Find comfort in this Buckhead dish

The Americano steakhouse in Buckhead is stunningly appointed, with a decadent menu by celebrity chef Scott Conant, but the dish that transfixed my tastebuds is time-honored comfort food.

Conant described his polenta cremosa as an “elevated take on a mushroom gravy,” but it is so much more. He uses coarse Italian cornmeal, for richer flavor and more bite. The creamy texture is achieved by cooking it for more than three hours, at a very low temperature, with heavy stirring.

When it arrives at the table, a fricassee of mushrooms with a hint of preserved truffle gets spooned over a smooth dune of polenta. You can taste the deglazing of the pan — the savory chicken stock reduction is pure umami. There is earthy heartiness in the mushrooms, combined with the toasty golden corn and velvety richness of the polenta, and a salty kick of Parmesan.