7 Overall Rating - Barrio (Columbus, OH) 11/24/10

Located at the corner of Spring St & High St
Columbus, OH 43215
614.220.9141
http://www.barriotapas.com/

With Cary, Joe and Greg

Ambiance: 8
We were impressed with their ability to convert an old Wendy's establishment into a trendy hot spot. I loved the kitchen and bar decor. Restrooms and restaurant were clean and well kept.....big points with me!

Food Quality: 6
The Panko Salmon was fantastic. The other items were average; we had the Bravas, Tostada, and Crab Empanada.

Service: 9
Matt did a great job. He was patient, checked in regularly with our table and was obviously knowledgeable of the menu.

Value: 7
Some items were reasonably priced, but several tapas items were on the high side.

6.5 Overall Rating - Trattoria One41 11/19/10

9810 Medlock Bridge Rd # A
Duluth, GA 30097-2056
(770) 497-0021
http://www.trattoria141.com/








Dined with Charles and Heather

Ambiance: 5
Cute restaurant located in a small strip mall on Hwy 141 in Johns Creek. Recommended by one of Charles' co-workers. Family-owned restaurant, young couple opened the restaurant with their executive chef. Almost all of their staff were family members.

There's a full bar with surrounding dining tables in the left room behind the hostess stand. We sat in the main dining room.

You can tell that this is a local favorite. It opened fours year ago and was packed when we arrived on a Friday night. The one drawback is that the parking was limited. Beautiful hardwood floors; however, it was very loud and difficult to hear at our table.

Food Quality: 6
Calamari shrimp appetizer was fresh, but the sauce was too runny to adhere to the seafood, leaving the dish tasting bland. Our 2nd appetizer, the melanzane, was delightful and full of flavor. The bread was served with marinara and melted mozzarella cheese - absolutely delectable!

My cannelloni was only mediocre. The short ribs were a bit too salty. The mushroom risotto seemed to be undercooked; the texture was hard, but it was seasoned well. Greg enjoyed their "famous" pounded veal parmigiana. And Charles really liked his lamb chops, devouring every edible inch.

Service: 10
The owner waited on us. Greg asked for hot chocolate. Although this wasn't on the menu, she figured out how to make it with chocolate syrup she purchased for herself earlier that day and brought him a delicious mug of hot chocolate. Our water glasses were refilled continuously throughout the evening, one of the signs I always look for when eating out.

Value: 7
We split two appetizers with Charles and Heather, ordered two entrees, one side order and a martini for $108 (including gratuity).

6 Overall Rating - Blue Grotto 11/2/10

Blue Grotto
220 Sandy Springs Circle, suite 205
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
(678) 705-6688
http://bluegrottotapas.com/

Celebrated Lindsay’s birthday

Ambiance: 6.5
Given the location (in a strip mall off of Sandy Springs Circle), I was pleasantly surprised by the interior. The dining room was fairly small, however, they made good use of the space by optimizing seating. I liked the small partitioned area where a private party was taking place while we were dining. Although the dining room wasn't full, I believe that if all tables were used it would be very difficult to carry on a conversation due to the acoustics in the room. About a third of the dining room was in use when we were there, yet it was getting loud and becoming more difficult to hear one another.

Food Quality: 5
I started with the Chorizo Empanadas and quite frankly, this was the best empanada I’ve ever tasted! Unfortunately, the food went downhill from here. The vegetable tempura and salmon hand roll were ‘average’. The salmon was rolled in dry seaweed, stuffed with rice, butterleaf lettuce and sub-par quality salmon.

Service: 10
Our server was very attentive, yet conscientious of not crowing our space. He checked in frequently and was very patient while we reviewed the menu. The staff refilled our drinks throughout dinner service and the new owner made his rounds at each table, taking plenty of time to speak with customers to create a warm, neighborhood experience.

Value: 6
Fair pricing. However, I did find that some menu items were more expensive and other items were less expensive than comparable restaurants.