Sunday, August 10, 2008
Food, In this Issue..., Reviews

Loitering pays off

Linger in Lobby at Twelve for good reason

Photos/Spark St. Jude
Garlic-marinated hangar steak

Katie Kelly Bell

Linger just a moment too long in Lobby at Twelve, and you’ll find yourself aromatically aroused. Wafting from the kitchen of the Lobby restaurant is the wood smoke from the wood-fired grill, mixed in with the bewitching scent of roasting meats, vegetables and pizza. Naturally, you’ll decide to wander over—just to check out the menu, of course. One glance at selections such as Cajun spiced yellowtail tuna or garlic marinated hangar steak, and you can safely be assume that you’ll be staying for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

As far as hotel dining goes, the Lobby at Twelve is a unique concept. Owned and operated independently of the Hotel Twelve, the restaurant is one of the stars in noted restaurateur Bob Amick’s lineup. His company, Concentrics Hospitality, operates multiple noteworthy establishments including One Midtown Kitchen, Trois, Tap and Two Urban Licks among others.

Lobby is segmented into three different dining rooms. Guests can choose from open-air kitchen seating, plush, more private seating in the main dining room or relaxed lounge seating. The circular bar is surrounded by tables and sleek couches with modern lines. Indeed, the bar is an ideal place to snag a glass of wine and a bite of pizza before taking in a movie at the nearby cinema. Better yet, stop off after the flick for the sticky toffee pudding.

If dinner is your plan, you’ll be dazzled by the imaginative interpretations of vegetables designed by the marvelous Nick Oltarsh. Formerly of Murphy’s in Virginia Highland, Oltarsh is now lending his expertise to another Concentrics restaurant: Room at the downtown hotel Twelve. Lobby is presently in the capable hands of Chef de Cuisine Gregory Vivier. Despite the change, Oltarsh’s vegetable creations live on at Lobby.

All tables are outfitted with a lazy susan centerpiece, designed specifically to hold the day’s veggie specials. A typical lineup might include braised cabbage with bacon, pickled cucumber salad, carrots with a dusting of cumin and balsamic glazed mashed potatoes. Patrons can spin and sample each while savoring an inspired dish such as Vivier’s braised beef cheeks with mashed potatoes and fresh tomato relish. 

Bigger appetites should be quite satisfied with a lush burgundy lamb shank with bean ragout or the Lobby burger with caramelized onions, smoked bacon.

Starters such as the wild caught Georgia white shrimp are a best bet, served in a tomato broth with a subtle kick of spice at the finish of each bite; the leftover broth begs to be soaked up by the fresh crusty bread served with dinner. Lobby also offers six different types of wood-fired pizzas.

Fortunately, there’s no need to stop the fun with dinner: Lobby does something unique in Atlanta (and given the fact that it’s a hotel restaurant, it must), it serves three meals a day. Which means visitors can look for inspired, delicious cuisine as an alternative to the standard lunch set or breakfast fare. Try the tomato-braised brisket with Swiss cheese and sourdough bread for lunch, or a chicken and watercress soup with mini matzo balls. For breakfast, try a ricotta fried egg and arugula wrap from the wood oven or a spicy marinated shrimp and grits. Irish oatmeal is spiked with red wine-mulled dates, and an omelet features salmon and tomato with crème fraiche.

If your plans call for a big crowd, take note of the private cellar at Lobby. Dark tones and a dazzling wine wall offer a unique alternative for your next private dinner (seats up to 48 people).
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A thoughtful wine list, some groovy cocktails and Monday night specials of $12 off any bottle of wine more than $36 are even more reasons for loitering in the lobby. SP