Fortify Kitchen & Bar

Fortify Kitchen & Bar Restaurant Review:

Jamie Allred has made a name for himself as the chef to seek out in northeast Georgia for fine dining. Fortify Kitchen & Bar doesn't require fancy togs, though, just a taste for creative cooking. His fare relies on local produce and proteins: Springer Mountain chicken; Sylvan Falls Mill cornmeal; grits from Chattooga Belle Farm (just across the Georgia/South Carolina line); Blalock beef from nearby Rabun Gap. Every Wednesday the restaurant features produce from an area farmer. There are house-made pickles and also breads accompanied by some kind of embellished fat, such as a whipped pork fat blended with a bit of local honey or duck fat with herbs. We like the fried oysters, served with a celery root slaw. While our first meal was marred by an excess of salt in the shrimp and grits, we fared better on a second visit with a fine pork chop and buttermilk mashed potatoes. The local emphasis extends to the wine list with labels from Tiger Mountain Vineyards (Rabun Red, a blend) and Stonewall Creek Vineyards (Cabernet Franc) offered by the glass and by the bottle; it’s otherwise wide-ranging, if short. Four Georgia craft beers are included among the quaffs.