For a place that advertises itself as a wine bar and listening room, rather than a restaurant, Commune still seems to pay plenty of attention to its food, which is no afterthought.
The menu is filled with creative, delicious dishes that change almost daily. Not every dish hits the mark, but some, like the pork loin served with fried sticky rice and blueberry jus, have an electrifying wow factor.
Commune has depth and breadth. The wonkiest wine geek will find glasses to love, while casual Josh-sippers will be comforted by the reasonable prices and the staff’s enthusiastic guidance.
Credit: Kevin Brown
Credit: Kevin Brown
Almost anyone will find Commune’s space charming. A listening bar in a windowless room carved out of a cinder block warehouse could be like eating inside a cheap subwoofer, but instead it feels like a midcentury sound engineer’s living room. The light is dim but warm, with much of the wall and ceiling decor doubling as acoustic dampeners. According to Commune’s website, its owners “set up a pair of classic Klipsch AK6s hooked up to a JJ322 tube amp in a room designed for sound.” That alphabet soup apparently is a delicacy for audiophiles.
Each night at Commune is soundtracked by a DJ, musician or other “selector” who plays records with a specific theme. Our visits included sets of Afrobeat and modern jazz, and my musically inclined friends repeatedly used their phones to identify the tracks they enjoyed.
The wine list is curated by Steven Grubbs, who worked for years at Empire State South. The wines might be esoteric, but the menu is efficiently descriptive, and the staff members are well-trained, knowledgeable guides. Crucially, the prices are approachable; your server is likely to make a compelling argument for you to order a bottle and take the leftover home.
Credit: Kevin Brown
Credit: Kevin Brown
The kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Autumn Jade. Collectively, baker Miranda Vick’s bread selection is amazing, but the decadent coconut brioche deserves a special shoutout. The individual bread options, including a brown, not-too-sweet molasses bread and a tart sourdough, often are featured in other dishes.
A shrimp and clam tartine, with the seafood in a rich, creamy sauce, felt sophisticated and indulgent over thick slices of Vick’s brown molasses loaf. Jade’s dish featuring zephyr squash, which is like a mashup of yellow squash and zucchini, looked and tasted like something that would be served in a more expensive, fine-dining restaurant.
On each of my visits, a highlight was that deeply flavorful pork loin served with sticky rice and a surprisingly savory blueberry jus. A generous serving of rich, tender pork was offset by the dark, almost earthy blueberry sauce, while the rice added a playful combination of textures, crunchy on the outside while thick and glutinous within. Underneath the rice, a creamy, herbaceous sauce added richness and another pop of vivid color to the dish.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
Unfortunately, Commune’s menu had a major misfire with its salmon crudo. While the preparation should have been enjoyable, with savory smoked dashi broth and tart green tomato, the salmon itself tasted off each time we ordered it. It wasn’t bad enough to send back to the kitchen, but the mostly raw salmon was too tinny and fishy for such a delicate dish.
That doesn’t mean Commune does a poor job with all its raw dishes. The beef tartare with tahini was excellent, and simpler dishes — a summer melon salad or a plate of peaches and tomatoes — showed sophistication in their restraint.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
Overall, Commune is a compelling restaurant that should attract wine lovers, as well as passionate music listeners, but it faces some major headwinds because it is located in a construction zone — where East College Avenue turns into North Avondale Road in Avondale Estates — and it’s in the Olive and Pine building, which is half-finished (and that’s being generous).
However, if the Commune team can minimize unforced errors, it has the potential to become a special restaurant.
COMMUNE
2 out of 4 stars (very good)
Food: eclectic American
Service: variable
Noise level: enjoyably loud, biased toward music listeners, rather than conversationalists
Recommended dishes: side Caesar, melons, heirloom tomato, beef tartare, mushroom tartine, pork loin, shrimp and clams tartine, zephyr squash, all breads, cafe budino, Basque cheesecake
Vegetarian dishes: melons, heirloom tomato, zephyr squash, mushroom tartine, spaghetti al funghi
Alcohol: full bar with an exceptional, well-priced wine list
Price range: $50-$75 per person, excluding drinks
Hours: 6 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays-Sundays
Accessibility: ADA-accessible through rear entrance, though tight space could be challenging for wheelchairs
Parking: free lot
MARTA: about half a mile from Avondale station
Reservations: recommended but not required
Outdoor dining: no
Takeout: no
Address, phone: 6 Olive St., Avondale Estates; no phone
Website: communeatl.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.
