By MISTI HEWATT
Friday, October 08, 2004

Kevin Rathbun is one of Atlanta’s most well known chefs. He worked under Emeril Lagasse and at Baby Routh in Dallas, named “one of America’s 25 best restaurants” by Travel & Leisure.

In Atlanta, he built his reputation with the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, working as the executive chef at Nava and Bluepointe, then becoming the corporate executive chef for the group of 13 eateries. While there, he overhauled the menus of Atlanta dining institutions like Chops, Atlanta Fish Market and Buckhead Diner.

Now the chef’s delectable history has a home at Rathbun’s, which opened recently in Inman Park’s Stove Works. The menu mirrors his past with an array of fusion offerings.

From Baby Routh’s and Nava come Southwestern and Spanish spices. Bluepointe offers an Asian twist, and the Fish Market’s seafood delights are available. With hefty steaks prepared in an 1,800-degree broiler, even Chops makes an appearance.

The menu is considered modern American, but perhaps a more fitting label is “Rathbun’s Greatest Hits.”

The décor is stylish, but the restaurant is loud. From the banter of Twist to the echoes of Patio, Atlanta restaurants appear to enjoy expanses of cement floors, barren walls and hard surfaces — an acoustic nightmare.

Perhaps Atlanta restaurateurs think that the din creates an illusion of the frenetic Big Apple or the festivity of South Beach. Regardless, Rathbun’s joins the list of high-decibel dining, but it also joins the list of promising new eats.

With nearly 15 small plates and 10 raw plates, a tapas evening would be easy, offering a dish for every palate and enough flavors to create a sophisticated tasting menu.

Be sure to include the chicken tenderloins with tofu and panang curry ($5.25). The chicken and tofu are fresh and complemented smartly by the spicy sweetness of panang. The curry is wonderful and with a bowl of rice could be a satisfying meal.

The Soups 1-1-1 ($6.25) is a sample of the two house soups (mock turtle and velvet corn) and the soup of the day. Served in tiny coffee mugs, the sampler is fun, and both of the house soups are robust delights.

The raw plates are less impressive. The fresh figs with manchego cheese and coffee scented honey ($5.25) and the ahi tuna “crudo” with citrus, serranos and cold pressed olive oil ($7.95) are unsubstantial and lack the deep zest of the other dishes.

For something different, try the hand-cut French fries with blue cheese fondue ($4). The fries are not perfectly crisp, but the combination is appetizing and a bit novel.

In the entrée category, the menu also provides “Big Plates” and the humorous “Second Mortgage Plates,” which include lobster, steaks and generally a special whole fish offering. The “Big Plates” offer a satisfying selection for diners not quite ready to leverage their house for a good dinner.

The common theme for entrees is vigorous flavors, perhaps too vigorous at times. Sage-rubbed pork tenderloin with white cabbage pancetta carbonara ($16.75) delivers each taste distinctly. With the sage rub, the meat can be dry, so medium rare is best to maintain the natural juices.

The scallops are delicious, but over-salted grits with country ham and a starch-heavy presentation overpower the sea scallops benedict ($18.75). On the other hand, a Southerner raised on grits and ham might find the dish perfect.

Pastry chef Kirk Parks creates solid grand finales. The banana peanut butter pie is gaining a reputation as a signature Atlanta dessert. The first spoonful deceives with the taste of a basic banana pudding, but the peanut butter finish begs for another bite, and then another.

With a lengthy wine list and extensive menu, there are countless tastes to explore at Rathbun’s. As the months pass, the place is sure to create a new line-up of greatest hits.