IMG_0252A new restaurant in the old warehouse district off of Howell Mill road in Atlanta opened up about 4 months ago as a chophouse following what is being called the “whole animal” concept.  Abattoir, french for “slaughterhouse,” is very chic and eclectic in a literally “other side of the tracks” and meat-packing district sort of way.  I heard about it from two local friends well-versed in the foodie scene here in A-town, so as Friday came around, seemed like a good option to earn some brownie points with the wife and get some protein in my belly.

IMG_0253The menu is all ala carte with some interested dishes including chicharrones, rabbit and fried chicken livers (haven’t had those since the days of living in So. Fla.) and the wine list is full of variety and priced between $20-40 !!!  To start things off, we grabbed those chicharrones, which is basically pork rinds, but not the kind you get at Kroger for the afternoon game.  These came to the table with snap, crackle and pop, and they melted in your mouth.  We also tried the french goat cheese that came presented on a small cutting board with some almonds and fig as well.

IMG_0255I chose the wine based on the fact I knew I was going to have the NY Strip and we both knew we were in the mood for a fuller bodied red.  Yes, it was that kind of week.  The resulting choice was the 2006 Caravan Cabernet Sauvignonfrom Darioush in Napa Valley.  Big black fruit up front, with some vanilla and chocolate but, again, not the huge oak bomb one comes to expect from the region.  It was well-balanced, velvety smooth with good tannins and spice at the end and really set the mood for the evening and meal.  A very nice second label offering that I felt was a steal at $39.  Not even the trains that came roaring by every 30-40 minutes could ruin this vibe… if anything it added to the entire experience per the location.

The NY Strip came with mushrooms, but I also added pickled cabbage and veggies that were made on premise in a canning jar.  Nice blend of pickling spices, vinegar and ginger.  Think kimche… yummo!

If you’d like a more in-depth review of this restaurant, check out this post from Foodie Buddha.