One of the questions I get asked most frequently is “Where is a good restaurant for a group?” I usually recommend here or here. However, I recently had such a fantastic experience at Tara Humata Mexican Restaurant in Roswell, I had to share it.

I’ve been to Tara Humata a couple times with my hiking buddies. There is a trail not too far from Tara Humata in Roswell, and we are all too happy to indulge in some margaritas and cheese dip after a long hike, undoubtedly undoing all the hard work we’d just accomplished. I’ve also eaten lunch there a couple times and was pleased with my choices.

With a birthday on the horizon, my friend selected Tara Humata for our group dining. She had about 18 people coming, so she had to make sure she chose a place that took reservations and that could accommodate a group our size. The previous year she had chosen a popular Mexican restaurant in the Perimeter area, and although it has a huge seating capacity, they refused to take reservations. So, we ended up waiting around about an hour for a table.

Arriving at Tara Humata on a Friday evening, the festive colors, decor and beautiful lighting fixtures welcomed us. The folks at Tar Humata had our table setup when we arrived, ready to serve us. Well, all tables with the exception of the foursome that wanted to linger over their drinks despite several in our group standing waiting for the table to become available. Servers promptly brought out chips and salsa, replacing empty bowls and filling drink orders quickly.

While I like to visit exotic establishments, I get that not all my peeps enjoy such food. Mexican by itself tends to be a crowd-pleaser, but Tara Humata’s menu is even better for having something for everyone to enjoy. They have an abundance of seafood or meat choices. My friend’s husband who doesn’t eat Mexican, mopped up his hamburgesa, bland eaters enjoyed chicken tacos, and foodies like me reveled in the mole enchiladas.

More than that though, we appreciated the fantastic service. Since some had to stand for a while, before the last table was put into place, we were treated to some complimentary cheese dip and guacamole. The several servers that were waiting on our table were friendly, helpful and personable. Remember, with such a large party, a twenty percent tip is automatically added to the bill. So, they could have been gruff and still got the tip but their demeanor was jovial and made us feel even more welcome. They even had a band, belting out some great tunes.

There are two problems I find when dining out with large groups. One is that the food doesn’t make it out at at the same time. So one end of the table’s food is getting cold while the other end waits for their entrees. Not the case at Tara Humata. The servers did an excellent job of getting the food out almost all simultaneously.

The other problem I have with large group dining is that restaurants get annoyed when you ask for separate checks or simply say they won’t do it. It is so frustrating when you’ve just enjoyed a meal with friends, to sit there and go through one monumentous check while everyone figures out how much they owe (yes, Eclipse di Luna, I’m talking to you). Again, we didn’t even have to give this a second thought at Tara Humata. Some couples or individuals had to leave early and their check was brought out with a minutes of asking for it. The servers were able to keep individuals accounted for separately, so it wasn’t a big deal at all to separate checks at the end of the evening.

Tara Humata has locations in Roswell and Alpharetta. The birthday girl enjoyed a stress-free Birthday evening with her pals. Isn’t that how all Birthday dinners should be? If you are planning a group outing in the Alpharetta, Roswell, East Cobb, or Woodstock area, Tara Humata is an excellent choice, especially if you like hassle free dining and spot on service.

12050 Etris Road, Suite 100
Roswell, GA 30075
770 998 5590
Website

The food is so fresh and flavorful. And Pura Vida has such interesting pairings of ingredients. Think mahi-mahi and chorizo skewers with banana mustard. Or how about this – hearts of palm coated in a coconut vinaigrette with dates, Serrano ham, and tres leches yogurt? Those were some of the first flavors I ever tasted at Pura Vida. Everything I’ve ever had was phenomenal. However, based on the menu I wouldn’t recommend that you take a “meat and potatoes” crowd to Pura Vida.

If you can’t figure it out, Pura Vida is one of my Atlanta faves and has been for several years. Last year, I went there about 3 times in a period of about 2 months.

One one of those visits, we began with a Pisco Sour. If you aren’t familiar with a Pisco Sour, Pisco is is a type of liquor from Peru and the Pisco Sour (made with egg whites and bitters) is the unofficial drink of Peru. Having visited Peru the prior year, and having many, many of these I was really looking forward to having one again. They were ok, but certainly not going to make you a Pisco Sour lover. So, we moved onto wine. I hear they make a mean mojito, which I’ll be sure to check out on my next visit.

Although all “meals” are technically tapas, some lend themselves more the “appetizer” side and some are more the “mains” side. On all visits we tend to place an order for a couple items to start and a couple to share for our main meal. Some starters were the malanga root chips (bottom left), shrimp coctel and calamari (bottom right).

The shrimp coctel (yes, that’s how they spell it), is delicious and one of my favorites with it’s diablo sauce and butternut squash squares, is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. And the calamari is a unique presentation (unfried) and very fresh to be served that way. The root chips had a great, flavorful cremini mushroom sauce too, which surprisingly was not too heavy or filling and would be an excellent choice for sharing with a large group.

We also tried a trout ceviche, which didn’t excite me too much. However, I would love to try the tofu ceviche, for which Chef Santiago got high praises for while on Top Chef and is now featured on his regular menu.

Duck Confit, Steamed Coconut Buns

For the second order placed, we decided to order the steamed coconut buns, which didn’t disappoint. The light, fluffy, and yes, steamy buns pair well with the pork belly inside. And the duck confit was also equally matched with plantains. I would never have thought those two ingredients would be such a pleasurable flavor but they were.

Pura Vida Goat Mofoguno

And on another visit we tried the goat mofongo. If you are a lamb lover, don’t be afraid to give this one a try. The taste is somewhat similar. I was told by our server that it is one of the most popular dishes that regulars like to order. And, after sampling it, I can see why. The slow cooked goat with coconut and banana is oh so tender, slightly sweet and spiced just right with a couple drops of diablo sauce which accompanies your meal.

For dessert, don’t miss the house made ice cream. Even if it’s cold outside, this is a real treat. We had the banana ice cream and it is amazing how much the flavor comes through. The chocolate flan brulee as it’s called, is also tasty and great with a glass of red wine.

The service here has always been top notch too. It seems much more authentic and a cut above other tapas bars like Elclipse di Luna and Loca Luna. Pura Vida is less noisy, the service is better and the food is a much higher quality.

Want to be able to cook some of the dishes son the menu? They have cooking classes once a month with different menu features.

Extras: There is free parking on the side street adjacent to the restaurant. And it is located very close to Fernbank, so it is a great choice for date night at Martinis and Imax.

656 N Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA_30306
404-870-9797
Website

Three of us have birthdays in December, so we thought why not celebrate the day after Christmas at Loca Luna. We arrived around 8:30 so, it was early enough for us all to get parking. I can imagine it is near impossible to get parking after 10 in this lot.

The decor inside seems less tropical than the old location and more industrial. It is still a huge amount of space with lots of tables inside and outside, a dance area, bar area, and a stage for the band.

I can’t review the food as I didn’t have any, but the menu still looks the same as the old location, so I’m guessing the food is pretty much the same too. But as far as the drinks, I had 2- the Pear-Fect, which is a twist on a martini with pear juice and vodka. It was pretty good but by no means worth the $10 price tag. I would stick with something in the $5 range which is just as good – Jojos Mojo. If you don’t like the sweet, fruity drinks then stick with beer.

As the night wore on, we danced, and danced, and danced….The Verdict? Loca Luna is still a great choice for a group of people. And no cover (at least on the night I went) makes it even better.