The second annual Trilogy Trolley Crawl happens Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 7:00-11:30pm. The Trolley Crawl takes guests on a journey to three different venues, each with the theme of an American city. The three cities represented are Las Vegas, Nashville, and New York City. Travel via trolley to all three historic homes for food, drink, fun and entertainment. Limited number of tickets available at $40. It’s definitely something a little bit out of the ordinary.

The ticket price includes admission to three historic Roswell homes, one drink ticket and three mini-sampler plate food tickets. The event will take place on the grounds of Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and Smith Plantation. Trolleys transport guests to the three great American “cities” mentioned above where they can feast on regional cuisine and signature drinks.

What: Trilogy Trolley Crawl
When: Saturday, August 21, 2010
Where: Historic Roswell
Cost: $40 per person
Why: A chance to see a Historic building while drinking, dancing and eating

The grounds of Barrington Hall are filled with the excitement, sites and sounds of the Las Vegas strip. You’ll be able to “gamble” at the casino while listening to the Vegas sounds of Brookwood Split. Enjoy a taste of Vegas with a “Caesar Salad” with Chicken Strips and a slice of Wedding Chapel Cake. And wash that down with our Signature Drink, the “Rat Pac” (classic vodka & tonic).

Bulloch Hall will take you to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry and will feature all of the fun that country and western music has to offer. You can two-step to the terrific country sounds of the award winning Jamie Pelfrey Band. Enjoy a BBQ Pork Slider with Tennessee Slaw and a Mini Moon Pie. And what else would the Signature Drink be but some good old Lynchburg Lemonade (Jack Daniels and lemonade)?

Smith Plantation will transform into the streets of New York City with iconic music and foods found throughout the Big Apple. Rock the night away at our “Studio 54” with famous local DJ Steve the Extreme. A mini Pastrami on Rye with Chips and a NYC Black & White Cookie will delight your palate. And, our “Cosmo” Signature Drink will add another special touch to the evening.

Six trolleys will continuously loop to transport guests from site to site. Parking is available at each site with additional parking at the First Baptist Church parking lot on Mimosa Boulevard. Guests may begin the fun at any of the three locations.

Order tickets online at www.southerntrilogy.com

I had heard about Haven Restaurant located in Brookhaven for several years, but never made it over until a recent Thursday evening. Thanks to owner Michel Arnette for having me in to try Haven out, though I don’t know why they would need me to review them as Haven Restaurant had quite the crowd going on on this weekday evening. Haven Restaurant has been around for 7 years in the mostly residential area of Brookhaven.

I’m not too familiar with the Brookhaven area and it can be tricky to find if you haven’t yet invested in a GPS like me. You see the street sign from Peachtree says Brookhaven one one side and Dresden (which is where you need to turn) on the other. Needless to say I got pretty turned around. But I digress… Pulling up we drove by Haven’s sister restaurant Valenza and noticed it had quite the crowd as well. We decided to forgo the valet, and park ourselves across the street.

The friendly hostess greeted us and gave us the option of indoor or outdoor seating. It is truly beautiful inside Haven, but it is also quite noisy, so we chose outside seating. On this, one of these last few days in May of low(ish) humidity, we took advantage of Haven’s welcoming patio.

Although the mussels are extremely popular on the menu, according to Haven’s owner, Michel, we were kinda musseled out having had them twice the previous week. I would like to go back and have them at some point though, as the smoky tomatoes and chipotle really piqued my interest.

Instead of Haven’s mussels we opted for the crab cake, fried oysters and with little arm twisting from Michel the other wildly popular appetizer, truffled potato hay. These are like crispy little potato sticks with some parmesan cheese thrown in. They are highly addictive and a huge portion – maybe not the best combination if you only have 2 in the party. This is a great and affordable (only $5) appetizer if you’ve got a group of 4 or more.

The crab cake was tasty and served with some grape tomatoes as well. I thought this would be my favorite appetizer, but I actually enjoyed the fried oysters more. They weren’t simply served by themselves. Nope. Haven’s fried oysters come with fried pickles on a bed of creamy lemony grits. While the oysters themselves are tasty, the side dishes only serve to strengthen and compliment the dish.

We put in our appetizer order but not the entree order as we were taking our time deciding what to order. Looking around at the other diners, this seems to be groups of couples and friends in their upper 40s. Not too many gen exers like me here. But the one thing that struck me is how many of the diners seemed to know each other. I saw table after table of customers that at one point or another during the evening recognized someone they knew and were giving them a hug. Not to be excluded, I ran into an acquaintence myself. A true wine connesseiur, she was able to recommend a terrific Shiraz to pair with my dinner.

So, yes, moving onto dinner. After seeing the mussels appetizer come out, I was actually tempted to order it as my main, but then thought I really should order some meat, and went for the duck breast. Glen ordered the Halibut, which was delicious. I loved the crispy outside texture and the flaky tender inside. The pesto broth and shrimp were nice additions as well.

And I was blown away by the portion of the duck breast. It was sliced into medallions and usually when I get a duck breast it is half the size of what I was presented at Haven. Now I’m wishing I hadn’t been such a glutton, and had packed some up to take home with me. The rhubarb included as a side was a sweet and perfect accompaniment to my duck.

Still loving that that lemon flavor that was apparent in the grits, we opted for the lemon cheesecake with strawberries. Definitely a standout as far as desserts go, and is a big enough portion for two to share.

I love the atmosphere at Haven. No wonder it is consistently on OpenTable.com’s top 10 list of hidden gems. I think some regulars are going to be a little annoyed about the word spreading about “their” spot. I saw many diners giving hugs to the hostess as well as Michel, so they’ve definitely become quite popular in the Brookhaven community.

1441 Dresden Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30319
404 969 0700
Website

Do you remember the old John Harvard’s Brewhouse from years ago? It closed down long before there were ever Bloggers, Yelp or or Urbanspoon. But what it’s turned into is a great Seafood restaurant known as Aqua Blue. Stepping inside the suburban (Roswell, GA) Aqua Blue, you would never know that this was once a Pub.

It’s sleek, modern interior could fool you into thinking you were in an upscale Buckhead or Midtown restaurant. There are four distinct areas throughout the restaurant, each very well appointed. As you walk inside, there is a curtained off room to the right of the hostess stand for private parties. Behind the hostess stand is a large bar area with plenty of hightops (see pic below), and as beautiful as it is, you could enjoy your entire meal there.

But the main dining area is pretty snazzy itself (see pic above right), with white booths and nicely appointed light fixtures, it is a great choice for an intimate date night. Lastly, the outdoor patio beckons you on warm spring evenings or cool fall nights, which is where I chose to sit on my recent visit to Aqua Blue.

Aqua Blue invited me for a visit, so, in full disclosure, this was a free meal. After being seated on the patio on a gorgeous spring evening, our server, Elbie came over to introduce himself and give us his recommendations. He’s got to be one of the coolest, friendliest, most knowledgeable servers I’ve encountered in quite sometime. If you visit, ask for him, you won’t be sorry.

To start, we each ordered a cocktail – one Pommegranite Martini and a Georgia Peach tea concoction. They were ok, but didn’t get me too excited. Skip the cocktails and head straight for the wine list here. They have a great selection and Elbie really steered us in the right direction.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First let’s talk about the bread. The crispy wafer bread tastes like a pretzel albeit with minimal salt. I enjoyed this, but only had a couple pieces, not wanting to fill up before the real goodies arrive. Also included are two other varieties of rolls – one rye and the other a cornbread-esque type. You’ll be served butter, but you won’t need it. The rolls are soft and moist already.

As far as appetizers at Aqua Blue, the menu is very seafood heavy with a couple vegetable options like Edamame (soybeans), Tempura Green Beans and an Olive Tasting. I’d read good things prior to visiting and knew the Tempura Green Beans and Calamari were signature items, so we ordered those as well as the Crab Cake.

Elbie told us that while it isn’t listed on the menu you can do a half and half order of Calamari and Green Beans if you like. I would definitely go this route if there are only 2 of you, as the half portions are pretty substantial and quite filling. Aqua Blue also has a Riesling (Eroica Columbia Valley ’08) that pairs very well with the calamari. I am not normally a fan of Riesling, or white wine in general for that matter, but this tasted more like a Chardonnay sans the oak flavor.

The crab cake was superb with any bread or filler being undetectable. All I tasted was lump crab. It is almost a waste of the peppers and jicama mix that comes with it as I’m sure much of that goes uneaten. I sampled a bit and although it was tasty, I didn’t want to fill up on veggies. I have to mention that while I did love the crab cake, at $15, you’ll get more bang for your buck sticking with some of the other apps.

The calamari was quite delicious too, with a sweet and spicy sauce mixed in, although I feel it may have been a tad too sauce heavy. But most surprising to me were the Tempura Green Beans. The light batter and crunchiness of the tempura was a perfect match for the beans. And the sweet mustard sauce for dipping made for the perfect bite. And the salt portion was just right – not overkill like in so many restaurants.

I noticed two out of the four tables around us chowing down on huge lobsters. I assumed it was a special that evening as I didn’t see them on the menu. But when I inquired with Elbie, he told me it is a birthday special that Aqua Blue offers to those on their mailing list. Here’s the deal: sign up to be on their mailing list and you get a 2.5 lb lobster FOR FREE on your BirthMONTH. Ahuh, that’s right- Your whole BirthMONTH, not on your birthDAY. What a deal – Sign me Up!

So, I was jonesing for some Chilean Sea Bass as it had been far too long since I’ve had any. I knew that would be one of our entree selections and I couldn’t help but ask if by any chance they had one last lobster left for us. We were in luck, they did!

Aqua Blue has some of the best Sea Bass I’ve ever had. The slightly crunchy outside texture gives way to the sweet, buttery inside and it almost melts in your mouth. You gotta try this dish. As for the lobster, I would have never ordered it had I not known that they cut most of the shell for you, allowing for easy access to the lobster meat. And how plentiful the lobster meat was by the way. Why, oh why, didn’t I ask for a bibb? Of course I spilled some melted butter on my shirt. Oh well, it is a small price to pay for eating well, I suppose.

As we had made complete gluttons of ourselves, you would think we stopped there, wouldn’t you? Nope. We opted for dessert too. The coconut cake caught my eye and I looked no further. We also tried the sherry and fig ice cream but found the name to be more intriguing that the taste. The coconut cake more than made up for the ice cream though. It was moist and creamy – just perfect for two to share.

1564 Holcomb Bridge Rd
Roswell, GA 30076
770 643 8886
Website

Extras: Don’t forget to sign up for their mailing list for a free lobster on your BirthMONTH!

I keep a list of restaurants that I am eager to try out and love when I get to cross one off. Of course that means that three more take its place. Miso Izakaya in the Old Fourth Ward has been on said list for quite a while. So, I was thrilled when Chef Guy of Miso Izakaya invited me to be his guest on a recent Saturday night.

Being the dork that I am, I had to research the origins of the name “Izakaya” on Wikipedia. The name “Izakaya” is a compound word consisting of “i ” (to sit) and “sakaya” (sake shop). The name has come to mean a Japanese bar that also serves food. Basically, what it amounts to, at least in Atlanta, is Japanese tapas with a good bar selection.

Pulling up to Miso Izakaya, it was so refreshing to simply pull into a lot and not have to deal with a valet or driving around looking for street parking. It really irks me that so many restaurants in Atlanta insist upon valet when it is unnecessary. I actually like parking my car myself and am perfectly capable of walking 50 steps to the front door.

Upon entering, a friendly server greeted us at the door and led us to a corner table. From here we had a great view of the entire restaurant and bar. Miso Izakaya is a beautifully decorated establishment with dark wood and clean, modern Japanese decor. My, how the Old 4th Ward is changing.

Next, we were presented with a drink menu. The specialty at Miso Izakaya is Shochu, a beverage native to Japan. Yes, I looked this up on Wiki too. Turns out it is commonly distilled from barley, sweet potatoes, or rice. There are many varieties of plain Shochu to choose from, but we choose to go with a Shochu cocktail. Our server recommended 3: the ginger and grapefruit, cucumber and basil, or and orange one.

We went with the ginger and grapefruit and cucumber and basil. Both were great choices, with a very refreshing taste. If I had to choose one I liked better I’d probably say the ginger and grapefruit, which was a tad sweeter than the cucumber and basil. But both were wonderful.

Our whistles properly wet, we moved on to food. No trip to Miso Izakaya would be complete without some Miso soup. And we were in luck, there was a special Miso soup with crab meat which we tried. It was excellent and I loved that the crab meat was plentiful and the flavor permeated the entire soup.

Chef Guy came out briefly to say hello and recommended that we order a couple of buns, sort of like Japanese sliders. These soft, steamed buns are something I’ve only had once before but fell in love with them. This time we chose the pork belly and the duck. Both were tender and juicy and just enough meat to compliment the bun. In the pork belly the use of cilantro and other herbs made each bite perfection. I would go back here and make a meal out of these all by themselves.

Next we ordered more tapas: lamb chops, salt and pepper quail, tuna tartar with quail egg, spicy eggplant and pork kimchee. It was a lot of food, but keep in mind these are tapas and designed for sharing. The lamb chops were advertised to have a madras sauce to them and after reading that I was sold. And they didn’t disappoint, the flavor was distinct but mild. They were done pretty well, but they didn’t taste dried, the effect of cooking lamb chops well done. The quail, too, had minimal seasoning it seemed, which allowed it’s flavor to come through.

The tuna tartar was fabulous – this is a must try if you visit. Not only is the presentation beautiful (see pic) but there is a spicy pepper mixed in that makes it insanely good. I love kimchee and the pork addition was just a bonus. This was the only dish that I felt had a tad too much salt, but other than that quite enjoyable. As I felt another vegetable was necessary to balance out the meal, we added the spicy eggplant to our tally. Not only was it pretty to look at with it’s glossy appearance, it was superb tasting, not just another vegetable to pick at, a dish we devoured.

Everything we had at Miso Izakaya was very fresh and seasoned nicely, not overkill. It is been quite a while since I’ve had a meal I’ve enjoyed this much. Go. There. Now.

619 Edgewood Ave
Atlanta, GA 30312
678 701 0128
Website

A couple weeks back, La Tavola Trattoria, part of the Fifth Group Restaurants, had a BOGOF promotion. Never having sampled La Tavola before, I thought this would be a great opportunity to give it a try. So now, my Fifth Group Restaurant experience is complete; I’ve dined at them all – South City Kitchen, Ecco, The Original El Taco and now La Tavola.

We pulled up on a rainy Friday night and there was an open spot right in front of La Tavola. After snagging that primo spot I just knew it was going to be a good evening. We were a couple minutes late for our 8:30 reservation and as the place was absolutely packed, I feared that they might have given our reservation away to punctual diners. But our good fortune prevailed and the host assured us we’d be seated shortly.

As I surveyed the tiny dining room, I was so glad I had made reservations. But it got even better. They escorted us to the outdoor dining area that shares space with Noche. They obviously had the heaters going and the plastic covers to keep out the cold. I liked this even better than the interior as it is much more conducive to talking than the inside dining area with it’s open kitchen.

I started with their Il Fiore, (Mojito made with Gin instead of Vodka). I liked it ok, but at $12, would have preferred to put the $ toward an entire bottle of red wine and skip the specialty cocktails altogether.

Nothing grabbed my attention on the appetizer menu, but Glen chose the Farro soup which is a soup made with barley, pancetta, leeks and butternut squash. I had a taste and loved it. It was perfect for warming me up on that cold, rainy night. I usually hate leeks but didn’t even taste them in the soup.

For our entrees, I chose the Pennoni with Rabbit. This is tubes of pasta stuffed with rabbit sausage. It comes with a Swiss Chard Bechamel (bechamel is made from milk, butter and flour) sauce. I quite enjoyed the meal and really liked the bitterness of the swiss chard paired with the slightly sweet pasta and cherry tomatoes.

Glen had ordered the Fish special that night, but his order was confused with the regular trout entree which he got instead. He ate it and didn’t complain, but it’s too bad, because the special sounded spectacular. The presentation of both dishes was beautiful. I would love to see what items like the Pork Porterhouse or the Smoked Risotto with Boar Sausage look like.

La Tavola Trout

I liked our server up until our entrees were delivered. He was friendly and seemed to know the menu inside and out. But we saw less sand less of him as our evening wore on. I really wanted a glass of wine with my meal, but I was halfway through my meal before I was able to get it.

The Dolcetto I got was a good compliment to my rabbit pasta and one of 14 reds by the glass. I counted 9 whites by the glass. It seemed to open up more as I let it sit there. La Tavola definitely has a good wine list and lends itself to the type of place you’d want to go and share a bottle with someone.

For dessert we shared the cheesescake with blueberry sauce and candied lemon zest. It was absolutely delightful – light but very flavorful.

La Tavola Cheesecake

Although service was less than attentive, I enjoyed our leisurely dinner and definitely recommend La Tavola Trattoria as a date night option. Just ask to be seated on the patio. Although it overlooks the parking lot, I still think it is more romantic than the noisy dining room.

992 Virginia Avenue Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 873-5430
Website

Valentine’s day is nearly here. Have you made your plans yet?

So, here are 3 restaurants I think are great choices for Valentine’s Day. These restaurants have great food, a good atmosphere and won’t break the bank. Oh yeah, and as of the time this post is published, you can still score a table there, but hurry.

Divan Restaurant and Hookah Lounge
This is a small restaurant that specialized in middle eastern food and Hookahs. They have a 4 course meal for between $35 and $45 per person, depending on your seating time.
Website
3125 Piedmont Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 467-4297

Pura Vida
Tapas are so sexy! There’s something about the small plates and sharing all the dishes with each other. Pura Vida’s Valentine’s special includes 6 tapas (for the couple), a bottle of wine, and a dessert to share. They stress that the menu will highlight aphrodisiacs. Oysters anyone? Price is $40 per person.
656 N Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 870-9797
Website

WaterHaven is a really overlooked restaurant. I’m sure due to it’s location near GA Tech, it is often forgotten. But it is truly lovely inside and the food is incredible. Their Valentine’s menu is only $35 per person and a fantastic deal! Also, wine is half off that night.

Guys this is a great restaurant if you’re stumped for one. And they are wide open for reservations at the time of this post. Check out the Valentine menu below. I recommend the lamb sliders followed by the trout.

STARTERS
House Salad spring mix, candied walnuts, blue cheese, sherry thyme vinaigrette
WaterHaven Caesar romaine, asiago, anchovy lemonette dressing
Lamb Sliders spiced lamb, minted yogurt, yeast roll
Crab Cake jumbo lump, kafir lime, cucumber salad, house remoulade
Calamari lightly battered, sweet chili sauce, lemon garlic aioli
Soup of the Day chef’s inspiration

ENTREES
Georgia Trout pan seared with applewood smoked bacon, butternut squash
ravioli, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, sage butter
Pork Loin grilled loin chop with apple chutney and winter greens timbale
Salmon fennel coriander crust, orange saffron butter, creamed leeks, grilled fennel
Fresh Vegetable Plate chef’s choice of fresh local vegetables
Filet Mignon grilled beef medallions, loaded potato rosti, mushroom ragu
Herb Chicken roasted with grilled new potatoes, winter greens

DESSERT
Chef’s Special Holiday Dessert

75 Fifth Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30308
404 214 6740
Website

Ok, still want a reservation at one of those fancy, expensive restaurants? I’ve made a reservation for Dogwood restaurant on Valentine’s Day, which is completely booked between 5 and 9PM. They have a Prix Fix menu for $60 per person.

Leave a comment telling me why you want it. The best one scores the reservation!! Good Luck!

Whenever I have a friend visiting from out of town, I’m torn with the decision: take them somewhere new to me or go to a restaurant I’ve frequented before and know to be good? I was downtown with my friend Mike as we were attending a trade show. And I really didn’t want to subject him to the chain restaurant hell that plagues downtown Atlanta. I chose to leave that for the other trade show suckers and patronize an independent establishment.

This time, I chose to take my chances and visit Wisteria Restaurant in Inman Park for the first time. Mike asked me what kind of food it was. I said Southern food and noticed he got pretty quiet. After a short cab ride from our hotel, we were dropped off at Wisteria. Once settled inside, he breathed a sigh of relief, admitting he was a little frightened when I said it was Southern food. To him, the term “Southern” conjured up visions of the movie Deliverance. He’s a Yankee, y’all, but I don’t hold that against him.

Wisteria couldn’t have been more the opposite. With it’s brick and faux finished walls, dim lighting and tall ceilings with exposed ductwork, it was the perfect restaurant for us on that absolutely frigid evening. This was the second week of January with snow and temps in the teens.

We ordered drinks – Mike (Vodka Gimlet), me (House drink called Patrice made with tequila and champagne), both around $10 each, and proceeded to enjoy a leisurely dinner. Mike mentioned how well he found the drink to be made, as he shared that although it is a pretty simple drink more often than not he’s had it made poorly. I was equally pleased with my concoction as well.

As it was a Thursday evening, the restaurant wasn’t particularly crowded. And I’m not sure why, but they sat us about 3 or 4 tables away from the front door. I should have asked to be moved, but for whatever reason didn’t, and every time that door opened, I regretted it.

Moving on to appetizers, we chose the Ahi Tuna and the Mussels. The Ahi Tuna came on “flatbread” but I’ve come to find out the term flatbread seems somewhat open to interpretation. This time the flatbread seemed like more of tortilla chips than anything else. Actually it really didn’t matter that much as I was only using the chips to scoop the tuna onto my plate and then eating it with my fork. The avocados, micro greens and citrus horseradish vinaigrette all added to making it one delicious app.

The mussels were another great choice and perfect for sharing as well. I am a little jealous of Mike though, he seemed to pick out all the huge ones. As a tip, if you’ve finished your bread before they bring the mussels, ask for more, you’ll need it. While I like the crostini bread that comes with the mussels, it does nothing to soak up the broth. I did, however pile up some of the tomatoes on top and eat it that way.

The wine list is daunting. There’s so much to choose from and the descriptions just make you want to order everything. Not being in the mood nor mindset to pour over a verbose wine list, we asked our server to make a recommendation on a bottle. She mentioned a Sangiovese that was on special for $32 a bottle. Usually, when I hear “special”, I interpret that as “we’ve got to move these quickly” But after having a taste, we loved it and settled on that for the evening. The hostess even poured it into a decanter for us – nice touch!

Wisteria Molasses Pork Tenderloin

I sort of had my mind on the molasses rubbed pork, especially after the seafood apps, I was ready for some meat. I still cannot for the life of me get used to the fact that I’m now being asked how I want my pork done. I thought it was always well done but if I’m remembering correctly, our server did ask me if I wanted it medium or medium rare. Huh? I said medium well. Maybe medium rare pork is hip right now, but I’m not ready to be eating medium rare pork just yet.

I found the entree to be decent but not a standout, definitely not compared to our apps. The apples, onions, molasses sauce didn’t really have any punch to them and didn’t really come together well in that dish. The pork was perfectly fine, but just didn’t blow me away.

Wisteria Fried Catfish

Mike seemed to be pretty pleased with his catfish. I had a bite and definitely thought the flavor combo in his dish (green tomato, okra and spicy crawfish ragout with remoulade) worked better than in mine.

Although I was pretty stuffed, I did want to have a taste of dessert, 3 in fact: creme brulee, bread pudding and pumpkin cheesecake. Wisteria offers 3 tastings for $10. My least favorite was the pumpkin cheesecake, pretty blah. The creme brulee was a step up and pretty solid. But I was most impressed by the bread pudding. Not something I would normally order as it is just too sweet for me, our server said it is probably the best dessert on the menu and I did thoroughly enjoy the couple bites I did have.

Wisteria Desserts (L to R) Pumpkin Cheesecake, Creme Brulee, Bread Pudding

Prices at Wisteria Restaurant are extremely reasonable, with appetizers around $8 and $9 and entrees hovering around the $17 – $19 price range. Portions are pretty generous too.

As I watched the snow falling outside, and felt all cozy on the inside, I was very pleased that we had trekked out to Wisteria. I love that Atlanta has cool little pockets of neighborhoods like Inman Park and has hidden gems like Wisteria planted throughout them. It is just a shame the out-of-towners don’t bother to seek them out, as many are just a short cab ride away from downtown.

Wisteria Restaurant
471 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA. 30307
404 525 3363
Website

Here are some budget friendly options for New Year’s Eve. All are $50 or under.

Cafe Circa
Complimentary cocktail and noisemaker with $50 three-course prix-fixe menu and band after 11 p.m. 464 Edgewood Ave. 404-477-0008. Website

Cellar 56 
Dinner and Dessert with complimentary entry into East Andrews and Star 94′s NYE Party. $45 per person. 56 East Andrews, Atlanta 30305 Website

Livingston Restaurant
I’ve heard the food isn’t the best, but it is a gorgeous space to ring in the New Year. Four-course meal for $50. Champagne toast, balloon drop and party favors start at midnight, bar open until 2 a.m. 659 Peachtree St. 404-897-5000. Website

McCormick & Schmick’s
Three Course meal with complimentary champagne. $39.95
Dunwoody and Downtown Locations Website

Mitra
Four-course prix-fixe menu for $50. I love Mitra – been here several times and the food has always been wonderful! 818 Juniper St. 404-875-5515. Website

Parish
Food and Goods, Three-course menu is $43 per person. Complimentary Champagne toast at midnight. 240 North Highland Ave. 404-681-4434. Website

Relish
Three-course prix-fixe menu for $40. $25 wine pairing. 590 Mimosa Boulevard Rd. Roswell 770-650-7877. Website

Rosebud
A 70s themed bash to ring in the New Year! There will be a special limited menu, a live DJ and costume contest. 1397 North Highland Avenue Atlanta 404 347 9747 Website *Not sure of cost, please contact restaurant.*

Spudz Tavern
Dinner Specials / DJ & “Hoosier Daddy” Live Entertainment / Full Casino / Champagne Toast at Midnight / Advance Tickets $10 per person (not inclusive of food)
4651 Woodstock Rd Cobb/ Roswell, 770 649 8133 Website

Waterhaven
Half-price bottles of wine, $35 three-course prix-fixe, and complimentary midnight champagne toast. Waterhaven has exceptional food, definitely worth checking out and the price is very reasonable. I think it is often overlooked because of its location, but if you go, you’ll see and taste how great it is. 75 5th St. 404-214-6740. Website

Worth the Splurge

If you really want to celebrate, here are some options that are a little more expensive, many worth it for the beautiful surroundings.

The Cafe at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead
A special three-course prix-fixe menu for $75 per person with a live jazz band and dancing to bring in the New Year. 3434 Peachtree Road. 404-240-7035.Website

Terrace at Peachtree
9:30pm small plates w. 2 oz libation w. each serving. Champagne Toast at Midnight & party favors. Live band. $150/couple. 176 Peachtree St, Atlanta, GA 30303. Telephone: 404-523-5155 Website

Dogwood
A four-course menu for $60. 565 Peachtree St. 404-835-1410. Website

Woodfire Grill
Top Chef Fan Favorite Kevin Gillespie will be creating a special five-course dinner on New Year’s Eve. $100 per person, or $85 for the vegetarian option. 1782 Cheshire Bridge Road. 404-347-9055. Website

Downtown Acworth has been going through a renovation over the last couple years. Several notable restaurants are located there, including Henry’s, The Old Mill, Fusco’s Via Rome, and my most recent discovery the Waterstone Grill.

Full disclosure: Waterstone Grill invited me to review their restaurant. I had the pleasure of chatting with owner, Joanne Tubo and learning about the history behind the historic building. Turns out, Joanne and her husband own the buildings on either side of the Waterstone Grill. In fact, Waterstone Grill was once home to Henry’s before they moved a couple doors down a bigger space.

Joanne told me they spent 2 years completely renovating the space. And it shows from floor to ceiling. Beyond the dark woods prevalent throughout the intimate restaurant, you’ll see stamped ceiling tiles, brick walls, and against the back wall, a beautifully tiled drink station. Architecture lesson: the space was once an alleyway and converted into a building using the walls of the exterior buildings on each side, the term being an infill building. When you visit, note the different styles of brick on each side of the restaurant.

Shortly after being seated, Jackie, our server for the evening, suggested we do a tasting of Waterstone’s house wines. I obliged thinking, “how good is house wine?”, especially at only $5 a glass, but I was pleasantly surprised. Of the whites, the Sauvignon Blanc was the best, and of the reds, the Merlot was a clear winner. The brand, called Foxbrook, is one I’ve not heard of and Joanne told me they aren’t available for retail, one of the reasons she chose the brand.

Waterstone Zucchini Rolls

Our complimentary rolls included not only regular rolls but a zucchini muffin type of roll as well. These were slightly sweet and very moist. I like that they offer something a little different than average rolls. I’m not the only one who likes them this much – they’ve become so popular with regulars, that the AJC has published the recipe in a recent issue.

Soup of the day was Crab Bisque and Jackie didn’t have to twist my arm much to give it a try. It was creamy, a tad spicy, a chock full of crabmeat. Hands down, some of the best crab bisque I’ve ever had. Now Glen went for the French Onion soup. His mom has a special recipe she prepares every Christmas that I just love and this tasted just like it. FOS can be tricky as it is pretty easy to over salt it, but this was the perfect balance of sweet onions, gooey cheese, and flavorful broth.

Waterstone Grill French Onion Soup

Although my soup was small, it was very filling, and I could have quite easily jumped into the main course, but I absolutely had to try a couple appetizers: calamari and bacon wrapped shrimp with spicy bbq glaze. Be warned: the glaze is pretty hot, so if you don’t like too much heat, I’d avoid this app.

Waterstone Calamari

As for the calamari, when I saw that there was a lot of friend peppers within it, I thought the peppers were there as an extender, but once I started eating I found the calamari was complimented by the peppers. It came with a marinara and a soy ginger dipping sauce. I really didn’t care of the ginger sauce – it seemed to have too much soy and not enough sweet to it.

Waterstone Calamari

At this point, we had had quite a bit of seafood, and perhaps it would have been a good idea to try a steak or chicken dish, but we just couldn’t resist the scallops with potatoes au gratin or sesame trout. When I saw our dishes come out, I knew we’d made the right choice. My scallops, 6 of them altogether were cooked just right and the orange scented cream sauce paired well with the scallops, which I later found out is one of both Joanne and Jackie’s favorite dishes.

Waterstone Sesame Trout

The trout was a huge portion; the 2 large pieces could easily feed two. And it is coated in both white and black sesame seeds. I found it to be tasty as Glen did, cleaning his plate. Our sides (yellow rice and potatoes au gratin) were winners too, not just there to take up space on the plate.

For dessert, we sampled the crème brulee and the blueberry and lemon pound cake. You can’t go wrong with either one of these desserts, although I’m slightly partial to the pound cake. The combination of tart blueberries with the sweet lemony cake is delicious.

Waterstone lemon-blueberry cake

I kept a rolling total of our bill in my mind – $75 for everything. That included wine, 2 of the each: soup, appetizers, entrees and desserts. Beautiful atmosphere, great service, tasty, moderately priced food and free parking! Good luck finding all of that ITP.

Waterstone Grill is open for lunch and dinner everyday but Sunday. I can’t wait to visit again and try the Pear, Walnut, and Goat cheese salad along with their Smoked Gouda Risotto – a bargain at under $4 a piece. And they have a martini menu that has nearly 10 specials including a Snickerdoodle martini.

Extras: On Saturdays get a bottle of house wine for $10.

4849 North Main Street
Acworth, GA 30101
770 974 4899
Website

Soba Bar and Bistro is exactly what East Cobb needed in the exact location it needed it. There are not many non-chain restaurants in East Cobb, and even less with superior decor, food and service. Open for about 2 years, Soba is a freestanding building located off of Piedmont Rd near Roswell Road in the Publix Shopping center just across the street from the YMCA. Soba’s cuisine is Asian – with an offering of sushi, chinese and thai.

Bar at Soba

Stepping inside Soba Bar and Bistro, you would never know that it once housed El Toro restaurant. The restaurant has been completely transformed. Gone are any traces of a chain Mexican restaurant, replaced by beautifully appointed furnishings and several semi-private dining areas, perfect for groups or couples.

We were seated at a booth, but due to the proximity of a family with a screaming baby we chose to move to a more private area. Seriously people, do you really need to be told it is rude to have your screaming kid at a nice restaurant after 8 pm on a Friday night? But I digress…the staff was super friendly about us wanting to move.

Soba Pork Dumplings

Much happier with out new seating arrangements, we perused the menu. Torn between the calamari and the pork dumplings, we chose the dumplings as it was the healthier option (not being fried). The six dumplings came out shortly and were extremely tasty. It is a perfect appetizer for two to share.

Soba Firecracker Shrimp

I ordered the firecracker shrimp which to me is close to a Szechwan shrimp. And Glen, although a little skeptical, ordered the tuna steak. Having not eaten here before, we weren’t sure how fresh the fish would be, but the tuna was done perfectly. The pink center was just right, not to mention what a generous portion it was.

Soba Tuna

We finished the evening with the Xango Cheesecake. This is cheesecake wrapped in wonton-like substance and drizzled with lemon, raspberry and chocolate sauce. The plating was absolutely beautiful. Although I was pretty full at this point, it was totally worth it.

Soba Xango Cheesecake

Our server was helpful, friendly and efficient the entire night, making great recommendations. He may have been a little green (perhaps this is his first server job) but his eagerness to please made the service completely enjoyable. Entrees are priced modestly under $20 and there are beer and wine specials even on a weekend night. Overall, Soba Bar and Bistro is a great find in East Cobb.

1060 E Piedmont Rd NE
Marietta, GA 30062
770 971 1888
Website

Extras: Date night specials on Friday and Saturday: 1 bottle of wine, 2 entrees and dessert for $50. Tax and tip extra.