One Eared Stag

People always ask me what is the best or your favorite resto in Atlanta. It's a trick question because there is no right answer. That's like asking the Octo-Mom who her favorite child is... The one that makes that skank the most money, of course! That filthy stretched out whore has no taste... But the One Ear Stag does. While it may not qualify to be the best resto in Atlanta, it just does so many things right in my fucked up culinary brain.

For example, their Monday Fried Chicken Night... It is an awesome deal for 2 or more people. One option is a whole chicken with 2 large sides for $20 that can feed 4 easily, unless you're with me. Best deal a meal in the city. The chicken is fried nicely, semi juicy and flavorful, too. Is it the best fried chicken in town, no, but it's up there.

Robert Phalen is my kinda mad scientist cook (and drives like one, too, but that's another story), not in the sense of liquid nitrogen and all that bullshit but mainly with offal and unappealing ingredients (ie: fried chicken neck kimchee) ... I like his evolving menu, always something new to look forward to and try every time I come here but I have to give it to them for the restaurant week menu a few weeks back... I really dislike resto week menus, they are all the same, total crap. But when I saw OES's menu, I was surprised. Not really but it was a decent sounding menu, plus, I was on my way there anyways. Let's take a looksie...

Pork chicharone, powdered kimchi. Light, airy, hot and still making crackling noises. Shit was guud. Gobble gobble, fat fat.


Heartare, bottarga, cracker. Holy shit, lamb heart tartare? Fuck yeah, bitches. I made lines with it and snorted the shit outta this thing. This is what I want from restos across the board... Something different and interesting, not some pre-sliced carpaccio that is frozen on the plate you can't even pick it up or tartare made from 6 different areas of 6 different cows.


Fried skate wing, vanilla braised endive, herbs. Look at this, I wanted to wear it as a bib while I ate the other dishes. Lightly crisp on the outside and flaky hot and juicy on the inside. That vanilla endive looks like something you find between an old hooker's legs which was unexpected but worked it it did, unlike that fish flap lips, Julia Roberts, on that Hollywood Blvd corner. Skate tasted really fresh and not a hint of ammonia in whiff's distance. More than I can say for some chicks.


Roasted brasstown beef Wellingtongue, bordelaise sauce. What what??!! Wellingtongue? Dude, I'm not gay but if I was, I would marry you and make you my bitch. This was another dish that had me at "Eat me, motherfucker!". And so I did. Pastry cooked spot on and tongue was fork tender inside, sauce give it that extra richness... Because I'm fancy like that.


Sticky Toffee Pudding. I'm not big into desserts but this will do. It didn't give me that few drops of blood flow to my nether region but it was passable.


Apple buckle, vanilla cream. Another dessert... Give it to a girl, they will eat anything called a dessert or whatever the last dish is. Suckaz!!!

This is one of my favorite restos in town. If they keep doing what they're doing with new and innovative dishes, they will stay on top of my radar list. I will also send people to eat here. It's not for everybody, hell, most of Atlanta for that matter but for the few who are true gourmands, they will continue to have traffic and support.

Good shit, this place has.

3 Stars.

1029 Edgewood Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30307
404-525-4479
http://www.oneearedstag.com/