Sunday, October 25, 2009
Food, In this Issue..., Reviews, Atlanta

Sea legs

WaterHaven’s fish selections make it a worthy destination

By H.M. Cauley

There are some dining spaces that make you wonder, “What were they thinking, putting a restaurant there?” Most local foodies can name at least a half dozen locations that bear the restaurant hex: an address where nothing stays for very long.

But not too many would question the location now occupied by WaterHaven, the second operation to anchor its corner of Technology Square. Formerly the Globe restaurant, this glass-enclosed space in a rejuvenated corner of Midtown seems like an ideal spot for a food operation. It’s surrounded by offices, stores, loads of Georgia Tech foot traffic and a fitness center. The Stinger shuttle drops residents, workers and visitors right at the corner. It’s adjacent to a quaint courtyard that creates an oasis of green in the middle of the bustle. Even without the nearby parking deck that weirdly imploded a few months ago, there’s plenty of parking off-street and on.

So let’s hope WaterHaven finds a following. It’s got the location and the ambience, with soaring ceilings, an inviting bar, a comfortable banquette along one wall, tables next to the ceiling-high windows and a new lounge area to unwind. There’s also a smattering of patio tables that fill up quickly when the weather’s agreeable, and a spacious private area for holiday parties.

But as we know, the main reason people trek to a location is for the food. Will the menu help WaterHaven overcome any bad karma? Depends on what you order. There are some stars, but also a few dishes that leave you shrugging your shoulders. Fried green tomatoes? Been there, done that, and these aren’t that exceptional. The grilled shrimp and saffron grits cakes sound intriguing, but they came out dry and lacking the bit of zing that would make you crave more. What you’ll definitely be back for is the fabulous chocolate ice box pie on the dessert list. It’s worth a WaterHaven visit just to savor this decadent blend of calories-be-damned heavy cream and chocolate, nestled in a crushed Oreo crust. 

If you don’t want to dive into rich chocolate on an empty stomach, start with creamy house-made hummus with pita points or the roasted beet salad with goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts. There are Caesar and house salads, a soup du jour and a plate of local, fresh-that-day veggies, if you’re counting calories before dessert.

The capable Executive Chef Chris Lee serves up a menu of reliable entrees, mostly priced below $20. Main dishes cover the entire range of cravings. Georgia trout is pan-seared with bacon and a sage brown butter. Flaky halibut is surrounded by white beans and capers. Grilled salmon comes with fresh succotash. Braised oxtails, flatiron steak and a boneless, breaded pork chop are hearty options. Diners will want to savor the thick creamed corn side that bursts with fresh corn kernels, but pass on the bland mac-and-cheese.

Lunch usually finds a crowd coming in for most of the same appetizers as well as sandwiches with flatiron steak, roast pork, fried chicken or grilled vegetables. There’s roasted chicken salad, egg salad or greens topped with salmon. A sure bet is always the basic burger, topped with crispy onions.

The restaurant also hosts a range of activities to get people in the door. In October, it featured a Saturday night “date night” with $40 dinners of shared starters and dessert and two entrees. It offers free parking for Georgia Tech home games and invites fans to gather on the patio for pre- and post-game bites. But is it enough to keep the curse from striking again? Stay tuned. SP