The Cook’s Warehouse announced the opening of a fourth store in the Atlanta suburb of East Cobb County. The planned store will be 4,800 square feet in the Merchant’s Walk development, directly next door to Whole Foods. “We plan to open in late summer 2011 including a display and demonstration kitchen of 400+ square feet and the entire project will be built to LEEDS (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) standards,” Moore said.

“For years, our customer base has driven into the city to shop for cookware, kitchen accessories and appliances and especially to learn in our cooking school. This new store will serve devoted customers of The Cook’s Warehouse as well as open our ‘Every Excuse to Cook’ concept to many more gourmet enthusiasts who live anywhere from 15 to 50 miles outside downtown Atlanta,” Moore said.

The Cook’s Warehouse, in addition to retailing quality gourmet cookware, operates the largest avocational cooking school in the Southeast. It also sells professional-grade appliances such as built-in refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, ice makers and more. It will be really nice to have a Cook’s Warehouse so close for Cobb Country residents.

Every Thursday (after 4 p.m.), the East Cobb restaurant will give diners a complimentary cold-water lobster tail with every 9 oz. Prime Top Sirloin, 8 oz. Filet Mignon or 12 oz. New York Strip steak. There is no expiration date – they just told me they will keep the deal “while supplies last.”

1401 Johnson Ferry Rd
Marietta, GA 30062-6495
770-977-9324

La Strada owner, John Lefkaditis

Upon entering, I was greeted by John Lefkaditis, the current owner, who bought it from the original owners 7 years ago. His warm and friendly demeanor immediately let me know this was a family restaurant that wants to turn every guest into a regular. I learned that in it’s 21 years the restaurant has gone through several iterations from originally being a house, to a pool hall, an Ernie’s Steakhouse, to the restaurant we now see as La Strada.

La Strada Interior

Being seated in a cozy table at the back of the restaurant, I felt free to take pictures without the flash being a nuisance to other diners nearby. The decor, hasn’t been updated in quite a while. John said the regulars seem to like it and he doesn’t want to mess with what works. He recently updated the booths which was a major change for them, but a necessary one.

La Strada Bruschetta

Before looking at the menu, we were brought some garlic bread with an minced olive spread, which I quite enjoyed, surprising, as I don’t usually care for olives, but this was quite tasty when spread on top of the garlic bread. Note: this is different than the image above, which is Bruschetta.

Our server, Dee, who’s been at La Strata just under 2 years, recited to us the 4 appetizer specials and 4 entree specials that evening without having to consult a cheat sheet once. As she touted the stuffed shrimp, we gave that a try. And I knew I wanted to try the calamari, of which they have 2 offerings – 1 is the traditional ring calamari with red sauce, but I found myself leaning to the more unusual calamari steak, which, in it’s appearance is like a thin fried chicken cutlet.

La Strada Calamari Steak

The shrimp stuffed with crab, scallions, onions and garlic and topped with melted mozzarella cheese was fantastic. If you like shellfish and are a fan of crab cakes, this is a great choice if available, as you not only get crab but shrimp too. I had mixed feelings about the calamari steak myself. It comes with a lemon sauce that is VERY strong. It grew on me slightly, but I think because it is was not what I was expecting, I was a little disappointed. I would recommend the more traditional calamari to anyone.

At this point, John, popped over once again to see how our dinner was. I kept my eye on him most of the evening, and watched as he chatted up patrons, which seemed to be almost entirely made up of regulars. After speaking to John for a while, I learned that he worked for the revered Buckhead Life Restaurant Group as a manger at several of their restaurants (most recently Kyma) for years before buying La Strada. So, obviously he knows what he is doing.

La Strada Lamb Shank

That being said, we took his recommendations on dinner and each tried one of the specials. Originally, I intended on ordering the Steak Pizzaiola – a NY Strip topped with marinara sauce. But when I heard about the lamb shank Osso Bucco special, I just couldn’t resist. And, Glen went for the veal chop special.

La Strada Veal Chop

My lamb shank didn’t disappoint. The huge shank had tender, juicy meat, nearly falling off the bone – no knife necessary. I chose the risotto as a side, but you have a choice of potatoes if you prefer. Speaking of huge, Glen’s veal chop was gigantic. Although he arrived at the restaurant with an appetite, he barely made a dent in this chop, amazing as it was. I highly recommend ordering anything veal here. If there isn’t a veal special, the stuffed veal parmigiana, sounds like a great choice – topped with prosciutto, eggplant, marinara sauce, and mozzarella.

La Strada Zuppa Inglese Dessert

La Strada Chocolate Cake

After having our remainders boxed up, we truly had no business looking at a dessert menu, but we did anyway. Believe or not, this was the hardest decision of the evening – and usually it is the easiest. As to be expected the true Italian classics are on the menu – Tiramisu and Cannolis. I’m sure the Tiramisu is good, but I just couldn’t handle a rich dessert like that at this point. So, I asked for a lighter suggestion and was told about the Zuppa Inglese – the Italian version of the English Trifle. As promised, this was light and small enough to be the perfect finish to my meal. I did also have a taste of the Cioccolato at Forno – a flourless chocolate cake. It was superb – the decadent chocolate filling pairing well with what was left of our red wine.

In my chat with John, I found out that he hosts monthly wine dinners and wine tastings. “How do you spread the word?”, I asked, as it obviously wasn’t noted on their website. He said it is almost like an underground event – not something they promote. Only regulars are in the know. As one of the customers was leaving he shouted at John “See you next Thursday!”

Ah! I finally began to understand, La Strada isn’t about hype or mega advertising. They are just about being a family-oriented restaurant who has built a loyal following by providing friendly, thoughtful service and consistently good food. Prices are very reasonable, with most under $20. Go. Try. Become a regular.

2930 Johnson Ferry Rd
Marietta, GA 30062
770 640 7008
Website

Extras: The restaurant offers gluten-free pastas and rice.

Upon entering, you’ll notice the blackboard stand near the front door that lists the 3 or 4 specials of the day. There’s also a display of various canned and packaged foods for sale – with things like monkey bread mix, tri-colored pasta, pancake mix, syrup and the like several of the items imported from France.

Cafe De Paris Goods

The laminated menus are located near the register where you place your order. If there is a line when you enter, go to the counter and grab one of the menus, so you can peruse it as you wait in line. Once your order is placed and paid for, grab a seat and your meal will be delivered shortly.

The menu at Café de Paris is comprised on omelets, salads, sandwiches, and quesadillas (yes, quesadillas in a French restaurant). You can also choose a half and half combo consisting of your choice of 2 of the following: soup, salad or sandwich. It appears breakfast is served all day or at least through the lunch hour.

Cafe de Paris Quiche Lorraine

As it had been many, many months since I had had quiche, I ordered the quiche of the day- Quiche Lorraine and the soup of the day – Lobster Bisque. We also sampled the chicken salad sandwich melt. My cohorts and I were starved (we had skipped breakfast) and I was a bit concerned that the quiche Lorraine and the chicken salad melt weren’t going to sustain us for very long, but I remained satisfied well into the evening hours.

In my experience, true French food tends to be very rich but served in small portions, so the diner doesn’t feel gluttonous, and Café de Paris was no exception. My cup of soup and the small piece of quiche was served with a side of fruit, a welcome change from the normal carb fest at most other lunch spots.

Cafe de Paris Chicken Salad Sandwich Melt

My Quiche Lorraine was decent and had a fair offering of ingredients – ham, spinach and swiss cheese. But sandwiches are the real winner here. I sampled the chicken salad melt and it was divine. I’m a chicken salad addict myself, but the melt, served on thick toasted slightly sweet wheat bread was excellent. It had a slight lemon flavoring in it as well, which added another dimension of flavor.

I had the chance to sample all three of the featured soups that day: Lobster Bisque (which came with my meal), Tomato Basil and Lemon Artichoke. I felt the bisque was decent but a tad too sweet and creamy. I prefer my bisque to be a little more spicy as opposed to sweet.

“The Lemon Artichoke soup is what we are known for”, which the owner / manager, Jim (I only caught his first name) proudly extolled as he set the soup in front of me. It is definitely a bold flavor. It was not like anything I’d ever tasted before.

Cafe de Paris Lemon Artichoke Soup

And, to be honest, on the first sip, I didn’t care for it, as both the lemon and artichoke flavor is extremely strong, but it actually grew on me and I was loving it by the end. While in line, I heard 2 customers talking about it as well with polar opposite opinions, so it appears to be one of those dishes you either love or hate.

Café de Paris is open from 8 am until 9 pm every day but Sunday, when they close at 3 pm. The café also has dinner entrees like Steak au Poivre, Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto and Shrimp Carbonara all priced at under $14. Lunches are around $8.

Service was pleasant and quick. The majority of customers look like soccer moms out to lunch with their girlfriends, in between shopping and errand running. Although the atmosphere lends itself to the Parisian-style long, leisurely lunch, with the quick service it is possible to get in and out within your lunch hour. So, if you work in area, Café de Paris should be on your short list of lunch spots, a definite escape from the ordinary.

1100 Johnson Ferry Rd
Marietta, GA 30068
770 977-4945
Website

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.