Step aside fussy, faddish fusions to make way for Atlanta’s dining impresario and restaurateur, David Abes, walking the red carpet of 30A with Message in A Bottle, Dunwoody’s new standard-setting solid statement with real food.
Billed as “superior seafood,” Message in a Bottle nestles right in with some of Abes’ other concepts, bar{n}, and Morty’s Meats & Supply, around the outdoor space in Dunwoody Village’s new communal courtyard and ready for upcoming spring.
The table enjoyed three salads.
A man with a vision, Abes has long stated his plans to roll out the different concepts, methodically executing his road map to cuisine heaven. Remembering that a young Abes was general manager for the Atlanta Fish Market, COO for Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, director of operations for Here To Serve, and regional director for LDV Hospitality, “Message” is another leap forward to dine on fish so fresh it’s still leaping in the sea.
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What we sampled:
Salads
Mariner’s Caesar — presented with thick white anchovies and Old Bay croutons ($12)
Pacific Rim Chopped Salad — Napa cabbage with sweet peppers, onions, basil, peanuts and Thai peanut dressing. Worth bragging about ($14)
Roasted Beet Salad — herbed fromage blanc, pistachio was bursting with cubes in a rainbow of beets ($13)
Super, fresh fish can be prepared in multiple ways. Pictured here are Virginia bass and grouper.
Main
“Have it Your Way” with Catch of the Day, casts a wide net of preparation options:
Ibiza — lime chile broth and saffron rice
Nice (as in France) — herb roasted potatoes, French green beans, olives, warm herb vinaigrette.
Malibu — citrus ginger broth, sesame stir fried vegetables.
Our night’s “catches” were salmon ($28), grouper ($39), and Virginia bass ($30) prepared in the same order as above. The fish were so firm, different, and flavorfully cooked at the correct temperature,…
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