[Evelyn]

10 pm and the bullhorn blares "It's burger time!!" at Holeman & Finch. The casual gastropub is the brainchild of partners-chef Linton Hopkins and mixologist Greg Best, Gina Hopkins, Regan Smith and Andy Minchow- who brought the fine dining venue Restaurant Eugene to Atlanta. As a matter of fact, the offshoot is located just across the driveway from it, on the first floor of a swanky Buckhead condominium building. The entry holds a hostess podium that separates the bar and the dining room dominated by a communal table. There are only 60 seats total. And, the place is packed an buzzing pretty much from the time they open the doors till the last happy diner leaves. Directly ahead, windows offering a glimpse of things to come-hanging house cured meats and plates being readied and filled with pork in many different guises, offal, shellfish and the aforementioned burgers. Each night, there are only 24 of what have been called "the best burgers anywhere" available. They are not offered as a menu item-all word of mouth. My first visit-we had worked through too much of the menu to order a burger when the appointed hour arrived. My second, I actually did get a bite of a burger from a very handsome young man dining next to me at the bar. And, I must say--the burger is 'all that'. The double beef (ground in house) patty cheeseburger is served on buns made in the HF bakery next door, with housemade ketchup, mustard and hand cut fries. Flavorful, juicy and cooked to perfection. Worth the extra permutations to procure one. It really is amusing to watch people who arrive an hour or so before "burger time" to make sure their servers get their order in for the burgers. It's like watching a college football coach stand next to the referee, watching the clock wind down to call a timeout to ice a field goal kicker.

But, rest assured, the burger is definitely not the only reason to head for Holeman & Finch. While I was deciding where to eat while I was in Atlanta for the SEC Champioship game I asked friends who lived in both Atlanta and Birmingham where I should eat. The recommendation that sealed it came from Frank Stitt of Highland's Bar and Grill in Birmingham. He told me I absolutely could not go to Atlanta and not go to Holeman & Finch. When a chef of his caliber comes out with a statement like that, who would be foolish enough to ignore it. And, Frank was 100% correct.

The menu, divided into the categories of "Plates", "Farm", "Parts" and "Aged, Ground, Stuffed, Cured, Fermented, Rolled and Tied", is pure heaven for pork, salumi and offal fans. There is also a good selection of shellfish, egg dishes, salads and a pasta. In two visits, I worked my way through nearly half the menu, and was only disappointed by one dish (and one dessert). And, a word about the cocktails-Excellent. Dining at the bar gave me a chance to speak with Andy Minchow-who has a special talent for making cocktails that are inventive and well balanced. Framed against a tall window lined with bottles of esoteric and highend spirits, beakers and assorted jars of curing fruits and bitters Andy gets a feel for your likes and dislikes and comes up with cocktails that fit the bill for the customer. My favorites of the ones I tried were the Spice Bandit - prunier vs cognac, combier orange liqueur, lime juice, allspice dram + peach lambic. And the Grabbin’ Your Soul By the Horns - cazadores anejo, dolin blanc vermouth, lemon juice + amaro.

On to the food-from "Plates"
Cornmeal Fried Oysters Remoulade and Lemon-Plump, juicy with that cornmeal crunch. Very good remoulade

Deviled Eggs Three Ways-Sweet Pickle; Cayenne; Bacon-all excellent

Pan-Seared Scallops-Escarole, Sunchokes and Country Ham Broth-Gently seared, sweet scallops counterpointed by the salinity of the broth--which called out for sopping up with some of the H + F bread.

Skillet Mussels-Bacon Bourbon and Pain au Levain-Petit, juicy mussels with hints of smoke from both the bourbon and the bacon-another 'gotta sop up the juice' dish.

Hand Chopped Steak Tartare-Farm Egg, Whole Grain Mustard and Shoestring Potatoes-Excellent quality beef -chopped, but not overchopped- nicely dressed and topped with a quial egg and some crunchy shoestring fries.

Farm Egg and Pancetta Carbonara- H & F guitar cut pasta. Excellent rendition. The house made pasta topped with a bright orange farm egg, was excellent and perfectly cooked.

From "Parts"
Gratin of Marrow Parsley Salad and Country Bread-My favorite dish. A huge halved roasted marrow bone (more than enough for two) topped with a perfectly balanced parsley and shallot salad brightened with a hint of lemon juice. I had to control myself not to order it again on my second visit.

Pan-Roasted Rabbit Livers Braised Vidalia Onion and Compressed Pear-The only dish that was less than stellar. The livers were a bit overcooked and a bit greasy. The accompaniments were quite nice. I left perhaps half the dish. Andy noticed this and asked if I'd like another dish as a replacement. I passed as it was getting late and I had an early flight the next morning. I was not charged for the dish. And, I had made a 'to go' order of some Bacon-Caramel Popcorn for later. In the bag with that, they included a gift of the Pot of Chicken Liver Pate Honey/Apple Cider Jelly and Toast--which was excellent.

From "Aged, ground, Stuffed etc"
Charcuterie-including Smoked Lardo, Duck Pastrami, Lamb Lomo and Bresaloa-all excellent.

Sweets
The aforementioned Bacon-Caramel Popcorn. Good thing I don't live in Atlanta, because this stuff is addictive.
Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake Sweet Cream-The cake was a tad dry. Nice chocolate flavor, but, not something I would bother to order again.

In case you can't tell, I really like this restaurant. And, I second Frank Stitt's advice that if you are in Atlanta, you should definitely have a meal and cocktail or two at Holeman & Finch. I'm looking forward to returning when SEC basketball takes me to Athens later this year--it's only a slight detour...and there's that bone marrow calling my name, along with burger (which can be had at brunch on Sunday in addition to the nightly "Burger Time") and a number of other offal dishes I passed on in deferrence to my cardiologist.

[OTB]

10 pm and the bullhorn blares "It's burger time!!" at Holeman & Finch. The casual gastropub is the brainchild of partners-chef Linton Hopkins and mixologist Greg Best, Gina Hopkins, Regan Smith and Andy Minchow- who brought the fine dining venue Restaurant Eugene to Atlanta. As a matter of fact, the offshoot is located just across the driveway from it, on the first floor of a swanky Buckhead condominium building. The entry holds a hostess podium that separates the bar and the dining room dominated by a communal table. There are only 60 seats total. And, the place is packed an buzzing pretty much from the time they open the doors till the last happy diner leaves. Directly ahead, windows offering a glimpse of things to come-hanging house cured meats and plates being readied and filled with pork in many different guises, offal, shellfish and the aforementioned burgers. Each night, there are only 24 of what have been called "the best burgers anywhere" available. They are not offered as a menu item-all word of mouth. My first visit-we had worked through too much of the menu to order a burger when the appointed hour arrived. My second, I actually did get a bite of a burger from a very handsome young man dining next to me at the bar. And, I must say--the burger is 'all that'. The double beef (ground in house) patty cheeseburger is served on buns made in the HF bakery next door, with housemade ketchup, mustard and hand cut fries. Flavorful, juicy and cooked to perfection. Worth the extra permutations to procure one. It really is amusing to watch people who arrive an hour or so before "burger time" to make sure their servers get their order in for the burgers. It's like watching a college football coach stand next to the referee, watching the clock wind down to call a timeout to ice a field goal kicker.

It's a great restaurant, one which I got a chance to visit last year. I never posted photos of it, as a lot of my Atlanta content is severely backlogged, but here's what I had a chance to try when I was there:

Holeman & Finch (Off The Broiler Flickr Feed)

[Evelyn]

From what I can tell from your photos of the menu and the dishes, the restaurant has evolved (positively) quite a bit. During one of my conversations with the staff, it was mentioned that the menu is tweaked/changed quite frequently. Yet another reason for another visit.

[Rail Paul]

The menu is very impressive, and sounds very local. Dandelions, Vidalia onions, Coca-Cola marinated pork, etc. I don't think I've ever seen veal hearts or pink lady peas on a menu

PARTS

griddled pork belly
parker house roll and chow chow
9

roasted lamb sweetbreads
pink lady peas and sorrel
12

gratin of marrow
parsley salad and country bread
9

peppercorn crusted veal hearts
roasted african squash
10

veal fries schnitzel
compressed apples

Menu

[Evelyn]

The menu is very impressive, and sounds very local. Dandelions, Vidalia onions, Coca-Cola marinated pork, etc. I don't think I've ever seen veal hearts or pink lady peas on a menu

PARTS

griddled pork belly
parker house roll and chow chow
9

roasted lamb sweetbreads
pink lady peas and sorrel
12

gratin of marrow
parsley salad and country bread
9

peppercorn crusted veal hearts
roasted african squash
10

veal fries schnitzel
compressed apples

Menu

RP, you need to spend more time in the South ;-)

[Nathan]

I wasn't as impressed by the burger as you were but the rest of the food was solid (not saying the burger wasn't!) and the cocktails are indeed very good. Atlanta might actually now be the fourth best cocktail city in the nation (in terms of the number of strong places).

[CheeseMonger]

I went to Holeman and Finch last week with 2 friends. We were too early for the burger, but I can comment on what we did have.

H&F has a menu meant for sharing. I like that. Plates priced in the $7 - $12 range, and more than a bite or two each. Ample portions for the price.

We ordered from what may be my favorite all-time waiter (professional, curt, doesn't want to be my best friend, but tolerant of our stupidity): Skate wing, Fish and Chips, radish salad, Steak Tartare, Pork Belly on Grits, and a cheese plate. All very good, fresh, crisp, seasonings were present but not in your face. I know that's vague, but it's the best I've got right now. I'd recommend it to anyone.

However, after taking the same group to Abbatoir 2 nights later, I'm in love. I'm due to go again on Thursday, so I'll update then. I just have 2 words: "Rabbit Terrine".... swoon. Some reviewers have claimed that Abbatoir is a riff on H&F and the "new southern" movement- I'd say it's perhaps a similar concept, but done with a different focus. Try something in a jar. I feel luck that we have so many great options in the New South.

After that, I spent the weekend with my people down in S. Ga- the original locavores. But down there, the food sources- they're called "neighbors".