Food Memories & Miller Union

Some of my favorite food memories are from when I was little, when we would visit my grandparents in Torrington, Connecticut. Both of my parents were teachers, a profession that offered little in the way of tangible perks, except for the glorious expanse of summer that slowly rolled around each year. Most summers, we carved out a visit to my dad’s family in Connecticut, packing up as much as we could fit into our car and heading up from McDonough before the break of dawn (generally this meant 4 a.m.).

The 18+ hour pilgrimage was not without delicious reward upon arrival, though. My Grandma Federovitch was an incredible cook, with recipes stemming not just from her Ukrainian heritage, but also from Italian, Russian and Polish friends that she and my grandfather had met along the way since emigrating at the age of 13. When we pulled up to their tidy house with its neatly kept yard, I could count on a thick slice of banana nut bread or prune roll waiting for me inside, served with a cold glass of 2% milk. Grandma didn’t have a heavy hand with sugar, but as a child I grew to love the earthy sweetness of pureed prunes rolled with nuts and a touch of sugar into a soft loaf.

Food just tasted better at that house. As a girl, I didn’t know exactly what it was; I mean, my parents were pretty good in the kitchen, so at the time I figured it was the magic of my grandparents’ house at work. In reality, food tasted better not just because my grandma could cook, but also because her ingredients didn’t have far to travel. My grandpa was steadfast in his love and care for the garden he’d planted in the backyard. If he wasn’t wandering the small rows checking on his plants up close, he was sitting on the swing nearby, watching. I had no idea that I loved salad so much. Juicy sweet tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, crunchy lettuce and celery – I devoured a salad every night we were there. In the summer, he’d also pick blueberries from Burr Pond and we’d eat them by themselves or in muffins my grandmother would make. She’d also pan fry fresh fish that he caught there and serve it with tender pierogies sautéed in butter, onion and garlic.

These are the tastes that Miller Union brought back for me – memories of fresh-picked and lovingly prepared food. Memories of sitting around a small kitchen table, pouring over the day’s produce, watching my grandma work her magic.

We had enjoyed the dishes of Miller Union’s Chef and Co-owner Steven Satterfield when he was Executive Sous Chef at Watershed under Scott Peacock; but, after dining at Miller Union, I feel like Satterfield has succeeded in putting down his own roots. The feel of the dining room at Miller Union is more warm and calm to me than the open, oftentimes loud space at Watershed. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy Watershed (I’m dying to try it under the new helm of Chef Joe Truex); but if I were going to spend time catching up with friends over a long meal, it would be at Miller Union.

We were seated in one of the rooms with natural light and, in the future, I would definitely request one of these over the more dimly lit room in the back. The décor was both rustic and modern with wooden chairs that reminded me of a library reading room, but also glass and steel accents and charming additions like a little white ceramic pig and an old Gourmet cookbook sans dust jacket. I liked our cozy nook and also admired the two antique wooden dressers with beveled mirrors on the way from the entrance to the dining rooms.

I started things off with four of my favorite tastes in one glass: gin, blueberries, ginger, and lemon, aptly named Tangled Up in Blue. It was a little sweeter than I usually like my cocktails but it was also quite juicy and refreshing, especially on a crazy hot night. For appetizers, we shared the Feta Snack and the Grits Fritters. The raw veggies in the Snack were earthy and crisp, another respite from the heat outside, served with a tangy feta spread. And the Grits Fritters, holy cow, were those things good. I felt like it was the yin and yang of appetizers; cool, clean veggies alongside decadent orbs of yum. The Grits Fritters have taken their rightful place in my list of delicious round things, next to the arancini I first tasted in Sicily and the fried goat cheese served with honey and black pepper at Ecco in Midtown. The thing I liked most about the Fritters was that they were delicate, small, not greasy or overpowering; just warm fluffy grits enrobed with thomasville tomme and kissed with a dip in the fryer.

For entrées, my Mom and I both picked the Scamp Grouper with Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Fennel, and Tomato. When I bit into that beautiful hash of vegetables, I felt like I was back in Connecticut, where I first fell in love with fresh food. The tomatoes burst with just-roasted juiciness; the squash and corn wholly sweet. The squash in particular reminded me of my Grandma’s; she would simply toss it in a pan with onion, garlic and butter to bring out its natural sweetness. This is the best part about Miller Union – it’s the things you know, love, grew up on, but here they’re elevated to gourmet cuisine. The balance of flavors, the touch of fennel, an elegantly pan-seared fillet of grouper – it’s food that just feels right.

For his entrée, John had the Skillet NY Strip, Roasted Local Potatoes and Sautéed Green Beans. It was tasty, but I feel like a good rule at Miller Union is to order dishes with a large veggie ratio! Side note, potatoes do in fact have a season (this is it, Georgia) and, as expected, they taste juicier and more tender in that season.

Also to be expected, seasonal desserts are ridiculously good at Miller Union. We narrowed our choices down to the ones with fruit in them and ordered: Key lime – Blueberry Semifreddo (tart, cold, sublime); Lemon Crème Caramel with Fresh Blackberries (smooth, creamy lemon and GIANT berries); and Peach Upside Down Cake with Ginger Ice Cream (warm, sweet and I’m still dreaming about Ginger Ice Cream).

Bottom line, Miller Union has roots. And the reason why it’s connected with so many Atlantans, I think, is because its food nourishes our roots, no matter how far they’ve grown from home.

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