Editorial
Front Page - Friday, August 14, 2009
Weekly Indulgence
Samara Litvack
If you’ve driven down Market Street at all in the last few months, you’ve probably noticed that Warehouse Row has gotten a facelift. Existing stores have new looks; new stores are moved in; and a hip new restaurant sits on the corner of Market and 12th.
That restaurant is Public House, the newest creation by Nathan Lindley. After selling the places for which he became known locally (St. John’s Restaurant and The Meeting Place) to his brother, Nathan moved to Nashville. There, he became partner in another fine dining establishment, Watermark, but continued dreaming about opening another concept here in Chattanooga.
Through collaboration with Michael Locasciao (now the new restaurant’s director of operations), Public House was born. Based on meals that the two men grew up with as children in the South, Public House is a comfortable yet classy restaurant that is welcoming for people from all walks of life.
Public House opened on May 15 and Brad Lentz, service manager, says business has been good ever since. He credits that to Nathan and Michael’s innovative concept, the dedication of the staff and the creativity of Nathan Flynt, the restaurant’s chef de cuisine.
I stopped in for lunch last week and was impressed before I even left the office. I checked out their Web site (www.publichousechattanooga.com) and learned that parking in the garage behind the restaurant is free with validation from your server. What a great start.
I was reminded quickly upon arrival that this restaurant was the brainchild of the creator of St. John’s. The clean, crisp atmosphere, with the white walls and simple, yet elegant décor, were inviting and, at the same time, elegant. We were seated at a small, two-seater table, which, although it paled in comparison to the beautiful, white leather booths we passed by, was inviting.
Our server brought us a carafe of water, filled our glasses and told us about the daily specials. One of them – the wolf fish – really caught my attention. She described it as a dense white fish, with a lightly sweet flavor. (That flavor is a result of its diet of crustaceans.) It was served with a house gribiche (a mayonnaise-based sauce, made with hard-boiled egg yolk) and my choice of two sides.
She left to let us consider our orders and I also chose a first course. When she returned, I ordered the shrimp, crab and corn beignets (essentially, those ingredients cooked in fried dough) and Meg ordered the pulled pork, thanks to a recommendation by the hostess.
Our beignets were pretty good; the seafood was nowhere near as strong as I’d expected it to be. In fact, I hardly tasted the shrimp or the crab. Instead, the flavors blended into a sort of hushpuppy texture, with a similar flavor. I was a fan of the lemon aioli that came with it, flavored with fresh lemon and garnished with chives. (For the record, Brad the service manager says this sauce is great on French fries, too.)
There were five beignets on the plate, and we finished them all before our entrees arrived. For our main course, I was served a very large portion of fish, blackened slightly, with fried green tomatoes and sweet corn with Applewood smoked bacon.
I tried the fish first, and it was tasty. The texture was a little moist for my liking, but the flavor was sweet, as the server had promised, and the lemon aioli was a nice complement.
Perhaps my favorite thing I had at Public House was the sweet corn and Applewood bacon. I’d never had these two particular flavors mixed together, and I had no idea what I’d been missing. The sweetness of the corn blended amazingly with the smoky bacon taste. It was an unbelievable new spin on two things I already love.
But, if the corn was a hit, then I’d have to label the fried
green tomatoes a miss – at least for me. I’m a huge fan of tomatoes in any form, and it usually doesn’t take much to impress me. However, these were overloaded with a thick, crunchy batter, and I found it hard to taste the tomato at all. I was very disappointed, and ended up taking off most of the batter and eating the fruit inside.
Meg’s pulled pork was wonderful. The meat was tender and topped with a nice pico de gallo – another flavor combination I’d never tasted, and one that I won’t soon forget.
I definitely plan to visit Public House again, mainly for its Sunday Supper. Based again on traditions from Nathan and Michael’s childhoods, Sunday Supper is served at Public House from noon to 8 p.m.
Guests can enjoy their choice of one protein (choices on August 2 were roasted half chicken, American Wagyu meatloaf with preserved tomato basil gravy, grilled sockeye salmon and herb roasted pork loin). In addition, side items are brought to the table and served “family style,” in big bowls, passed around the table, where guests get as much or as little as they like.
“Before the nap,” as the menu states, guests can also enjoy a dessert. (The August 2 selection was lemon pound cake with blueberries and whipped cream.) All this is served for only $20 (or sides only for $16). Children 12 and under are $10 and kids under 5 can share for free.
Sundays are also good for their large pitchers of drinks – homemade lemonade for the non-alcoholic selection and goodies like sangria and Bartender’s Tea (Public House’s version of an Ice Pick – vodka, tea and a blend of muddled citrus fruits) for those who want a little kick.
Contact Samara at samara@hamiltoncountyherald.com
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