Walk into Miller Union, and you will be struck by the abundant light, huge windows, wooden tables, glass cabinets and high ceilings, all contributing to a classy-rustic urban vibe. The assortment of Lodge cast iron pans adorning the wall is eye-catching. I caught sight of a tiny guitar-shaped cast iron pan – cute! The servers are dressed in blue shirts and jeans, classic and simple. Our friendly server (my boss loved her voice) mentioned that most of the ingredients used at the restaurant were locally sourced. As she went over the drinks menu, she told us that Miller Union stocks Mexican Coca-Cola that contains cane sugar.
Miller Union isn’t exactly known for its vegetarian options. You can see the sole vegetarian entree on the menu, the Seasonal Vegetable Plate. A couple of the starters are vegetarian too. Or so I think. I didn’t exactly find out (it was a farewell dinner for a colleague and I wasn’t keen on starting a long-drawn conversation with the server).
We got a couple of starters for everyone to share – the Feta Snack and the Butter Bean Hummus with Housemade Lavash. I don’t seem to have pictures of the Butter Bean Hummus and Lavash… hmmm. For the entree, I got the Seasonal Plate. Dessert was a selection of three kinds of ice-cream sandwiches – Chocolate Brownie, Basil, Almond Toffee. I guess I should have picked Basil, but I asked for Almond Toffee instead. My gluttonous gene trumps the experimental one most of the times, sigh.
The Feta Snack comprised a dip of feta cheese, sour cream and cracked pepper served with a selection of baby carrots, turnips, beets. Surprisingly, the dip wasn’t too sour (as most feta dishes tend to be). I wouldn’t call this dish remarkable but it was a good start to the meal. I wish I had a picture of the Hummus-Lavash plate… sigh. The hummus was delicious, not too sour or garlicky, just perfect. I wonder if it contained any chickpeas at all. The Lavash was flecked with sea salt. It was crisp and crunchy, almost like a cracker.
My entree was strictly so-so. I think the vegetables (green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, beets) were steamed and salted, that’s all. Plus there was the fried okra. Agreed it is a plate of seasonal vegetables, and I assume the intent is to celebrate the produce of the moment. Yet, it felt too small, too plain for an entree. Maybe an accompanying biscuit would have ramped it up? Or a light olive oil dressing with herbs, perhaps? Or maybe some fresh beans/peas would have made all the difference.
Dessert was substantial. The ice-cream came nestled between two Graham crackers that held up remarkably well, zero sogginess. The Almond Toffee ice-cream was fairly decent. It wasn’t overly sweet although I wished for a stronger almond flavor. Pretty big-sized for a dessert portion… bigger than my entree!
I wish Miller Union would expand its vegetarian offerings…
Miller Union
999 Brady Ave NW, Atlanta GA 30318
678-733-8550
http://www.millerunion.com/site/
