Southern-Inspired Classics at Max's Wine Dive

Hey readers,

[UPDATE: As of Monday (9/28/15)-MAX's Atlanta has closed its doors]

Last Tuesday afternoon, my guest & I were invited to have lunch at Max's Wine Dive located in the heart of Midtown (a HUGE thank you & shout out go to Morgan & ML+A and MWD teams), the first Atlanta location for this Texas-based chain. From their modest beginnings in 2006, with their first location in Houston, TX, they've certainly come a long way since then with over 6 locations throughout Texas, 1 in Colorado and over 200+ employees. At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Patric Bell-Good, a graduate of the well-respected Art Institute of Atlanta's School of Culinary Arts. With over 13+ years of culinary and hospitality experience, Chef Bell-Good has had prior stints at notable Atlanta restaurants such as Murphy's, The Flying Biscuit, West Egg Café and Barrelhouse and has also worked alongside famed chefs Ian Winslade and Michael Tuohy. With his extensive experience and knowledge in creating the ultimate comfort foods as evidence of MAX's Atlanta menu, Chef Bell-Good has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his culinary career from Southern Living, Jezebel Magazine and Eater Atlanta to name a few. Seeing that MAX's strives to provide gourmet comfort food in a laid-back, unpretentious and comfortable environment, it'd only makes sense for them to hire a leader in the kitchen whom shares these same visions, which is where Chef Bell-Good steps in. In other words, you've got a chef who knows what he's going in the kitchen and has the credentials to back it up. And you can bet that these two born and raised Southern gals were ready to indulge in all that MAX's had to offer us that afternoon! {I'm truly going to miss this location & regret not making a trip here sooner! Look out, TX and CO!}

Let's get started:

☆Exterior

☆Interior

☆New Menu

☆Boiled Peanuts: With a hint of spice in each bite, these boiled peanuts were delicious! 

☆Nacho Mama's Oysters (Fried gulf coast oysters on wonton "chips" with garlic aioli, habanero salsa and cilantro): Both my guest and I absolutely LOVE fried oysters, so ordering this appetizer was a no-brainer for us! The fried oysters themselves were wonderfully satisfying-the batter was light and crispy, while the inner core (oyster) was juicy and plump. The homemade habanero salsa added a kick of heat, while the garlic aioli helped to offset the spice. The addition of the wonton "chips" added a nice little crunch that enhanced the various textural components of the dish, which I particularly enjoyed. 

☆Pimento Max 'N Cheese (Cavatalli pasta, pimento cheese): We all know that mac 'n cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Carbs & cheese--what's NOT to love about that combination? At MWD, they make a seriously killer mac 'n cheese using pimento cheese and cavatalli pasta. While the noodles were cooked perfectly, the sauce is what blew our minds! Creamy, smooth and rich, this isn't your typical out-of-the-box mac 'n cheese! The sauce had a nice thick consistency similar to a béchamel sauce and there was plenty of it to cover all of the pasta noodles, so no cheese shortage here!

☆Pan Borracho "Drunk Bread" (Torn sourdough baguette baked in a white wine custard with prosciutto, thyme, Gruyére, provolone and parmigiano-reggiano): My guest immediately wanted to order this the moment she glanced over the description of it in the menu and I certainly couldn't blame her! Made fresh-to-order, this pan borracho is full of cheesy goodness, large chunks of ham and a variety of cheeses. It's decadence at it's finest, especially with the incorporation of the amazing white wine custard that you get a whiff of as you're slowly enjoying each bite. The easiest way to describe this dish is to think of a savory bread pudding, but the best darn bread pudding you'll ever have and that's what you get here!

☆Fried Egg Sandwich (Artisan sourdough, three fried eggs, pecanwood-smoked bacon, gruyére, Bibb lettuce, tomatoes, truffle aioli and fries): This picture doesn't do the size of this sandwich justice-it's MASSIVE! For the price and the taste, it's absolutely worth it too! The sandwich itself has  three pan-fried eggs (a little runny in the center, just how I like it), smoky thick-sliced bacon, cheese, crisp lettuce, sliced ripe tomatoes and a smear of truffle aioli in between two buttered and toasted slices of sourdough bread. All of the different fresh ingredients, along with the melted Gruyére and truffle aioli really brought this sandwich to next level, unlike any I've had before! As for the fries, take my advice and dip them in your pimento mac 'n cheese sauce-you can thank me later!

☆Famous Southern Fried Chicken (Buttermilk marinated chicken with mashed potatoes, collard greens and Texas toast): I know good fried chicken when I have it and I can honestly say that MWD makes some of the BEST fried chicken I've had anywhere in Atlanta and that I'm seriously going to miss this dish! Starting with the fried chicken, I was amazed at how large the portion was considering some of the other restaurants nearby aren't so generous with their fried chicken portions! The chicken itself was succulent and unbelievably moist, most likely due to the buttermilk marinade that allows the chicken to soak up all that tasty goodness. Additionally, the batter was light, crispy, perfectly seasoned and deep fried to perfection! You have no idea how often restaurants over fry the chicken, leaving it tough and chewy, but you won't have to worry about that here. The whipped mashed potatoes and collard greens were the perfect "light" accompaniments to this dish. 

☆Shrimp and Grits (shrimp, andouille, jalapeño cheese grits, Creole sauce): You're not a true Southerner unless you order shrimp and grits any time and every time you see it on the menu! Fortunately for me, I always order it because I like comparing each restaurant's version with one another. At MAX's, the shrimp and grits are AMAZING! The cheese grits were thick and creamy, just how I like them and had just the right amount of peppery kick from the jalapeños in it. Additionally, the plump shrimp and spicy andouille sausage in the tomato-based Creole sauce elevated it to the next level. Unlike shrimp and grits with a creamy Cajun style sauce, you can taste all of the individual ingredients even more since there's no cream to essentially disguise the different flavors and I really appreciate that.

☆Blackberry Shortcake: The perfect year round dessert made with the freshest fruit in season, YES please! MAX's version is a biscuit filled with vanilla bean ice cream and pureed blueberries/blackberries and then topped with a spoonful of fresh whipped cream! The texture of the shortcake was light and crumbly and paired well with the fresh fruit as well as the other creamy ingredients. 

☆Red Velvet Brownie Skillet: Although we had originally wanted to order the cookie skillet, I'm glad the kitchen improvised and made us a red velvet brownie skillet instead because it was mouthwatering and by far one of the best desserts I'd had in a long time! Made-to-order, these skillets come out steaming hot and fresh from the oven! If you've ever had a molten lava cake, then you'll know how good they are and the fact that you can't stop eating it after one bite! Well, that's exactly what happened with this. The warm and dense red velvet brownie paired beautifully with the vanilla ice cream-there was the perfect balance of hot and cold. The inside of the brownie was rich and full of chocolate flavor, just like it should be. The real secret to eating this, in my opinion, is eating around the edges of the skillet first because we all know that the crunchy parts of the brownie are the BEST parts, followed by the center, where the ooey gooey part is eaten with the ice cream! 

As you can tell from the pictures, both my sister and I left our lunch date at MAX's incredibly stuffed and happy. From the moment we entered, we were immediately greeted and seated at one of the many tables outside since the weather was so nice out. Our hostess and server, Autumn, did a splendid job taking care of us throughout the afternoon. She was attentive, friendly and very helpful, especially when it came to making some recommendations on what to order. Lucky for us, we made it to MAX's after the lunch rush, so our meal itself didn't take long at all, which was certainly a plus since the two of us were ready to eat and boy did we! Everything we ordered was delectable, from the nacho mama's oysters all the way to the end, where we finished off our meal with one of their homemade skillet desserts, but I'm sure you can read all about my thoughts on each of the individual dishes above. As we were dining, Chef Bell-Good stopped by our table to see how we were enjoying everything and if we needed anything else. We chatted with him about how much we appreciated the generous portion sizes, especially on this side of town where portions that large are nowhere to be seen and also how MAX's makes their own hot sauces in-house and incorporates them into their dishes, bringing in influence from Bell-Good's hispanic grandmother, which I thought was unique and  great way to pay homage to a loved one who's played a crucial role in shaping one's culinary career. Like Autumn, Chef Bell-Good took great care of us, but also of the other guests dining with them that afternoon, and made us feel right at home. Although I dined outdoors, I did get a glimpse of the interior and I must say that I was really impressed with everything! The black leather booths, gorgeous dark wooden furniture, light wooden panels, playful art and photographs displayed throughout the restaurant added a playful yet upscale gastropub vibe, as did the addition of the elegant bar that makes up the entire left side of the restaurant. The atmosphere is rather soothing, making it the perfect place to grab some food & drinks with your friends and co-workers or simply bringing in the family for lunch, dinner or brunch on the weekends. So whether you're looking to try somewhere new or discover new wines that you never knew existed, Max's Wine Dive is the place to go as they're one of those "any time, any day" type of restaurants, which happen to be the BEST kind there is! Although the Atlanta location announced its closure yesterday afternoon, you can still find MWD throughout Texas and in Denver as well! So if you're ever in the area, I'd definitely recommend checking them out and seeing what they have to offer! Just before I wrap up, I want to thank Morgan & the ML+A and MWD teams for such a pleasurable dining experience, especially Chef Patric and Autumn, for inviting my guest and I out for yet another fabulous time! I hope to meet that tasty fried chicken again some day!

Have a wonderful day,
-Sandy

FTC: Although this was a media event and my meal was comped, I will always provide an honest review & experience of the restaurant.

If you'd like to invite Bella Vivere to cover & share your restaurant's media events, tastings or parties, feel free to shoot me an email at bellavivere {at} gmail {dot} com-Thanks!