Tasting Collective #6: La Panarda

This May 2023 addition to the Atlanta dinner scene was quickly named to ATL’s Hottest New Restaurants list by Eater. Though the restaurant is a newcomer, the culinary wizard behind it is not. Chef/Owner Deborah Van Trece, a 2023 James Beard Award “Best Chef: Southeast” semi-finalist is well known to the city’s top foodies as she owns the popular West Midtown restaurant Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. The restaurant gets its name from an Italian culinary tradition influenced by a folklore story about a celebratory feast and the beautiful Abruzzo-inspired meal awaiting us as we settled in for an amazing meal was truly celebratory!

Aburzzo, a region in southern Italy, is a hidden gem that often escapes tourist radars, but it is a place where culinary traditions are deeply rooted in the land and culture. Less famous than its neighbors Tuscany and Campania, its food culture is a treasure trove of flavors waiting to be discovered. The tasting menu was promoted as a tribute to Abruzzo and the meal did not disappoint.

Course 1 (Antipasto) was a lovely Wild Mushroom Ragu with braised Georgia-grown mushrooms, polenta grit cake, and citrus tomato gremolata. The mushrooms were tender and flavorful with a nice umami, and the brightness of the gremolata added a delightful contrast, though I did miss the tomato and the citrus was very subtle. While the texture of the interior of the grit cake was perfect, I wished for a crispier exterior. The dish was a wonderful balance of earthy, herbaceous flavors and a lovely counter-texture and It embodied the simple, yet powerful pleasures of Abruzzo-inspired cuisine.

Course 2 (Primo) was an Arugula & Duck Prosciutto Salad with burrata, red onion mostarda, and melon vinaigrette. I’m a sucker for duck in any form, so I was super excited for this rendition. The star of this course was the melon vinaigrette. It was bright and a perfect contrast to the bitterness of the arugula. The duck prosciutto was lovely, but each tasting serving only had one piece, which was unfortunate as it was delicious. The red onion mostarda was so lightly served as to be non-existent. The burrata was creamy and a nice complement to the vinaigrette.

Course 3 (Secondo), a Low Country Seafood Panna Cotta with a “sea” of lovely flavors from shrimp, lump crabmeat, lobster, and sausage, was my absolute favorite of the evening. The panna cotta was perfectly smooth and tasted of the ocean. I was afraid it would be “fishy” but it was as if you were enjoying a nice seafood broth. The panna cotta was supported by the traditional low country boil ingredients: petite potato, shaved corn, plus the onus of salmon roe caviar which added the perfect burst of salinity. This dish was the star of the evening.

Course 4 (Contorno) was an Oxtail Cannelloni with foie gras (yum), green tomato and root vegetable caponata, torched mission fig, goat cheese, and pan jus. The cannelloni were perfectly al dente stuffed with a rich ox tail ragu. The ox tail was tender, and the pan jus was flavorful and robust. The addition of the root vegetables made the dish hearty and comforting. I did find the goat cheese a bit too flavor-forward and over-powering, and the torched fig was a nice touch but seemed out of place in the overall composition. Overall, a very good dish.

Our culinary journey ended with course 4 (Dolce), a Honeycrisp Apple & Pecan Crostata with brown sugar butter, apple spice, pecan dough, vanilla mascarpone cream, and salted caramel. I am not an apple pie fan, but I will admit that this was a very well-done crostata. The crust was flaky, the apples were cooked perfectly and the salted caramel offered a small, deeper sweetness that completed the apples well. It was a nice way to round off the meal!

This five-course tribute to Abruzzo was indeed a pleasure. We had an opportunity to savor the flavors of Georgia as the vegetables were locally grown. Much like Abruzzo cuisine, the meal took us from the mountains to the sea and back, across the carefully crafted menu. The Italian-inspired creations coming out of the La Panarda kitchen are worthy of a visit to this southside gem. So, the next time you are looking for a culinary adventure, consider La Panarda as a way to embark on a journey through Italy. Buon appetito!

If you haven’t signed up for Tasting Collective, run don’t walk to do so. For a VIP invitation, use my invite code ALI275384 when you request an invite at: https://www.tastingcollective.com/?invite_code=ALI275384.