Eleven Restaurant Gulf of Mexico Summer Nights Buffet at Loews Atlanta Hotel [Photo Recap]

   

Nothing says summer like a low country boil! On Tuesday July 10, Eleven Restaurant at Loews Atlanta Hotel, dedicated its first "Summer Night" of the year to the Gulf of Mexico. The event featured live music, salad, soup & a low country boil w/ corn, mushroom, shrimp & bacon slabs and a key lime pie dessert. All for $22 a seat. 

 

My first impression of Eleven Restaurant, an exciting and innovative farm to table cuisine with a southern accent was, "oh boy, this is not the place for a country boil". Country boils are one of those humble meals that is best enjoyed outdoors with friends. They can get very messy, and when you are in a place like Eleven Restaurant, you want to do your best to make your etiquette teacher proud. Is hard to look sophisticated while you are peeling shrimp with your bare hands.

 

Is a good thing that Chef Olivier Gaupin took us to the buffet area and explained to us what each item on the table was. This really calmed my nerves and made us relax and enjoy our dining experience. He came to our table on several occasions to check on us, a gesture that not many chefs like to do these days.

    
 

Overall, the country boil was very successful and the flavors were spot on. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and the big slabs of bacon and mushroom was a great twist. 

  

Apart for the country boil, two other menu items that I absolutely loved, was the crab soup and the creamy corn salad. My husband really enjoyed the tomato and cucumber salad. It was tangy, refreshing, and well balanced.

The live music was a nice touch. It really helped create a pleasant atmosphere for the diners. 

 

Eleven Restaurant  is not the best place for small children, however if you have well behaved adventurous eaters, then go for it.

 

My youngest was so impressed, that he had the nerve to ask me, if one day he could bring his "girlfriend" to have lunch. I swear I almost choke on my Margarita. Kids these days I'm telling you...

 

Dessert was key lime pie with a big cloud of merigue on top. It was really good, but I think that individual portions might have been a better option. I had a little trouble cutting it, and one of the restaurant managers had to intervene. It was kind of funny how he also struggle to cut it too, and we had no other choice than to start laughing. Sometimes you have a great idea in your head only to later realize it was not that good after all.

When you visit a restaurant, food is not always king. Sometimes is the atmosphere, and how well they treat you that you remember the most. Don't get me wrong, the food was great, and I will remember it, but I'll also remember all the happy faces greeting us when we arrived. I'll remember my waiter who said happy birthday to me with a big smile on his face, and most important, I'll remember Chef Gaupin, who was one of the first persons to welcome us, and who I later saw running around frantically, making sure that every single guest was happy and enjoying their food. Chef Gaupin seems like a very genuine person, he is super approachable (don't let his french accent intimidate you, ha!). He seems very passionate at what he does, is focused, talented, and kind, a clear sign of a true master chef. When you cook from your heart, not only you can taste it, but you can also feel it. That night we felt the love! Thank you for a wonderful night Eleven Restaurant. Until we meet again!

http://www.loewshotels.com/Atlanta-Hotel