Saturday, May 30, 2009
Food, Reviews, "Dish"

Turning the tables

A first look at the new 30 Tables restaurant

By Kirsten Ott

Last week, I visited the Glenn Hotel, which houses both 30 Tables and 11 Stories. I’d been previously when the hotel restaurant was Maxim Prime and was highly disappointed in its service, décor and cuisine. It was so bad, in fact, that I didn’t even know if the space could be transformed. Previously, the windows were blacked out and the entire area was awash in purple and black, like a bad ’80s movie. There was an odd projection screen featuring a school of fish swimming around and around, while a dirty stench just slumped in the air. My server had an air of snoot, like we were at Bacchanalia or something and it was a privilege for us to be dining there. The food was ho-hum and nothing to write home (or to you) about. So I definitely was curious to see what had become of the place since Maxim Prime shut its doors with the announcement that it would relocate elsewhere (which hasn’t been released to the public yet).

I stepped into the Glenn and was quickly impressed with the transformation. Ah, what a fresh burst of sunshine 30 Tables is. Where there was darkness, now there is light. The windows have been restored to their original purpose of seeing in and out. Where outdated black and purple once covered everything, hues of orange, yellow and brown now offer a modern vibe. A spiral staircase used to lead Maxim Prime diners upstairs to eat. That has been removed, and guests now dine on the main level of the hotel in an airy room.

30 Tables serves Southern-inspired American cuisine with global undertones. The kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and provides 24-hour room service to hotel guests. For dinner, Maria and I shared several appetizers: the snapper crudo, a virtual splash in the ocean with radish, citrus, avocado and chile water; the veal-based Asian meatballs basted in caramel sauce, crème fraiche and peanuts; and the pork belly spring rolls, a fiery dose of pleasure on the tongue. She had the generously sized diver scallops for an entrée—they were accompanied by sugar snap peas, fingerling potatoes and green curry broth. For me, still on a high from the short rib I had at Craft several weeks ago, I ordered Executive Chef Daniel Chance’s version. His braised boneless short rib is much larger, but just as juicy and tender. For dessert, we shared the chocolate pot de crème, which is whipped with Graham’s 10-year-old Tawny port wine. It was light enough for us to make some serious headway into the vintage jar it’s served in, but dark enough to satisfy.

After dinner, Maria and I headed upstairs to 11 Stories, the high-energy rooftop lounge where the chef grows fresh herbs and produce for his kitchen. This is going to sound cliché, but I’m going to say it anyway: The view is absolutely breathtaking. It’s the best view of the city. It made me fall in love with Atlanta in a whole new way. With the larger CNN sign, the many thoroughfares and the 55-story Bank of America plaza amidst all the bright lights, Maria and I were swooning over the panorama, agreeing that this is where we’ll be taking our out-of-town visitors from now on.

30 Tables and 11 Stories are located in the Glenn Hotel in the Luckie Marietta District. 110 Marietta St. NW. 404-469-0700. www.30tables.com. SP
Kirsten Ott is the Life, Food and Style Editor at The Sunday Paper. Get in touch at kirstenott@sundaypaper.com or follow her on Twitter @kirstenott.