Last Wednesday evening, my guest & I were invited to dine at Cotton Calf Kitchen located in the heart of Downtown Braselton (a HUGE thank you & shout out go to Emily & ML+A and CCK teams). Since opening their doors in the fall of September 2015, this newly opened steakhouse has already become a local favorite amongst the community and visitors alike with their distinguished service, ambrosial menu choices and captivating atmosphere and environment. At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef & Co-Owner Javier Viera, who's held previous positions at several notable Atlanta restaurants such as serving as the corporate chef of Communitas Hospitality (10th & Piedmont, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern & G's Midtown (formerly Gilbert's Mediterranean Cafe)) , Divan Restaurant, Morton's Steakhouse in Manhattan and Chart House in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Additionally, he has appeared on Travel Channel's Chow Masters, was deemed the Most Creative Chef in Atlanta in 2014 and was the winner of Culinary Fight Night in 2011 just to name a few of his accomplishments. Having worked his way through the ranks as a humble busboy in Stamford, Connecticut to obtaining his first executive chef position at the age of 23 to where he's currently at, Chef Javier has certainly come a long way in the pathway to culinary success through the years. From his contemporary and innovative culinary approach to his creation of signature dishes incorporating both seasonally and locally inspired ingredients with a hint of Argentinian and Italian flair tossed in, he's certainly got what it takes to hold down the kitchen & does a pretty darn good job of it too! So without further ado, while we battled through some tough rush hour traffic on our way up north and on empty stomachs, you're soon about to learn that all of it proved to be unquestionably worthwhile in the end.
Let's get started:
☆Front Entrance
☆Main Dining Room
☆Warm Dinner Rolls and Flavored Butter
☆Bourbon Glazed Thick Cut Bacon (Makers Mark Glazed, House Cut Hickory Smoked Bacon): When Cotton Calf means THICK CUT, they aren't kidding! Their hickory smoked bacon is so melt-in-your-mouth tender and rich that you'll start shunning the mass-produced, cheap stuff at your local grocery store the moment you've sunk your teeth into one of these strips.
☆Bacon Wrapped Scallops (Served with Peach Horseradish Chutney): Beautifully seared scallops with a crisp piece of bacon wrapped around them and served with a homemade dipping sauce, this simple take on a crowd pleasing favorite is the perfect combination of sweet (sauce) & salty (bacon), just how I like it!
☆Oysters Rockefeller (Topped with Creamed Spinach, Hollandaise, Parmesan and Bacon): Oysters, cheese, bacon and more---what more could you want?! Fresh from the oven and laid upon a bed of coarse sea salt, once you begin digging in, you won't be able to stop yourself!
☆Blue Point Oysters on the Half Shell (Raw Oysters Served with Horseradish, Cocktail Sauce, Saltine Crackers, Tabasco): Need I say more? Perfectly shucked and cleaned oysters on the half shell with all of the right condiments to jazz it up any which way you'd like!
☆Colossal Shrimp Cocktail (Served with Pineapple Cocktail Sauce): When Chef Javier brought this dish out, I was in both shock and amazement at the same time. I'd never seen a restaurant serve shrimp this big before. If you can imagine those medium-sized shrimp when you're snacking on shrimp cocktail, imagine having the meats of 10-12 of those shrimp combined in 1! These "crustaceans-on-steroids" were incredibly succulent, firm and paired wonderfully with the sweet, yet tangy homemade cocktail sauce.
☆Lobster Bisque (House Made Lobster Stock, Heavy Cream, Cognac): You know that old saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away?" Well, instead of an apple, I came up with a saying a few years ago that goes a little something like this: "A bowl of lobster bisque a day keeps the soul warm right away!" And while you could easily substitute lobster bisque with something else, why would you want to? It's a bowl of rich, creamy magic and CCK brings out the flavor of the lobster wonderfully with their house made soup stock.
☆Heirloom Tomato Salad (Heirloom Tomatoes, Red Onions, Gorgonzola Cheese, Cucumbers, Walnuts, Fresh Basil, Balsamic Glaze): While the gorgeous colors of this salad alone could easily take your breath away, the taste of it will simply blow your mind! Plenty of diced, ripened heirloom tomatoes in a deliciously tangy balsamic vinaigrette combination with an abundance of crunchy walnuts, fresh cucumbers, fragrant morsels of gorgonzola and bright basil-this salad undeniably highlights the freshest vegetables of the season!
☆Cajun Ribeye (24-Hour Cajun Marinade-16 oz): Packed with a zesty punch, this Cajun ribeye is a nice, thick cut of meat that's marinated for an entire day, placed on the grill and given an extra kick of spices to not only bring out the flavors of the marinade, but to also create that slightly crisp and charred exterior. I promise, it makes ALL the difference-It's so tender and perfect that there's no need for additional condiments!
☆Southwest Cream Corn: If you love corn, butter, cream and cheese, then you'll absolutely fall head over heels in love with Chef Javier's take on the classic creamed corn. With a tasty blend of Southwestern spices tossed in and that oh-so-perfect panko topping, you'll need to portion out your meal so that you don't polish all of it off before you've even had a chance to dig into your mains! Trust me, it was the hardest thing I've had to do all week!
☆Bone-In Filet Mignon (10 oz): Mild in flavor, lean and grilled to a perfect medium-rare, you can't ever go wrong with ordering a classic filet mignon. And with the bone-in version, it's extra tender right along the edges of the bone, slightly crisp around the mignon's exterior and distinctively light pink right in the center.
☆Lyonnaise Potatoes: A playful combination of flash fried potatoes and thinly sliced onions sautéed with butter and parsley, these lyonnaise potatoes are a tasty and unique option to accompany any of the steaks or other entrée items that CCK offers. The crispy potatoes along with the fragrant onions are a nice move away from the typical baked potato. Plus, anything that's served in an adorable cast iron skillet is an A+ in my book!
☆Key Lime Pie: As much as I wish that summer were already here, I can't help but to order pie whenever I see it on the menu, especially key lime pie! The buttery graham cracker crust along with the creamy, slightly tart filling and the smooth whipped cream complete with lime zest was a nice, refreshing way to end the meal.
☆New York Cheesecake: A classy dessert to end an even classier meal, these personal mini cheesecakes are wonderfully delectable, soft and simply divine. Paired with the fresh berries and dollops of whipped cream, then you've got yourself a semi-healthy dessert that you won't have to feel so guilty having a few extra bites of! ;)
As you can probably tell from the pictures alone, both my mother & I had an unbelievably spectacular dining experience at Cotton Calf Kitchen. From the moment we entered this beautifully restored historic building, we were immediately greeted by the friendly hostess and seated in their reserved, yet majestically decorated dining room. Within a minute or so of being seated, our server, Devin, immediately welcomed us and took our drink orders as we gazed through the menu. When he returned, he walked us through, in detail, of the entire menu and made several recommendations of dishes in each section of the menu (starters, soups and salads, etc..) based on those that he personally enjoyed and those that were the most popular amongst their diners. With his help, we decided on a few plates to share amongst the two of us, which included both the raw and baked oysters, thick cut bacon and the bacon-wrapped scallops. And just when we thought that those 4 starters would be too much, Chef Javier brings out an order of their tantalizing jumbo shrimp cocktail served with a homemade cocktail sauce and welcomes us to Cotton Calf--talk about an entrance, huh? Lucky for us, our starters granted us room for some soup and salad, which if you've had a chance to read my comments above for the lobster bisque and heirloom tomato salad, then you'll probably know that had I missed out on these, I would've been so disappointed with myself because they were both so delectable and not at all what I had in mind in regards to the tiny portion sizes that you may be familiar with at other steakhouses in Atlanta! As the night was progressing on, it was time to order our mains, which with Devin's help, made the process so much easier for us with his detailed description and enthusiasm for all of CCK's menu offerings. With the dinner crowd steadily growing, it took me by surprise when I looked up to see our main entrées and sides ready to be placed on the table, which was pretty fantastic and coincidental if I say so myself. Devin did an impeccable job with the timing and transitioning of our meal because we never once felt rushed, which was comforting to know because we truly felt like all eyes and focus were on us, which was certainly not the case when we were surrounded by all of the diners. If I could find a word to describe CCK's service, I would say that it's SURREAL in the sense that it almost felt like a dream because the service that I've experienced at other steakhouses in the past can't even come close in comparison. Devin was genuinely friendly, courteous and went above and beyond to make our night extraordinary-so if you're reading this, thank you again! And it was pleasure getting to meet & chat with Vincent, the general manager of Cotton Calf, and Chef Javier, both of whom took the extra effort to make us feel welcomed and at home and stopped by our a table a few times to check in and see how everything was. So in all, although Cotton Calf Kitchen may not be on your radar since it is quite the drive outside of Atlanta, it definitely needs to be on it soon! The rustic feel of the restaurant's exterior exudes a classic steakhouse feel, while the upscale, modern decor of the interior complete with an open kitchen and chef's table, unique light fixture and black and white photographs and canvases adorning the walls by local photographers and artists really ties everything together quite well. It's an inviting balance between new and old and Cotton Calf is seriously nailing all aspects of it on the head! Plus, it's spacious and there's plenty of seating inside (approximately 120), parking is free and it doesn't hurt that Château Elan is only a few miles down the road! So yeah, go ahead and splurge on dessert since there's no need to pay for parking or tip the valet. Whether you're on the opposite side of town or you're looking for a one-of-a-kind dining experience that I can guarantee you won't find at any steakhouse in Atlanta, then you've got to make a reservation and stop by here for dinner soon! Just one last note before wrapping it up, I wanted to give thanks to Emily & the ML+A and Cotton Calf Kitchen teams, especially Devin, Vincent and Chef Javier, for the splendid and memorable dining experience! I can't wait to bring my family here, whom recently became residents of the Braselton/Horschton area less than two months ago & to celebrate special occasions as well-so I hope to see you again very soon, Cotton Calf!
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!
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