Venkman’s opened this past September in the renovated NuGrape Soda Factory bringing a one-of-a-kind concept to the historic Old Fourth Ward – dining and live entertainment. Nicholas Niespodziani and Peter Olson of Yacht Rock Revue, and local chef Nick Melvin are the masterminds behind the joint that serves as a restaurant, bar, and live music venue.
The schedule of entertainment rotates weekly and features a little something for everyone, with jazz, rock, and even something for the kiddos. The menu, which was updated in January, is more gluten free, vegan and vegetarian friendly with each dish clearly marked as such. The chef’s attention to detail and delicate hand keeps its customers not only entertained, but well fed and coming back for more.
Venkman’s bar program, led by veteran bartender Bradford Tolleson, offers classic cocktails, boozy slushies, Prosecco, cider and rosé on tap. Happy hour specials and half price wine bottles are a favorite of locals. The bar is split into two areas – a front and back counter with tall tables and standing room for music lovers.
Efforts to preserve the original building can be seen all over the restaurant from the handcrafted serving dishes used for mushroom lettuce cups, the rustic table tops, and the rafters. The booths that line the wall were salvaged and serve as ‘the’ perfect place to watch live performances.
Chef Nick Melvin, owner of Doux South Pickles, serves as the Executive Chef and has a playful approach to creating classic comfort cuisine. His ability to combine hot/cold and sweet/sour with unexpected texture is what intrigued me the most. This chef managed to make me not only like, but enjoy eating ingredients I normally despise, like cilantro and fennel.
My dining companion and I were treated to several dishes, each more complex in ingredients, yet simple and harmonious in flavor. The refreshing avocado salad featured cucumbers, candied peanuts, cilantro and plenty of avocado. We ate every bite and would definitely order it again. The ham plate was a special and was served on a bed of smoked cheese with fennel and pickled veggies. The salty ham balanced in flavor and texture by the crunchy fennel and veggies.
Next up was the fries with pickle sauce. The fries are normally prepared in a shared fryer, but they can be baked upon request. I could go on and on about these perfectly cooked hand cut French fries that are blanched, frozen and then fried. The freezing helps keep the inside soft and the outside crisp, so they come out the perfect amount of crispy. The fries are paired with a sauce of magic called pickle sauce. Not too thick or thin and a combo of sweet and sour with fresh herbs, this sauce perfectly coats the fries. Now, you are going to need more pickle sauce than what comes with an order, so don’t be shy about asking for more because it compliments so many dishes on the menu.
The mushroom lettuce cups were up next with button mushrooms, mushroom bacon and peanuts in BBQ vinaigrette. These barbecue vinaigrette was too bold for me and overpowered the dish making it hard to get the flavor from the other ingredients.
The main event of the evening was our entrees, which were a steak salad on a bed of greens with Thai basil, fennel, and pickled vegetables and the Georgia grouper on corn hash. The buttery steak was wonderful with the bright and slightly spicy salad. The real star was the trout served with crispy skin. The corn hash features Pine Street Market’s smoky ham, potatoes and drunken tomatoes. Such a lovely marriage of textures where every ingredient seemed to be cooked individually and comes together effortlessly.
I highly recommend making a trip to Venkman’s to enjoy libations, a meal, and live music in a laid back setting. Be sure to make a reservation in advance, if you want one of the comfy booths. Tickets tend to go fast, so check out the entertainment schedule and get ready for a great time.
Venkman’s is open for dinner and brunch and is located at 740 Ralph McGill Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30308.
