The Grape

THE GRAPE – The Ultimate Wine Experience. We were here a few months ago but the experience remains fresh. The Grape is elegantly located at Phipps plaza, ensconced between an Irish brewery and Twist. The interiors are intimate, very dimly lit and of course, styled in a deep purple. They even had an accordion player belting out old tunes to complete the look.

You cannot enjoy this restaurant if you don’t like wine. Their cellars have an assortment of over a 120 different kinds and they have classified the wines into ten different criteria ranging from fruity white wines to full-bodied red wines. The Grape even offers a 3-Sum. It’s not as risqué as it sounds! A 3-Sum allows you to order three different kinds of wines that come served in smaller glasses for the price of one. This of course, is to let you to enjoy and sample a wider variety. They served a complementary appetizer of hummus and pita bread. I don’t recollect what we ordered but every item on the menu is paired with the appropriate wine. This is extremely handy for non-connoisseurs like me who haven’t yet mastered the art of ‘wine pairing’.

Note: This restaurant may not burn a hole in your pocket but definitely be prepared to shell out a fancy bit. Also, look spiffy!

Overall it was a very gratifying experience; I would definitely go there again

On The Border

On The Border – an old Mexican haunt rediscovered. I hadn’t been to this place in a really long time and had forgotten how nice it was; warm, under-stated, loud, friendly and very Mexican. We went to the one on Mansell Road, though I know there are many around the city.

I definitely recommend the ‘stuffed jalapeños’ as an appetizer. The jalapenos are stuffed with cheese and chicken; spicy and indeed very stuffing! After gouging on that and the salsa and chips, all we could eat was a Grande Taco Salad; split between two. They also have a whole new desert section; each selection seemed more delectable than the other. More than the food though, On The Border is known for its generous bar and its margaritas, more precisely.

If a picture really does speak a thousand words, then going by the one alongside, that must have been a mean margarita!

Chicken Spinach Soup

I made this last week; the spinach chicken soup- a perfect low-carb solution. It’s also very healthy.

Serves two.

Ingredients:
3 Chicken breasts
1 Packet Spinach
4 cups of chicken broth.
2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
2 sprigs of spring onions. (chopped fine)
Pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions: Boil the chicken breasts in 4-5 cups of water for about fifteen minutes. Once tender, shred the chicken and keep aside. Let the stock continue to simmer on a slow flame. Now remove the spinach stems and blanch the leaves for a few minutes in boiling water. Keep Aside and pour cold water over the leaves.

Add the leaves to the simmering chicken stock. Let them boil together for a few minutes. Then add the soy sauce and the shredded chicken. Finally, sprinkle pepper and throw in the spring onions, they lend a perfect crunchiness to the soup.

Serve hot.

Mimi's Cafe

We've been to this place several times; not for the food though. We go there for the dessert; one particular item on the dessert menu in fact - The Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie. It's as rich and decandent as a dessert can possibly get. It's an all-time late-night-dessert-binge favorite. Even Mom loved it where she here.

Mimi's Cafe is actually a chain but the menu's are tailored to different states so I'm not sure if you can find their pie anyplace out of Georgia. But for all the Peachtree Street people, you gotta try this! The picture alongside is straight off their menu, it probably doesn't do it justice, go taste it and let me know.

Green Tea

I discovered the Green Tea Frappuccino a few months ago at Starbucks. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I always make a quick dive for the low fat bottled frappuccino; come hail or snow. If I’m really feeling adventurous, I’ll have it freshly made. So for me to try their new green tea, was quite something. It was probably the Hotlanta summer that prompted me to wedge out of my comfort zone. I gave it a shot, the Green Tea, raspberry flavored frappuccino with whipped cream. (I winced but had to bid my South-Beach diet good-bye for a little bit). To my amazement, I really enjoyed it. This was several months ago.

Today was a cold, wet, foggy Monday in Atlanta and you’d think I’d want something warm. But No! I actually surprised myself when I ordered the same iced green tea. And once again, I loved it! When you have a whole week of work looming ahead of you, it’s the little things like this that can make even the dullest day in Atlanta seem bright, ah, these short-lived, guilty pleasures.

Happy Thanksgiving

The first time I tried my hand at stuffing a turkey was two years ago; of course, it was the infamous five who chipped in together - too many cooks did not spoil that broth! This year, I baked some turkey too, not a whole one but just turkey breasts.

Marinade:
3 Tbs Olive Oil
2-3 Basil leaves
1 Tbs Sage
1 Tbs Thyme
5 Tbs lemon
5 Tbs cooking sherry
Chili Flakes
Salt to taste

I marinated this a day in advance. I then caramalized some onions, sauteed it in garlic, made big slits on the side of the turkey breasts and then stuffed the onions in it. It took a good two and a half hours to bake and become tender.

For the gravy I bought the Mc Cormick's ready-made gravy powder. It turned out pretty good I think, considering it was my first solo attempt!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE

Minerva

I've been to this restaurant so many times that I've lost count. I go there just for lunch though. I guess all of us have one such favorite lunch place; where the food is decent, service is quick and the location convenient. Mine is Minerva.

If you look at the picture alongside, try as you may, you cannot help but notice the oversized red tumblers, the plastic jug, the green table top and the rexene upholstery. You are definitely not going to Minerva for the fine dining experience; you are going there for the food. Period.


They serve an exhaustive buffet during lunch hours. There's a counter with South-Indian snacks; the vadas are always fresh and crisp. They also have mini-uttapams and regular dosas. Then there's an array of vegetarian food from the tried and tested gobi manchurian to their own 'house specialties' like zucchini fry and saag-mushroom. The non-vegetarian spread, of course, is what I fancy the most. There are always at least five items, the staple one being some very good, mouth-watering tandoori chicken. On Friday's they also have two varities of biryani, chicken and goat. Apart from this they server the usual, white rice, pulao, puri, nans and Chinese noodles.

Dessert is usually gulab jamun, kheer or kesari and fruit salad. All this for $11 on week-days and $12 on week-ends.

This has been Minerva's menu since time immemorial and I can honestly admit that my taste buds still tingle every time we decide to go there. It's usually a Friday afternoon lunch place, that time of the week where your energy level is at a low ebb and you can get away with a procrastinated lunch break. Nothing can spur lethargy more than spicy, greasy, heavy, Indian food.

In the picture with me, are my cohorts in crime, the Friday afternoon slackers!

Khajur Barfi

The Khajur Barfi was the only item I made myself this Diwali. It was an off-the-phone recipe. It's also probably the easiest kind of barfi you've ever made; if you like dates, that is.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Dates
1/2 cup-full almonds
1/2 cup-full pistachios
5 Tbs Ghee

Serves: 20 pieces

Method: Finely cut the dates, finer the better. Chop the nuts and roast them lightly in the ghee. You can add any kind of nuts, not just pistas and almonds. After roasting them for about 2 minutes, add the entire portion of chopped dates in the pan. Mix continuously for five minutes or so. You will notice that the dates begin to congeal and form a big blob in the center. I was unaware of this property of dates - that they begin to melt when heated. The trick though is to cut the dates as fine as possible. After about 15 minutes, remove this 'blob' from the pan and set it in a tray. Spread it evenly and set aside to cool. Once cooled and slightly hardened, make squares and your barfi is ready.


Cooking Time: 15 minutes, though the preliminaries - cutting the dates and nuts is a little time-consuming.

Mine turned out okay, the pieces weren't as firm as I would have liked them to be. I didn't heat it long enough. It tasted great though. Good Luck with yours.

Tamarind Seed

Tamarind Seed sits daintily at the intersection of Peachtree and 14th Street. It’s definitely the best Thai restaurant I’ve been to. Period. The fact that it was my birthday added to the unique charm that this restaurant has to offer. Everything including the décor, the music playing in the background, the orchids, the servers in traditional garb and the dinnerware was authentically and stylishly Thai.

The food was truly a gastronomic delight. I would definitely suggest the Pad-Thai, clichéd but delicious. This restaurant, I think, also scores a perfect ten in presentation; not just a mouthful but an eyeful as well! All the dishes were creatively styled with purple orchids. We finished off with a bowl of ice-cream with Thai condiments and nuts. The service was perfect too, understated but efficient. Tamarind Seed, earns a G-Star and more importantly, a Zagat rating!

Happy Diwali

What's on my plate this Diwali ? Kaju barfi, jalebi, gulab jamun, chikki and badams; all store-brought; such a far cry from the home-made sweets of India. I never thought I'd say this but I actually miss cutting nuts and making laddus with Mom. Even the store bought mithai isn't as good as the ones back home, they seem to lack a certain richness. I did make one mithai though. It isn't ready as yet, wonder how it's going to turn out. Anyway, Happy Diwali to everyone.

Shout

Shout is a chic lounge located in the heart of midtown, on 14th street to be precise. It’s probably one of the hippest places that Atlanta has to offer. There’s always a Hummer or two idling right outside, people milling around waiting for tables, a steady hum of hip-hop and fluorescent lighting that boldly states ‘Shout’.

I don’t think that Shout caters just the one cuisine. They have tapas that range from sushi platters to noodle bowls to samosas. The samosas are actually pretty good; just for kicks ask your server what a ‘samosa’ is. It’s entertaining when he describes it as an Indian pâté stuffed with vegetables.

The dining area is pretty huge and the mirrored walls give it an illusion of being even bigger than it really is. The seating is intimate; there are cozy booths that are big enough for a group of friends and tables for two that allow for close conversation. The kitchen is in full view of the tables and you can see the chefs and the sous chefs in action. Shout also serves a type of ‘Roomali Roti’ which the chef will make in front of you; roti twisted and thrown up in the air with a whole lot of pizzazz! More than the food however, I think this place is infamous for its bar.

They also have a roof-top that is usually reserved for private functions. When not in use, they have a live band and the dance floor is open for all. Their tagline states - Food Fun Flirt. I think it's all that and more.

Ali Baba

This is actually an Indo-Pak grocery store. It's on Alpharetta Hwy, right opposite the Honda dealership. They primarily sell Halal meat. It's not one of those stores where they throw in bones and fat to increase weight. You can buy some honest to goodness 'mutton' from this store. But it's what they sell on Friday's that's worth writing home about.


Friday's is Biryani Day at Ali Baba. It's the perfect place to get a take-out from if you really want to eat something mouth-watering but aren't in a mood to dress up and go to town. It's $6 for a box of chicken biryani and $7 for mutton. Apart from biryani, they also sell Chicken 65, patties and kebabs. They also cater for parties and events. It's Pakistani food, it has to be good!

ECCO

Ecco is yet another mid-town find. According to me, it falls under the category of ‘sinful’; or thereabout. I have a quick way of sizing up restaurants; when the size of the portion on your plate is inversely proportionate to the dollar value it has on the menu, then that place is most certainly ‘sinful’!


That’s not to say that the price is not justified or that the food is not delectable. It was, both. I would recommend their house, wood-fired pizzas. The crusts are wafer thin and served on a wooden platter. The bruschetta was also very delicious.


This is an Italian restaurant with French accents, it is not a dress-down place, so make sure you’re looking spiffy!

Simple Pasta

I’ve never been a big pasta enthusiast but ever since G junior’s move to Italy, she’s been raving about the types of pastas and pizzas she’s been eating. That probably explains my sudden interest in pasta. This one here is the simplest of recipes but very flavorful.

Ingredients:
¾ lb penne pasta
2 Tbs olive oil (or EVOO as Rachel Ray would say it!)
7-8 garlic flakes
Oregano
Cup full of mushroom (portabella – they’re meatier)
Cup full of green peppers
3 Tbs sun dried tomatoes *
3 Tbs black olives *
Pepper – as per preference

* The black olives are usually canned and the sun dried tomatoes come pickled in bottles.

Method:
Boil the pasta and keep aside. Peel and finely mince the garlic flakes. The mushroom and peppers can be cut in thin vertical strips. In a pan sauté the chopped garlic in the EVOO. Add the green peppers and the mushroom along with pepper, salt and oregano flakes. After they cook a little, add the sundried tomatoes and the black olives. Cook together for another 5 minutes. The sun dried tomatoes have their own oil so you needn’t add too much of olive oil right in the beginning.

You can also boil some chicken, shred it and add it to this mixture. Cook together for another 5 minutes and then mix in the boiled pasta. You’re done.

In the picture, doing what she does best, is my Pasta Queen.

Eggplant Sesame

One of my coworkers gave me this recipe; it’s pretty much the regular way to cook ‘baingan’ but you add sesame/til in it.


Ingredients:
1 lb eggplant (the small ones from the Indian store)
1 small red onion
1 tbs garlic ginger paste
2 green chillies
4-5 Curry leaves
1 tsp whole jeera
3 tbs til powder (secret ingredient)
1 tbs coconut powder
I tsp dhania powder


Method:
You cut the eggplants into small cubes. Leave the stems on but remove the leaves around the stems. In a wok, sauté your finely cut onions along with the curry leaves, green chillis and jeera powder. Once the onions turn a mild shade of brown, add the garlic ginger paste. Let this cook for a bit. Add the eggplant, close the lid and let this simmer on a slow flame for 10 minutes. Do not add water, this is a dry recipe, not a gravy.


After 10 minutes, add a generous portion of sesame powder (not whole til seeds), coconut powder and dhania powder. Let it cook again for 5 mnutes. The ‘til’ gives this ‘sabzi’ a unique flavor.


Cooking Time: 15 minutes.

Redfish - A Creole Bistro

As the name suggests, this restaurant is partial to sea-food. Sea-Food and Creole cuisine; nice combination. Though Redfish is situated in a nondescript part of midtown, it’s trendy and pretty upscale. It is a New Orleans based restaurant and the dark dimly lit interiors as well as the jazz playing in the background is supposed to conjure up a feeling of New Orleans.

They have an extensive wine-list and the servers will tell you exactly what wine goes with what fish and why, in minute detail! They also served complimentary ‘Chips and Dip’, the chips were good, like a cross between ‘papad’ and banana wafers. We ordered the catfish and the jambalaya. The food was delicious and the portions were pretty big. The entrées came with a choice of two sides. I needed a doggy-bag. I would only suggest this place to someone who likes seafood, else you’ll be stuck with French-fries and coleslaw. Enjoy all you Fish-Foodies.

Madras Sarvanabhavan - NYC

Yeah we went to New York and yeah we went to a Madras Sarvanabhavan. So what! I guess you can get us outta South India but you can’t get the South-Indian outta us. I’m glad we went though, I actually tasted two dishes I’d never heard of or seen in my life.

The first one was an appetizer called ‘mini idli’. It had about fifteen bite-size idlis soaking in a bowl of sambar. The idlis were really ‘mini’, almost as small as a quarter! It was delicious. The second item stole the show. It’s called ‘Kuthu Parota’. It’s a cross between a paratha and a dosa and stuffed with vegetables. It was spicy and just out of this world. I haven’t seen this dish served anywhere else.

I ordered the ‘Pesarattu’. This is another uncommon variety of a dosa. The batter is made of ‘moong dal’. The dosa is therefore slightly green in color. If you order the stuffed pesarattu, it comes stuffed with ‘upma’!!! (unlike a masala dosa).

Dessert; ‘Sabudana Kheer’, can you get anymore South Indian than that?

The picture says it all, we definitely had a mouth-watering, lip-smacking, sambar-slurping meal!

'Sukha Prawns'

I love my good old Mangalorean food; spicy, meaty, coconuty, yummy. As the name suggests, this is dry shrimp preparation and can be eaten with a simple rice and dal.

Ingredients:
½ lb shrimp
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
¼ tsp haldi powder
½ tsp jeera
½ tsp methi seeds
6 pepper corns or ½ tsp pepper powder
4 flakes garlic
½ onion
1 small tomato
4 tbs grated coconut
½ onion cut lengthwise


Method:
Grind to a paste: chilli powder, dhania powder, haldi, jeera, methi, pepper corns, garlic 4 flakes, 1/2 onion, coconut and the tomato. Run the mixer just once, you need a lumpy paste.
Fry 1/2 onion cut lengthwise in a little oil, and the ground masala. Then and the cleaned prawns and some salt. Cook on a slow fire for 10 minutes. Your ‘sukha’ prawns is ready. Simple.

The Real Chow Baby

I absolutely love this place. Reservation or not, it’s always crowded but undoubtedly worth the wait. It’s on Howell Mill road, just off 14^th Street. What’s so special about The Real Chow Baby? Well you create your own stir-fry, of course.

You choose what goes into your stir fry from a mind boggling number of items, ranging from types of water chestnuts to Malaysian noodles to salmon. There are varieties of noodles, rice, vegetables, sauces, meats, oils and garnishes to choose from. You pile all you can into your bowl and the chefs stir-fry it for you. The waitress will hand you a little ‘paddle' right in the beginning on which you write your name on. Once your stir-fry is ready, she will bring it to you at your table. The best part; well you can go back to the buffet table as many times as you want. Though both times that I’ve been there, I’ve been stuffed upto my eyeballs the first time round itself.

Don’t go by the looks of the place from the outside. It may seem a little ‘ghetto’ and you maybe tempted to turn back. Don’t though, you wont be disappointed.

The picture, that was the last time I went there; with S & A. Girlfriends, nostalgia and noodles, great combination.

Fritti Fritti

Fritti, again, came with a recommendation, else we never would have wound up at this fashionable, little Italian joint in one of the little knows alleys of midtown. Fritti and Sotto Sotto, belong to the same group and are right beside each other. Fritti serves primarily pizzas, custom made and fresh off the oven.

The restaurant was crowded. The tables were too close to each other; perhaps due to its weekend popularity they try to squeeze as many in as possible. They also have a small patio that seemed quite romantic. The pizzas were mouth-watering. I can’t quite remember what I ordered though. What I do clearly remember is the unique style of the menus. They were long, very long and incredibly narrow, almost so that reading it was quite a task.

The cherry on the cake, the complimentary valet parking!

Twist

I’ve been to this midtown sushi bar a couple of times, and have always left satisfied. It is absolutely necessary to make a reservation, else be prepared to wait for a good forty-five minutes or so. Twist is loud, chic and relatively expensive. It has outdoor seating as well as an extensive bar and saloon. This is not a family place. It’s pretty versatile though; a good place for a girl’s night out, to catch up with friends or for a hot date.

The service is quick and the complimentary assortment of breadsticks with the little mound of butter is absolutely delicious. Apart from their extensive sushi menu, they also have a regular menu with quite a few items that are worth writing home about. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Spanish style fried potatoes and the calamari. To me though, the most notable item on their menu is on the dessert section: the chocolate fondue, served with fresh fruits and marshmallows.

Twist is located at Phipps Plaza at Lennox Square. It belongs to same group that owns Noche, Posh & Strip, amongst others. If I had to use one word to describe all of them it would be ‘stylish’. There’s an AMC movie theatre in the same plaza; I think a midnight show is a good way to end the night.

Twist definately gets a G-Star.

Kofta Curry

This is my mum’s recipe, tried and tested but the finishing touches are mine. I’ve made it just twice, but both times, fortunately, it turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:

For the koftas:

300 gms paneer

1big potato

3Tbsp plain flour

Green chillies 

Dhania leaves. 

For the gravy: 

2 onions

1 Tbsp garlic ginger paste 

2 tomatoes or tomato puree

Chilli powder, dhania, jeera powder, haldi and salt, 

Kasuri methi 

½ cup cream.

Method:

For Kofta: Grate the paneer, knead it together with mashed potato,

maida, a little salt, chopped chilles and kothmir. Make a soft dough {no

water }. Make small balls and deep fry in hot oil, keep aside.

For Gravy : Fry onions till light brown and then grind to a ppaste,

Make a gravy with the onions, garlic ginger paste , tomato puree and the remaining

masalas. Finally, add the kasuri methi. 

Add the koftas into the gravy just before serving. (If you add the koftas into the gravy earlier on, the koftas will absord all the gravy and bloat up. You’ll have yourself a kofta-podge, not a curry!). Add a big dollop of cream on top and stir well. Here’s where my personal input comes in; I add one third cup full cashew nut paste to the gravy. It enhances the richness of this dish.

Vatika

This was a Sunday lunch a few months ago. It’s a small Gujrati restaurant in Marietta that serves vegetarian thalis. I think it’s a popular lunch-hub on weekdays for those working in the Cobb Parkway – Windy Hill area. There were only 5-6 items on the thali. The items were really delicious though and the supply unlimited. The food was very simple, fresh, aromatic and wholesome. The chapattis were being continuously made and served hot. I was a tad bit disappointed because the thali did not include dessert. I was looking forward to some nice kheer or gulab jamun.


I definitely recommend Vatika to all the Gujjus and other vegetarians. I however, kept weighing it against the other Indian restaurants in Atlanta that serve a forty item non-vegetarian smorgasbord at almost the same rate. In comparison, Vatika is expensive. As much as I love Dhoklas, the Minerva mutton curry, at the same price, definately steals the show.


The place was pretty crowded though and if you’re like me and tend to judge restaurants by how crowded they are, then this one will definitely get a thumbs up.

Django

Django is on Peachtree Street. I’d heard rave reviews from some people so we decide to try it. ‘Django’ is an old gypsy-word and this three-level restaurant definitely had some kind of a gypsy feel to it. The brick walls actually made the place quite cozy. It wasn’t crowded even though we went on a Friday night, that itself should’ve told me that maybe the place isn’t that great after all. The bar seemed to be far more popular than the restaurant as there were people swarming for drinks.


The upper level seemed to have a dance floor, going by the sound of the music and the heavy thudding. The main level is the restaurant and I’m not quite sure what was down below. The service was very good though and so was the Mojito.


On a Friday night, I prefer places that are a little noisier, where you can hear the din of cutlery, places with a happy weekend buzz to them. That’s probably the only reason why I didn’t dig Django too much. It think it has a Zagat rating and is definitely worth trying at least once, I’d say.

Date & Carrot Cake

My mum loves to bake. Of all her varied confections, my favorite is her date and carrot cake. Among the many things that she gave me when I left home was the recipe for this cake. Over the last five years, her keenness to have me bake hasn’t dwindled and she continues to enthusiastically mail me recipes every now and then. I even have something about a banana loaf somewhere in my inbox. I know for a fact that she fervently hopes that at least one of her daughters develops an interest in baking. I being older, the onus is on me. I don’t know if I will ever be able to make the perfect date and carrot cake from scratch but I know that I’m sure as heck going to try………someday soon!


Date and Carrot Cake:
INGREDIENTS
2 cups maida
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped dates


DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. In a separate larger bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar and vanilla by hand. Stir in the oil; the mixture should resemble pudding. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, and then fold in the carrots and dates. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread evenly.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.


Serve warm with alotta love!

Noche

Ah! Virginia Highlands. I’d love to live there. There’s something so up-market about Virginia Highlands that I can’t help liking that place. If you drive too fast, you’ll definitely miss this restaurant. It seems like a tiny, little bistro from the outside but once you enter you’ll realize it opens up into a wide airy patio. I think it’s a perfect place for a nice romantic dinner. Candles on the table, cosy tables for two, soft lights, the works! The most distinctive feature of Noche is that the style of the menu is like none other. They do not have appetizers, salads and entrees. The have an eclectic variety of different foods, small-portioned and all served at rates ranging from $4 - $6. Definately try the cheese platter.

Parking, a tad bit of a problem.


I give this place a G-Star.

Palomillas

We’d been wanting to eat authentic Cuban food for a long time. Bobby Flay had a show recently on Cuban cuisine and that further whetted our appetite. Atlanta citysearch recommended three in the metro Atlanta area; Mojito, Pozole and Palomillas. The reason we chose this is because it was the only one that had a Cuban chef and served only Cuban cuisine. The others seem to be a mix of other Latin American cuisines as well.


Palomillas was formerly a Thai restaurant, until the Cubans took over!. Simple decor, a few traditional artifacts on display, J-Lo crooning in the background, friendly Spanish-accented waitresses and sizeable portions of food can best describe this restaurant. The entrees are all served with white rice, plantains and black beans. Overall, I thought the food was a little bland for my taste. I always lean towards the spicy. I would recommend the chicken empanadas as appetizers and the house Sangria. Very heady!

Rosa Mexicano

Sitting prettily in Atlantic Station, Rosa Mexicano brings to you Mexican food with a difference. It isn’t your usual challuppas and enchiladas, actually it is all of that but with a whole lot of panache. It apparently belongs to a chain – Rosa Mexicano LLC and this one is the first to open up in the south.

This restaurant will always be a very special place for me. This was the place of an important 'first'. Honestly, I can’t quite remember what I ate. I do know that whatever it was, it tasted real good. The décor; that I do distinctly remember. As the name suggests, the color scheme is red and pink. The wrought iron fixtures on the wall and the mellow lighting are probably meant to lend an air of old-time Mexico. The ambience; a mix of romantic and friendly. Not the overly hush-hush place where you can hear the scrape of every knife but not bustling and noisy either where you can’t hear each other speak.

The best way to end your meal, would be with a quite stroll around Atlantic station, if the weather’s just right, you can’t go wrong with that.