Global Comfort Food at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub (Atlanta, GA)

Hey readers,

Two Thursday evenings ago, my guest & I were invited to dine at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub located at Village Place, right in the heart of Brookhaven (a HUGE thank you & shout out go out to Emily & ML+A and K Pub teams). Since opening their doors in the fall of 2010, this comfortable and neighborhood-friendly establishment has certainly made quite a name for themselves within the community for their offering of high quality and affordably priced food and beer, along with incredible service. At the helm of the kitchen is Owner and Executive Chef Joey Riley, a graduate of the highly acclaimed Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. With over 10+ years in the restaurant industry both as an executive chef and as a culinary consultant, Chef Riley has led the kitchens of notable Atlanta restaurants such as Goldfish, Tom Tom, Indigo and the famed Buckhead Diner to name a few. Staying true to their name, Kaleidoscope, which symbolizes color and diversity, Chef Riley's cooking style incorporates quality local and seasonal ingredients that are both colorful and flavorful, which is represented through the restaurant's menu selection. While their new wood-grilled pizzas were what brought us here to begin with, the delectable bites and the warm, inviting atmosphere was what turned us into new regulars! (I've been back 3 times since this visit!). Having been in the area for meetings earlier that day, you can bet I made my guest speed through rush hour traffic because I just couldn't wait any longer to see what K Pub was all about!

Let's get started:

☆Exterior

☆Spacious Interior

☆Bar Area & High Tops

☆Menu

☆New Pizza Menu

☆Poutine (Fries, Tillamook cheddar, cider bacon gravy, peppered bacon, scallions): Although not what typically comes to mind when one mentions poutine, their take was just as tasty, if not better. Personally, I'm a fan of thin-cut fries because of how crispy they get when deep fried. Paired with generous peppery bacon bits, plenty of rich, creamy gravy and topped with shredded cheese-man, I sat there and realized how long it had been since I last had fries this good!

☆Ahi Tuna Tartare (Avocado, tomato, coriander, feta, yuzu): Plenty of fresh ahi tuna combined with a guacamolemixture on top, this had the perfect combination of heat, sweet and tangy. Additionally, the tortilla chips added some great textural components as well.

☆Springer Mountain Chicken Wings (Kaleidoscope sauce, bleu cheese): No meal at a bar/pub is complete without an order of hot wings & these definitely knocked it out of the park! The wings themselves were incredibly fresh, juicy and had a delicious crunch to them, while the homemade hot sauce brought it to the next level with its spicy, yet vinegary kick and bleu cheese sprinkles-YUM! Oh, and an extra hats off to the chef who must've read my mind knowing my preference for drums over flats!

☆Diablo (Red sauce, fennel sausage, pepperoni, chili pepper, smoked mozzarella, aged provolone): Need a little spice in your life? Since it just so happens to be that October is National Pizza Month, Kaleidoscope's new wood-fired pizzas are NOT to be missed! This Diablo one isn't for the fainthearted-it definitely brings the heat with the fresh chili pepper and oil oozing through the cheese! The pizza base holds up the toppings well and was nice and chewy, without being overdone or burnt. The crust was beautifully golden and had the maximal amount of crispness in each bite. The fennel sausage was my favorite ingredient in this pizza as the fennel really shines through in each bite! 

☆Slow-Roasted Chicken and Gnocchi: two words-HOMEMADE GNOCCHI! Honestly, these gnocchi were some of the BEST I've ever had, anywhere! Pillowy bites from heaven, these weren't too doughy or too chewy, they were just perfect. Kaleidoscope's twist to the classic chicken 'n dumplings would've made any Southern grandma proud-Plenty of softened veggies and hearty white meat chicken stewed in a warm, creamy broth-is there anything better? It just so happens that on the day of our visit, it started pouring outside, which made this comfort dish that much more enjoyable.

☆Award-Winning Kaleidoscope Burger (Pimento cheese, slaw, green tomato chow chow, bread and butter pickles w/ side of brussels sprouts and collard greens/ham hock): I was told that I couldn't leave here without trying their signature burger, so of course I wasn't going to say anything different, especially after I read the description of all the tasty components of it. The burger itself is really quite mouthwatering! The buttered buns, homemade pimento cheese, slaw and chow chow beautifully balanced out the well-seasoned beef patty. Although a bit messy to eat, this is definitely a MUST ORDER item here! And since I was trying to be "healthy," I had to order sides of my favorite veggies. And you know what? They were fantastic as well and made the perfect complements!

☆Banana Bread Pudding (Vanilla ice cream):Warm banana cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side helped end the meal on a light and sweet note.

As you've probably deduced by now from what you've seen and read thus far, both my sister and I truly had a phenomenal dining experience at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub and clearly had no shortage of rockin' pub cuisine either. From the moment we entered the establishment, we were immediately greeted and seated in their lively and inviting dining room. Within a couple of minutes of being seated, our server, CJ, stopped by the table, introduced himself and walked us through the menu. He made some fantastic recommendations from the menu, including the poutine, Kaleidoscope burger and Diablo pizza, which was exactly what we ended up ordering and made no reservations about. Lucky for us, we arrived shortly before the dinner rush and didn't have to wait long at all, which was great since we were both hungry and ready to nosh on some great food! By the time 6:30 rolled around, the entire restaurant was packed to maximum capacity and a line was slowly starting to form by the front entrance. Everything we ordered was absolutely mouthwatering, from the finger licking' good poutine all the way to the end, where we balanced out our savory meal with their homemade banana bread pudding. While the food here was by far the true highlight of our experience, CJ didn't fall far behind. He was hands down, one of the BEST servers we've ever had the pleasure of encountering. He'd come from behind, grab our drinks without us noticing and return with fresh refills-all in the blink of an eye- I actually started referring to him as a ninja! He was in one word, extraordinary. Attentive, friendly and unbelievably courteous, any restaurant would feel like they've won the lottery having someone like him on their team! And as if that weren't enough, I also loved seeing how personable the general managers were as they walked around to each table to see how they were doing. Jared, who happened to stop by our table, welcomed us to dinner and thanked us for dining with them, but I told him that it should be the other way around and that we were thankful and grateful for the invitation and experience. Although we had originally wanted to dine outdoors on their spacious patio, I'm glad we didn't since the weather didn't seem to cooperate later in the evening. This gave us a chance to take a peek at their open kitchen/prep area, fully-stocked and extended bar and massive dining room. The tangerine walls with red accents, colorful canvases and art displayed throughout the restaurant, matte black and wooden furnishings, dangling light fixtures in addition to the high ceiling exuded a playful, yet rustically upscale and comfortable vibe that would make a person of any age feel welcomed. Ditch the suit and tie, grab your most comfortable pair of clothing and you've got yourself a great night ahead. The atmosphere here is loud and vivacious, especially if there's a big game playing on one of the many flat screens, but not loud to the point where you're unable to have a conversation with your dining companion(s). With their family-friendly environment, Kaleidoscope is the perfect place to bring the kids, or to grab the girl's for a night out. Whether you're in the neighborhood or you're looking to change it up from the usual Midtown/Buckhead scene and the outrageous prices that coincide, Kaleidoscope is truly your divine intervention and your wallet will be shouting "Amen" and "Hallelujah!" So re-think those preconceived notions you've had about pubs and the quality of food/alcohol they serve, because Kaleidoscope is out to blow your mind and those notions out of the water! Just one last note before wrapping up, I want to thank Emily & the ML+A and K Pub teams for a splendid dining experience, especially CJ and Jared, for inviting my guest & I out for yet another fabulous dinner. I've already got my eyes set on trying every pizza on that menu as should you!

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!