Red snapper and tuna tartare. (Courtesy of Angie Webb)
Elise, the second restaurant from Chef Craig Richards, opens on Aug. 19 at the Woodruff Arts Center, home to the Alliance Theater, High Museum of Art, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Midtown.
Taking over the former Table 1280 space across from the High Museum, the restaurant’s name nods to one of Beethoven’s most famous piano compositions, “Für Elise”. To start, Elise will only open for dinner, Tuesday through Sunday, with a five-course tasting menu and lunch service launching later this fall.
Richards, who also owns Italian restaurant Lyla Lila at the corner of 3rd and Peachtree near the Fox Theater, leans into his love of seafood at Elise, melding both Italian and French dishes on the menu.
“Elise is the evolution of my experiences, especially my experiences at St. Cecilia [in Buckhead] and Lyla Lila,” Richards told Rough Draft. “I love working with seafood, and Elise combines those two restaurants and represents the next chapter for me that now takes inspiration from more French cooking traditions.”
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The main dining room features a large abstract piece by artist Tommy Taylor. (Courtesy of Angie Webb)
A textured sculptural work incorporating coarse horsehair by Sonya Yong James greets people at the entrance. (Courtesy of Angie Webb)
Richards said he was drawn to the light-filled restaurant space with its clean angles and minimalist design by Italian architect Renzo Piano. He worked with Smith Hanes Studio to warm up the dining rooms and bar with pops of color through furniture, blonde wood flooring, and abstract artwork on the walls.
“The space needed a little bit of color, but we didn’t want to get in the way of the modernist design by Renzo Piano. It’s part of what makes that space so beautiful,” explained Richards. “The scalloped ceiling is fantastic and the star of the show, so we took down a lot of the lighting pendants to show that off.”
The main dining room features a large abstract piece by artist Tommy Taylor, awash with pinks, greens, and sherbetty oranges and yellows. A textured sculptural work incorporating coarse horsehair by Sonya Yong James greets people at the entrance to Elise, while the bar and lounge features bold reds and a shock of yellow in a piece from Athens-based artist Chrissy Reed’s “Blobbies” series.
A piece from Athens-based artist Chrissy Reed’s “Blobbies” series in the lounge dining area at Elise. (Courtesy of Angie Webb)
Led by Chef de Cuisine Savoy Rath, look for appetizers of snapper and tuna tartare topped with saffron aioli, sumac, and pickled field peas, and scallop crudo garnished with melon, bronze fennel, and lemon balm drizzled with Meyer lemon oil. A chicken liver mouse features strawberry-hibiscus jam and fried pistachios, while the gazpacho comes with toasted parmigiano ice cream and crispy basil.
House-made pastas include cacio e pepe risotto, a rabbit ragu tagliatelle, and linguine tossed with clams, langoustines, poached garlic, and Calabrian chili in an herb-almond cream.
In addition to entrees of snapper, halibut, and a spiced, cured duck breast, expect three prime cuts of steak–New York strip, ribeye, and petite filet–accompanied by a Madeira-porcini mushroom jus, smoked mushrooms, and pomme purée.
Starting this fall (likely in October), Rath and Richards will begin offering a five-course tasting menu ($95) with optional wine pairings ($45). Lunch will also begin this fall and run six days a week, Richards said, providing area office workers, museum visitors, and neighborhood residents with a more “elevated” dining option during the day.
Eric Potrikus leads the bar program at Elise. Potrikus compiled a wine list focusing heavily on French vintages, along with wines from Portugal, Italy, and California. Among the six cocktails are a classic martini, Negroni, and an Old Fashioned called “The Maestro,” mixing bourbon and rye with Marie Duffau Napoleon armagnac.
Tagliatelle with rabbit ragu, taggiasca olives, and soft herbs. (Courtesy of Angie Webb)
Scallop crudo with melon, bronze fennel, Meyer lemon oil, and lemon balm. (Courtesy of Angie Webb)
“I’ve always loved this space, ever since I first ate here in 2005 when Sean Doty was chef of Table 1280. It totally makes sense to me to have great food around great art,” Richards said of opening in such an iconic restaurant space in Atlanta. “I love how this design turned out. There’s so much energy [at Woodruff Arts Center] and in this space. I want you to feel all of that energy when you’re eating here.”
Elise is part of a $67 million makeover of the Woodruff Arts Center campus on Peachtree, which includes modernizing and activating the front facade of the original Memorial Arts building, between the Alliance Theatre and High Museum. Once the renovation is complete this winter, signage for Elise will be visible from Peachtree Street, and the restaurant will provide valet parking from that location.
Richards, along with restaurateur Billy Streck, opened Lyla Lila at the end of 2019 on the ground floor of the Lilli Midtown apartment building, one block north of the Fox Theatre on Peachtree. The menu centers on freshly-made pastas and wood-fired dishes. Richards learned his pasta-making skills from his mentor, Italian chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich.
Michelin recognized Lyla Lila as a recommended restaurant in its 2023 and 2024 dining guides to Atlanta.
Elise at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street, Midtown. Open Tuesday – Sunday at 5 p.m. Tasting menu and lunch service launch in October.
Valet parking is available on Peachtree Street. Accessible by public transit via the Arts Center MARTA station behind Woodruff Arts Center. Parking deck and street parking available.
Dining and Cooking