8.5 Overall Rating - Rathbuns 7/2/12

112 Krog Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30307
404.524.8280
http://www.rathbunsrestaurant.com/dinner-menu.html

Tonight was a very special occasion for us...we get to find out if we're having a girl or boy!

Ambiance: 10
Modern bulding (artsy), perfect warm lighting for enjoying a special dinner with friends or loved ones.

Food Quality: 9
I definitely need to come back when I don't have any food restrictions. So many things were appealing on the menu - smoked proscuitto flatbread with local chevre, caramelized onion, pink peppercorn honey - thin rare beef heart of ribeye smoked salt, truffle mustard aoili...they all sound so yummy!

I didn't care for the aniseed bread. When I saw the warm butter in the dish, I was anxious for the server to walk away so I could devour the bread and butter. But to my disappointment, the bread wasn't warm and I really could've done without the anise.

For starters, we had the french fries with blue cheese fondue. The fries were fine, but the fondue was dee-lishh-shus!! Greg also ordered the eggplant fries. It's probably one of the most unique dishes I've ever had....they were perfectly fried eggplant slices dusted with confectioner's sugar and served with a side of tobasco sauce mixed with confectioners (so they said)....it just tasted like a mouthful of "I bet you can't handle this heat!". The flavors were very interesting....I can't begin to imagine how they created this combo.

Entrees- my thai duck was average. The risotto was cooked fine and the duck was perfectly, but the flavors didn't appeal to me. There was a nice spice finish, but I didn't find this dish to be as good as Bluepoint's panang duck dish.

Charred corn and gouda was deliciously filling. It's definitely best when eaten with a spoon instead of a fork to get more gouda cream sauce with each bite.
The edamame potstickers were quite good. The soy sauce was exceptionally good. The potstickers were cooked just right to crisp the outside, yet leaving a little tenderness in the dumpling.
The salmon tostadas tasted just like bagel, lox and schmear.

Service: 7
I couldn't indulge in alcohol, but our server was quick to offer any non-alcohol mix from the bar. They whipped up a fruit cocktail for me and boy, was it yummy, sweet and refreshing!
Greg had a housemade lemonade - it was a bit too tart.
Service delivery was great, but clearing the table was poorly executed. Throughout the entire dinner service up through dessert, only one appetizer plate was cleared, leaving two empty bread and butter plates, two empty glasses, one empty side dish and half eaten fries on the table.

Value: 7
Desserts $3.95 great value!

5 Overall Rating - Rosebud 5/24/12

1397 N Highland Avenue Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 347-9747
http://www.rosebudatlanta.com/

Dinner with Michelle and Jim

Ambiance: 7

Food Quality: 5
We ate at 6PM on a Saturday night. It was disappointing to find that they were out of two appetizers, two desserts and I think one entree so early in the evening.

Michelle and Jim's Housemade Pimento Cheese appetizer was pretty good. It had a surprising kick, so get ready for it.

Greg and I started with the potato skins which were stuffed with mushrooms and cheese. While it was an interesting combination, I still prefer the standard skins.

For an entree, I had their signature fried chicken dish. The green beans were slightly overcooked, but they were seasoned well. My fried chicken was more like a country fried steak, covered with gravy served on top of mashed potatoes. I found the dish to be mediocre, at best. Greg didn't care much for his Coffee Braised Lamb Shank. He complained of the lamb tasting too gamey.

For dessert, we shared the Mexican Coca-Cola Cake. It was good, but again, nothing fantastic.

Service: 6
Our server had a little attitude when we teased about being out of so many items.

Value: 4
Both appetizers ended up on my bill. We were in a hurry, so I didn't raise the issue to our server. For the quality, the price wasn't worth it.

7 Overall Rating - Carbonara Trattoria 5/21/12

5499 Chamblee Dunwoody Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338
(678) 587-9100
http://carbonaradunwoody.com/

Ambiance: 7


Food Quality: 6.5
The bread was served with real butter, which of course, is my favorite. The bread was warm with a light and fluffy inside. It's the perfect way to begin our dining experience.

For an appetizer, we had their Steamed Mussels. The mussels were slightly overcooked, but the flavor was good, or I should say that the it has potential. Unfortunately, the dish was slightly overpowered by the skunk-like flavor that is often present in some mussels.

Greg's Torchietti and Shrimp delivered strong earth and rustic flavors, too much for my liking, but Greg enjoyed the uniqueness of the dish.

My Bucatini all’ Amatriciana was really good. Admittedly, I thought the pasta tasted like Chef Boyardee at first, but the dish grew on me (both literally and figuratively!)

Service: 9
The staff was both friendly and "neighborhood familiar". The owner is a retired Coke executive from Egypt who stopped by our table to speak with us. He was very hands on, seen grating Parmesan cheese blocks tableside as he made his way around to each table. The service was quite efficient tonight. We were told that weekends are very busy.

Value: 7
$52 before tip for an appetizer, two pasta dishes and hot tea.

9 Overall Rating - Little Alley Steak 5/7/12

955 Canton Street
Roswell, GA
(770) 998-0440
http://littlealleysteak.com/

Little Alley Steak had just opened eight weeks prior to our visit.

Ambiance: 8
Eclectic decor with beautiful rustic wood partition and finishes, including three brick walls each with its own unique character. This lively restaurant is nestled in the heart of Roswell. The bar was hopping on a Monday night...I can only imagine what Thursday nights and weekends are like here! We liked the lights which were strung from meat hangers.

Food Quality: 9
Steaks brought in from Chicago's Meats by Linz.
We thoroughly enjoyed our NY Strip progression, each cut accompanied with its own salt. The Au Gratin goat cheese potatoes were rich in flavor - thinly cut potatoes were just right. The crunchy topping overpowers the dish though. It's good, but it just needs a bit less of it.

Wild mushrooms were oily, but tasty with garlic.













Bok choy - I would've liked more oyster sauce. You have to fish at the bottom of the dish to get any of it. The black pepper was a little too dominant, but I did like the contrast. As we ate more of the bok choy, we finally FOUND the black pepper oyster sauce - it's a zinger!
Fries - good, kinda like Five Guys, but not as good. The aoili that accompanied the fries was a nice alternative to ketchup.
Their bread was drenched in butter - oh my.

Service: 10
Full house, but everything was expedited very well from kitchen. Louis was our server - would highly recommend him.

Value: 7
You're gonna spend a little money here, but we did it right. Being pregnant, it helps cut down the bill ('cos we just drank water). We split the Strip Progression and four side dishes for only $77 before tip.

5 Overall Rating - The Union Restaurant 4/28/12

14275 Providence Road
Milton, GA 30004
(770) 569-7767
http://www.theunionrestaurant.com/

Dinner with George and Rosie for Rosie's birthday!

Ambiance: 7
This local joint is placed just off the side of Providence Road in the middle of a residential area. It's an interesting location, but I liked the set-up. The Union offers a small dining room, open kitchen with a small bar and covered patio seating. Live music is also available a few nights a week.

Food Quality: 4
I ordered the pepperoni pizza. It was a little too soggy for my liking and a bit bland. Greg ordered the Good Burger and thought it was pretty good. The fries were good - fresh hand-cut and the quality of ingredients were high. The meat itself was plentiful, but bland.

Rosie really liked her blackened Tilpia dish, which was tonight's special. Everyone seemed to like everything except for the pizza.

For dessert, I had the blueberry crisp. The crisp, if that's what you want to call it, was undercooked so it ruined the dish. The blueberry and vanilla ice cream "soup" was very tasty though.
Greg really enjoyed his coffee and doughnut dessert. I stole a doughnut and can attest to its goodness.

On my second visit to The Union, I had a side of Creamed Corn and it was delicious! I would highly recommend it! But I can't say the same for the rest of my meal. It was consistent with my first visit - just mediocre.

Service: 3
The waitress forgot to bring our waters after ordering them twice. Finally, after the 3rd request and after we had finished most of our dessert, she brought our waters.

Value: 9
Not bad at all. We had dinner for four with a couple drinks, 1 appetizer and 3 desserts for less than $130.

8 Overall Rating - No 246 4/22/12

29 E PONCE DE LEON AVE
DECATUR GA 30030
(678) 399-8246
http://www.no246.com/

Dinner w/Becky and Kristin


Ambiance: 8
Great little restaurant. We sat in the front which was lined with large open windows. The music was a little loud, of course making it hard for me to hear (sigh).

Food Quality: 8
I ordered the Agnolotti (spring carrot and ricotta, sweet peas, pea shoots, young carrots). This light pasta ravioli dish was fit for vegatarians and was quite tasty without feeling guilty. Kristin enjoyed her mushroom pizza and Becky thought her shrimp spaghetti hit the spot.

Service: 8
No complaints whatsoever.

Value: 8
Reasonably priced. Portions were fair.

4 Overall Rating - Red Sky Tapas & Bar 4/14/12

1255 Johnson Ferry Road
Suite 16
Marietta, GA 30068
770.973.0100
http://redskytapas.com/about.php

Red Sky w/Rosie and George

Ambiance: 7
Surprisingly nice restaurant in a busy strip mall. The dueling pianos were a nice touch, although I wish they started playing` earlier.

Food Quality: 4
Cornmeal breaded zuchini (2) - lacked flavor. The dish needed a remoulade. I didn't care for the pesto sauce accompiment
Plaintains (2) - the plaintains were ruined by the vinegar-based sauce
Coconut shrimp (6)- the shrimp was good and plentiful, but the sauce was disappointing. It tasted like store-bought duck sauce.
Skirt steak mac and cheeses (7) - was good.
Bacon wrapped scallops were decent (6)
Rosie's PB flourless brownie was delicious (9)

Service: 3
Our food was delivered very quickly, but none of Rosie and George's food came. We had to ask our servers for their food twice. Once the food arrived, Rosie & George were still missing two of their plates.

Value: 4