He says:
In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, I heard from no less than three native Atlantans that Agave, the southwest eatery on Boulevard & Carroll, was the best restaurant in the city. So it was with fairly high expectations that Uptown Girl and I wandered over to funky, up-and-coming Cabbage Town for a romantic dinner for two. The margaritas, I had heard, were to die for. The food – inspired. And the vibe – as eclectic and cool as the surrounding environs.
Well, one out of three ain’t bad.
She says:
The vibe is cool, with a rustic, New Mexican-inspired décor playing backdrop to a wait staff dressed in black chic and a refreshingly diverse clientele. We were promptly seated in the larger back room, not far from the fireplace and in view of a quaint Navajo quilt hanging alongside a sparse oil painting of trees in silhouette. A brisk vibrancy flowed through the restaurant as the wait staff bustled between tables. The waitress cheerfully made margarita recommendations. “It’s what we’re famous for,” she added.
He says:
Alas, the first stumble of the night began. The Don Eduardo Anejo margarita we ordered was sweet and medicinal, and basically indistinguishable from Mike’s Hard Lemonade. The only difference, I suppose, was that it was served in a salt-frosted glass and cost $9.50.
She says:
Perhaps the mark of great tequila is that it’s so smooth, you don’t even notice you’re drinking it?
He says:
Next, our Guajillo Mussels appetizer arrived. In general I avoid mussels in red sauces since they tend to be bland, but the citrus wine broth was bold and refreshing, and the red chili was like a karate chop to the mouth. A few of the mussels were unpleasantly fishy, however … always a bad sign. And yet others were tender and complemented the broth perfectly.
The tomato, avocado, and basil salad was excellent and probably the best dish of the night, which is sad since I’m not a big salad person. The basil mixed with spring greens added a nice fresh flavor. The avocado was deliciously ripe and the tomatoes as good as can be expected given the season. The dressing was the master stroke, a marvelous creation of rich, creamy ranch offset by a citrus zing that lingered on my tongue long after I’d polished the plate clean.
She says:
Overall, our hopes were high as the moment of truth arrived—time for the main course. We had opted out of the Valentine’s Day fixed menu, a four course affair that featured filet mignon as the main entrée. (No substitutions allowed? A bitch-slap to vegetarians and non-beef eaters!) With such an eclectic and creative menu, it was fun to choose from a number of tantalizing dishes. Trout stuffed with crawfish? Seared tuna with a jalapeno wasabi drizzle? I chose the Spicy Tequila Anejo Shrimp, because in my opinion, one of the South’s finest offerings to the palate is big, juicy, bursting-with-flavor prawns. The shrimp that arrived were big and juicy, but bursting with far too much salt, which overwhelmed any lime or tequila flavor. However, the grits “cake,” gussied up with cheddar and jalapeno, added a creative spin on a traditional dish. I also really enjoyed the perfectly grilled asparagus—more so than the shrimp. (Oddly, my plate was blessed with only three asparagus spears; at least a 3:1 ratio with the shrimp. What’s the point of being stingy with veggies?)
He says:
The main course … let’s just say this is when the wheels fell off the gastronomic wagon. Agave’s menu is strong in fish and pork, but I was hungry so I opted for the sunburned strip steak. Big mistake. It was one of the most disappointing entrees I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Not just an Atlanta restaurant. ANY restaurant. I ordered it rare, but when I cut open the steak, no juices flowed from the meat. That first bite was possibly the driest thing I’d ever put in my mouth; to put this in context, when I was six I accidently swallowed a spoonful of flour. The steak looked good—it was pink in the middle and cooked on the outside, and yet (perhaps with some special machine that sucks the taste from food?) all the flavor had magically been removed from one of the fattiest cuts of meat on a cow. The mushrooms had obviously been put through the same machine—they were gray, tasteless lumps. The accompanying mashed potatoes were like something out of a grade school cafeteria. The plate’s one salvation was the mole sauce, which was tangy and sweet. I ended up sopping every forkful of steak and potato into the sauce to eke some gusto from this dish.
She says:
Alas, a disappointing pattern has emerged over the course of our culinary experiences in Atlanta—excellent starters followed by mediocre entrees. Sadly, Agave did not break the trend.
But it was time for dessert, and as full as I was, it was Valentine’s Day. It would be utterly incomplete without something chocolate for dessert. The Belgium Chocolate Ganache Banana Cheesecake provided an auspicious end to the meal. The cheesecake wasn’t overly sweet, and the chocolate ganache added just the right amount of sugar and richness. What tasted like a burnt-sugar whipped cream lightened the cheesecake, although not quite enough for me to fork down those last few bites…
He says:
I ordered the flan as a litmus test. Flan is by nature a plain dessert, and so the best restaurants do something unexpected with it. In NYC I once had a flan topped with balsamic vinegar, an inventive twist that had my mouth doing somersaults. Agave’s flan plays it safe – a little too safe unfortunately – caramel syrup over a standard custard.
We say:
Respectfully, we must disagree with three Atlantans who have dined here much longer than us: Agave is not the best restaurant in Atlanta. It does have its strengths though. The setting is vibrant and quite romantic despite the bustle. The service is adept. And the menu is truly appealing. But it still has some work to do on the most important thing of all—the food.
242 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
http://www.agaverestaurant.com/
