Fresh French- inspired

fare Mountain Cove Grill makes a delicious statement

From the pastoral farmlands and Appalachian foothills that surround Mountain Cove Grill to the restaurant’s minimalism-meets-bucolic interior design, “We’re trying to make a statement out here,” chef Calli Stoker said of the Chickamauga, Ga., restaurant.

Ambiance aside, Mountain Cove Grill is all about elevated eats, with a menu that specializes in both country classics and fusion fare. For example, two of the restaurant’s most popular dishes are the sausage and gravy — Calli’s specialty, for which the secret ingredients are patience and love, she said — and the shrimp and grits, made with an Asian jalapeño sauce. But now, as the summer winds down, Mountain Cove’s kitchen is shifting focus.

“We’re trying to go more on the fresh side of things,” Calli said.

Every week, Mountain Cove now features a different fish special. Past examples include trout, rockfish, Alaskan flounder and red snapper, to name a few. After her 14 years of culinary experience, Calli said she appreciates the challenge of creating a new dish every week.

“It’s fun to be creative and come up with something different,” she said. “We never do the same fish, and we never do the same sauce. We like to jazz things up.”

Regardless of the variety, though, all the fish served at Mountain Cove has one main thing in common: its freshness. The restaurant’s fish is filleted on Tuesday and shipped there on Thursday, said Calli.

From its classic cheesecake — also Calli’s specialty, which she said sells out every time — to its goat cheese and shiitake mushroom strudel, topped with fresh tomato basil coulis; Mountain Cove is, indeed, making a statement, which can be heard loud and clear.