If you could get inside chef Kevin Gillespie’s head, you can imagine it might be carpeted in his Scottish family’s tartan, just like his new restaurant, Nàdair.
The chef mines his heritage to offer Scottish fine dining that is influenced heavily by both Southern and continental European cuisines, an idea Gillespie admitted “no one asked for.” But his strikingly clear vision for Nàdair gives the restaurant an immediate appeal.
Nàdair took over the former Floataway Cafe space in DeKalb County’s Woodland Hills neighborhood. Floataway became a destination restaurant with a loyal following, and it’s easy to imagine Nàdair doing the same.
Credit: Kevin Gillespie
Credit: Kevin Gillespie
The restaurant is as personal and quirky as could be, but it gets the most important thing right: The food is phenomenal. Nàdair is open just four nights a week, but Gillespie works every shift and his passion shows on each plate.
Nàdair offers two separate dining experiences: a three-course menu for $89 or a six-course tasting menu for $175. Both options represent something of a bargain, as many chef’s tasting menus around town have crept well past $200 per person.
The restaurant’s name is based on the Scottish phrase “dòigh nàdair” (pronounced doe nah-dare), which means “the way of nature.” That theme translates into the seasonality and high-quality, farm-to-table ingredients at Nàdair, but it also places many cutting-edge cooking techniques off-limits. You won’t see foams, bubbles or other science experiments on the plate.
Credit: Kevin Gillespie
Credit: Kevin Gillespie
There is some crossover between the two menus. Some dishes benefit from the three-course menu’s larger portion sizes, as in the lamb tenderloin au sauvage, a lamb tartare accented with warm North African flavors. The heavily spiced green chermoula sauce contrasted beautifully with the cool, sanguine flavors of the tender lamb in the full portion, but the tiny tasting menu serving wasn’t enough to allow the subtle tastes to bloom.
However, the tasting menu improved considerably with the next course, an unusual combination of foie gras torchon with a cantaloupe salad and red plum gelee. The refreshingly sweet, crisp fruit provided lovely balance to the luxuriant, creamy richness of the foie gras.
The seafood dishes exclusive to each menu were perhaps the best at the restaurant.
On the three-course menu, the potato-crusted filet of sole was a gorgeous interplay of Old World European elegance and down-home Southern technique.
Credit: Angie Mosier
Credit: Angie Mosier
The tasting menu, meanwhile, had two absolute gems, starting with a smoked Maine lobster dish. The succulent lobster sat atop a bed of wonderfully al dente herb spaetzle and was enrobed in a rich, luscious thermidor sabayon sauce. The lobster was followed by a spectacular grilled scallop paired with peach-glazed pork belly. The sweet scallop was seared perfectly in minutes while the pork belly had taken hours to be steamed, then smoked, then glazed on the grill.
On the three-course menu, the kitchen worked similar miracles on the spice-lacquered Berkshire pork shoulder, which seemed to fall apart at the touch of a fork. Alongside it, a collard green and pork confit dumpling made me wonder how pork can be so delicious in so many different ways.
In areas other than the food, Nàdair only falters slightly. The dining room is spare in an elegant way, but it doesn’t wrap diners in a cocoon of luxury like some might expect. And the service can be a bit inconsistent.
When I tried the tasting menu, the service was nearly perfect, but on a prior visit, we got stuck with a long wait and a less experienced server. Our party had a later reservation time, and the evening was thrown off because other diners weren’t leaving their tables — usually a sign that a restaurant is good, but also a symptom of Nàdair’s isolation. When you finish dinner, there’s nowhere else to go.
Credit: Angie Mosier
Credit: Angie Mosier
That meal suffered some awkward pacing, and there were a few too many interjections from our chatty server, but nothing severe enough to take the shine off an otherwise sparkling evening. The excellence of the food outweighed any minor inconveniences.
At its core, Nàdair is a restaurant for Gillespie more than anyone else. He has health issues, so he said he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to work in a professional kitchen. With that in mind, he has created a truly excellent restaurant where he’s able to execute personally his uncommonly strong vision.
Nàdair might not suit everyone’s taste, but for those who appreciate the auteur’s work, dining there is a true pleasure.
NÀDAIR
3 out of 4 stars (excellent)
Food: Scottish fine dining with European and Southern influences
Service: personable and thoughtful, if not always smooth
Noise level: low
Recommended dishes: grilled watermelon and small tomato salad, Scottish cheese dumplings, potato-crusted filet of sole, spice-lacquered Berkshire pork shoulder, Grandma Coylene’s banoffee pie, Dornoch dreams, trifle
Vegetarian dishes: a vegetarian version of the six-course tasting menu is available, along with grilled watermelon and small tomato salad, Scottish cheese dumplings, wood-oven roasted Georgia mushrooms, vegetarian “haggis” pie, Grandma Coylene’s banoffee pie, Dornoch dreams, trifle and Tahitian vanilla ile flottante
Alcohol: full bar
Price range: $100-$200 or less per person, excluding drinks
Hours: 6-10 p.m., Wednesdays-Saturdays
Accessibility: fully ADA-compliant, with ramps into the building; a bit of a trek from the parking lot
Parking: free lot
Nearest MARTA station: none
Reservations: required for dinner; not accepted for bar seating, which has a limited menu
Outdoor dining: none
Takeout: no
Address, phone: 1123 Zonolite Road NE, Atlanta. 404-941-7254
Website: nadairatl.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.
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