Alliance Theatre and Lure: A Tasty Combination
Jen and Michal visit Lure Atlanta where they sample a creative, seasonal menu before watching the premier of "Becoming Nancy," at the Alliance Theatre.
We were excited for an entertaining night of great food and culture in Atlanta’s beautiful midtown. Yes, fighting through traffic after a day’s work can be challenging, but a great production at Alliance Theatre and a divine meal makes up for, let’s just say slight road rage, and makes that first cocktail all the more rewarding.
Where better to catch dinner than at Lure Atlanta, on Crescent Street, Midtown, just a couple of blocks away from The Woodruff Arts Center? Lure is an inspired seafood experience, dishing exquisite upscale dining in a casual, yet elegant setting. There are so many tempting options that we left it up to executive chef Eric Roberts to select our entrees from his creative, seasonal menu.
As we reviewed the selection and admired the wooden décor, we sipped on Lure’s specialty cocktails Mahalo Y’all, a vodka, fruit and hibiscus drink with sweet tea syrup, lime juice and Thai basil and the Como la Flor, a delicious FGR Berkshire garden gin with Crème de Violette, elderflower lemon and vermouth.
By 6 p.m. the restaurant was halfway filled with a happy hour crowd of professionals and was abuzz as the dinner crowd began to arrive, along with a private party on the extended outdoor balcony. Our attentive server Dean and manager Justin Beatty delivered our first courses, Applewood Smoked Trout Pate on rye toast with mustard greens and pickled shallot, revealing a mild delicious flavor, delicate and fluffy, along with Yellowfin Tuna Ceviche with red jalapeno and coconut foam, on plantain tostones, with lime, which was light and fresh with a kick. Our starters were so delicious we couldn’t wait for our main dishes!
To our delight, we were presented with Lure’s Grilled Swordfish over a smooth fennel puree, with frisée salad, Castelvetrano olives, and chili vinaigrette. Swordfish can sometimes be a bit dry, but this was tender and flavorful.
Our second main dish was Pan-fried Halibut with capers and brown butter, served over a bed of sautéed spinach – a light and flaky delight. But that’s not all. We were ready to hit the street and head over to Alliance Theatre when a little piece of heaven arrived, Lure’s Coconut Snowball, a tres leches cake, with coconut Bavarian crème and pineapple compote. This is the most splendid light and creamy puff of goodness we’ve ever experienced. A MUST, if available.
Pleasantly full, we rolled ourselves to Alliance Theatre. A full house packed the newly designed Coca-Cola Stage in anticipation of opening night. The new space was designed not only to be stunningly beautiful, but to be “acoustically perfect for spoken word and musicals, with state-of-the-art technology used in live theater,” according to the Alliance website. The new design provides “an intimate seating chamber for audience members that removed all previous separation from audience and performers, to create a truly shared experience.” “The interior of the Alliance Theatre chamber is wrapped with beautiful, steam-bent oak. Not only is the bent wood beautiful, it produces acoustically tuned forms that amplify the artistry performed on the stage,” the Alliance reports. It’s truly a must-see.
Opening night Sept. 6 debuted “Becoming Nancy,” a vibrant and poignant musical based on the best-selling British novel by Terry Ronald, directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray), with a book by Elliot Davis (Peter Pan, Loserville), and a score by the songwriting team of George Stiles, music, and Anthony Drewe, lyrics, (Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Honk!). If you did not have a chance to catch “Becoming Nancy,” stay tuned. Alliance has a full range of theatrical genres throughout the 2019-2020 season, featuring 14 performances that range from dynamic musicals to thought-provoking political dramas and a diverse family (and young) series.
Opening this week is “Small Mouth Sounds,” an off-Broadway hit comedy and 2016 Critics’ Pick. “Filled with awkward and insightful humor, ‘Small Mouth Sounds’ is a unique and compassionate new play that asks how we address life’s biggest questions when words fail us,” according to the Alliance promotion.
For the full 2019-2020 production schedule or to purchase tickets, visit alliancetheater.org/productions.
To have us review your event or restaurant, contact us at 404-883-2130, jen@atljewishtimes.com, or michal@atljewishtimes.com.
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