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Saskatoon Restaurant, a new eatery known for it’s wild game, is located in Buckhead off Pharr Rd, has replaced the ill-fated Harry Bissett’s. I was first invited to a wine tasting at Saskatoon Restaurant in mid-February. They were finalizing their wine selection at Saskatoon’s latest location in Buckhead. Saskatoon Restaurant is a chain out of the Northwest, with several locations across the states.
Arriving promptly at 7 pm for the wine tasting, they offered up some menu samples as well: Alligator Bites, Crab Cakes, Elk, Ribeye, Wild Boar Flatbread and Bread Pudding for dessert.
I thought that the Alligator, which seems to be a regular offering but not listed on the menu tasted like chicken and was very tender, but with a slightly funny aftertaste. And as far as the Wild Boar Flatbread, I loved the Wild Boar part of it, just not so much the flatbread. It was a little soggy, not able to stand up to the ingredients set atop it.
The Elk and Ribeye were definitely standouts. Cooked perfectly, they both exhibited what the restaurant is known for: meat. There was a great sauce on the elk that complimented it extremely well, slightly like jam but not too sweet or overpowering. And the ribeye was served with fried onions on top – absolutely delicious.
Needless to say, on my return visit to review the restaurant itself, I ordered all different items. Full disclosure: this was a “free” meal as I was invited to a preview dinner. I used the term “free” pretty loosely as it ended up costing me $100 after all was said and done. Alcohol, tax and gratuity isn’t included.
So, as I said I was invited to preview Saskatoon Restaurant. I made my way into Saskatoon with my dining partner on a Thursday evening. Once you enter you’ll immediately see the hostess stand. To the left is the bar at Saskatoon. And to the right is the dining area. There was a boisterous group that had no doubt been boozing it up, so we refused the first table the hostess took us to, opting for one a little more cozy and further away from the bar noise.
It would be nice if the partitioned wall that separates the hostess/ waiting area from the dining are were a little higher. Two reasons for this: I can imagine it gives you a little more privacy between you and the noise of other patrons, but also in the winter when the door opens a cool breeze whips right through the center of the dining area which wouldn’t happen if this dividing wall was about 3 feet taller.
For starters we opted for the skewered shrimp and sausage sampler, priced at around $10 each. This is a sampling of 3 different sausages which is rotated out each week. I had: rabbit, duck and venison. The skewered shrimp with zucchini was cooked perfectly and had a nice zing to it. The sausage sampler didn’t disappoint either. While our favorite was the duck (sweet and juicy) the venison was second and the rabbit third, although they were all tasty. The mustard seed and bbq sauce offered with them weren’t even needed.
Next up was the Buffalo Mozzerella and Tomato salad. This is a great option for two to share as the size is pretty gigantic. The baslamic dressing was a great compliment to the salad and the sliced pecans were a great addition.
At this point it was time to order wine. Wine wasn’t included with our comped check. And the waitstaff steered us toward the most expensive bottles on the menu. We did get one of them and enjoyed it, but would have rather decided on the wine ourselves without the nudging.
For our entrees, we tried Ostrich and Kangaroo. Ostrich is a very lean meat much like beef. And the Kangaroo, at least to me, tasted like beef as well. The Ostrich was in a sauce that was very salty, which made it difficult to enjoy the meat itself. In fact the salty sauce permeated my sides: mashed potatoes and beggar’s purse (puff pastry with sauteed mushrooms), which is too bad because I think I would have quite enjoyed the beggar’s purse.
The Kangaroo was a special that evening, not offered on the regular menu. It was not salty, so we ended up eating more of that than the Ostrich. I had expected it to have more of a gamey flavor, but it didn’t. Like the Ostrich, the Kangaroo tasted like beef.
If you visit, don’t miss the broccoli rabe side dish. This is a broccoli that is fried in a tempura batter and is presented with soy sauce for dipping. There is an upcharge for it, like 2 or 4 bucks, but it is a great addition, much better than the default side of mashed potatoes.
Full, but not too full for dessert, we chose Saskatoon’s creme brulee. This is unlike any creme brulee you’ve had before. it is layers of phyllo that have the cream part of the creme brulee in between. It is layer after layer of sweet decadence.
Overall, I like Saskatoon and wish them lots of luck. It has nice decor, friendly, helpful service and is located in the heart of Buckhead. The prices are little on the high side, with many entrees being over $30. I just wonder if now is the time to open up a pricey restaurant, amid tough economic times. After all, I just read somewhere even posh restaurants like Paces 88, located in the St. Regis Hotel, have revamped their menu, offering many more affordable dishes to combat the state of our economy. Time will tell if Atlantans will swoon for Saskatoon’s unique wild game offerings.
360 Pharr Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
404 891 1911
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