Harvest Habersham

Harvest Habersham Restaurant Review:

Harvest Habersham is tucked into a renovated historic space off the square in Clarkesville. Its romantic atmosphere derives from such details as gleaming pressed tin ceilings, pinpoint lighting and a simple color palette featuring shades of orange-hued red. A bar greets guests to the left. Chef-owner Chris Bolton taps a long list of local purveyors for raw materials, so the menu changes depending on what’s grown. Bolton’s wife, Laura Farrelly, handles libations and manages the dining room. She makes many cocktail elements, such as the blood orange shrub in her Blood, Bourbon and Bubbles cocktail. Pan-roasted Brussels sprouts, dotted with Georgia’s own Asher Blue cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy, were the tiniest we’ve ever seen. Crispy pork belly with bacon-braised collard greens and a sweet potato purée was delectable on one visit, but specific embellishments will change with availability and seasons. Roasted duck breast and the shrimp and grits also star. You may want dessert first here as they will range from a chocolate choice to creative flavors of ice creams, sorbetti and sherbets. Watch out for the cream cheese doughnuts. Wines span a variety of regions and none is ordinary; they include perhaps a few local labels as well. Ask about wine-focused dinners. Inventive culinary concepts grace the brunch menu, too, with touches like Sea Island red peas and ramp pesto among the special notes that might adorn selected dishes.