Shaun Doty Saves the Evening

Friday night was looking like a complete loss. The SweetWater 420 Fest in Candler Park was by far the lamest festival I have ever attended in Atlanta. Parking was a nightmare. With only two trucks, the beer lines were easily 30 minutes plus. One of the bands (and I use that term loosely) was so bad, the person or committee in charge of booking the talent must have been stoned out of their mind when listening to their demo tape. Actually, judging by a good number of the patrons, this would have been fitting.

After about 2 hours, Lady Steakhead and I decided to try to salvage the night with a trip to Shaun’s in Inman Park. And salvage it, we did. After bouncing from executive chef gigs at Mid-City Cuisine and Table 1280, Shaun Doty opened his own restaurant in the space previously occupied by The Patio. The first thing I noticed is how big and open this place is compared to The Patio.

Our server, Lindsay, was outstanding. I really gave her free reign to provide us a meal that would showcase the Shaun’s experience. She started us off with the Crispy Sardinian Flatbread, a wonderful concoction of flatbread, arugula, sliced parmigian, and oil. After quickly polishing that off, we ordered the beef tartare as a second appetizer. While this was very good, I like the pomp and circumstance of the table-side preparation at Chops, and would probably leave my tartare cravings for those visits going forward.

Lindsay did such a great job on ordering our appetizer, I let her have a go at my main course as well. She came back with the pork chop “schnitzel”. Much like a German Wienerschnitzel, the chop is a very thin cut with a tonkatsu-like fried breading. I loved this choice, not only because it was so good, but also because I probably would have looked right past it if I ordered on my own. Lady Steakhead went with the shrimp and grits. She quickly proclaimed that dish the best shrimp and grits she has ever had. Too often, shrimp and grits is a very bland and dry dish, but Doty’s version, served with a poached egg, was full of flavor, and not in the least bit grainy.

By the end of our evening at Shaun’s, I had forgotten how the night started. Shaun’s gets high praise from me on all accounts- food, service, atmosphere and price. For those heading down to the Inman Park festival this weekend, this would be a worthwhile addition to your day.

Steakhead Recommends: Yes
Prices: $$-$$$