Opposites attract at the Pig and the Pearl

Service: friendly, but still working out the kinks

Best dishes: brisket, trout, yellowfin tuna

Vegetarian selections: salads and sides

Price range: $$$

Credit cards: all major credit cards

Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily

Children: fine, if well-behaved

Parking: underground garage, valet at dinner (but expect long waits for valet)

Reservations: yes

Wheelchair access: yes

Smoking: no

Noise level: moderate

Patio: yes

Takeout: for everything but raw bar items

Address, phone: 1380 Atlantic Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-541-0930

Website: thepigandthepearl.com

If you met my husband, you’d quickly discover that he’s nothing like me. He’s wonderfully laid back and easygoing in ways I could never be. We prove the theory that opposites attract.

True for restaurants? Not always. I’ve reviewed some restaurants that have tried to merge divergent concepts under one roof with disastrous results. As intriguing as they seem, it’s too just difficult to reconcile the split personalities.

So, it was with a wait-and-see attitude that I approached the Pig and the Pearl. This new Atlantic Station restaurant presents a raw bar-smokehouse hybrid. Chef and co-owner Todd Richards believes light seafood makes the perfect corollary to the heavier smoked meats.

I can buy that. In theory, it works. But in practice?

Indeed, it does. I dig the progression from an icy platter of oysters and a cold brew to a cut of smoky brisket and unique takes on barbecue sides.

The Pig and the Pearl makes a nice independent, chef-driven addition to Atlantic Station’s dining scene and fits the area’s vibe. The restaurant’s ambitiously large menu includes fatty smoked meats and bold flavors, which may or may not be your style.

But here you have a casually upscale spot to grab a cocktail and a hearty meal before catching a movie or a Cirque du Soleil performance at the Station. Just be prepared to hurry your server along a tad.

Though well-intentioned, the servers might benefit from additional work on establishing routines, defining roles and practicing timing. One particularly humorous evening, our appetizer plates were set, cleared and reset by three different servers before our seafood starters arrived.

If you’re in a hurry for a show, try sitting at the contemporary bricked bar to save time. Sip one of the house-made punches, like the redheaded stepchild ($7), a fresh concoction made with Bombay gin, strawberry, ginger and basil. Also investigate wine offerings, all served by both glass and bottle, which were selected to pair with the aggressive flavor of smoked meats.

The large restaurant’s bright, cool interior speaks more sushi bar than smokehouse, a calm reprieve from the energy of the cruisers sharing their musical selections through car windows outside. But wafts from the Southern Pride smokers out back and cages of oyster shells hanging overhead are constant reminders of the polished hybrid concept.

Those shells also may remind you that it’s oyster season, a good time to sample the grassy Grand Pearl oysters ($3) from Chesapeake Bay or the more briny Washburn Island variety ($3). I’d also recommend one of the other raw bar selections, like the cube of yellowfin tuna ($12) with thin slices of cucumber and a zesty ponzu gelee.

I have to agree with Richards that this is the perfect way to begin a heavy smokehouse meal. Well, … that, or the gushy pimento cheese croquettes ($10) with a funky olive sauce and pickled okra. Either way.

When you progress to the smokehouse menu, you’ll find that the Pig and the Pearl cooks up favorites ranging from brisket, ribs and pork to fish and duck. All are reminiscent of Richards’ childhood spent at the smoker with his dad as they prepared meals for family gatherings. He uses a combination of rubs, aromatic brines, and pecan and oak woods to develop flavor. But it all comes down to preference and how you take your meat.

If you like your brisket ($14) well-laced with fat, here’s your place. At the Pig and the Pearl, the best cuts are the fattier ones, both moist and smoky. The less fat, the drier the specimen. Although somewhat inconsistent, I’d rank this with some of the better brisket in town.

Now, the ribs tell a different story. I found both the pork spare ribs ($16 half slab) and the lamb ribs to be tough and difficult to extract from the bone. That’s not to say they come sans flavor. The lamb’s dark coffee rub and accompanying mole sauce was something to text home about, but not worth the gnaw required.

If pork’s your thing, try the knife-and-fork pork ($12), a balance of flavors and textures. This open-faced sandwich features a thick slice of smoked pork, melting with fat, paired with Asian pears, spicy arugula and a drippy mustard-seed sauce.

The jury is out on the love-it-or-hate-it half duck ($21). You may love the smoky skin, but hate the solid quarter-inch of fat beneath. You may love the tender meat, but shrink back from the long, skinny bone sporting a webbed foot jutting from the bird at an odd angle. Or, perhaps you love the Chinese restaurant-style presentation.

In either case, let me offer a word of caution from our motley table: Watch the curled appendage, which can easily hook the stem of a wine glass and cause a near catastrophe.

The fish fresh from the smoker shows the most finesse. We tried the subtly smoky North Carolina trout ($16) with crisp skin. Preserved lemon and charred scallion added little zings of flavor so as not to overwhelm the delicate fish.

On each visit, our table had fun exploring the cast-iron crocks of shareable sides, although few came together quite like we expected. We passed skin-on rounds of heavily seasoned sweet potatoes ($5), a lackluster medley of apple and squash cubes ($7), and tangy, barbecue-saucy baked beans made with Sea Island red peas ($7).

Whether or not this is your brand of ’cue, the raw bar-smokehouse hybrid at the Pig and the Pearl works. In this case, opposites do attract.