culture on a hot afternoon

Today, Derek and I decided to take in a little culture in Atlanta with a visit to the High Museum of Art. The 100 degree temperature deterred us from walking, so we drove to the museum deck, where we found a surprisingly high rate of $10. Another $30 for two tickets later, and we began our tour of the High. Having come in from the road with no lunch, Derek was hungry, so we headed to the museum cafe. Not a ton of choices, but we finally settled on a 1/2 of a turkey sandwich and the soup of the day, mushroom. I should have followed Derek's lead on ordering a Heineken, but I went for a glass of white wine instead. It seemed like the best drink deal in Atlanta when he sat down a huge plastic glass in front of me, but the quality (as well as the fact that the server combined 2 different types of wine in the same glass!) couldn't stand up to the quantity. I didn't try the sandwich, but the mushroom soup was hot and tasty.

The museum itself has greatly improved over the years, especially with the addition of the items loaned by the Louvre. The detail in the king's ceramic pieces, the intricacy of the tapestries and the creativity of some of the modern works all combined together to make the trip worthwhile. The only criticism is the flow of the museum. Unless we were completely lost and going the wrong way, it seemed as if the natural path through the Louvre exhibit required you to either use the elevator or a set of fire escape-like stairs. In total, it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon, and we will go back when the next Louvre collection arrives.

After our tour, we decided to try Table 1280 for a cocktail and snack. The interior of the lounge is light and airy, with a sleek bar and several bistro tables inviting you to take a break. I was delighted to see a good, although pricey, wine list, but disappointed that the lounge menu only included a salad, crab cakes ($16), a burger ($15) and the soup of the day. We were hoping for something we could share and pick up with our fingers, so we decided to skip the snack.

Our hearts were set on a finger food, so we moved on to Eno for a light dinner. I splurged on a glass of Schramsberg, while Derek tried a glass of Newton Chardonnay, along with mussels, fritto misto and an artichoke salad. The salad was dressed properly, with fresh arugula, asparagus, strawberries, almonds and a light cheese that didn't overpower the other ingredients. We were a little concerned about the mussels when they arrived, because the broth looked like honey-mustard dressing. No cause for alarm, though, because the color was due to saffron, and the consistency was as brothy as we hoped and was perfect for foccacia dipping. Eno's fritto misto was just as we remembered -- a blend of calamari, shrimp, onions and lemon slices, lightly coated and golden brown. As usual, we were fulfilled with a treat of delicious appetizers and wine for a special day out.

The Assessment: for light bites and a good, consistent wine list, ENO delivers every time