Finding a decent meal in Atlanta used to require a trip inside the Perimeter or to a restaurant at least a stone’s throw from there.  Sure you can find sustenance in the ‘burbs,’ but actual dining experiences are often harder to come by than four-leaf clovers.  Lucky for North Fulton, a small slice of urban culinary refinement has taken root in the suburbs in the form of Urbān.  Pronounced as the word urbane (ûr-bān’), meaning: polite, refined, and often elegant in manner, Urbān delivers an experience worth forsaking the city for.

Urbān is the brainchild of husband and wife team Mix and Rebecca McCrory, and their personal touches can be found in every corner of the restaurant.  Mix takes the lead in the kitchen as the executive chef while Rebecca sees to everything else as the restaurant’s general manager.  The pair has managed to create an environment that’s at once casual and refined with a menu both comfortable and unique. 

Our meal began with a cool melon and goat cheese salad, the fruit pairing nicely with the dry, earthy tartness of the chevre.  Appetizers can be ordered individually or in a grouping of four, a great way to discover you personal favorites.  With selections like chili lime broiled shrimp, spicy pork empanadillas, semolina fried oysters and zinfandel black-pepper glazed ribs, it’ll be hard to pick just one!  The menu features a selection of grilled flatbreads that work well as a shared appetizer or as a stand-alone meal.  Shrimp and spinach with lemon marscapone, braised eggplant with roasted garlic and olives, or my personal favorite, roast duck with fig preserves, goat cheese and balsamic syrup. 

Of course the salads at Urbān cannot be overlooked.  The Caesar Urbān is a fresh twist on a classic that features crisp Romaine hearts drizzled with a refreshingly tart, key lime-asiago dressing and oversized brioche croutons. 

If you make it past the starter, the entrée selections are impressive.  The porcini mushroom dusted scallops were massive and perfectly prepared.  Their scallops were accompanied by quick sautéed spinach, forest mushrooms and an herbed risotto, each bite complementing the next.  Other selections include roasted halibut with cucumber-melon-grapefruit relish, tomato & citrus pan roasted chicken, garlic glazed pork tenderloin, and a couple of Black Angus steak options.  The menu makes subtle changes throughout the year to reflect the seasonality of the ingredients, but you’ll be impressed no matter what time of year you visit.

Urbān sports a well-rounded selection of desserts and dessert cocktails to wind down the meal, as well as fair-trade coffees and loose-leaf teas.  So next time you’re thinking of heading to the city to eat, head to Urbān instead for an amazing meal close to home.

Urbān is located at 580 East Crossville Road in Roswell.  You can reach them at 678-461-9959 or by visiting them online at www.artisanindulgence.com .

Story by North Fulton Living Food Editor Hans Rueffert.  Hans has spent his entire life with food and is now host of his own cooking show in north Georgia called “Hans Cooks the World.” In 2005, Hans was selected out of 10,000 applicants to be a finalist on the show “The Next Food Network Star” and finished third in that competition. He currently teaches classes in and around North Georgia .  Find out more at www.hanscooks.com. Photography by Amy Rueffert.