Relish, an upscale Southern dining establishment located on Mimosa Boulevard, is a culinary experience you won’t want to miss. The restaurant is chef Andy Badgett’s latest claim to fame, and has already been acclaimed by a variety of Atlanta-area critics. Many of these reviews can’t help but mention the restaurant’s peculiar location, a building that once housed the Roswell Funeral Home. Although the location may initially sound off-putting, Badgett couldn’t have made a better choice. The turn-of-thecentury stone walls and beautiful hardwood floors lend the requisite air of history for a true Southern feel, and the building faces the charming, historic Roswell square.

Chef Badgett’s other restaurant, the Fickle Pickle, also located in historic Roswell on Canton Street, is a longtime Roswell staple. Many of the Fickle  Pickle’s successes can also be found at Relish, in its own style. Both restaurants are known for their beautiful interiors, and offer private dining rooms. The peach sweet tea made the transition to the menu as well, and the blue-cheese chips are a dressed-up version of the hot chips that are so popular at the Fickle Pickle. But Relish departs in many regards, as a full service restaurant, with a large and creative menu. Another feature of the restaurant that sets it apart from its sister restaurant is its extensive, beautiful new bar. In addition to the lovely patio, Relish sports a welcoming, yet hip bar that’s perfect for after-work drinks or the beginning of a night on the town.

I took my friend out for lunch to sample everything with me. We began with a $5 plate of “nibbles,” deciding upon the sour-cream cornbread, pickled green tomatoes, and deviled eggs. As with many down-home delicacies, it’s hard to find passable representations outside of one’s own grandmother’s kitchen. However, the first bite of the cornbread made one thing abundantly clear: Relish aims for a cut above your average Southern comfort food establishment, and Badgett’s kitchen do not disappoint. Dotted with morsels of sweet corn, the bread is moist, flavorful, and just right. Although new to our palates, the pickled tomatoes were intriguingly delicious with a perfect blend of tang and crunch. We rounded off our nibbling with classic deviled eggs so pretty it was almost hard to eat them. Almost.

Our entrées arrived in no time at all, confirming that Relish’s kitchen is as efficient as their staff is friendly and attentive. As we surveyed our plates, it was clear that the generous portions are great for sharing. While some favorites from the Fickle Pickle make reprising appearances on the gourmet sandwich menu, such as the chicken salad on croissant, Relish offers a variety of new and delicious options. I chose the pimiento cheese sandwich, but this was not your average picnic style pimiento on dainty white bread. Relish’s reinvention of this classic offers up a delectable mélange of hot pimiento cheese (wwhich also makes an appearance in the well-known fried pimiento cheese fritters), tomato, and celery salad on hefty slices of Texas toast that melt in your mouth at each bite. The sandwich is paired with an order of sweet potato fries, and though this side may be ever increasing in popularity, it often seems an afterthought. This is not the case at Relish: the sweet potatoes are cut well, neither too thin nor too thick, and just crisp enough.

My friend ordered the catfish and I was increasingly jealous of his choice, so he let me steal a few bites. The catfish filet is fried to perfection in a traditional buttermilk batter, perfectly capturing all the tenderness and fresh flavor. The green tomato tartar sauce makes a refreshing dip for both the fish and the hushpuppies served alongside. Meanwhile, the spicy coleslaw provides a great contrast to the other flavors, boasting enough heat to pique your taste buds without overwhelming them. As we polished off our meals, we felt just as one should after the perfect Southern meal: content and utterly comfortable. And yet, in spite of our satisfied appetites, we couldn’t resist ordering a dessert to share. Again, the menu made it difficult by listing a variety of highly desirable indulgences, including what is surely the quintessential Southern-fusion dessert: Krispy Kreme bread pudding. Nevertheless, we opted for something slightly less decadent, slightly more traditional: fried peach pie à la mode. When our waitress set down the plate she informed us that this was her personal favorite, and I could tell why based on presentation alone. Three golden brown fritters lay artfully juxtaposed next to one perfect scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Our spoons cut through the hot pastry revealing caramelized peaches just begging to be eaten. It took mere seconds to oblige, and our collective sense of taste was instantly rewarded by an unrivaled sweetness that demanded several more bites, full bellies or no.

by Emily Owens

For more information visit www.relishgoodfood.com.

Emily Owens is an intern at North Fulton Living magazine.