Future Destinations (add your recommendations here!)

History

Atlanta, GA
So why create a blog? Well, those close to me know how passionate I am about my food...eating food, to be more precise. 15 years ago I discovered the joy of dining in restaurants which boast a unique ambiance and delicious food. I first started tracking lists of great restaurants when I lived in Columbus, OH in the mid 90's. I was fortunate to dine at Cameron Mitchell's, Fifty-Five, Bravo, Rigsby's, Barcelona, and many more. I read in local newspapers about the best Places to be Seen, to Celebrate, to Impress, etc. and formulated my "to try" list. This hobby continued in Birmingham, AL and again when my travels brought me to Atlanta, GA ten years ago. I started a Supper Club with close friends in 2000, trying a new restaurant every Thursday night. We had one simple rule in the club, “no chain restaurants”! After three years of stomping through Atlanta's best and worst restaurants, we realized that this weekly tradition was becoming too expensive to maintain (go figure!). However, in 2005 I started making notes of my dining experiences for personal reference. To make it easy for my friends to get my recommendations, I thought I would try blogging. So...here goes!

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.

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