Stairway to HAVEN

Over the weekend, Slick and I had dinner with two of our friends to celebrate one of them passing the Georgia bar.  (Congratulations again!)  Since everyone was going to be in the Buckhead/ Brookhaven area, we decided to rediscover one of my old favorites: Haven.  Hidden off Dresden, Haven is the cutest little restaurant with some really delicious menu surprises.   (LK loves it, too!)

Two of my favorite things about Haven are not edible.  I love that the servers wear jeans.  For me, the “denim uniform” removes any pretension from the restaurant and helps to invoke a more relaxed culinary experience.  Secondly, I adore the Chihuly-esque water drops suspended out of the massive faucet fixtures on the left wall of the restaurant.  So creative. 

Also – the food is delicious!!   

Haven’s menu is relatively straightforward with a number of tasty offerings. 

Here’s what we ate:

Started with…*
Hickory Smoked Chicken Salad: arugula, pistachio, roasted corn + apple
Blue Hill Bay Mussels: smoked tomato, chipotle, grilled sourdough  (Delicious!)
Grilled Georgia Shrimp: fennel and celery root remoulade, lemon confit 
(Not our favorite…just FYI)
*Also sounded yummy: Beef Tartare + Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio

For the main event…
Roasted George Bank Scallops: sweet onion grits, chanterelles, seared pears  (Amazing.)
Slow Cooked CAB Briskit: egg noodles, local swiss chard, shiitakes  (Enormous portion!)
Low Country Shrimp Boil: sweet corn, andouille sausage, new potatoes, old bay broth
Roasted Scottish Salmon: pine nut couscous, feta, kalamata olives, cucumbers

To finish…
Chocolate + Pear Bread Pudding w/ almond creme
Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee w/ candied orange

And, also…
Martinis all around.  (The martinis go all around…all around…the martinis go all around!) 

Haven has been around for a while and its consistently delicious menu is no secret – especially if you live in the area.  But, for those of us who don’t live nearby – we need to make a point to remember this adorable restaurant.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  (Check out all the new construction directly across Dresden from Haven.  It’s amazing what they’ve done in that area!) 

xx, L

Haven Restaurant
1441 Dresden Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30319-3581
(404) 969-0700
www.havenrestaurant.com