THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Atlantic

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Atlantic Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Jason Restivo earned his restaurant credits in California, working at several upscale establishments. About a decade ago, he relocated to Savannah and soon was working in the city's most honored restaurants. Now he has his own: Atlantic. Ingeniously crafted out of a former gas station, Atlantic features a warmly lit, mostly white interior with high ceilings and well-spaced tables. The patio is ringed with rosemary bushes, Meyer lemon and blood orange trees.

Food & Drinks: Chef Lauren Teague's playful approach to cooking results in such dishes as French onion dip, pigs in a blanket and --- gasp --- "Hamburger Helper," made with veal, cauliflower and egg noodles. We started with a roasted cauliflower bisque that presented a pair of lightly grilled scallops centered in the wide-rimmed bowl. Studded throughout are plumped white raisins and pearls of salmon caviar. Follow it with pork braised in a local brew and flanked by celeriac slaw and what the menu calls "johnny cakes," but these flat corn cakes are closer to hoe cakes. Desserts come from Natasha Gaskill's A Squad Bake Shop. They're simple, creative and served in reasonable portions. A wedge of Meyer lemon Earl Grey tea custard pie had as its sole adornment a cloud of whipped cream. Restivo is working toward his Master Sommelier, so he takes great care with his wine list, which focuses on French and American offerings. The craft beer list stays Southern and local.