Bleu Canoe

Bleu Canoe comes from the former owners of Harry Bissett's New Orleans Cafe in Athens, Georgia, and that pedigree shows in the beverage program. The wine selection is extensive for a Cajun restaurant in a mountain town, with thoughtful picks that pair well with crawfish, gumbo, and the heavier spice profiles of Creole cooking. By-the-glass options cover white, red, and rosé with enough range to satisfy both the adventurous drinker and the glass-of-Chardonnay crowd. The full bar rounds it out with cocktails, bourbon, and beer.

Understanding Bleu Canoe means understanding Harry Bissett's. That Athens restaurant was a beloved institution known for serious food and a beverage program that overdelivered for the format. The owners brought that DNA to Clayton. The result is a Cajun restaurant that doesn't treat wine afterthought, even when the cuisine traditionally leans cocktail-and-beer. Pairing a crisp Albariño or an off-dry Riesling with crawfish étouffée is exactly the kind of move a restaurant with this background would make.

A Cajun restaurant in a North Georgia mountain town with serious wine knowledge from a celebrated Athens pedigree. Bleu Canoe is unpredictable in the best way. You don't expect to find a wine program this thoughtful next to a plate of beignets, and that surprise is the definition of Wild Card.