Updated: March 8, 2025
Atlas The Restaurant – Fayetteville is a culinary gem located in the heart of the Ozarks that offers globally inspired cuisine. It’s housed in the historic Ellis Building and renovated in a beautiful 1920’s art deco, French revivalist style. With an exquisite interior design and chef-driven menu, they deliver a unique and memorable dining experience. Tonight’s dinner reminds me of my first visit, 2 years ago to the day and why I am delighted to return.
Executive Chef/Owner Elliot Hunt
Chef Hunt is talented and accomplished, with a passion for cooking. Born in Northwest Arkansas, he began his culinary journey at the young age of fifteen. Three years later he received formal training in Toulouse and later studied under a Michelin chef in Paris. He has cooked in other restaurants across the globe and U.S. including Australia, California, Colorado and Chicago. Travels to India and other countries, influenced and refined his culinary techniques that are showcased in the globally inspired dishes.
Atlas The Restaurant – Fayetteville
Their name and logo are inspired by a book of maps and a geometric compass, to reflect its varied cuisine. Chef Hunt and business partner Brandon Rostek aim to create an atmosphere where guests can enjoy an experience that rivals top tables in cities like Chicago, New York or San Francisco. They offer a seasonal menu that showcases bold flavors and contrasting textures, featuring unique dishes that are carefully crafted to perfection. To complement the menu, they serve a selection of house-crafted cocktails with a curated wine list to provide a complete and satisfying dining experience.
Dinner at Atlas
Tonight we celebrated the first gathering of 2025 with fellow members of the International Wine and Food Society. Chef Elliott chose a four course masterpiece paired with a house selection of wines.
Our evening began with a refined bite of smoked salmon, its silky texture and rich, smoky essence setting the stage for the courses to come. Layered with crisp, refreshing cucumber and tangy pickled red onion, it offered a perfect balance of freshness and acidity. The smoky notes of the salmon were enhanced by a flute of Delamotte Brut Champagne. With its fine bubbles, crisp minerality, and subtle hints of lemon peel, it provided an elegant contrast, cleansing the palate and heightening the flavors of this sophisticated appetizer.
This dish featured Thyme Gnocchi, served with savory merguez sausage, Chinese broccoli, cauliflower, maitake mushrooms, romesco sauce, and shaved parmesan. It was expertly paired with Danielle Conterno’s Nascetta, an Italian white wine boasting notes of honey, ripe fruit, and a subtle hint of banana.
Next, we were delighted by a filet of Striped Bass, its skin perfectly seared to a crisp. The dish was beautifully complemented by gigante beans, scallions, chorizo, red bell pepper, smoked paprika aioli, lemon oil, and pickled chayote. Chef’s chosen pairing, a French Les Lauzerales Tavel Rosé, offered vibrant red fruit flavors, a touch of minerality, and subtle spice, enhancing every bite.
Our third course featured a generous serving of perfectly prepared Tenderloin of Venison, nestled atop creamy kale and accompanied by roasted carrots, shiitake mushrooms, caramelized apple purée, pickled Chioggia beets, parsnip chips, and a rich veal reduction. This exquisite dish was paired with a Gehricke Knights Valley Cabernet from California. With its notes of leather, dark fruits, and herbs, the wine’s balanced tannins made it a perfect match for the venison.
Chef Elliott and his team at Atlas are exceptionally accommodating, and on this occasion, they graciously substituted their Rohan Duck Breast for one of our members. The rest of us—myself included—couldn’t help but watch with envy!
Our grand finale, the dessert, was aptly named Midnight Bloom. This ambitious creation featured a medley of shortbread, silky chocolate custard, hazelnut praline truffles, and tuille, all paired with vanilla lavender ice cream and luscious chocolate fudge. A glass of J Vineyards Rosé from California perfectly complemented this rich and decadent conclusion to our meal.