Unlike when I travel with Carl, the cause for this trip was not to eat. Rather, this trip was for a group of college girlfriends scattered across the country to get together and catch up. In typical fashion, during one of our meals we started talking about the next meal. My friend Barrie, who is temporarily located in Atlanta, assured us there were about seven different reservations around Atlanta for us because she couldn't quite pick a restaurant. Luckily, our native Atlantan friend Lila made the restaurant suggestion of the trip! Lila suggested that we try a restaurant called JCT- which is a trendy twist on southern style home cooking. After a brief iphone version of the menu, all 5 of us did the impossible- we decided unanimously to make a reservation at JCT for that evening. Boy am I glad we did!
JCT is located in an adorable shopping center next to a train junction, hence the name "JCT". The interior of the restaurant was hip and full of well-dressed patrons who all looked ready for a night on the town.
JCT is known for their truffle fries and their fried chicken which is served until they run out. Immediately upon sitting down, we asked the waitress if any fried chicken was still available. She ran to the kitchen and promptly told us there were three servings left, which meant if we wanted those servings of fried chicken we had to make game time decisions and place our orders immediately.
First out were the truffle fries and a goat cheese dish. Surprisingly, I'm a fabbie foodie who cannot stomach the strong flavor of goat cheese so I didn't participate in that appetizer. From what I heard, it did not disappoint. However, I must admit that the truffle fries were simply incredible. There was enough truffle oil on the fries to give them the full "truffle" taste without being too overwhelming. The fries were topped with freshly grated parmesan which seemed to permeate through the entire pile of fries and complimented the truffle taste perfectly. For my main dish, I had a piece of trout wrapped in bacon and served atop four potato dumplings. I tasted the dumplings before the fish and knew immediately that I didn't order wrong! The potato dumplings quite literally melted in my mouth. My reaction to the delicious dumplings must have been rather animated! Before I even tasted the trout, I had to divvy up one of the dumplings amongst the table. When I finally tasted the bacon wrapped trout I was not disappointed. I never would have known, but bacon and trout are a match made in heaven! Granted, I love bacon, but it wasn't the signature flavor of the dish. The natural flavor of the fresh fish shone through the bacon nicely. Regardless of the fact that I did force several of my friends to taste my dish, I had absolutely no problem cleaning my plate!
I also tasted several of the other dishes around the table. I was sandwiched between two friends who ordered the fried chicken which came with homemade style macaroni and cheese. The skin of the chicken was incredibly crispy and surprisingly not greasy at all. I have to admit that I was a bit undewhelmed by the macaroni and cheese which was incredibly creamy, but not very cheesy. My friend Barrie, who claims that shrimp and grits are her absolute favorite dish, ate every bite of hers and proclaimed how delicious it was. Coming from a girl who has indeed had her fair share of the dish, a compliment such as that is confirmation of how excellent the meal was!
Every one of us left the restaurant comfortably full and happy. I'm sure being surrounded by my best friends who I don't get to see everyday helped make the meal enjoyable, but JCT was definitely one of the best meals I have had in a long time. It gave me, a native Texan, a true taste of the traditional cooking of the deep south with a trendy twist! The next time you're in Atlanta, be sure to make time between visiting the aquarium and the World of Coke to make a reservation at JCT.
