Mark J. Neal :: Leon's Full Service, Decatur, GA

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Preface this whole write up with the following disclaimer…These guys roped me in about ten years ago with their ‘Top Five in the World’ belgian bar at their pub, Brickstore Pub, in downtown Decatur. SO, when we went to Leon’s last night for dinner they could have served my wife and I spam sushi for $4o a roll and we would not have complained…especially since I had a Duchesse de Bourgogne in my hand. However, what we ended up having was one of the most creative, reasonably priced, all around enjoyable meals I have had in some time.

Started off with beer, obviously. I had the Duchesse and my wife had a Wittekerke. Beer selection is fantastic and not a reproduction of the Brickstore’s. Leon’s has it’s own identity when it comes to it’s beer selection for sure….I can’t stop talking about the beer…NEXT, we were ready for some pub frites, which they serve with your choice of two sauces. There are a ton of sauces to choose from, and we went with masaman curry and cucumber dill yogurt. Nice complimentary flavors, and the fries…I know I know…frites….are delicious. Frites serve two, and only cost five bucks. We then had all natural chicken liver croquettes, shallot pickles with a tarragon bacon mayonnaise. Now this is creative stuff. Liver hushpuppies, essentially.

Entrees required two fresh beers. My wife had a Blanche De Brux to accompany her crispy skin mt. trout, endive & radicchio, cashews, apricot vinaigrette. I tried a De Ranke Guldenberg for the first time….seriously good beer, and had the pan roasted grouper, spaghetti squash, radicchio, fennel, pistachio, saffron broth. Whoa. Knew it would be good, but I’m not kidding, this is great food…and it is very reasonably priced. Young chefs having fun in the kitchen….this place can only get better.

It would be an injustice not to point out the service at Leon’s too. Extremely knowledgeable staff, whether you want to talk food, beer, whiskey…very friendly people who will continually surprise and impress you with their knowledge…seriously….Encyclopedia style knowledge.

All in all, a perfect place to have dinner, or just stop by for a beer. Outdoor seating, indoor seating, a bar (that’s where we have sat both times we have been there), a bocce ball court, and about 50 yards from the Downtown Decatur Marta! Might see ya in there soon….

Restaurant website info below….

www.leonsfullservice.com



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Please visit Mark J. Neal's website :: www.markjneal.com

Mark graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and moved to Atlanta in 1999 with his wife, Angela. He worked in non-profit management with Big Brothers Big Sisters, restaurant management with the nationally renowned Flying Biscuit Café in Candler Park, and is currently a Realtor with Bo Bridgeport Brokers and co-owner of LetsTalkAtlanta.com, an Atlanta Food and Beverage community based website.

Bon Appetit!

Mark J. Neal :: www.markjneal.com

[pecheney]

Supposedly this is the Atlanta restaurant of all new Atlanta restaurants to try. I keep hearing about their chef and the cuisine from all my foodie friends.