On Sunday afternoon I joined some ladies from the Atlanta Food Bloggers’ Society for brunch at Red Sky Tapas and Bar in Marietta. The day started out rainy which usually keeps me indoors and often times in bed watching movies or surfing the internet. I’m glad I accepted an invitation to try out Red Sky instead. The restaurant is about a 35 minute drive from my home but it was worth every mile.
The menu is tapas style which is a fun way to do brunch. The first bite to hit our table were these glistening strips of Candied Bacon. Over the past several months I’ve been developing an almost insatiable craving for bacon so this dish had me all kinds of excited. Not that I let it show…I’m very good at maintaining my cool and calm demeanor despite having something as glorious as bacon cross my path.
The second dish we tried was this Blackened Ahi Tuna Salad. The tuna was seared rare and presented over spring mix tossed with pico de gallo and pineapple soy vinaigrette, then topped with a poached egg. The salad was beautiful and a hit with others but I’m still not on the Ahi train because I haven’t developed a palate for it. I did, however, enjoy the salad greens alone with the light, flavorful vinaigrette. I could easily enjoy that as a side.
An unexpected dish was this Sweet Potato Hash. I love sweet potatoes and have prepared them at home by oven roasting but I’ve never imagined dicing them up and turning them into a mildly spicy side like this.
Also on the brunch menu was this Lobster Cake Eggs Benedict, a savory lobster cake topped with a poached egg and apricot burre blanc. All I can say is that there is a special place in my heart for seafood so you have to do something pretty awful to it to make me dislike it. This lobster cake was delicious and I could eat like six of them (while no one is watching) and not feel an ounce of shame.
The thing that impresses me about this dish and the others is that they’re fantastic brunch options with unique little twists. Take the next plate for example:
This is not your typical signature duo. Red Sky is serving “Buffalo” Chicken and Waffles. The Belgian style waffles are served with fried chicken tenders tossed in a zesty honey glaze. Our taste buds had sort of a salty sweet party when we tried these. The glaze sparked a discussion at the table about the other flavors we were sensing. Then the chef happened to stop by at just the right time and confirmed what we thought. If you want to know the other flavors, you’ll just have to try the dish yourself and then play the same game we did. It’s fun so go ahead and do it.
Not pictured were the Plantains Foster Waffles we sampled. They’re also Belgian style waffles but these are topped with coconut fried plantains in a secret sauce. Yes, it’s still a secret.
A Red Sky favorite is the Lobster & Roasted Corn Dip. This item is not on the brunch menu so you’ll have to stop by for Lunch or Dinner and give it a try. The rich, luscious lobster filled dip also features plump roasted corn, jalapeños, onions and red peppers. Just so you know, the tortilla chips are seasoned lightly and fried in-house. Good to know, right?
Now let me tell you about some biscuits…
Here in the south, biscuits and gravy for breakfast is pretty common but have you ever tried Biscuits with a Parmesan Gravy? Red Sky serves these portions of genious with a sausage or steak option. Our gravy contained sausage which made these biscuits all kinds of yum. I’m going to admit that I was initially slow in trying this because I had a hard time imagining that they would be any different than others I’ve tried. To my surprise, I discovered that they are very different in a stop talking and take another bite kind of way. Seriously.
There’s a section on the menu called Lunchy Brunchy where you’ll find heartier plates like these Jerk Chicken Tacos. The soft shells are filled with roasted chicken sautéed in jerk butter, then topped with mango salsa and goat cheese. Although I did enjoy the taco quite a bit, it was not what one would expect when you use the term Jerk Chicken. With that you would expect some authentic island flavor through and through. The flavor was more subtle than any of the jerk chicken I’ve ever tried at authentic Jamaican joints found by referral and a bit of luck. If you’re looking for milder flavoring, you’ll certainly enjoy the Red Sky version.
Also found in the Lunchy Brunchy section is a lovely version of a southern favorite, Cajun Shrimp and Grits. Speckled with tomatoes, jalapeños, roasted red peppers and cilantro, this is a comfortable dish to enjoy alongside Bottomless Bloody Marys or Mimosas.
In addition to their tempting Sunday Brunch menu, Red Sky now offers Lunch with full sized versions of the most popular tapas from their dinner menu. The restaurant also plays home to the Dueling Pianos on Friday and Saturday evenings. I have not witnessed this act for myself yet but I heard that the performance is funny and entertaining.
Red Sky Tapas and Bar is located at:
1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 16 in Marietta.
Lunch is available Monday through Friday from 11am until 4pm
Brunch is served on Sundays from 10:30am until 3pm
Dinner is served beginning at 4pm nightly
http://www.redskytapas.com/
Disclosure: I joined members of the Atlanta Food Bloggers’ Society for Sunday Brunch at Red Sky Tapas and Bar. While the meal was complimentary, I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. You can view my full Disclosure Policy here.
