Chef Karl Gorline’s new restaurant, Avize, brings Alpine-inspired dining to West Midtown
Avize, the new Alpine-inspired restaurant from Chef Karl Gorline, is now open in West Midtown, in the former Nick’s Westside space. Guests experience an eclectic mix of Alpine food traditions and cultural influences from Switzerland, Germany, Italy and France.
You’ve worked for Atlanta restaurants such as Watershed and Atlas. What have you brought to Avize from those experiences?
Being from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, these experiences gave me a better understanding of the local dining culture and of elevated hospitality. Together with Taurean Philpott and Jason Swaringen, my hospitality and beverage partners, we’ve created a hybrid of high cuisine down to earth, friendly service. We want our brand of hospitality to be as much about creating a great experience as it is about creating great food.
How did you go about creating a cohesive menu that still honored various Alpine food traditions?
Creating a cohesive menu is something all chefs focus on and strive for, and requires constant attention and tweaking. This first iteration contains many staples I knew I wanted to feature, with “guidelines” we can work within for years to come. [We’ll offer] three housemade pastas, bread and butter made in-house, a nice salad and flatbread, local wagyu beef, North Georgia trout and a nice chicken dish. The Alps are a vast and dense culture of food traditions, and while staying true to my own style, I think we’ve been able to embed that spirit into this first menu.
The restaurant’s wine list will feature lesser-known European growers. What does that mean?
The wine list encompasses the broad landscape of wine. There are classics that form the backbone of the list such as thoughtfully curated selections from Burgundy and an extensive Champagne list. The wine list also showcases lesser known regions that are Alpine or Alpine-adjacent. But the Alps have many great classic regions that are showcased such as the Rhone Valley, Provence, Barolo and the Veneto known for Amarone. There is also plenty of great California cabernet and Oregon pinot noir. There is something for everyone. We match the ethos of our food with the wine program and work with growers who are artisans and follow responsible growing and winemaking practices. These wines have character and are expressive and delicious.
AVIZE
404.879.1713
avizeatlanta.com
@avize.atl
BY Claire Ruhlin
