When I decided to have dinner on my one free night here in Atlanta, I guess I was not totally sure what kind of experience I had set myself up for at GUNSHOW. I had surely enjoyed Chef Kevin Gillespie's run on Top Chef and knew how the restaurant worked with an entourage of chefs in the open kitchen each coming around to all the diners offering their dishes in no logical order or sense. I was seated at the row of seats facing the open kitchen, so I could see a lot of what was going on there with the 9 or so chefs all lined up ahead of me busying themselves throughout the night. Executive Chef Chris McCord was a couple of feet away from me the entire night helping all the other chefs keep in line and there seemed to be a great camaraderie amongst them, although I have to admit I did feel bad when I turned a dish down.
So here is how it works. Each chef comes out of the kitchen carrying a couple of his plates (they each make two dishes) and offers them around the huge open room to someone who seems to have no food in front of them. You can say "no, thanks" and they cross off their dish on the menu of fourteen savory dishes. If you accept, they mark it purchased and the menu becomes your tab. There are also three desserts below this listing. Under that is a choice of five cocktails from the Kitchen Bar." Mixologist Mercedes O'Brien has some truly novel ideas and I started with "Tres Palomas" as my excellent server Nick(who helps to get drinks, clear plates, replenish silver, or just anything else that needs doing) said it was his favorite. Reposado Tequila, Mezcal, Coriander, Lime and Ginger Ale make up the drink in which is immersed a frozen ice cube called Tres Citrus & Habanero Ice which is the height of the glass and fills about 1/4 of it. The ice has different citrus and is a bit spicy due to the pepper infusion. It was a yummy drink and lasted a long time as the ice took a while to melt and thus made more of a drink as I waited. I moved on to the "Seasonal Tonic" which was Sunchoke & Mushroom Vodka(Yup!!) with Cranberry & Thyme Tonic, Amaro Montenegro, Citric and Seltzer.
Now here is where the drinks and the wines(also on the menu with prices and check boxes as you order each one(kind of like a Chinese dim sum menu) creates a slight problem as you don't know what you are eating until you say "yes" and then the drink or wine may not match. As you read on you will fully understand the dilemma.
I forgot to mention that the huge room is so loud you can barely think as hard rock often blasts throughout. I was very lucky to be at the table facing the kitchen away from the larger crowds at the giant tables in the middle of the room. The music softened every now and then, and sometimes I even hummed along. Talking here with your guests is almost impossible. I remembered a review by Tom Sietsema many years ago about a new establishment in Georgetown from Mike Isabella being described as like "dining inside a lawnmower," this was perhaps not that bad, but close.
Before my first drink arrived, one of the chefs came over with a bowl of what looked like ice cream scoops and explained it to me. I could not resist the "Chicken & Waffles" Chicken Liver, Waffle Ice Cream, Strawberry Pepper Jam & Pecans. The scoop of liver was rich and tasty and the little waffle cookies were great and drizzled with the pepper jam, if a bit messy. Wjhile I enjoyed this dish I was offered two others (Sweet Potato Latkes & a Fish Escabeche on Pita which I had to refuse as I was still eating and needed to keep it slow. These were two dishes I was less interested in and began to worry that if a dish I wanted arrived and I refused that the chef would not bring it back. I moved onto the Roasted Pear, Butter Poached Salsify, Yuzu Curd, Endive, Benne Tuile Salad that was a wondrous revelation. The scoop of slightly spicy yuzu was on one side and the chef (Kerry) explained it was to be taken with each bite of the salad on the other side as a dressing. I loved it and the salsify was so caramelized to perfection it was like munching on bacon!
I knew I had to slow down and took a slight rest refusing the Nori Spiced Tempura battered Smelt, but could not resist the Szechuan Poached Maine Lobster Tail with Cabbage, Bok Choy, Chilies & Peanuts. The chef warned me it was very very spicy, but that succulent lobster tail beckoned me nonetheless. The dish was extremely spicy and I marveled at how tender the meat was and then saw the chef poaching the tails in plastic bags sous-vide! I took a mouthful of the wonderful cabbage mixture that the tail laid on(the photos are all on FB with a video as well) and got some of the Szechuan peppercorns in with them. The "Seasonal tonic" became tasteless, so I returned to the remaining Citrus/Habanero Ice in the :Tres Palomas" and the slush quelled the spices. Lots of water and about 5 minutes later I finally got my taste buds back and could continue. Alas, during this time Chef Kerry returned with his next plate and I had to refuse, but begged him to return. He did not cross me off and later returned with his delicious Grilled Octopus, Marinated Wheatberry, Pistachio & Preserved Lemon that he explained also had red wine peppercorn sauce in which I found olives, and red pickled pepperoncini for a bite.
While he was preparing the octopus I had a brainstorm and ordered one glass of white wine and one red so that I would be ready for anything. The Sauvignon Blanc from Greywacke in Marlborough New Zealand 2018 was ideal with the octopus and the Tempranillo from Pruno 2017 in Ribera del Duero Spain was a night hearty red that went nicely with my final savory dish: Rabbit Roulade with Creamy Polenta, Bacon Mostarda and Rabbit Gravy was heavenly and the mostarda was the right touch for the tiny delicate roulades, although somehow I got one tiny bone in my dish. My husband would have had a fit.
I had chatted with the two men next to me a bit and asked what they liked and although they arrived after me and left before, got some good input, and in return shared which were my favorites, like the pear, lobster and octopus. When you declare yourself finished with savory, Nick procures the dessert tray with mockups of the three desserts: Warm Old Fashioned Banana Pudding, Profiteroles and Saffron Rice Pudding. I was all set to go with the latter when my neighbors said the pudding was to die for. They were right as it was made rom a recipe from the pastry chef's grandmother and used pound cake. I simply called it molten lava banana cake.
I asked Nick about dessert drinks and he recommended the gorgeous "Midwinter's Nigh Dream" made of Bourbon, Nocino, Tawny Port & Rainwater Madeira with Brown Butter Snow and a cherry. It looked beautiful and tasted even better and cut the richness of the dessert, of which I only had a bout 1/3 as it was quite large.
Gunshow is a place you are much better off with a partner to dine with as the dishes shared allow you to have many more. I really missed not be able to manage the Peruvian Duck Breast. Do ask to sit at the counter when you reserve, it is much more fun and you get to watch all the chefs who have more tattoos piercings and beards than I have seen in my entire life, but boy do they have character and if you chat them up(although not for long as they have to make more to serve) they can be most endearing.
One chef told me not to feel bad when declining a dish, but I still did. I left after about 2 hours and a tad very stuffed but truly happy that I have had this wonderful and novel experience. Bravo to the entire team, even if I did not have your dish, as you work your asses off and seem to really enjoy it. It may not be a gun show, but it is a show, and the hard work shows!
