One of the great pleasures of summer in Lexington is dining outside at the Atomic CafÈ. The food is good and the atmosphere is terrific. The bar serves up exotic drinks, the murals are evocative of an island getaway, and the setting just invites you in to have a good time.
Atomic is a Caribbean restaurant and the menu is certainly unique in Lexington-and predictable (it hasn't changed in 15 years). Although you can get a burger here, most of the food has a decidedly island flavor. For starters, order a basket of the sweet potato chips with salsa while you're checking out the menu. They're a great take on an old favorite; every table seems to order a basket or two.
We actually skipped the chips on this last visit, the first time we've ever gone to the Atomic and not eaten them. Instead, we ordered the Atomic sampler for an appetizer. The plate comprised three conch fritters, two stamp-n-go fritters (fish cakes flavored with curry), six chicken wings in peanut barbecue sauce, and two chicken fingers. This came with two sauces-a bowl of remoulade and another of something light green and mildly spicy; I think it was mayonnaise-based and contained some form of jalapeno. The conch fritters (think chopped rubber bands suspended in a cornmeal batter and deep-fried) were OK, the rest of the plate was quite tasty. Other appetizers include roasted stuffed poblano peppers, conch chowder, bean dip, coconut shrimp or eggplant caviar (maybe not so island-y, but tastes really good).
For my main course I ordered the mahi-mahi roasted in banana leaves. There must have been half a banana tree wrapped around that piece of fish. It was well worth the effort to unwrap it, however, as the fish was delicious. The little package also contained red onion, pepper, and artichokes, all in a caper-thyme mayonnaise. Black beans and rice and the veggies of the day completed this plate. The vegetable of the day was haricots vert, broccoli and big chunks of zucchini and yellow squash. I pretty much consider these summer squashes to be non-foods; the best I can say about them is they were not cooked to death.
My partner ordered the special entrÈe of the day: pan-seared sea bass on saffron goat cheese mashed potatoes with star anise sauce. The bass was cooked just right and was sensational, the potatoes were rich and creamy, and the slightly sweet sauce brought it all together perfectly. This plate also came with the uninspired vegetables.
All entrÈes are accompanied by corn bread made with the addition of corn kernels and shredded coconut. The corn bread alone is worth the trip.
We shared a piece of rum butter cake with mixed berries for dessert. I'm willing to bet that cake was made with a boxed mix and then drenched in a rum butter sauce. Not that it was bad, it just wasn't anything you couldn't make at home. The berries, with a dollop of whipped cream, were refreshing.
The menu includes some salads and sandwiches, Caribbean jerk dishes, grilled meats, fish, and chicken. There's also a veggie entrÈe, and some vegetarian appetizers. The menu is different from your average Lexington fare-most of it is pretty good, some of it exceptional, but all of it tastes better outdoors in the summertime.
The check for this meal, which also included two drinks, a bottle of Pellegrino, and a cup of coffee, was just under $74 before the tip. Plan to have at least one meal outside at the Atomic this summer.