Better Half review (Atlanta)

I first heard about the chef through mutual industry friends, at the time he was running a weekly supper club out of his loft in Atlanta. Followed him through Instagram and was really intrigued by his plating style and his overall attitude on food. This is all back in 2012ish. In the last year and a half or so he started a kick starter to crowd fund his restaurant.

What became of the kick starter campaign is, Better Half. I guess I would call it modern American however he does lean heavily on Latin American flavors, he lived in Costa Rica for a time apparently...

Anyways, we had a 6 o'clock reservation because I went with two old farts. Really small space with a cool modern minimalistic design. Big mural on the wall of a cooking machine from some comic or book (i forgot, obviously). Open kitchen, three man line. We sat in the back corner angled to watch the guys work.



We started with three apps; roasted corn soup, cured flounder, and a play on a tomato salad with ricotta dumplings


The corn soup is poured table side over crispy masa cakes, aerated goat cheese, and pickled chayote. Really enjoyed this, intense corn flavor the goat cheese was a perfect creamy element and the chayote made it all pop.


The ricotta dumplings were good, a bit underseasoned. The tomato salad was awesome. Raw and dried heirlooms, green tomato gelee, pickled green tomato, basil bubbles, garlic chips, and a chimichurri type sauce on the bottom.


This was my favorite course of the night. Cured flounder (very mild cure, the flounder had perfect texture), avocado mousse, citrus supremes, radish, cilantro and basil. Perfectly refreshing and a great summer first course.


For entrees, we went with the flat iron, swordfish, and silk handkerchief pasta.

The flat iron was super tender ( sous vide then seared), fermented black eyed peas, eggless bernaise, torn twice fried potatoes, chili "pudding", and crispy shallots.



The swordfish was incredible, also perfectly cooked. Super meaty and succulent. Once again, sous vide and the seared. RRP Israeli couscous, salted squash, grapefruit supremes, fermented lemon aioli. Excellent dish. Executed and seasoned perfectly. Very balanced.


The pasta was nothing special, the tomato jam was overly sweet. Porcini cream was solid as was the pasta. Not sure why this was even ordered as can be seen in the shite picture of said pasta.



On to dessert, we opted for the cocoa sponge, brown butter cake, and tres leches. All three were fricking phenomenal.

The tres leches was so delicate and rich. Rose ice cream, blueberry jam and toasted milk powder. So good, not too sweet not too savory.



The cocoa sponge came with coconut foam, lychee gelle, and a coconut macaroon. Another perfectly balanced dish.


The brown butter cake came with figs (fresh and dried), condensed milk ice cream, fig jam, white chocolate powder and a creme fraiche of some kind. My favorite by far. The brown butter cake was perfectly on the line of underdone and cinnamon rollish. Super fresh figs.... Very very well done.





Highly recommend this place to anyone traveling to Atlanta or to any of our resident FDB atliens. Under 200 for three people, nine plates. They also do a four course tasting. I think it was fifty or sixty five something like that. Very reasonably priced IMO especially for the quality of food.

A couple of these photos were not taken by me