BACKED BY A CELEBRITY CHEF, THE AMERICANO DELIVERS SPOTLIGHT-WORTHY FLAVORS!
Atlanta has mixed experiences with celebrity chefs. Star toques such as Emeril Legasse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Art Smith and “Top Chef” host Tom Colicchio have all tried and failed to make a longterm success of restaurants here. Perhaps with so much homegrown culinary talent, Atlantans have a sixth sense for knowing when and if the chef whose name is on the menu isn’t actually in the kitchen.
An exception to this rule seems to be The Americano, the anchor restaurant at the Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta. Opened in May of 2022 in the space formerly occupied by Smith’s Southern Art eatery, the concept is the brainchild of Scott Conant, Scottsdale, Arizona-based judge on Food Network’s “Chopped,” a James Beard Awardwinner and four-time cookbook author.
Perhaps Conant has cracked the code for being in the kitchen enough to keep the restaurant’s operations humming and bestowing the food with his own star touch. It seems to be working: I visited twice over the course of a couple of months—once with Conant in the kitchen and once when he was away—and the consistency and quality of the dishes impressed me equally on both visits.
If you’re looking to start your meal with a bit of a show, order the smoked Negroni. An attendant will wheel over a cart and mix New Riff Bourbon Barrel Aged Gin, St. George Bruto Americano, Carpano Antica and, for a nod to Georgia’s state fruit, Champagne-peach shrub. The glass carafe is lit and infused with smoke before being poured into a glass sporting a giant ice cube. If theatrics aren’t required, choose one of the other balanced cocktails or wine from a list that leans heavily on bottles from Italy and California.
The olive oil-poached octopus arrived perfectly fork-tender, surrounded by fingerling potatoes and briny olives and capers. From the raw bar menu, tuna crudo gets an herbaceous zing from Conant’s take on chimichurri and black garlic vinaigrette, plus a delightful crunch from crispy risotto rice. In both dishes, vibrant flavors played well together, evoking locales close to the sea rather than landlocked Atlanta.
I’m a sucker for a great steakhouse wedge salad, and the version at The Americano doesn’t disappoint. Crisp, baby iceberg lettuce comes dressed with crunchy bacon lardons, creamy buttermilk blue cheese dressing and tangy marinated tomatoes. It’s a decadent way to eat your veggies.
Chef watchers may know that one of the dishes that put Conant on the culinary map is the beautifully simple pasta pomodoro. It’s essentially three ingredients: tomatoes, basil and fresh, daily made pasta. An early version of the dish at Conant’s then-restaurant Scarpetta in New York led famed Times critic Frank Bruni to ask, “Is any other chef coaxing more or better from [the tomato] than he?” The simplicity of the dish’s elegantly al dente pasta cloaked in velvety tomato sauce, studded with basil and sprinkled with salty, creamy Parmesan is a wonder to behold.
My advice: If you’re here for the steak, plan to order the pomodoro to share for the table. You shouldn’t come for a meal and miss the dish the “Today” show once called “heaven in your mouth.”
Aged steaks are another main event on this menu that bills itself as an Italian steakhouse. You can’t go wrong with a classic, 8-ounce filet mignon paired with a side of horseradish crema. The buttery texture renders a knife almost unnecessary. For a heartier portion, choose the aged and earthy 16-ounce prime ribeye. Order it at your preferred temperature, and it will arrive with a just-right charred exterior and gorgeous marbling.
You won’t need anything to enhance it, but the house-made steak sauce, with all of its spiced and piquant notes, is a worthy addition. Pair your carnivorous entrees with sharable sides such as potato puree flavored with chicken jus and crispy shallots, creamy polenta topped with roasted seasonal mushrooms (hello umami!) and truffle sugo, or charred and garlicstudded broccolini with parmesan.
Dessert so often feels like an afterthought following such a decadent meal, but it’s worth indulging at The Americano. The mascarpone cheesecake walks the line between light and dense, adding texture in the form of a graham cracker crust and streusel and sweetness with blueberry compote. For a sweet finale that doubles as artistic expression, choose the chocolate tortino, a petite cake coated in a glossy glaze and served with a crunchy tuile of cocoa nibs and intensely sweet marasca cherries.
Whether he’s in the kitchen or simply managing from afar, it seems Conant has the Midas touch.
The Americano
404.946.9070
theamericanoatlanta.com
@the_americano_atlanta
Prices: appetizers: $18-$24; salads: $16-$19; raw bar: $21-$175; pasta: $32-$52; steak: $42-$140; entrees: $34-$52; sides: $9-$18; dessert: $9-$16.
Recommended: Smoked Negroni, olive oil-poached octopus, tuna crudo, wedge salad, pasta pomodoro, prime ribeye, polenta with mushrooms, chocolate tortino.
Bottom line: The Americano fits right into Buckhead, an epicenter for top steakhouses and Italian eateries. Prime steaks, super-fresh seafood and housemade pastas are served in an elegant dining room overlooking Peachtree.
PHOTOS: Erik Meadows
