My veneration for Alpharetta’s City Center is not exactly a closely guarded secret. Let’s talk about the Restaurant Holmes. One-time St. Cecilia chef Taylor Neary is the chef/owner of the upscale restaurant located inside the century-old Jones House. Though small plates oriented, Holmes has shifted focus a bit more towards large plates as well. With a hat tip to the bacon broth, the icy blue mussels instill delection as few analogous dishes could. Our waiter supplied my eldest son and me two soup spoons, a must for the bouillon infused with bacon, poblano, and lemon. Do not waste of drop of this transformative sofrito.
Cookie-cutter poke shops are the craze of the last two years in Alpharetta environs, but it’s tough to settle for the clones after sampling RH’s slightly spicy tuna version, replete with jasmine rice, avocado, and ponzu sauce. My son raved over his upscale grilled cheese, with provolone, cheddar, bacon, and apple butter. You’ve read this from me before—tons of burger options, but at some point, I am going to give the burger a venture at a high-caliber restaurant. In my several years of pretending to be a food critic, I’ve found restaurants are always enthusiastic to get back to me with answers to basic questions. Holmes is the outlier, so I was ineffective in confirming, but the unique taste appears to be from woodfire or possibly charcoal broiled grill. It is better than most I’ve had, and this growing boy has sampled countless.
Holmes has an evolving menu so the most venturesome among us can enjoy the replenished possibilities.
Among the growing number of enthusiasts is Alpharetta resident Kevin Phelan, who celebrates no longer having to transport with his wife intown for excellent cuisine. “Now, a pleasant walk to downtown Alpharetta is all it takes to experience an ever-changing seasonal menu that keeps us coming back for more.” Initiated by Avalon, City Center has gravy-trained the walkability craze with Holmes playing a leading role. Though expressing admiration for other nearby options, Phelan emphasized that Neary’s sensation, “is leading the pack with fresh, inventive dishes.” The house-made Cacio e Pepe, a modern Roman pasta dish, is his most beloved thus far.
It was only a few years ago that Alpharetta’s top-shelf dining options were scarce. Fast forward to today, where the barely-getting-started City Center has more strong date night options than the city combined flaunted a half-dozen years ago. The best so far? One could contend there’s no place like Holmes.
The author Joe Duffy rants about food on Instagram, Twitter, and the Atlanta restaurant podcast Atlanta Grubber
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