Located in Inman Park in Atlanta, Wisteria restaurant is celebrating it’s 9th anniversary in September. It is a charming restaurant housed in a building nearly a century old. Opening only two days prior the tragic event of Sept.11, 2001, Wisteria definitely had obstacles to overcome. There were many doubts that Wisteria Restaurant would be able to survive. Nine years later, however, Wisteria is still open for business and pleasing customers with it’s contemporary Southern American menu as well as an award-winning wine list.

The current economy alone brings many challenges, but so does the natural competition in the restaurant industry especially in the Inman Park area. Despite this, Wisteria has continued to thrive for the past nine years. Their food is tasty, wine list has a superb selection and Wisteria restaurant just started offering a gluten-free menu.

To celebrate their nine year anniversary, Wisteria is hosting a low-country boil buffet on Monday, Sept. 6, 2010 during their regular weekday hours from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The buffet, which will include various local beers & house-made Southern wine coolers, better known as Sangria, will be $29.95 per person & will include the said drinks.

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

Wow Tierra Restaurant in Midtown is hard to find, I wondered as I drove on Piedmont Rd looking for Tierra. Fortunately for me, I called and spoke to one of the owners and she very nicely guided me in the right direction to Tierra Restaurant. After talking with Tierra’s the owners, Dan and Ticha Krinsky, I found this is a common occurrence with patrons getting lost trying to find them. It is located in a bright yellow building on Piedmont Ave not far from Monroe in Midtown. Tierra recently added a new sign so they area easier to locate as well.

The good news with Tierra is that once you do find them, you can park yourself – no valet to deal with (a definite plus in my book). Upon entering the small (inside has around 15 tables, outside about 8 tables) Midtown restaurant, I was immediately struck by the cozy charm of the restaurant and friendly attitude of the staff. I was invited to check out Tierra Restaurant recently, and was very fortunate to have beautiful weather allowing me to sit on the outdoor patio.

The menu features a mix of tried and true favorites with a little mix up bi-weekly, as well as specials that are changed quarterly. It is Dan and Ticha’s way of keeping things interesting and including seasonal ingredients in their menu. For starters, we went with the Pionono (a beef filled pastry wrapped in a sweet plantain). This is a signature dish, never leaving the menu and the chef duo even prepared it on a recent Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta show. This was the highlight of the evening. It looks simple, but when you take a bite, you can taste the complexity of the flavors all working together for an extraordinary appetizer.

If you are a wine lover , then you’ll appreciate the well-planned wine list. Most wines are Chilean with a handful from Argentina. All whites are available by the glass and as are many reds. We chose one Cabernet and on Malbec, both excellent accompaniments to our entrees. But if you aren’t sure, servers can help make a recommendation.

Next up for entrees we went with the pork medallions as well as the trout. Our server said the medallions are a favorite on the menu and Glen ordered those. I went for the trout with a avocado sauce which just sounded light and perfect for a summer evening. I was really surprised by how tasty the pork medallions were. They were juicy and the chipotle mashed potatoes that accompany the dish gives it that extra zing that just makes is superb.

I did enjoy my trout as well. It was huge portion and cooked perfectly – flaky and tender. I wish I had ordered the chipotle mashed potatoes as my side. The plain white rice is bland in comparison. If you order the trout when you visit or anything that doesn’t come with the chipotle mashed potatoes make sure you get a side order – they are divine.

I did order a side of the Swiss Chard cakes. It sounds so unusual, but it was so delicious. It has a great balance of the Swiss Chard as well as the “cake” part. Not too doughy and not to vegetably either. And it comes in a white bean and onion mix. I highly recommend getting a side to share. The three cakes are a great portion for two to share. And, you know, if you are vegetarian you could order 3 sides and put together an extremely satisfying meal.

We wrapped up our meal with Tierra’s Award-winning Tres Leches cake. Oh Em Gee, this is insanely good. There’s definitely a reason it has won awards. It is moist as you would expect Tres Leches to be and sweet but not sickenly so. The portion was the perfect size for two to share. And when your server asks if you’d like a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream on the side, don’t even think about. Just say yes. Trust me, if you think the cake is good by itself, one bite with a dab of dulce de leche ice cream is heavenly.

It may be a bit difficult to find Tierra Restaurant, but it is worth the trouble. The staff and owners are so warm and friendly, but beyond that I can’t express how high the quality of the food is. I love the complexity of the flavors. Biting into their food, you can tell the owners put a great deal of thought and planning into a well-crafted menu. Tierra Restaurant is a hidden gem if ever there was one.

Extras: There is a special menu the week of 7/4 to celebrate Argentina Independence day (7/9).

1425 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
404 874 5951
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!

It’s about time. Several restaurants in Buckhead are coming together for the first annual Buckhead Restaurant Week. Beginning on Saturday, March 6 and running through Sunday, March 14, the nine-day promotion will highlight some of the best restaurants in Buckhead. All restaurants are offering a prix-fixe, three-course menu consisting of an appetizer, a main course and dessert for $25 per person excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity.

Participating restaurants include:
Anis
Aja
Aqua Bistro
Atlanta Fish Market
Bistro Niko
Blue Pointe
Buckhead Diner
Cantina
Capital Grille
Craftbar
Dantanna’s
Gordon Biersch
Home
Kyma
MARKET
Nava
Paces 88
The Palm
Portofino
Pricci
Prime
Ruth’s Chris
Shula’s

I scoped out the menus, and so far the most impressive are Bistro Niko, Blue Pointe and Craft. At the time of the this post Paces 88 still had not posted their menu. Of course, you may want to use this an an opportunity to check out Aria as the AJC’s Meredith Ford recently gave it a 5-star review.

Craft is offering lots of choices. Starters include items like grilled oysters or sweet potato soup with mascarpone, bbq pecan. Entrees include choices of swordfish or lamb lasagna.

Blue Pointe is offering items like Shrimp Dumplings in Thai Chile vinaigrette and Redfish with caramelized cauliflower.

Here’s the official website: Buckhead Restaurant Week

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

Bone’s restaurant celebrated it’s 30th birthday last year. That’s quite a milestone, especially given the fickle Atlanta restaurant market. Many restaurants are lucky if they see their 5th anniversary, quickly becoming just a flash in the pan. Bone’s restaurant has built it’s solid reputation on top-notch food combined with superb service.

I was attending a wine tasting dinner at Bone’s courtesy of Artesa Winery. So, while the majority of the menu was pre-selected, I was lucky enough to chose my steak: Filet or NY Strip. I went with the NY Strip. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Although I’d never been to Bone’s before, I surmised that probably not much has changed as far as the interior in it’s 30 years of existence. I’m certainly not dinging them for this. After all, it is still a classy place, just not super trendy, and a young hipster crowd you won’t find here indeed. I inquired at the host stand as to where my wine tasting would be, and was ushered to the private room. It wasn’t a minute after seating that a server asked if I would like anything besides wine to drink. Shortly after that we were brought gigantic seafood platters.

Bone's Seafood Platter

These seafood platters were full of crab legs and claws, lobster tails and jumbo shrimp. With the shell stripped away, this is exactly how I like to enjoy seafood, with all the hard work done for me. The jumbo shrimp and lobster tail were terrific, however the best tasting morsels were the crab claws. Plump and sweet, I could have made meal out of these alone. And I certainly went a little overboard, devouring 3 on my own. I could have easily eaten 1 more, but, knowing the best was yet to come, I did want to save room for it.

Bone's Beef Carpaccio

Next up we were treated to beef carpaccio salad. Given that Bone’s is a steak place, it wasn’t something I would have chosen to order, as I was about to be chowing down on a big slab of meat, but I was pleasantly surprised. No doubt the carpaccio salad was selected, as it would pair well with Pinot Noir we were sampling. But it was a lovely presentation, with the mix of shaved parmasean and arugala. I ate most of it and even though there was quite a bit of meat on the plate, I didn’t feel overly stuffed and knew I’d still be able to enjoy some of my steak.

Now, had I ordered the filet, I think I would have eaten it all. But the NY Strip was just too big a portion with all I had eaten previously. It was perfectly prepared, medium just as I had asked. Every morsel was delicious, especially with the exceptional Cabernet that accompanied it.

And don’t forget the sides. If there’s one thing that steakhouses do well besides, well, steak, it is the side dishes. I am always amazed at how they can take the simplest items, like potatoes, spinach, or mushrooms and turn them into these amazing vittles.

Bone's Mushrooms, Potatoes, Spinach

All were exceptional but the spinach really did stand out. I was tempted to ask them to wrap that up for me with my steak, but didn’t want to appear too greedy as I was the only one who asked for my food to be boxed. But I guess that’s what happens when you are in a room full of foodies.

For dessert, we all ordered something different, from pecan pie, cheesecake, chocolate cake and creme brulee. They must’ve all been damn good, because not one of us even stopped to snap a picture before digging in.

3130 Piedmont Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
404 237 2663
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

What: Valentine’s Day WaterHaven Style

Who: Chef Chris Lee of WaterHaven

When: Monday, February 8, 7-9 p.m.

Where: The Cook’s Warehouse – Midtown/Ansley Mall
1544 Piedmont Road, Ste. 403-R, Atlanta, GA 30324

Cost: $55 – Demonstration and Tasting

I absolutely fell in love with WaterHaven after visiting it for Midtown Restaurant week last summer. So, I was thrilled to see that Chef Lee will be teaching a cooking class specifically geared to Valentine’s Day. Chef Lee will help you impress that special someone in your life by demonstrating how to prepare

• Oysters with apple horseradish mignonette

• Hearts of Palm Soup with Georgia white shrimp

• Lobster and Mussels in saffron cream with angel hair pasta

• Chocolate Hazelnut Bars with Gran Marnier sauce.

The evening includes wine tastings sponsored by National Distributor’s.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Simple Abundance Cooking Class series provides you the opportunity to interact with Atlanta’s top chefs, learn the secrets of exquisite dishes, and help feed Atlanta’s hungry. One hundred percent of class tuition benefits Atlanta’s Table, a project of the Food Bank that collects food from our local hospitality industry and delivers it to more than 40 nonprofit partner agencies that provide meals for those in need.