Peter Dale

“Jeweled” Quinoa SaladServes four The dried fruits,...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:09:39 -0500

“Jeweled” Quinoa Salad
Serves four

The dried fruits, pomegranate seeds, and pistachios are the “jewels” in this Persian-inspired salad, perfect as an appetizer or side dish. When pomegranates are out of season, simply use red quinoa instead of regular quinoa (as pictured) to compensate for the loss of color. This salad is a great way to introduce some color and a touch of sweetness into a winter meal.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2½ cups water
¼ cup dried currants, plumped in warm water
¼ cup golden raisins, plumped in warm water
¼ cup dried apricots, diced
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup pistachios
½ cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, diced
Juice of one lemon
3 T olive oil
3 oz crumbled feta
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
In a saucepan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, 20 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl, set aside.

In a large toss bowl combine the quinoa, fruits, pistachios, parsley, scallions and feta. Toss the quinoa mixture with the lemon juice and olive oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe originally published in B’Nai B’Rith Magazine
Photo courtesy of Emily Hall.

I was fortunate enough to receive a wonderful surprise in early...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:20:00 -0500

I was fortunate enough to receive a wonderful surprise in early January. My good friend Eric MacDonald, professor at the UGA College of Environment & Design, brought two crates of quince from Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC to The National. You may be surprised by this, as I was too! This is the only agricultural product I’ve ever heard of being grown in the District of Columbia.

Quince is a fruit that looks like a large apple or pear with a beautiful perfume. Eaten raw, quince are terribly sour and hard. However, they contain a remarkable amount of pectin making them perfectly suited for jams and jellies. You’re likely only familiar with this exotic fruit in the form of quince membrillo, the Spanish red jam often accompanying a cheese course.

We used our haul of quince to make our own membrillo. I’m looking forward to enjoying it over the next several months—on cheese plates, in a jus served alongside our local quail, and in our new cocktail called The Quincy. The Quincy is made with Bulleit Bourbon, Luxardo Amaretto, our Dumbarton Oaks quince jam, Angostura bitters and a squeeze of lemon. This tasty drink harkens to classic cocktails, showcasing a nice range of sweet and bitter notes.

By the way, if Dumbarton Oaks sounds familiar to you, the house was the site of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944 that laid the groundwork for the United Nations. This is some pretty historic quince I’d say!

photos courtesy of our good friends Catie Adams and Emily Hall

Dinner+Movie: Sunday and Monday Night Only, this Week

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:28:07 -0500

Want to treat your Valentine to a special night while avoiding the crowds of Tuesday night? Our Dinner and a Movie special, paired with the romance of The Artist, is the perfect date night. Join us Sunday or Monday night this week!

Appetizer to share:

classic waldorf salad, bibb lettuce, apple, celery, walnut, raisins, creamy dressing
or
patatas bravas, home fries, spicy tomato sauce, aioli
or
hummus, sumac, warm flatbread

Entrée

roasted speckled trout (Gulf of Mexico) winter tabbouleh {bulgur, cauliflower, piquillo pepper, walnut, watercress}, asparagus a la plancha, herbed Greek yogurt
or
roasted North Georgia chicken breast bruschetta with ricotta, seared broccoli rabe, savory tomato jam, quince jus

Dessert

warm “cazuela” brownie cinnamon ice cream, toasted almonds
or
blueberry cobbler vanilla ice cream, brandy stewed orange

Dinner & A Movie prix-fixe is offered this Sunday and Monday, February 12-13. The Dinner & A Movie prix-fixe is not offered on Tuesday, February 14.

Correction

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:28:56 -0500

Dinner & A Movie prix-fixe is offered this Sunday and Monday, February 12-13th.

The Dinner & A Movie prix-fixe is not offered on Tuesday, February 14th. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Local photographer and server at The National, Emily Hall, has a...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:57:00 -0500

Local photographer and server at The National, Emily Hall, has a unique perspective of the restaurant. She’s seen it all, from the beginning and from almost every role, and fortunately for us, she’s documented it all with a talented eye and a camera lens.

What brought you to Athens?

It was actually photography that brought me here. In my junior year of college I took my first art class, an introduction to photography. I instantly knew I would love it, but at that point it was too late to turn back on my history degree. I was interested in photojournalism then because, I mean, journalism is just history 50 years before; it seemed like the perfect blend of my two interests. I was accepted into the program at UGA and moved to Athens. Of course, the program wasn’t for me and I decided to take the long way to a career in photography instead. It’s been slow and gradual. With photography I’m a little formal and a little self-taught.

How has this city influenced your photography?

It’s amazing to live in a place with so many talented people, and I’m lucky to have awesome friends who also take great pictures.

I’ve been fortunate to have Jim Fiscus as a friend and mentor. Working with him as a production assistant, and just having access to his brain is worth the price of art school to me. My friend Catie Adams loves food styling and we collaborate on projects together. I love to shoot food almost as much as I love to eat food!

Hugh (Acheson) was actually the first person to ask me to do any food photography, about 2 or 3 years ago for the Phaidon Press book Coco. That was huge for me, and for Hugh, Mario Batali was basically introducing him to the world as a chef to seriously watch. If I had done that shoot today it would look so different, but it’s a learning curve. And it was a honor to be a part of it.

There are so many people here in Athens doing really thoughtful things and it is inspiring.

Is it a challenge to photograph food?

Peter Dale makes the most beautiful and delicious food in the world. When I’m travelling I am often bummed when a sandwich is not a Peter-Dale-sandwich, when any dining experience is not a Peter-Dale-experience. I believe in him and love to shoot his food. It’s easy when the ingredients are fresh. It doesn’t need any work because it’s fresh. I also value shooting really simply. I want the food to speak and stand on its own.

How did you start at The National?

I actually started out at The National in the kitchen when it first opened. I was the first pastry chef. Then I worked on the line with Patrick (Stubbers) and Lily (Kaplan) my dream kitchen team. Then I moved to the floor for early coffee and pastries, then to lunch bar, then night bar, and now to serving. I’d never want to work anywhere else in Athens, unless I start solely working for myself. I am grateful for my time at the National and believe it is a privilege to be here and a part of this.

What makes The National different?

There are a million reasons. The majority of us are pursuing other things outside of the restaurant; we’re all unique, doing different things and talented in different ways. However, even though a career in photography is my main focus, there’s part of me that always believes it’s exciting here at The National, too. We all believe in Peter and what he’s doing; we all have faith in what’s happening and we’re proud to work here. I love working for Peter and Chris (Luken). They give the staff a long leash because they know we all have the same goal when we get there. We know it’s not just about making money, but rather about giving our guests a thoughtful dining experience. The National manages to be cutting edge without being pretentious, cool without being cool.

My time in Athens, here at The National, has been my graduate degree in the finer things. And I wouldn’t want that degree from anywhere else. Ultimately, the customers appreciate that the staff is so knowledgeable. And that knowledge largely comes from Peter…Professor Peter Dale. It all trickles down from him.

Since you’ve been here from the beginning, and truly seen it all, what’s your favorite all-time dish at The National?

Can I make it 14 favorites? No? I guess I’d go with the steak tartare…and the quail egg pizzette with potato chips and truffle oil. And of course the cucumber gazpacho. I make that soup for myself at home, even in the winter. I drink a quart a day it’s so good! And I’m a white wine girl, so I’d have a glass of Sancerre or a nice Arneis to pair…which are not good pairings of course, but I believe it’s all subjective, whatever you want to eat or drink.

I’d finish my perfect meal with the Portuguese Custard Tart, the first dessert I ever made at The National. I was the most excited to get that recipe from Peter because when I studied at Oxford I worked at Tailor’s Café where we sold custard tarts about 3 times the size of ours here. People would line up, wrapped around the building, every morning for a cappuccino and tarts. That was my first experience with fancy coffee. I never could recreate that experience until Peter handed me that recipe; it was like a big Christmas gift. And they’re never better than fresh right out of the oven when they’re literally scalding your mouth. I LOVE them. Of course, I wasn’t a good baker. It’s a science and there’s no room for error. Whereas, all bets are off when making soup…you don’t even need a recipe. That’s how I like to cook.

Much of your work life revolves around food, what about at home?

Working for one year in the kitchen at The National made me a million times better cook at home. And for the women in my family, every social gathering revolves around food. As a young girl, every Saturday night we’d go to my maternal grandmother’s house for dinner, and on Sunday lunch to my paternal grandmother’s. Watching them cook was so edifying. We’d eat, hang out and go home. That hasn’t really changed in my life now with them or my friends.

Plus, knowing how to cook helps everything make sense when I’m shooting food. For instance, if you’re taking a photo of the mise en place, you need to know how that would actually be set up. You know what naturally pairs together.

To see more of Emily’s work visit her website here. And to support her latest creative endeavor in the antique method of tintype photography, donate here!

cleaning china and silver at a catered party, sometimes our work...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:27:08 -0500

cleaning china and silver at a catered party, sometimes our work continues hours after the food goes out

Tuesday, February 14 $50 per person, a la carte available at the...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:36:52 -0500

Tuesday, February 14
$50 per person, a la carte available at the bar

On the menu…

To begin: baguette with olive oil and marinated olives
Amuse bouche: beet gazpacho

First course: Choice of three tapas per couple

Roasted carrots radicchio, feta, pecans, kumquat-vinaigrette
Stuffed piquillo pepper with goat cheese, frisee, pickled golden raisins
Salad of local lettuces smoked paprika-buttermilk dressing, roasted tomato, cucumber, marinated onion, crispy shallots
Flatbread with Moroccan eggplant, preserved lemon
Portuguese tomato soup with poached egg, crouton
Asparagus a la plancha with foie gras
Whipped tuna Moroccan chili flake, grilled sourdough
West coast oysters mignonette, house crackers
Fried squid house hot sauce
Three Spanish cheeses house quince jam, marcona almonds
Linguiça sausage with onion jam, mustard seed, lentils
Serrano ham with pan con tomate, pickled turnip
Dungeness crab avocado, grapefruit, romaine

Second course: Choice of one entree per guest

Lamb: braised shoulder, grilled chop, basmati rice with chickpeas and pistachios,radishes, muhammara, pomegranate molasses, flatbread
Beef: Kobe short rib, corona gigante beans, chard, charred poblano creme fraiche, roasted cherry tomato gremolata
Fish: roasted Loup de Mer, red lentils, couscous, shrimp salad with chermoula
Shellfish: 1/2 lobster tail, calasparra rice with lobster claw, leeks and peas, saffron crema, pea shoots, citrus
Hen: 1/2 Cornish hen, duck fat potatoes, Catalan spinach, piquant piquillo sauce, natural jus
Vegetables: winter squash tagine, amaranth pilav, turnips and greens, fried cauliflower with sweet chili jam, wild mushroom slaw, sugar snaps and radishes in yogurt dressing, peppercress

Dessert: Oversized desserts for a couple to share

Banana Split: bruleed banana, vanilla and chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, pineapple, strawberries, peanuts, whipped cream
Chocolate: Boston Cream Terrine, dark chocolate genoise, milk chocolate pastry cream, malt ball ganache, raspberry, chocolate dipped graham crackers
Pavlova: meringue, rose cream, mango, passion fruit, papaya, kiwi, coconut, macadamias
Bread Pudding: pecan waffles, cherry preserves, horchata sorbet, candied lime

Dinner+Movie January 22

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:45:11 -0500

Appetizer to share
Classic Waldorf Salad, bibb lettuce, apple, celery, walnut, raisins, creamy dressing
or
Patatas Bravas, home fries with spicy tomato sauce and aioli
or
Hummus, sumac, warm flatbread

Entrée
Roasted Half Poussin (young chicken) bruschetta with ricotta, seared broccoli rabe, savory tomato jam, black pepper jus
or
Pan-seared Alaskan Cod wrapped in Berkshire bacon, pearl couscous, local spinach, roasted red pepper-saffron broth

Dessert
Lemon Sorbet with pistachio shortbread cookie
or
Roasted Pineapple Rum Tart vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce

Valter Scarbolo is back! One of our favorite winemakers returns...

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:00:00 -0500

Valter Scarbolo is back! One of our favorite winemakers returns to The National to share his wines and his ebullient spirit.

Tuesday, February 7
6:30 pm, $55 per person

Azienda Agricola Scarbolo, Friuli, Italy

1. Sauvignon 2010
Tapas: prosciutto with mango, marinated mussels with orange and chili
.
2. Pinot Grigio 2009
Crispy Springer Mountain chicken thigh strips, kumquat marmalade, chervil, radishes, poivron rouge
.
3. Merlot 2009
Grilled California tri-tip steak, arugula, piperade
.
4. Cabernet 2009
Aged Gouda, Gorgonzola dolce, accompaniments, crostinis
.
5. chocolate budino, café Cubano, orange mascarpone, hazelnuts

call or email for reservations
706.549.3450
thenationalrestaurant@gmail.com

What’s your all-time favorite dish at The...

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:00:05 -0500

What’s your all-time favorite dish at The National—past or present?
We want to know!

Leave a Comment on our Facebook Fan Page with your answer, and enter to Win a Free Appetizer!

The Fan Favorites Contest is open Friday, January 20 at 10 a.m. through Thursday, January 26 at 11:59 p.m.

Following this contest, the Fan Page will be your only Facebook resource for the latest happenings at The National, so be sure to Like Us!

{Our winner will be randomly chosen from all comments and contacted through Facebook to receive a free appetizer voucher}

Check out Flagpole Magazine this week as cook at The National,...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:53:42 -0500

Check out Flagpole Magazine this week as cook at The National, Nathan Brand, gets featured in their series Everyday People.

Nathan Brand came to Athens to study English at the University of Georgia. Although he has always wanted to be a writer, he became frustrated with literary studies and left school. Now, he works as a cook at The National, and he finds a strong and profound connection between literature and food. He has even begun writing recipes and other food-focused pieces. He is considering returning to school to finish his degree, but he feels strongly attached to his culinary studies as well. In an ideal world, he says, he would be in Paris, London or Copenhagen next year studying under one of Europe’s acclaimed Michelin chefs.

Flagpole: Could you explain what you do for a job?

Nathan Brand: Oh, it is really the best job I’ve ever had, and that’s really why I haven’t gone back to school: because it’s so hard to leave, even for, you know, 10 hours a week. It totally took me by surprise. It was an ad in Craigslist. I found out later–I heard about the opening [by] word of mouth downtown. I’ve always wanted to work at The National. I’d probably turned in five resumes–I knew they were doing something special–and they never called me back. I’d always wanted to be a server over the years, and then I finally heard that they were hiring for cooks, and I was like, “Okay, I’ll check it out.”

FP: Had you ever been a cook before?

NB: I had never cooked anything in my life. Not even in my life. Me and my brother were like Jacob and Esau: I would trade anything for him to cook breakfast for me. I couldn’t deal with it. I couldn’t scramble eggs, and then all of a sudden, here I was in this fast-paced [environment]. As soon as I found out about the opening, I got interested in cooking sort of overnight. I suddenly realized that so many of my favorite memories from being a child and growing up were about food. I spent summers in New York and Idaho when I was a kid, so one of my favorite meals was rainbow trout in Idaho. We would go catch them. And I vividly remember being served a gyro in an upside-down frisbee at some terrible Greek restaurant that my grandpa took me to. So, I started to realize that I had all these really cool food memories, and I started to get interested in the intellectual and the thoughtful side of food, so I grabbed a cookbook–The French Laundry [Cookbook]–and I was hooked. It was like reading an amazing story.

FP: That’s what I’d been wondering: as a former English major, do you think there is a connection between the way you experience food and the way you experience literature?

NB: I do now, but when I started I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t even think. I [had been] working at a coffee shop and a bakery, so I was kind of all over the place before I settled down and focused on just cooking. But I didn’t think so before: I thought that writing was writing and cooking and eating was cooking and eating. And maybe wine was the bridge between the two. But I never thought that you could think about food as much as you can think about literature, and that’s what has kept me going and kept me totally hooked.

FP: Could you explain what that connection is?

NB: I think that connection is creativity, and I’ve started to understand that flavors are kind of like words, and they can be put together beautifully, or they can go together in kind of a messy way. They can be very pure, or they can be kind of muddled. It’s all about technique, and that’s one of the things that writing and cooking have in common. I spent my whole life trying to be a writer. When I was a kid, that’s all I ever wanted to do was practice and practice and practice, so now I’m pretty good. But now, I feel the exact same way about cooking. I’ve had to practice and practice, and that was really discouraging at first, but I started to get better exponentially after awhile, and that’s an encouraging thing.

FP: You’re not from Athens originally, are you?

NB: I’m not. I’ve lived all over the country, and then Gwinnett for the longest time, which is kind of depressing to me, but I totally grew up in Gwinnett. That was another huge part of my sense memory as a kid. We had a huge garden that fed the whole family.

FP: People garden in Gwinnett?

NB: Well, my parents were, like, the only ones. We sold that house, and that garden’s gone, of course, but when I was a kid, I was home-schooled until I went to high schoolâ€¦ A large part of my day was spent in the garden, and I hated every minute of it, but now I would give anything to go back and be a part of that.

FP: So, what do you think about Athens?

NB: Athens is one of the best places to be passionate and learn about something in the world. Everything’s cheap. Everyone is passionate about something. Everyone is doing something they love if they’re not students, especially. Usually it’s music, and sometimes it’s art, but probably third down on the list is cooking, since this is totally a service-driven economy. It’s really cool to be able to talk to other cooks about what you’re doing.

FP: You mentioned working for free or for low pay. Is that something you could do only in Athens, or would you find it gratifying anywhere?

NB: On the one hand, I do think it’s only that way in Athens and other select cities. In Athens–I live on Pulaski Street, in the best house I’ve ever lived in for so cheap, with a garden and chickens.

FP: Did you always know that you could work for a low wage and feel good about it, or did you arrive at that point gradually?

NB: I was very worried. I’ve been a server in the town for a long time, and you make very nice money for the town doing that, so I was very worried that I was going to run out of cash [when I became a cook]. But, I lived very cheaply for a year and a half–that’s how long I’ve been doing this–so I’ve been able to travel a lot. I’ve been to New York; I’ve been to Chicago; I’ve been to Charleston, Atlanta, Savannah, just because I’m not spending all my money here in town. I’d go there for food, and I’d go there for coffee because I’m a big coffee nerd, and I have learned so much. Every lesson has been amazing.

By Emily Patrick, Flagpole Magazine (everydaypeople@flagpole.com)

Benefit Dinner for Wholesome Wave at Empire State South

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:22:59 -0500

Sunday, January 22nd

In the ongoing effort to make local food more available to everyone, we are big advocates of Wholesome Wave. The coupon program fosters strong linkages between local agriculture and under-served communities in Georgia they do so by doubling the value of food stamps at farmer’s markets. You may remember that Wholesome Wave national is the charity that Hugh played for on Top Chef: Masters.

To help meet the challenge making fresh, local food available to the whole community, ESS will be hosting a Wholesome Wave benefit dinner on January 22nd at 6pm. Our sous chefs have really taken the lead, each team member putting together a dish as Hugh and Ryan have stepped aside to let the rest of the team showcase their talents. Naturally, Steven and Kellie will be offering alcohol pairings.

The price of the dinner is $200, which includes tax and gratuity, and is tax deductable. We know that might sound a little pricey, which is why we’ve committed to donating 75% of the proceeds to Wholesome Wave Georgia. Not up to that amount—actually 75%. Please help us help our fellow Georgians get good food on the table.

SOUS CHEF’S DINNER
A Benefit for Wholesome Wave Georgia
January 22nd, 2012, 6pm

1.
charred beef heart
roasted and pickled beets, arugula
Micah Pfister

2.
pheasant terrine
persimmon butter, pickles, pan de mie, juniper
Jonah Merrell

3.
scallops
turnip, sunchoke, blood orange
Chris Hathcock

4.
bacon wrapped veal loin
brussels, carrots, cauliflower cromesquis, veal glaze
Kyle Jacovino

5.
meyer lemon curd tart
pistachio ice cream, candied cranberries
Lauren Raymond

6.
tangerines
cardamom, rosewater, phyllo
Cynthia Wong

Call 404-541-1105 for reservations.

Coinciding with the special screening of local documentary film...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:05 -0500

Coinciding with the special screening of local documentary film World’s Smallest Airport, The National brings you a special Dinner and a Movie menu inspired by vintage Pan American World Airways menus from the golden age of air travel. World’s Smallest Airport tells the thrilling story of three brothers who returned to Georgia following World War II eager to begin their civilian lives. Within weeks they established The Thrasher Brothers Aerial Circus, where they wowed audiences with astonishing aerial feats yet to be exceeded.

Ciné and The National’s Dinner & A Movie Menu
Sunday-Tuesday, January 15-17
$29 per person, includes dinner and movie ticket (tax included but not gratuity)

On the table
warm peanuts and pecans

Appetizer to share
Classic Waldorf Salad
bibb lettuce, apple, celery, walnut, raisins, creamy dressing
or
Cream of Tomato Soup
individual portions with banque crackers
or
Cold Plate à la Parisienne
cheese and charcuterie with cornichons and grain mustard

Entree
Airline Chicken Breast
served with a mushroom sauce, riz pilaf, macedoine of vegetables
or
Hangar Steak
served with delmonico potatoes and jardiniere vegetables

Dessert
Cherries Jubilee served over vanilla ice cream
or
Boston Cream Pie

Back To School Dance Party at The National Saturday, January...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:24:40 -0500

Back To School Dance Party at The National
Saturday, January 14th
Free entry
Drink specials
DJ Immuzikation starts spinning at 11:30

Dinner+Movie January 8

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:07:37 -0500

Before or after dinner with us this week, enjoy a glimpse into the life of Marilyn Monroe with My Week with Marilyn, or get involved with Like Crazy.

Appetizer to share table chooses one:
hummus sumac, warm flatbread
or
stuffed medjool dates celery, manchego cheese, smoked paprika
or
bibb lettuces salad gorgonzola dressing, slow-roasted tomato, cucumber, marinated onion, pecan

Entree, choose one:
roasted cobia whipped parsnips, warm brussels sprout slaw with bacon, roasted tomato vinaigrette
or
roasted Springer Mountain chicken breast black rice, braised local red cabbage, arugula, hazelnut romesco

Dessert, choose one:
lemon and date ricotta cake elderberry reduction
or
roasted pecan ice cream sherry poached dates, brown sugar crisp

Between our lively late night bar and our extra festive New...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:55:43 -0500

Between our lively late night bar and our extra festive New Year’s Eve menu, we could not be more excited to ring in 2012 with all of you! We’ll be seating in the dining room until 11pm this Saturday, and don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of bubbly to go around.

New Year’s Eve Menu

Firsts

marinated olives {4}

patatas bravas home fries with spicy-tomato sauce and aioli {5}

hummus sumac, warm flatbread {7} available with gluten-free flatbread

stuffed medjool dates celery, manchego cheese, smoked paprika {6}

boquerones (anchovies) pickled chilis, caperberries & tomato-garlic toasts {7}

local lettuces salad gorgonzola dressing, slow-roasted tomato, cucumber, marinated onion, pecan {7}

local arugula salad roasted fennel, blood orange, lucques olive, pecorino {8}

mushroom soup hen-of-the-wood and beech mushrooms {8} V

she-crab soup lump crab, crab roe, shrimp, sherry {10}

pizzette broccoli rabe, ricotta, walnut, chili flake {8}

pizzette spicy Spanish chorizo, apple, San Simon cheese, honey, arugula {9}

smoked trout chopped salad of beets, radishes, arugula, marinated onion, pita croutons, Greek yogurt {10}

grilled octopus warm salad of local potatoes and peppers, smoked paprika vinaigrette, salt & vinegar chip powder {12}

lamb kefte spiced meatballs in tomato sauce, yogurt, mint, pine nuts, pomegranate {10}

three cheeses Explorateur (France, cow), Caña de Oveja (Spain, sheep), Mimolette (France, cow), toasts, marcona almonds, apple, beet confiture {15}

Seconds

local quail Grassroots Farm, Walton County, grilled breasts, confit legs, black rice, braised local red cabbage, persimmon-hazelnut salad {25}

roasted Scottish salmon whipped parsnips, warm brussels sprout slaw, roasted tomato vinaigrette, smoked roe {25}

roasted Texas redfish fregola pasta and spinach in a red pepper-saffron broth, lobster-orange-scallion salad {27}

braised Berkshire pork osso buco Georgia white grits, hearts of palm, piquillo peppers and kumquats, avocado-tomatillo sauce {25}

grilled C.A.B. beef hanger steak potato-cheese pancake, watercress, sofrito, chimichurri, truffle jus {26}

vegetable plate roasted acorn squash with salsa rossa, roasted local carrots with mint and pistachios, green lentils, fried cauliflower, beet tzatziki, bok choi slaw {18}

Photo

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:09:38 -0500

Dinner+Movie December 18

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:30:13 -0500

In this week of increasing holiday madness, treat yourself to Dinner and a Movie. Cine is still showing Margin Call and Melancholia, and this week they’ve introduced Young Goethe in Love.

On our menu...

Appetizer to share table chooses one:
hummus sumac, warm flatbread
or
stuffed medjool dates celery, manchego cheese, smoked paprika
or
local lettuces salad watermelon radishes, cucumbers, marinated shallots, almonds, feta, yougurt-cumin dressing

Entree, choose one:
roasted springer mountain chicken breast flattened, za’taar, jeweled red quinoa (pomegranate, apricot, golden raisin, pistachio, scallions), yogurt with cucumber and mint, lemon brown butter
or
crispy pork loin milanesa black rice, avocado crema, piquillo-orange relish, heart of palm-yacon-cilantro salad

Dessert, choose one:
apple empanada pecan, golden raisin, pomegranate
or
rugelach raspberry jam, chocolate sauce

This week, we get to know Jessie Merriam, the red-headed...

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:16:42 -0500

This week, we get to know Jessie Merriam, the red-headed waitress behind The National’s chalkboard art of old and the front of house staff schedule each week. Somehow she also finds the time to create beautiful prints and study English at UGA.

What inspires your art, particularly the print that now hangs in the bar at The National?

The print hanging in the bar is the image of a cat, truly a lynx, inspired by the well-known image of the Parisian absinthe drinker. I wanted the lynx to look a bit snobby, like a faux-British dandy, similar to T.S. Eliot. Much of my work is inspired by the notion of animals doing human things. I think it forces you to think another way about an otherwise typical action. And it allows me to do portraits in a new way. Another image of this dandy artist lynx is hanging in The Four Coursemen House.

How did you end up at The National?

I studied printmaking, bookmaking, and letterpress at UVA and the Virginia Arts of the Book Letterpress in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 2007, I decided to move to Athens for something new. That year, just before The National opened, I was working at Bistro, a restaurant that was on Prince where A Tavola is now. My friend Lilly Kaplan, who worked at The Five and Ten, told me about the plans for The National, and I applied. I was one of the first group of servers at the restaurant, so I got to sit down with Chefs Hugh Acheson and Peter Dale at the first tasting of all the menu items, and listen to them really describe the ethos of the restaurant.

What distinguishes The National from other restaurants?

The nature of the staff, the food and the space all affect the overall experience. I think the layout of the interior, with a separate lively bar is unique. And our location allows us to crossover into the downtown Athens scene. We’re in a setting that is as urban as downtown Athens can be. People come to hang out at The National, especially the employees. We are open later, sometimes we have parties…this makes it comfortable. Although the food is exceptional and the restaurant is great for a special night out, there is not so much pressure on the experience. It’s easy to relax and enjoy a good meal. And there’s definitely an intimacy between patrons and the staff. The regulars all have their favorite restaurant personalities, their favorite servers. People can’t wait to see Zach and Cameron at the bar, or have Jill wait on them.

So the staff truly influences in the overall vibe of the restaurant?

Definitely. It all stems from Peter, the most laid back, yet passionate chef I’ve ever worked with, and it really comes through in the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant. The structure of the staff is important. Similar to The Five and Ten, we have a close knit group of servers, and the front of the house and back of the house are not so divided as in some restaurants I’ve worked in. There are no managers so everyone takes responsibility and helps each other out. Everyone has their heart in the food and no one is jaded. We aren’t rule-oriented and manage to maintain a sense of humor while being seriously committed to the success of the restaurant. I think this creates a nice balance that our customers notice and appreciate. The culture of the staff is clear; when new people are hired, they quickly learn.

What do you like most about the style of food?

I love that Peter offers food in cycles, from experimental or a little out there to very Southern or Mediterranean inspired. We can serve bone marrow and baked baby octopus on the same menu as a classic steak and potatoes dish…and people order the bone marrow! I like the Morrocan and Spanish side of our food the most. Many restaurants do Spanish tapas, but our Middle Eastern flavors bring a fresh taste to a southern town. The menu really reflects Peter’s travels.

What’s your favorite dish, of past or present, at The National?

Of all time, it has to be the Leg of Lamb served with a muhamara sauce over roasted cauliflower, couscous with mint, crushed walnuts, roasted red peppers and pomegranate molasses. Every year I ask Peter if he’ll bring it back. My favorite repeat staple would be the Gambas al Ajillo, which are always delicious.

In this photo…
Print by Jessie Merriam hanging in the bar at The National

Holiday Baking by The National Kirsten Bradford is again baking...

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:36:01 -0500

Holiday Baking by The National
Kirsten Bradford is again baking her famous pies, cheesecakes and cookies for us this holiday season.

chocolate hazelnut cheesecake with biscotti crust
30.00
pumpkin cheesecake with chocolate cookie crust
30.00
cranberry pecan tart (fluted pastry crust)
18.00
chocolate pecan tart (fluted pastry crust)
18.00
classic apple cinnamon pie
18.00
apple cranberry pie
18.00
key lime pie
18.00
1 dozen assorted holiday cookies
10.00

We require orders to be in 48-hours before pick-up
Christmas Eve pickup will be available from 12 noon-10 pm

Orders can be taken by phone: 706-549-3450
or email: thenationalrestaurant@gmail.com