“Clearly there a lot of Italian restaurants in Atlanta,” Steve Palmer noted last fall, just before his Charleston-based chain Indaco opened on the Eastside Beltline. “You have to ask yourself what you think we can contribute.”
What Indaco contributes is wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and hand-rolled pastas, explorable Italian wines and terrific cocktails.
However, some of the nicest bites I had came from starters. The polpette appetizer, a mix of Angus beef and heritage pork, provided five pingpong-sized meatballs coated in marinara that were flavorful, fork-tender and not the least bit dense or heavy.
Credit: Heidi Harris
Credit: Heidi Harris
The majority of the menu is unique to Atlanta, and is driven by seasonal, locally raised ingredients, which is why you’ll see frequent dish swaps, including two recent, recommended antipasti additions.
The beet salad was a vibrant red plate of roasted beets and torn radicchio showered in milky white ricotta salata crumbles. It got a burst of brightness from an orange-fennel vinaigrette.
Credit: Courtesy of Indaco
Credit: Courtesy of Indaco
Even more delicious was creamy, house-made burrata with strips of thinly sliced prosciutto and apple slivers garnished with finely chopped toasted almonds and a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. Piled on a fluffy bed of evenly dressed peppery arugula, it was suitable as a salad for one, or as a shareable appetizer, which is how my party enjoyed it, paired with a first round of drinks.
The bar caters to wine drinkers, who will find 20 options by the glass and four dozen others by the bottle. All are Italian labels. The servers do an excellent job offering descriptions to steer those who favor the standard chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or pinot noir to an Italian varietal that will match their taste.
Credit: ANN PACKWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Credit: ANN PACKWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Cocktail lovers are in for a treat. Bar manager Tyler Reddick has developed a concise, impressively curated menu that proves a mixed drink doesn’t need more than five ingredients to be well-balanced, creative, delicious and pretty.
Among the offerings are an Armani (rye with limoncello, honey, allspice and cinnamon — surprisingly reminiscent of an Old-Fashioned), a Tuscan reflection (infusing Scotch with Earl Grey to keep it on the dry side) and a booze-free cocktail, dubbed beautiful but dangerous (a mix of apple chai, lemon, grenadine and ginger, with a frothy cap and a gorgeous ground-spice garnish).
The consistently high execution of the bar team contrasted with that of the kitchen.
Credit: Courtesy of Indaco
Credit: Courtesy of Indaco
On one visit, the spicy soppressata pizza had a gray, grainy crust with the look of whole-wheat flour. It also lacked the airy rim one expects from a Neapolitan pie. But the topping combination did leave a lovely, lingering, sweet-spicy taste.
On a subsequent visit, the roasted squash pizza was the best item, with a golden crust, puffed cornice, soft inside and crisp, crunchy outside. Considering the weight of the three cheeses — fontina, ricotta and mozzarella — along with the squash, charred kale, pickled red onion and pumpkin seeds, the base supported the toppings well.
Credit: ANDREW CEBULKA
Credit: ANDREW CEBULKA
Pastas were hit or miss. The agnolotti and scarpinocc both showed good technique in the making of stuffed pasta. But the braised short rib filling on the agnolotti fell far short on flavor, and the seafood satisfaction in the sparsely filled scarpinocc came from bits of crab in the tomato sauce.
Black pepper tagliatelle studded with cubes of cured pork belly and topped with an egg yolk brought thick, al dente ribbons that required a lot of chewing. The same was true for thick tubes of rigatoni tossed in a comforting lamb Bolognese.
Heat also was an issue, not just for pasta, but also for the boneless, sliced duck breast entree served with roasted root vegetables. Neither dish was served on a warm plate, causing the food to cool rather quickly.
The restaurant’s floor staff did offer courteous, attentive service and excellent pacing, but the kitchen needs to work on serving better executed pizzas and pastas.
And any restaurant that is charging $36 for a duck breast should serve it on a hot plate.
Credit: ANN PACKWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Credit: ANN PACKWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
INDACO
2 out of 4 stars (very good)
Food: upscale Italian, with house-made pastas and wood-fired pizzas
Service: friendly and attentive, without being intrusive
Noise level: low
Recommended dishes: polpette, burrata, beet salad, roasted squash pizza, scapinocc (stuffed pasta with snow crab filling), apple crostata
Vegetarian dishes: focaccia, marinated olives, beet salad, wood-fired carrots, margherita pizza, mushroom pizza, roasted squash pizza, various vegetable side dishes, vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free pasta upon request
Alcohol: full bar with all-Italian wine list and excellent Italian-leaning cocktails
Price range: $$$ (less than $75 per person, excluding drinks)
Hours: grab-and-go lunch counter: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; dinner: 5-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 5-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
Parking: valet and complimentary self-parking at 725 Ponce building with validated ticket
MARTA: 1.5 miles from North Avenue station
Reservations: accepted
Outdoor dining: heated, covered patio; open-air patio and boccie court
Takeout: weekday grab-and-go lunch counter; call or walk in for takeout from dinner menu
Address, phone: 725 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta; 404-205-5183
Website: indacorestaurant.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.
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