and marinated cucumbers

Amontillado Sherry, Alvear, Spain, NV

2.

crisp duck confit, star anise gastrique, braised red cabbage, crisp potatoes, and roasted grapes

Bourgogne, Joseph Voillot, France, 2008

3.

double chocolate brownie with pistachio cherry turrón ice cream

$25 food

$15 wine

available for 5:30, 5:45 and 6:00 reservations

Gifts for a Chef

Here are a few gift ideas for those who love to cook, or those who just love food.

The Flavor Thesaurus... one of the coolest books of the year.

A subscription to Gastronomica.

A bag or two of Counter Culture Coffee and a Georgia Coffee Sleeve to accompany it.

A Hario Buono Drip Kettle...As coffee culture heats up its good to have the best kettle around...

Rosle hand mandolin... awesome for truffles and vegetables. very sharp.



A great bottle of wine is always a hit. To see some awesome holiday wine options, click here to see sommelier Ben Giacchino's selections!

LEON: a great British cookbook form the best fast food place ever. Cool.

Rosle kitchen tweezers... very cool for the precise home cook

Our friend Liana's great preserving book. This book could keep me busy for years making canned goods and kimchi.

Handmade Aprons available at Empire State South.

Ben's Thanksgiving Day Selections

photo via Diner's Journal

If you have been thinking about what wines you will serve and/or give this holiday season, then look no further than Ben's Thanksgiving Day Selections. He has chosen a wide variety of wines to suit every Thanksgiving style. Click here to see the list.

5 &1 0 prix fixe from November 11 through November 17

every night for 5:30, 5:45 and 6:00 reservations

Menu A:

1.

turnip soup with crisp bacon and tiny croutons

Riesling, Von Hövel, Mosel, Germany, 2007

2.

grilled bistro steak with red pepper chimichurri, crisp potatoes, roasted carrots, and arugula

Costieres de Nimes, Domaine Bahourat, Rhone, France, 2008

3.

Appalachian cheese with cranberry apple compote, spiced pecans and toasted baguette

Menu B:

1.

local lettuces with avocado, shaved radish, grilled scallion, pickled red onion, parmesan, and buttermilk dressing

Cava, Conde de Subirats, Spain, NV

2.

shrimp n grits with andouille sausage, roasted peppers and tomatoes, and sautéed greens

Bordeaux blanc, Chateau Haut-la Pereyre, France, 2009

3.

Quince and dried cherry upside down cake with mascarpone ice cream and maple reduction

$25 food

$15 wine

the AJC review: 4 stars!

My day started out right when I read Mr. Kessler's review early this morning. It has been a good week for Empire State South, we are proud of our two complimentary reviews, but as always, we still have room to improve. Click here to read the full review.

5 & 10 Prix Fixe from November 4 thru November 10

every night for 5:30, 5:45 and 6:00 reservations

menu A

1.

Caesar salad: applesmoked bacon, romaine, garlic croutons, parmagiano

Roero Arneis, Matteo Corregia, Piedmont, Italy, 2008

2.

spaghetti and meatballs in spicy tomato sauce with shaved parmesan and arugula

Chianti, Poggio Vignoso, Tuscany, 2008

3.

Cranberry, quince and cheddar napoleon with spiced honey

menu B


1.

butternut squash fritters with stewed apple, currants, capers, and pecorino

Aspall Organic English Draft Cider

2.

crisp flounder with lemon emulsion, celery root puree, brussels sprouts with bacon and brown butter, and tiny croutons

Sauvignon Blanc, Mount Nelson, Marlborough, NZ, 2009

3.

Roasted peanut tart with coconut makrut lime ice cream

$25 food

$15 wine

Chestnut & Porcini Soup

Photo via Gourmet.com

This soup marries three flavors I love: chestnuts, sherry and porcini. They just work brilliantly together. If you cannot find fresh porcini, use frozen; if you cannot find frozen use dried; if you cannot find dried, use shiitakes; if you can’t find shiitakes you should consider lobbying for better shopping in your neighborhood.

You should be able to find chestnuts at your local farmers market, if you are located on the east coast. If not, Earthfare in Athens, Ga has them in and you should also be able to find them at Whole Foods. Conventional grocery stores have cans of roasted and peeled chestnuts, just be sure that you do not get water chestnuts.

Serves 8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and minced

4 branches celery, peeled and minced celery

1 russet potato, peeled and diced to 1 inch

½ pound fresh porcinis, brushed of any dirt and cut to 1 inch dice

½ pound fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup dry sherry

1 ½ quarts chicken stock

1 cup (about 12) chestnuts, roasted, peeled and chopped

bouquet of thyme and parsley

2 bay leaves

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place a heavy soup pot or rondeau over medium heat. Add the butter to the pot and when the butter begins to bubble and froth, add the onions and celery and sweat down for 10 minutes.

2. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes. Once the mushrooms are sautéed down a fair bit add the sherry and reduce for 5 minutes.

3. Add potato and chestnuts to pan and cook for 10 more minutes. At this point you add the chicken stock, the bouquet and the bay leaf and cover. Cook until potato is tender, about 15 minutes.

4. While still on heat add the cream. Remove bouquet and bay leaves using a slotted spoon or tongs. Remove soup from heat.

5. Season the soup and then carefully puree it in a blender. Pass through a fine chinois for a smoother texture.

Wine Pairing:

A lighter bodied American Pinot Noir: Au Bon Climat 2008 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 2008

an Alsatian Pinot Gris would go really well with this soup too.

The First Review.

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding ESS, for which I am thankful, but today marks the release of the first official review, this one from Besha Rodell at Creative Loafing. We received 4 out of 5 stars and that ain't bad. I will breath a very short sigh of relief and get back to work. Click here to read the full article.

Photo via Creative Loafing by JAMES CAMP