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Recipes and Photos from The Optimist

Image may contain Food Dish Meal Pizza Curry and Stew
Gentl & Hyers ©2013

Named for a kid's sailing dinghy, The Optimist is the creation of Atlanta chef and managing partner Ford Fry, who clearly knows how to navigate a winner: It is without a doubt the best of a growing number of big-name fish houses that have opened this year.

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    Striped Bass with Lime Broth

    Serving a perfectly cooked, crisp-skinned piece of fish in a seasoned lime broth lets you get a spoonful of bright flavor in every bite.

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    2/11

    Skate Wing Schnitzel

    “This dish was on our opening menu and still makes an appearance whenever we can get fresh skate wings,” says chef Adam Evans. His method also works with skinless turbot, flounder, or sole fillets.

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    GENTL AND HYERS ©2013
    3/11

    Snapper is perfectly pan-seared.

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    Gentl & Hyers ©2013
    4/11

    The scene at the soaring bar, where cocktails have names like Brackish Water and Tiki Torched.

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    Garlic-Chile Relish

    Sichuan peppercorns are technically not peppercorns but dried berries from the prickly ash shrub, and are essential to Sichuan cuisine. They deliver nuanced heat along with a numbing and tingling sensation.

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    GENTL AND HYERS ©2013
    6/11

    The dining room.

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    Gentl & Hyers ©2013
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    Chef and chief optimist Adam Evans.

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    Gentl & Hyers ©2013
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    Superfresh fish (top to bottom): queen triggerfish, strawberry grouper, and lion fish, three of the more than 20 varieties of seafood that are on offer daily.

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    GENTL AND HYERS ©2013
    9/11

    Guests dig into a communal plate of oysters at one of The Optimist's round tables.

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    10/11

    Shrimp with Ancho Butter Sauce

    A saucy dish for those who don’t mind eating with their hands. Serve with plenty of crackers or bread for sopping up every last bit of the delicious liquid, and extra napkins, too!

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Deputy Editor. Andrew has worked at Bon Appétit since, like, forever (2000 to be exact). He oversees the magazine's restaurant coverage, including the annual Hot 10 list, and writes the rather opinionated Foodist column that has run in the magazine since 2008. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and ... Read More
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