Omnivore - Demonic deer overlooks beer-swilling urbanites

I hit Tap (1180 Peachtree St., 404-347-2220), the new gastro-pub, Monday night and got a glimpse of the demonically red deer Besha Rodell mentioned last week. The restaurant is the latest in the empire of Bob Amick’s Concentrics Restaurants. I’ll be sharing my first impression in next week’s paper.

A couple of observations: The place was phenomenally crowded for a Monday night, partly because it only opened a few days ago, but also because any Amick opening is akin to the completion of a pyramid in the Nile Valley. Everyone has to show up to check it out.

Besides the deer from hell, you’ll find brewery equipment that resembles something in a Rube Goldberg cartoon, sci-fi light fixtures (shown here) that look like they are about to descend upon your head and either dry your hair or screw up your brain waves, a single-toilet restroom walled in red and pressed tin, a great staff clad in black T-shirts, and a mixed crowd of urban types.

Chef Todd Ginsberg’s menu includes snacks, not-so-small plates, entrees and desserts. We ordered a bunch of food and, in fact, I started trying to pass some of it off to a couple of young guys sitting next to us. (Wayne glared at me when I started this process and he actually yanked back the dish I handed them.) One of the two turned out to be restaurateur/chef Tom Catherall’s son Ryan — they look identical — who said he and his friend Robert, who works at the restaurant, were there mainly to drink.

I told Ryan I still miss Azalea, his father’s first restaurant here two decades ago. He looked at me blankly.

“I guess you weren’t alive then,” I said.

Robert laughed hysterically.

Whatever!






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