In the two years that the Interlock mixed-use development has been open, a bevy of restaurants have taken up residence there, including Drawbar at the Bellyard hotel, St. Germain French Bakery, Velvet Taco, Kinjo Room and Guac y Margys. Meanwhile Holiday Bar, Pour Taproom, Puttshack and Rooftop L.O.A. cater to the drinks-and-entertainment crowd.
Humble Pie, which opened there in January, is the latest venture by chef-owners Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips, the team behind Lazy Betty in Candler Park, as well as Juniper Cafe, an Asian fusion restaurant and bakery that they closed last year in Westside Village and plan to relocate somewhere intown.
With Humble Pie, Hsu and Phillips cater to a younger crowd, hungry for casual yet creative food and drink from noon until late at night.
Credit: LIGAYA FIGUERAS
Credit: LIGAYA FIGUERAS
The menu offers Americanized, ingredient-driven appetizers and pizzas. Hsu worked his way up to a top post at Eric Ripert’s esteemed Le Bernardin, but he also gleaned experience from unassuming spots, including pizzerias. He’s from a Chinese American background, and calls the menu “things indicative of my culinary background” and a “hodgepodge of what I consider to be American food.”
That hodgepodge includes crab hush puppies, oven-roasted Caesar salad and French onion hand pies — all worth ordering.
The uniformly round hush puppies, which come four to an order, brought the expected fresh seafood flavor, as well as crispness without the weight of frying oil. A lime crema added an unexpected, but welcome, Mexican accent.
Credit: LIGAYA FIGUERAS
Credit: LIGAYA FIGUERAS
The salad, featuring whole romaine hearts coated in a thin Caesar dressing and garnished with finely crumbled toasted croutons and bacon, showcased the capabilities of the wood-fired oven beyond pizza.
Even more masterful were the flaky hand pies, whose caramelized Vidalia onions and Gruyere filling captured the flavors of French onion soup, especially when dipped into the accompanying jus.
Meanwhile, Humble Pie’s Not So Humble shoestring fries had undergone a decadent shower of truffle and Parmesan.
Some items from the menu didn’t add up. While the Siano burrata was a lovely texture and flavor combination of crunchy hazelnuts, peppery arugula and creamy, smooth burrata with grilled sourdough, our server mistakenly informed us that the cheese was Italian. It is made in Charlotte, North Carolina, by one of the many local and regional producers from whom Humble Pie sources ingredients.
The Buzz Cap cocktail caused similar befuddlement. When the gin-based mixed drink arrived, it lacked the foam cap of egg white listed on the menu. When questioned, a server said the drink was, indeed, the way was supposed to be. However, on a second visit, it was made correctly.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Apart from the Apple Picking cocktail, mixed drinks at Humble Pie were prettier than they tasted. All get garnished with a flower — perhaps in keeping with the floral design that dominates the first floor of the bi-level restaurant. However, plenty of biodynamic and organic wines, as well as local craft beers, were available.
On the flip side of the menu are the pizzas. Hsu emphasized that they are not “pizza purists” at Humble Pie. But, considering that the dough is fermented for 72 hours and is made from organic flour freshly milled at DaySpring Farm outside of Athens, I expected more flavor from the crust. (Gluten-free crusts are available for a $4 upcharge.)
The 13-inch wood-fired pizzas offer blistered, bubbled rims and thin centers. Go for the Margherita and pepperoni, if you want something traditional. Among the more unique takes, the short rib Philly offered a chile pepper spice kick, the soppressata was the star on the Cajun shrimp pizza, and the Nicki was aimed at mushroom lovers.
The definite must-order item on the dessert menu is the chocolate mudslide pie. A slice of this dense pie, created by pastry chef Carelys Vázquez, will provide a fix for any chocoholic.
Humble Pie comes along at a time when dining options on Atlanta’s Westside are exploding. With a foundation built around an approachable, interesting menu, the restaurant has potential. But, to attract repeat patrons, it will need better, more consistent execution by the staff, in the kitchen and up front.
HUMBLE PIE
2 of 4 stars (very good)
Food: chef-driven, casual American appetizers and pizzas
Service: friendly; food and beverage orders arrive soon after ordering; sometimes lacking menu knowledge
Recommended dishes: crab hush puppies, Siano burrata, French onion hand pies, Not So Humble fries, oven-roasted Caesar, short rib Philly pizza, Margherita pizza, pepperoni pizza, Nicki pizza, spiced apple buckle cake, chocolate mudslide pie
Vegetarian dishes: Siano burrata, roasted broccolini, French onion hand pies, wood-fired maitake mushroom, butternut squash soup, Humble fries, Not So Humble fries, house salad, Margherita pizza, Nicki pizza
Alcohol: full bar
Price range: $$$
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays
Parking: paid deck
MARTA station: 1.6 miles from Arts Center station
Reservations: recommended on weekends
Outdoor dining: yes
Takeout: yes (separate takeout window coming soon)
Address, phone: 1115 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 404-458-6765
Website: humblepieatl.com
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