800 Peachtree ST
Atlanta GA 30308 404-685-3191
Wine: Quivira Sauvignon Blanc Fig Tree
(USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley)
(USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley)
Food: Nantucket Bay Scallops
with Kabocha Squash, and Local Greens
Our tasting at ENO was the final stop on the Riding Dirty Atlanta Wine Pairing Challenge tour. Though last, they were actually the first restaurant to sign up, and sent us out on a real high note.
The Quivira Sauvignon Blanc Fig Tree is a cool wine. It is refreshing, restrained, organic, biodynamic, and balanced. Add that Quivira (check out Dr Xeno's Post) is Atlanta owned, and I can't help but like it even more. Now the dish... Screamingly good. Tender, tiny, naturally sweet Nantucket Bay Scallops, with a delicate pan sauce, and a few essential bitter greens... Man... Duuude... (insert your favorite expletive)... Chef Eli's dish was nuts and highlighted super-premium, seasonal ingredients. The wine and the dish together, rocked. Sweet meets tart, soft meets steel, pure versus sinister... A lot of thought went into this one and it worked.
Along with a great pairing, one thing I really like about ENO is their wine list. They have a ridiculous amount of wines by the glass, and offer all of them by either the 2oz taste or 6oz pour. I love the taste approach. The nerd in me usually wants to experiment with multiple wines and this makes it cost effective, fun, and keeps me from having to drop the hammer.
With the team of Chef Eli and Doug, ENO has never been better.
(Doug and Eli watching Dirty drop the hammer regardless of 2oz pours)
(all photos courtesy of Broderick Smylie)
