Eli Kirshtein, a former contender on “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” calls this Krog Street Market restaurant an American brasserie, but I’d call it an Atlanta one. The Luminary blends traditional Parisian brasserie style with contemporary Atlanta restaurant design.
Consider the raw bar selections, such as platters of fruits de mer and Deep Cove oysters from Prince Edward Island nestled in icy trays with traditional garnishes. Then sample the smooth chicken liver mousse dotted with crushed pistachios and balanced by pickled mushrooms. The beef tartare, a perfectly round patty of chopped steak, came stuffed with tiny bits of cornichon, tart little buds of contrasting flavor.
Perhaps the best update here is of the amandine, a typical butter and slivered almond topping, often for fish. The almonds became pecans for our amberjack, and the traditional heavy butter sauce became vinegary chopped kale and a smooth celery-root puree, to replace the illusion of creamy richness associated with butter.
