Cadillac Road to Table: Atlanta- 09.30.14
This post is in partnership with Cadillac. A few weeks ago, they invited us out to Atlanta to participate in Road to Table: A Cadillac Culinary Experience in partnership with Saveur Magazine. I’m excited to share our awesome experience test driving the CTS-V to the acclaimed Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch.
On my first trip to Atlanta last year for the Final Four, we were starving and flew in pretty late. Hunting for a great restaurant, we happened upon Holeman & Finch Public House - it was a beautiful gastropub of sorts with delicious craft cocktails and even more delicious gastropubby southern comfort foods. So when I got the invitation to head out to Atlanta to join Road to Table with Cadillac, and saw that the chef was Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch - I was ecstatic. When we stumbled in that first time - we thought we’d just gotten lucky with such a delicious spot. Turns out Chef Linton Hopkins behind it all is a James Beard winner and multi-time nominee, a Food & Wine Magazine ‘Best New Chef’, and his restaurants make many national restaurant lists… it all started to come together. And on top of that, getting a chance to test drive and experience the new Cadillac CTSs and Escalades… we hopped right on the plane! See the details of our adventure on the next page!
First stop was the Foundry in the historical Puritan Mill soap factory that was built in 1921… along with some hors+d’oeuvres, we popped in to register for the event.
Then off to the test drive to dinner! Couples lined up as cars pulled up and the product specialists hopped in the back seat. We got lucky with a dark grey Cadillac CTS-Vsport… that twin turbo V-6 engine makes all the difference. I definitely felt the zoom compared to the standard CTS we caught a ride over in! While we pushed it as hard as we could… it was rush hour in Atlanta! But it was fun following the other Cadillac CTS and Escalades. You can only imagine what the other rush hour drivers must have thought watching the caravan of dozens of cars!
A few of my favorite details… fun key design, LOVE the angles of the door handle, the carbon fiber has red thread woven in, and the M(anual) button looks like a little crest!
It was pretty epic watching the seemingly endless stream of CTS Sedans into the driveway between Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch! While we got out alongside Eugene… first stop was actually Holeman & Finch for cocktails and appetizers.
When you first walk in the door - you’re staring into the deliciousness being prepped in the kitchen.
First up - fried oysters!
Their fantastic deviled eggs… which we definitely remember loving that first time we were in!
And perhaps the most epic… the slider version of their famous BURGER. This double decker burger is one of the most hyped dishes we’ve heard about in Atlanta. It’s off menu (though it has its own page on the website now) - and only 24 are served each night, starting at 10pm! You can even start reserving them earlier… IF you have a seat! They grill them up and sell out in a mere 15 minutes most night. On Sundays you can get them at Brunch… and a line around the block before opening is commonplace. Now, they even have three stands in Braves Stadium - and sell around 1500 burgers during a game. We’ve had friends go to games just to get the burger.
But the real question - does the burger live up to the hype? OMG. YES. It is delicious. And as for all the rules… well, they didn’t want to become a burger joint. Chef Linton Hopkins is a passionate believer in the Farm to Table and Whole Animal movements, and taking care to have every detail perfect! He elevates delicious comfort foods to a whole new level. I love his quote that “Chefs didn’t invent food. Food invented chefs.” Food always comes first. So no burgers 24/7 so people don’t get distracted from their other fantastic offerings.
As for the origin of this ground chuck + brisket (from local farms) burger on a specially made bun topped with homemade ketchup, homemade mustard, pickles, onions, and cheddar… they set out to make the BEST burger. And that they did. In fact as they set out to make the best bun… they inadvertently launched a H&F Bread Co which now supplies fresh bread to much of Atlanta!
And if that wasn’t enough… they teamed up with Atlanta local, Red Hare Brewing to create the perfect H&F Burger Beer - The National Common. (Fun fact: AnchorSteam has the rights to use ‘Steam’ - so other steam beers are known as California Commons.) And about 4 times a year the burger even gets a new t-shirt.
If you can believe it - that was just the appetizers. Next, we all headed across the way to Restaurant Eugene for a sit down multi-course dinner and a chance to meet local Atlanta Cadillac owners and prospective buyers. After Chef Linton Hopkins shared his passion for food - it was time to dive in! We had such a lovely time discussing everything from life to travel, cars, design, and more with the fun folks at our table!
As for the food. It was as delicious as it was beautiful!
When Chef Linton Hopkins was speaking - he touched on the time when both cars and the Michelin Star ratings became more common, stating that a three star rating basically meant that it was “worth a detour”…
… well Cadillac had it right - the combo of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch are definitely worth a detour, roadtrip, and even flight across the country.
And once we were thoroughly filled with delicious food + great conversation, it was time to head back in the caravan of 2015 Cadillac Escalades!
… on great details, how fun are the minimalist vertical brake lights?
Thanks again, Cadillac, for quite the automotive culinary experience. I won’t be forgetting our Road to Table Atlanta adventure anytime soon.
THIS POST IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CADILLAC.
