LUSCA
1829 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 678-705-1486, luscaatl.com.
For their sophomore effort, Nhan Le and Angus Brown — the team behind the late-night East Atlanta sensation Octopus Bar — are joined by a third partner, Jonathan Sellitto, who butchers and dry-ages all the meats in-house. Lusca brings a fresh voice and some excitement to Atlanta at a fallow time for new restaurants. But it is a place of uneven charms, still working on spotty service and timing issues while looking for breakout stars on its eclectic and expensive menu.
Here’s my early advice: Order a slice of pain au levain bread smeared liberally with chunky avocado and lavished with rock crab, then don’t miss the tangle of hand-cut pappardelle pasta tossed with lobes of sea urchin, melty bits of pancetta and lemon. This bowl of noodles is a place where sea funk and pork fat express something akin to concupiscence.
There are also sushi and oysters from an odd, multi-purpose raw bar, and Sellitto’s edgy charcuterie, which includes ferociously pungent rabbit liver pate.
Props to the booze: food-friendly wines, recherche beers on tap and smart cocktails compete for your gullet.
