[wzslider autoplay=”true”]
Until about a week ago, I had never enjoyed grits. That all changed when I paid my first visit to Folk Art.
Open since mid-August, Inman Park’s new restaurant is a hip destination for breakfast, lunch, or brunch on any meal between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. It is on the corner of North Highland and Colquitt Avenues. It was a crisp September morning when my ride and I visited for the first time since it opened in mid-August.
We seated ourselves on the open-air indoor patio, which was very pleasant once we managed to tune out the sound of cars speeding by on North Highland. The décor was cute and retro, with carious vintage signs on the walls, and worn-looking wood on many of the surfaces, but put me in the mindset to eat a burger rather than any breakfast food. Even if the decorations and food seemed mismatched, the atmosphere was relaxed and cool.
Our waiter was very friendly, and brought us our menus shortly after we sat down. He was willing to answer any questions we had about the menu, which had lengthy descriptions on some items but no descriptions on others, like waffles and biscuits.
There was a surprisingly long list of alcoholic beverages on the menu, considering the fact that the restaurant closes at 3 p.m. The menu itself consisted of many different sorts of breakfast foods and was somewhat “meat-heavy.” However, it offered a variety of innovative twists on breakfast classics, like “foul play” ($12), a chicken and waffle dish with whiskey peach compote, and “sailor sam” ($13), an omelet with gulf shrimp, spinach, roasted peppers, dill, crème and fresh crab meat.
I ordered “the garden” ($10), an omelet that was supposed to be composed of sunflower pesto egg whites, broccoli rabe and cream corn, but was served an omelet with mushrooms, potatoes and spinach in place of the broccoli rabe and cream corn. I also got the “banana nut fosters” waffle ($6.50) and Folk Art’s own homemade strawberry jelly for the toast that accompanied the omelet.
The food took a little bit longer to arrive than at most restaurants, which was surprising, considering the fact that only about a third of the restaurant’s tables were occupied.
The omelet was served with a side of toast and a side of grits. The toast was perfectly browned without being burnt, but the jelly that I ordered for it was far too sweet for my taste, reminding me more of maple syrup than strawberries. The grits were salted to perfection, and had a few corn kernels dispersed through it, a pleasant surprise that added a new element of sweetness to this classic southern dish.
Aside from being slightly undercooked in places, the omelet itself was quite possibly the most delectable omelet I have ever eaten. It was made of only egg whites, so it was slightly drier than most omelets, which was refreshing. The vegetables, even if they weren’t the ones I ordered, retained a fresh quality despite being cooked inside the omelet, and the potatoes had a palatable texture.
The waffle was topped with bananas and walnut mixed with sugary syrup, and was served with yet more syrup on the side. The waffle itself was crunchy on the outside, as were the nuts, which contrasted nicely with the mushy texture of the bananas. The dish was far too sweet for breakfast, but it still was fresh and tasty.
All of the servings were very large; we left the restaurant with three leftover boxes, so the high prices seemed reasonable. There were, however, a few small, unexpected charges added for things like syrup and jelly.
The overall experience of dining at Folk Art was very satisfactory. With fantastic, fresh food and outstanding customer service and atmosphere, the restaurant is sure to remain in Inman Park for a long time.
