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| Michael Tuohy, owner of Woodfire Grill and Cafe at Woodfire, uses grain-fed beef that is hormone- and antibiotic-free as well as a large selection of other organic ingredients. |
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HOME > COMMUNITY > DINING
By: SALLY HANSEL
COMMENTS |
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On his travels in Europe,
Atlanta restaurateur Michael Tuohy loved the roadside cafes where people would linger over a bottle of wine and salami. Deciding this would be a good concept for the front room of his popular Woodfire Grill restaurant, Tuohy opened the Café at Woodfire last June.
Simple Mediterranean fare like paninis, pizzetta and plates of artisan cheeses and cured meats comprise the menu at the Cheshire Bridge Road cafe, along with wood-grilled hamburgers.
Big bowls of colorful antipasti line a deli case. A Red vintage Italian slicer sits ready for proscuitto and sopressata.
In addition to those Italian cues, the 40-seat café includes enough votive candles for a small shrine, illuminating mustard-colored walls, ironwork and a long wood bar that anchors perhaps Atlanta’s only self-proclaimed limoncello bar.
A popular Italian after-dinner drink, limoncello combines lemon zest, sugar and whole grain alcohol in an adult lemonade that is best served ice cold from the freezer. Woodfire stocks several imported brands, and the Caravella limoncello made with lemons from Italy’s Amalfi Coast is sublime.
For an appetizer or snack, don’t miss Tuohy’s stellar Basque tuna salad with canned, cured tuna from Spain mixed with sherry vinegar, capers, boiled potatoes, parsley, red onions and aioli. Pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika) imparts a pleasant lingering heat and ruddy color.
The spicy chickpea salad comes in at a close second on the appetizer menu. The best deal is to order an antipasti assortment, an attractive platter with five prepared salads and scrumptious crackers made from house-made focaccia ($10).
Tuohy keeps the paninis ($7) simple. Fontina cheese and a choice of proscuitto or sopressata with arugula is pressed between slices of house-made sourdough. Side garnishes of cornichons and pickled red onions cut through the rich taste. Unfortunately, the accompanying house-made potato chips are overly salty and greasy.
Many but not all of the ingredients at Woodfire are organic. Tuohy is a leader in the Slow Food movement in Atlanta, active with Georgia Organics and the Morningside Farmers Market. He likes to support local farms, but buys elsewhere if the products are better.
All of his beef is from hormone-and-antibiotic-free grain-fed cattle.
In a risotto perfect for a wintry night, braised short rib ragout blends with parmesan, gremolata (minced parsley, lemon peel, garlic and olive oil), and long-grain carnaroli rice, Tuohy’s favorite of the three risotto rices because “it retains its identity and toothsomeness,” he says.
This risotto lists as $12 on the café menu, but $21 on the dining room menu. Similarly, identical pizzettas sell for $12 and $18, respectively. The difference? The dining room version comes with a basket of complementary house-made bread.
On a Tuesday night, I practically have my own private dining room with a window seat, watching patrons unload from valet-only parking and walk through the café to the inner sanctum. I wonder how many know about the café as an option.
Service is excellent in either side of the house. When I’m struggling to read the menu by candlelight, my server quickly provides a stylish Eddie Bauer mini flashlight. Where can you get one? The camping section of Target.
More importantly, the server is knowledgeable about wine and particularly enthusiastic about cabernet franc.
For dessert, bread pudding is comforting and delicious, if a bit dry in places. I also wish for a more generous serving of the scrumptious caramel sauce.
But for the ultimate conclusion, remember to order the limoncello. It’s not on the list of after-dinner drinks, so diners need to know to ask for it like real Italians. You’ll be glad you did.
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