WATCHMAN’S SEAFOOD & SPIRITS

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At Watchman’s Seafood & Spirits in Krog Street Market, there’s a thoughtfully curated supply of pristine oysters from Southern waters at the raw bar, and the kitchen excels at putting out hot and cold appetizers that evoke Gulf Coast jaunts of days gone by.

A fish-and-chips special came with a puffy-battered plank of fluke (delicious), slaw and fried potato wedges (both pedestrian). The hush puppies were more dense than fluffy, in a way that even a dab of chile-honey butter couldn’t fix. But, the Sally Lunn rolls were squishy, buttery, salt-flecked and irresistible.

Fish cookery is an unforgiving craft, and the grouper entree (sometimes snapper) was a bit on the chewy side the night I sampled it. Maybe the team was too busy fussing over the many side touches: creamed kale; vinegar-glazed fennel and turnip; lemon beurre-blanc speckled with droplets of red chili oil.

The Creole gumbo didn’t work, either. And, yet, the garden salad was a spritely garland of immaculate greens and crunchy shaved radish and carrot, splashed with satsuma vinaigrette. Just the thing to usher us into the woods via a wintry dish of buttery browned potato gnocchi with potato espuma, mushroom broth, plus actual mushrooms, Parm and pickled things.

Watchman’s Seafood & Spirits.

99 Krog St., Atlanta. 404-254-0141, watchmansatl.com.

CONTRIBUTED BY MIA YAKEL