3 questions with Christopher Grossman of Atlas

Who’s your chef?

Christopher Grossman, executive chef at Atlas shares his one-year anniversary highlights; the most popular dish on the menu; and more in this edition of "3 questions with."

You recently celebrated your one-year anniversary at Atlas. What are some of the highlights?

I couldn’t image a better first year. There were a few hiccups at the beginning and I thought there would be more of a curve, but we have a really strong core of cooks. We were able to get up to speed quickly and execute an [exceptional] caliber of food on a daily basis. Now we’re in a position to move forward and continue raising the bar.

What’s your secret ingredient?

I cook with whatever is the freshest and the best right now. For example, it’s peak season for Vidalia spring onions; I shouldn’t have to do too much with them to make it taste good. It’s a solid, fundamental cooking technique.

What’s the most popular dish on the current menu?

Our signature dish is the beef pierogi, and we’ve had that on the menu since inception. I really like the foie gras torchon. I started teaching the cooks how to make it. It’s a very simple dish, but it takes refinement and very good execution throughout the torchon-making process. We’re currently serving it with shortbread, fresh arugula and a strawberry sauce.

Atlas is located at 88 West Paces Ferry Road N.W. in Atlanta. 404-600-6471. www.atlasrestaurant.com.

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