Atlanta small-plate delight gets zing from the sea

Not only does the interior of Atrium sweep you away with enchantment, but the menu also abounds with small-plate delights.

A spinach agnolotti with smoked celery cream and lemony pillows of ricotta-filled gnocchi quickly became a favorite of diners there, and then evolved into a new dish, with fresh spinach kneaded into dough of super fine double zero flour and egg yolks, yielding a fleckless, silky, jade green pasta. Parcels of that dough are folded over house-made ricotta, shaved pecorino and lemon, then pinched into dainty crescents. A simple sauce of shallots, garlic, butter and pasta water is used to glaze them.

The zing in the creamy texture comes from the garnish, in which Executive Chef and partner Brandon Hughes employs Italian bottarga, often called the “truffle of the sea.” The salted-cured fish roe has the salinity and luxuriousness of caviar. The bottarga is microplaned atop toasted breadcrumbs and lemon zest, adding an oceanic flourish to a dish that is both comforting and refreshing.