HAVEN

HAVEN Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: HAVEN is from Atlanta restaurant veterans Michel Arnette and chef Stephen Herman. The team believes that simple is best and that seasonal rhythms and local ingredients --- from Gulf oysters to South Carolina quail to Dillwood Farms produce and North Georgia trout --- give energy to a menu. By and large, the food itself comprises the presentation, as it should, with no ill-conceived adornments detracting from the plates.

Food & Drinks: Regional touches may include a ramp vinaigrette on vegetables and a Vidalia onion tart. A grilled heritage pork chop may be paired with a grits soufflé and roasted turnips or a sweet potato-turnip hash. A substantial steak section adds to the lengthy offerings. Come back for brunch and share house-made beignets. Grilled tenderloin with scrambled eggs, hash browns and béarnaise sauce is a tasty protein hit. For dessert, consider the homemade banana pudding that comes with homemade vanilla wafers. We wish the wine list were more exciting, but it does offer a variety of familiar labels mostly from California, with most by the glass. Check out the dessert wine list on the dessert page, and ask about D'Vine Sunday wine specials. Our one issue with HAVEN is the noise level, which sends us scrambling for a seat on the lovely patio to have any hope of audible dinner conversation.