In 2017, Bon Appetit magazine named Spring restaurant in Marietta, Georgia #7 of the top 10 best new restaurants in America. I knew I wanted to go but I waited awhile since I knew it would be busy. Then i got pregnant and wanted to go when I could have the full experience with wine, so I waited again. I checked a few times for Saturday reservations on, um, the Friday before and often found the place booked up. I finally planned and timed everything right – an early reservation on a Saturday that my mom was here to watch the baby. It was a surprise for Sean and I could tell he was stumped as we made our way completely across northern Metro Atlanta. Read on for all the details but I’ll start by saying I will be returning to Spring. 😉

Part of the allure of Spring restaurant for me was it being on Bon Appetit’s list for best new restaurants and it being relatively close to us. The other part of the allure was the description Andrew Knowlton gave in his write-up:

After three visits to Spring, what I found so compelling finally clicked. Yes, the unpretentious and honest service was part of it. The small-town Marietta Square vibe was charming, too. And who doesn’t love a train slowly rambling by outside every 30 minutes or so? But what clearly kept bringing me back was So’s wickedly focused French technique-driven dishes. It’s not challenging food and, on the surface, not the most innovative stuff I ate this year. But it was some of the best. 

That’s pretty high praise, y’all. And it is incredibly well-deserved.

We parked at Marietta Square and walked towards the train tracks and found the restaurant at the far side of the old train depot. It was small, simple and bright inside and we were shown to a perfect table in the corner. 

We ordered a Rhone blend and it ended up being a really nice pairing with everything. A bit bold with the fish, but just right with other dishes. Also delicious on its own. The wine list is carefully and thoughtfully curated.

Also pictured below is a part of the fresh, daily house-made sourdough bread with cultured butter. Tangy, soft, chewy – so, so delicious.

We shared the Foie Gras as our starter. The other starters on the menu also sounded amazing – melon and ham with ricotta, chilled tomato soup, and a tuna crudo – but we don’t typically have foie gras so we went with that.

The wine was the perfect accompaniment to this dish. Creamy, savory foie gras with pistachio cream, fig preserves, fresh figs and balsamico extravecchio combined into the most perfect, delectable bites. Add in the warm, buttery and flaky housemade brioche it was served with and I’m pretty sure Sean and I could have ordered another plate of this. WOW.

We ordered two main dishes. I love halibut so when I saw it on the menu I knew I wanted to try it. 

PAN ROASTED HALIBUT with zucchini, wax beans, spring onion, tomato, dill, beurre blanc. A seemingly simple dish with flavors, textures and seasoning that was anything but simple. Exquisite is more like it. The beurre blanc sauce that encompassed each perfectly cooked summer vegetable was like drinking sunshine. Flaky, moist halibut with just the right amount of dill – this is the kind of dish that makes you appreciate a truly talented chef.

ROASTED BEEF FLATIRON AND BRAISED SHORT RIB with potato puree, broccolini, confit carrot, roasted shallot.

I never order short rib. And I don’t mean that I *almost* never order it – I mean I have never ordered it at a restaurant. Sean has and I usually find them over-seasoned, heavy dishes that are way too much for me. This was not that. Yes, the short ribs were rich. But balanced on the plate and palate with fresh vegetables cooked just-right, and pureed potatoes that, while absolutely heavy on the butter, provided a light texture to the dish.

DARK CHOCOLATE TART with grapefruit sorbet

Everything on the dessert menu (again, only four items but with such diversity it was more than enough) sounded great and we opted for the dark chocolate tart with grapefruit sorbet. I love grapefruit, Sean loves dark chocolate and we thought the chocolate would go well with the last sips of our wine. 

The sorbet was incredible. Intense grapefruit flavor that somehow managed to be both tangy and sweet at the same time for a refreshing bite. 

The chocolate tart ate more like a flourless chocolate cake and while I’m sure it’s very traditional in its preparation, was our least favorite part of the meal. Don’t get me wrong – it was good and we ate it all. But next time, we would choose something else. Simply personal preference.

We left already talking about how much we want to come back. Brian So is doing an amazing job here at Spring. I highly recommend anyone in the vicinity make the drive to Marietta to experience his talent and dine on fabulous, seasonal cuisine with an attention to detail you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the area.