When you walk into 10th & Piedmont at dinnertime, you’re immediately struck by the chic, calm ambiance and contemporary interior design. The recently revamped menu features a variety of food from shrimp and scallop nachos, to filet mignon, to a classic burger, hinting that everyone is guaranteed to find something they enjoy.
The bocadillo, a sandwich composed of shredded pork, arugula, asiago cheese and tomato marmalade, is cut into four, making it perfect for sharing. What makes this dish stand out, though, is the kick of wholegrain mustard.
Also perfect for sharing is the restaurant’s take on chicken and waffles. Instead of Belgian waffles with a side of fried chicken, 10th & Piedmont serves up battered chicken on a skewer that looks like a corn dog. The “waffle” outer is crispy and sweet, and the chicken inside has a smoky flavor that feels like a serious meal. The pseudo-corn dogs come with three dipping options to be mixed and matched as desired: syrup, powdered sugar and hot sauce.
10th & Piedmont challenges expectations once again with its play on shrimp and grits. The “shrimp on grits” consists of seared juicy shrimp presented on a cake made of grits. The outside of the cake is firm, but the inside is the smooth Southern grits everyone knows and loves.
The wild mushroom ravioli was a crowd-pleaser, even to me, who is not the biggest fan of mushrooms. The ravioli is filled with spinach and mushrooms and sits in a generous helping of cream sauce with multiple types of wild mushrooms on top. The dish was definitely created with mushroom-lovers in mind.
The icing on the proverbial cake came as a chocolate soufflé with crème anglaise. Made fresh-to-order in 17 minutes, the soufflé can be enjoyed with the cream either poured into the piping hot interior or as a dip for each individual bite. The richness of the chocolate is balanced nicely by the lightness of the cream.
The food is served quickly and employees are genuinely attentive to customers’ needs, which makes up for the dim lighting. However, the portions aren’t as hefty as what’s expected from your neighborhood sit-down place. The majority of the prices won’t break a student’s bank and there’s no lack of flavor here. At the end of the day, 10th & Piedmont is a great choice for a more mature chill night out with friends.
