Elite Event: Oh, Schnitzel! at Seven Hens Sandy Springs

Such a fun event that I was so pleasantly surprised to make it to!
When our small group of 10 elites made it to Seven Hens, we were shown to the kitchen and given instructions by Michael on how to tenderize (i.e. pound a poor chicken breast) into perfect little schnitzels. Some in our group already knew how, and some were very new to this experience.
We were given a brief run down of Seven Hens history. I didn’t realize that this is their second location, their first being in Decatur.
The kitchen is very clean and well maintained, everything labeled correctly which is a great sign of any kitchen — industrialized or not. Being here made me miss my years in restaurant work but I think that was partly because it was pretty congested and hot inside which must have been messing with my brainwaves!
After we went through the parade of chicken breast pounding, we came around to the front and placed our orders. I got the Italian, which comes with basil pesto, sun dried tomato aioli and a side of hummus.
We sipped on wine and drinks while our food was cooking. Michael mentioned that no one in our group had ordered their schnitzel in a sandwich — that’s elites for ya! LOL

This Event was Awesome. Seven Hens in Sandy Springs has been on my radar and bookmark for sometime. There were at least 8 of us on the last time slots for this event .All of us were escorted to the Kitchen where the Owner Michael gave us demonstration on how schnitzel is made. After the demo each of us were allowed to pound and bread our own chicken .
After each Elete finished we move on to the front and ordered how we wanted our schnitzel. I ordered the Indian Schnitzel plate that includes Curry Yogurt Dressing, Cucumber Salad, Garam Masala Seasoning. The Schnitzel was perfect .Also Ben supplied wine and some local beer.
Over all great small event. I was able to meet new and old Unilocalers and talk about food and places we traveled. I had a great Experience. And I was a first time we had an Event inside a Commercial Kitchen and small group (8). Last. Thanks to Michael and Ben for a Awesome time.
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«What the Schnitzel?» — Hoodwinked! (2005)
How fun! I’m already a fan of Seven Hens in Sandy Springs and it is a regular spot for me to run and pick up lunch for myself. So when Ben G. posted the events on the OTP calendar, I was pretty excited to see this place behind the scenes!
We were greeted upon entry by Ben and Michael Gurevich, the owner and operator of both locations. He treated us to a an up close and personal schnitzel making experience. We were taken into the kitchen where we learned all about the process, ingredients, etc. Everyone took their turn pounding the chicken (I opted not too for my own personal reasons — migraine) and then breading it. No worries folks — everyone washed their hands and wore gloves.
It was great fun seeing everyone pound the chicken and see how well they did. After spending a good 40 minutes in the kitchen, the 10 of us moved to the front to place orders for what we wanted for dinner — funny enough, out of all of us, only one person ordered a sandwich and I think only one had a salad. The rest of us all opted for platters.
Deliciousness in the form of lightly fried, crispy yet juicy chicken. I chose a flavor I haven’t had previously — the Olive Dijon (or French). What I love is that they put the condiments in little ramekins on the side so as not to make the crispy chicken soggy. The dijon was spicy and tangy and the olive tapenade was pureed into a salty, tangy (yet oddly pink) sauce that paired perfectly with the mustard sauce and the chicken. I opted for the cucumber salad (one of my favorite sides) and the sweet potato fries (a new side for me, but my new favorite). Clearly, the best sweet potato fries in town, I need these in my life daily.
I really do love these smaller, more intimate Unilocal Elite events as I really get the chance to talk to my fellow Elites, meet new people and enjoy and learn about the establishment. So a huge shout out to Ben for making a great Unilocal event again — especially OTP. I know he has a ton on his plate right now with managing Atlanta, trying to cover while they try and find a new OTP CM and a baby on the way. Go Ben G!
Also, a ginormous thanks to Michael for opening up his restaurant, and his kitchen to 20 Elites (two sessions 7pm and 8pm) for us to prepare schnitzel and eat our hearts out, plus coupons to return. I think it was a lock that I would be back again!

Seriously wonderful event! Thanks Ben and Michael!
I got there early for my 8pm spot and was able to socialize with some of the folks from the 7pm group.
At 8pm, the small group walked to the back of the kitchen for the schnitzel demonstration. Michael explained that he grew up in Israel where everyone is very familiar with chicken schnitzel as a fast casual food and everyone argues that their mother’s is best. As he grew up and explored the world and other food cultures, he realized that chicken schnitzel is quite worldly, known to many cultures by other names. So he’s created a chicken schnitzel restaurant to showcase the different flavor profiles that you’d see around the world, all starting with an awesome base of local organic chicken, hand-​pounded and hand-​breaded to be tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
And then we got to do it! I had some frustrations bottled up and was eager to pound the heck out of something, but Michael advised that doing that breaks the chicken, rendering it only good for soup. Instead, the best technique uses small even strokes aimed at breaking the fibrous tissue and spreading the chicken thin. The chicken should be translucent but solid when thin enough. When the chicken is the right thickness, you flour it, drop it in eggwash, and the coat it in breadcrumbs.
After that, the trained professionals took over. We perused the menu of different spices and preparations. Though Michael advised that the sandwiches are quite popular and that the Mexican is the most popular flavor profile, I chose the Thai (flavor of the month! with red curry sauce on the side and chunky slaw on top of the chicken) as a platter with sweet potato fries and cucumber salad. In no time, they called out our names and we picked up our meals at the window.
The chicken was just what Michael said it would be — crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. Even though it is fried, it’s light and not-​at-​all greasy. I like that the sauce is served on the side so that the chicken stays crisp on the oustide. The sweet potato fries are seriously amazing.
I’m hoping that Michael seriously considers adding a Seven Hens to Alpharetta since I would love to have it as a lunch choice!

Oh, whoops. I almost forgot to write a review about this experience (you’ll find that happens to me very frequently). At any rate, I had a blast! It seems like the amount of scheduled OTP Unilocaler events has diminished a lot this year (as this was my first one of the year I attended), but I really feel like this was a fun one to start the year off with.
Seven Hens is located really close to my job (about 2 miles away, actually), and in a HUGE shopping area that I used to frequent a lot (there’s a liquor store, Publix grocery store, and Plato’s Closet), and yet I’d never seen this place. I’m so glad Unilocal gave me the opportunity to come here. It was a really intimate experience, with two 10 person groups. I can honestly say I enjoyed that waaaaay more than the events that are stuffed full of people. To my credit, I’m very shy and anxious around lots of people, so 10 was the perfect amount.
I got a chance to actually have nice conversations with people I’d never really talked to, and we talked about my favorite topic: food! We talked about sushi and the state of it, as well as Indian food and such. It was a great conversation, especially with knowledgeable people.
The schnitzel making experience was really nothing new for me, but now I know that I’ve been making schnitzel all these years when I’m been pounding out chicken. I never really knew that was it, exactly. And I was very impressed that at this place, they use locally sourced meat. And the beat part? It seems to be fresh and not frozen! Ahhh, that makes my tummy happy.
The owner, Michael Gurevich, was a very nice gentleman. After we had all pounded out the meat and breaded it, and once the kitchen staff had started to cook it up, he actually came out with us and just talked amongst us like a regular person. I know a lot of chefs can be very uppity and rude, but Michael was a very down-​to-​earth guy, which I thought was awesome.
For my schnitzel, I decided on getting it prepared the «Chinese way», on a sandwich. Ginger, garlic, teriyaki. This schnitzel place has 7 signature schnitzels, each prepared a different way, with different spices and toppings. I will say that next time I come by, I don’t think I’ll get a sandwich. I feel like the bread took too much away from the spices and flavors of the schnitzel. But yes, I will be back! Especially since this place is so close to where I work, and is a different lunch experience than I would usually eat.

This was a fun little event.
Seven Hens is a schnitzel joint. Schnitzel sandwiches, schnitzel wraps, schnitzel salads, just schnitzel. And then you can choose how you want the schnitzel seasoned. The combinations are infinite (not really)!
Michael, the owner, took our group of 10 in the back to the kitchen and gave us a demo on how the schnitzel is prepared. We got to pound our own chicken flat with a meat tenderizer which was pretty fun and made me make a mental note to buy a tenderizer. We then got to flour and batter our meats
After all that we got to order our schnitzel flavor, sit down, and eat. I had the sauerkraut schnitzel platter with a side of sweet potato fries and cucumber salad. It was pretty enjoyable.
Ben had some pretty good swag there that night. Snagged some sunglasses and beer opener. He also had some beer and wine for us to sip on.
Thanks to Ben for putting this event on. Thanks to Michael for showing us the schnitzel ropes. Had a good time.

With such a fast growing Unilocal community, you wouldn’t expect a very intimate event. That’s just what last night’s YEE was. Seven Hens continued regular operations while granting 5 tables along the back wall to us. Ben had alcoholic refreshments and the few early birds mingled while waiting for the others to trickle in.
Michael Gurevich, owner and «Schnitzel Master», led us into his kitchen where the magic happens. Schnitzel, simply, is just a pounded meat cutlet. Different European countries have different norms, pork, turkey, veal, chicken, etc.
First we pounded some chicken with the schnitzel hammer. Unfortunately, I did not get him to say I AM THOR, SON OF ODIN, GOD OF THUNDER, but I digress. Who knew there was so much technique to thinning out a chicken breast? Then we breaded, and finally it was time to eat.
I ordered the sundried tomato pesto platter. It came with fries and a side salad. The chicken was tender and lightly breaded. I really liked the sundried tomato dipping sauce.
Thanks to Ben and Unilocal for hosting and to Michael for having us in his kitchen! And for making me a believer of the schnitzel. I’ll be back for those crinkle cut sweet potato fries.

Last night’s YEE was a blast, and I’m so grateful to Michael Gurevich, the «Schnitzel Master» who owns both this Sandy Springs location and the original Seven Hens in Decatur, for opening his restaurant and its kitchen to us. Unilocal events are always a lot of fun, but they’re usually pretty full. I loved that this event was more intimate, with two groups of ten YEs coming in at different times. As a result of keeping the size pretty small, I was able to spend at least a few minutes getting to known everyone there. My group held some familiar faces (it was great to see Daniel B. again!) as well as some new friends I hadn’t met but am already looking forward to seeing again.
We met up in the dining area, which was clean and decorated in a warm red color that will immediately put diners in a good mood. Ben G. was his usual warm and outgoing self, directing us to the complimentary wine and beer. After a few minutes of mingling, Michael came out to explain a little about himself and the restaurant. The concept is «fast, casual schnitzel,» which was a new one for me. For those who haven’t had schnitzel before, it’s meat that’s been tenderized, breaded in seasoned flour, and then deep fried. The ideal schnitzel is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and as the name implies, Seven Hens specializes in chicken. You’ll see several different chicken schnitzels on the menu, though if you love it you can apply the technique to other meats, and apparently tofu as well.
Michael demonstrated the art of tenderizing meat before giving us each the chance to pick up a hammer-​of-​the-​gods sized tenderizer and prepare a breast. You can imagine the jokes and mutterings that filled the kitchen as we all encouraged each out to «pound it!» Once we’d gotten the giggles out, it was time to bread the chicken breast by dipping them in flour, eggs, and bread crumbs.
After the meat was prepared and ready for the fryer, we YEs headed to the other side of the counter to place our orders. I opted for the Cucumber Curry schnitzel, but I have to admit that there was absolutely nothing on the menu that I didn’t want to try. I’ll have to go back sometime soon and try another variation, but I was very happy with my dish. At Michael’s recommendation, I tried the curry schnitzel as a wrap that included a delicious cucumber salad. I think next time I will get a traditional German schnitzel with sauerkraut as part of a platter.
At the end of the evening, we all collected some sweet Unilocal swag. I nabbed a beach towel and a poncho — yay for new stuff! — and a good old Unilocalstick. Can’t wait for the next event, and am so thrilled to have been a part of this one. Thanks again, Ben G. and all the folks at Seven Hens!

I had a really great time at this event! It’s rare that you get to go behind the scenes at a restaurant and see how things work and I’m glad that we got to do that. The owner was really cool and friendly. He showed us how to pound the chicken, dip it in flour, soak it in egg batter, slap it, drop it in the breadcrumbs and pound it! This was fun and since I don’t cook very often, I enjoyed having the opportunity to throw on some gloves and make magic happen.
After we finished helping out with the chicken in the back, we got to go up to the front and order something from the counter. While we waited for the food, I sipped on some delicious white wine that Ben brought in. When my order was ready the guy called my name to come up and get my order. I ordered the American BBQ Schnitzel sandwich and it was really good. I live in the area but I’ve never actually eaten here. I’m really glad that I got a chance to check it out and I will definitely be back!

This goes for anybody, if you invite me to your kitchen and show me how to cook a meal that I have never had (and know what your doing), then you deserve 5 Stars. I mean, come on, to learn from the «Master Schnitzeler of Atlanta» is a big deal. You teacher, I student.
What a nice time with the Elites! A smaller group of 10 per hour; one at 7pm, the other at 8pm. I am glad I was in at 7pm as it was a good amount of time to arrive after work, but not too much time to get settled in and get lazy. Ben provided IPA Beer, white and red wines for us to sample and your typical freebies were present as well.
Michael, the owner, is a really cool guy. He told Lindy and I that one of his favorite past times is doing yoga. It is his way of relieving stress and centering himself. I’ve only tried the downward dog while visiting Cali and a advanced class (by mistake) that scared me for life. Anyhoot!!!
I had gotten off track there but back to Seven Hens. Michael has 2 locations, this one being the newer at only 4 months established. The other loc is in Decatur, GA. I have tried schnitzel before but did not know the name of it. In German, schnitzel is short for wienerschnitzel and means, «cube» «thin» «small» piece of meat, usually chicken. Seven Hens only serves chicken as their choice of meat, but I am stoked to try this dish with veal. Pause (Yum with a look of delight while I think about it).
I posted several pics and video for your enjoyment. It is a simple dish that takes little prep time; 20 minutes. We pounded (mallet only on the finer side), dipped in egg, and coated in bread our schnitzel and were escorted out of the kitchen for the real chefs to finish the job. Dang, whats in the secret sauce? My meal of choice was the Sun Dried Tomato with Pesto Schnitzel with a side of hummus. I had it made into a sandwich and it was very good. I will be going back to visit Michael and crew. They are good people, with good energy, good food and a good business. I can support that. Have a great day!

I had no idea there was a fast-​casual restaurant in metro Atlanta specializing in schnitzel. Thanks to the Unilocal OTP Elite Event last night at Seven Hens in Sandy Springs, not only did we get to check out the fast-​casual schnitzel concept, but we got exclusive access to the restaurant’s kitchen where we learned how to make our very own chicken schnitzel. Seven Hens owner and «schnitzel master» Michael Gurevich personally hosted two 10-​person Unilocaler sessions where he instructed each of us on the basics of pounding, breading, and seasoning a good schnitzel.
There was a 7pm session and an 8pm session. I joined the 7pm crew which included Lindy F, Jang C, Christina K, Patrina P, Gerald E, Jennifer D, Melissa M, Will S, and Samantha H. We had a blast.
Michael had a tub of all-​natural, Georgia-​local, cage-​free chicken slices for us to pound one by one. He used a meat-​tenderizing hammer to show us how it was done. He made sure to pound each piece of chicken thin and evenly. He revealed a technique he likes to use where he holds each piece of chicken up to the light to test for uniformity. It was funny and interesting to see everyone’s individual «pounding» technique. (Yes, there were lots of inappropriate pounding jokes.)
After we each took turns pounding and tenderizing the meat, Michael moved us on to the next step which was breading and seasoning. This is where most of us learned the «wet glove, dry glove» technique. We floured the chicken slices (dry glove), dipped them in beaten eggs (wet glove), and finally covered them in bread crumbs (dry glove). After that, we exited the kitchen and headed to the ordering line to choose how we wanted our schnitzels prepared.
Seven Hens serves schnitzels the traditional way (on a platter, eaten with fork and knife) or in more American-​casual formats such as sandwiches/​wraps and salads. Styles include Cajun BBQ, Chipotle Cilantro, Ginger Teriyaki, Olive Dijon, Sauerkraut Dill, Curry Cucumber, and Sun-​Dried Tomato Pesto. I enjoy a good schnitzel so I went with the authentic German way — Sauerkraut Dill on a platter. Michael chose two sides for me: Sweet Potato Fries and Crisp Cucumber Salad.
The food was delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed my crispy and savory schnitzel topped with sauerkraut. The sides and salads (the latter Samantha H and Melissa M let me sample) were tasty too. As always, since this was an official Unilocal event, food and drink were on the house. Ben brought in wine and buckets of beer on ice for those who wanted to drink.
A big thank you to Michael and his team at Seven Hens Sandy Springs. They were warm and welcoming. And thank you, of course, to Ben for making this event happen. I know it’s a lot of work for him to run and manage events for both Unilocal Atlanta and Unilocal OTP while the recruitment continues for a new OTP Community Manager. It’s a lot of ground to cover. Hopefully, they’ll find and announce a new CM soon!
Until next time, SYOY!

My first elite event of 2015, and it was a good one. This was at 7 Hens, which is a new Schnitzel franchise in Atlanta. There is one location in Decatur, and one in Sandy Springs. Of course, this was at the Sandy Springs location.
Our host, Michael, who is also the owner of 7 Hens restaurants, told us all about 7 Hens. The best part was when he invited all of us into the kitchen so we can make our own Schnitzel.
Technically we didn’t make our own Schnitzel, but it was close. We got to pound the chicken meat. I never used a meat tenderizer before, but i learned a lot of about meat pounding.
Then we got to flour, egg, and bread the pounded chicken meat. I learned we had a dry had to put the dry ingredients on the chicken and a wet hand to put the egg yolk on the chicken. This is the most educational Unilocal Elite event I’ve ever been to.
We didn’t get to fry the chicken. Oh well. But we got to try one from their menu. I tried the Olive Dijon Schnitzel Platter. It tasted good. I loved how crispy it was. The platter came with 2 sides. I liked my dinner.
This was a great event. I liked meeting Michael, Ben, the Unilocalers, and eating and making Schnitzel.

Interesting event featuring an interactive session where we visiting Unilocalers got to go through the process of creating schnitzel. Starting with a chicken breast, we pounded flat then dipped in flour, egg wash and bread crumbs. This was then fried and prepared with our personal choice of world cuisine seasonings. I had the curry with cucumber salad and sweet potato fries accompanied with a Red Hare IPA. From all the satisfied smiles around, everyone liked the take on fried chicken quite a bit — next time it’s a salad for me (looked wonderful).
I want to thank all the people at Seven Hens and also Ben G. for putting together another successful Unilocal event!