PACIFIC KITCHEN

He says:
It is an anomaly in this city to find a restaurant that is charming, innovative, and relaxed, which is why it is such a treat to chance upon a place like Pacific Kitchen. Tucked away behind a blind curve between Highland Avenue and Freedom Park, this California-style eatery isn’t easy to find. But once you’re there the warmth of the staff and the attractiveness of its outdoor patio will certainly beckon you to stay for a while.

Pacific Kitchen specializes in seasonal, organic produce, and this attention to fresh ingredients came through from the outset. The bread that kicked off our dinner was served with plump cloves of roasted garlic, terrific for spreading or eating straight from the plate. The chef also sent out little tasters of red plum and ginger agua fresca, which provided a zesty start to the meal.

She says:
With such a tempting list of starters on the menu, we decided to share an entrée and splurge on appetizers. My favorite starter was the avocado egg rolls. The idea of stuffing an egg roll with guacamole is pretty damn creative, and surprisingly good. The tamarind dipping sauce brings the dish together, providing a sweet and tangy contrast to the muted flavor of the avocado. More traditional but also delicious are the Mahi Mahi tacos, stuffed with cabbage, jalapenos, and peppadews. (Peppadews, by the way, are a newly discovered South African fruit that recently hit the market, a sweet/spicy cross between a jalapeno pepper and a cherry tomato.) The great thing about the dish is that the corn tortilla shell is extremely thin, which gives the tacos a nice crunch without distracting from the other flavors.

He says:
The third appetizer we tried, the pan roasted mussels, was served in a brown ale butter sauce with jalapenos and garlic. It’s an intriguing broth, though it was a tad too sweet for my taste. The mussels were rather tiny too. The parmesan polenta that comes with the mussels, however, is rich and creamy and shouldn’t be missed.

For dinner we split the grilled Hawaiian moonfish, which was served over a vegetable quesadilla and sprinkled with a rock shrimp cream sauce. It’s an unlikely combination, but it works. The grilled fish plays well with the richness of the cream sauce and the tang of the quesadilla’s pico de gallo. Pacific Kitchen hasn’t reinvented the wheel with this dish, but the offbeat mix of highbrow and lowbrow elements certainly deserves a pat on the back.

She says:
We finished the meal off with a honey-sweetened ricotta tort. The lightness and graininess of the ricotta was a nice break from the usual slew of creamy desserts, and the lack of sweetness in the ricotta was made up for with a drizzle of orange syrup. It may not be my favorite dessert of all time, but it is another example of Pacific Kitchen’s thoughtful approach to food.

We say:
Finally, a creative fine-dining experience in Atlanta that won’t break the bank!



Pacific Kitchen
913 Bernina Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
http://www.pacific-kitchen.com/

HARRY & SONS

She says:
Our latest eating adventure was at the well-known Harry & Sons, one of the several Thai restaurants situated amid the bustle of Virginia Highlands. Unlike the vast majority of "ethnic" restaurants, Harry & Sons is not cheesy, divey, or trendy. It's just sort of... normal. Besides the fact that it has a great location and consistently decent food, I'm not sure why people speak so highly of it. But maybe that's all you really need, because the place is always packed.

It does have an outdoor patio (always an asset in Atlanta), which is where Downtown Boy and I sat to discuss the menu and sip our over-sweetened Thai iced teas. A few specialty entrees definitely stood out.

He says:
Harry & Sons shines when it comes to poultry. Their roasted duck is among the finest in this city. The crispy skin has just the right amount of crunch, and it blends beautifully with the supple cuts of meat, which have been marinated in red curry, Kiffir leaf, and tomato. That same red curry makes a welcome appearance in the chicken Panang, where it is accompanied by bell peppers, basil, and a healthy dose of coconut milk to create a base simultaneously spicy and creamy. Here, again, the chicken breast is flawlessly prepared.

She says:
We also tried the "Three Flavor Fish." The red snapper is decent; some parts were pleasantly crispy on the exterior, although not consistently so. The three-flavor sauce is a nice combo of tangy, sweet, and spicy, with chopped bell pepper and green chili scattered throughout. However, the spicy basil stir fry we ordered is barely worth mentioning, save for the tofu which was neither too airy nor spongy. I asked for the spiciness to be toned down from 3 stars ("Thai hot") to 2 stars ("hot"), which was a mistake, as the dish just turned out bland.

We say:
Harry & Sons is an unconventional name for an Asian restaurant, but its consistent (if underwhelming) cuisine makes it a solid choice if you're in the mood for Thai.



Harry & Sons
820 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.harryandsonsrestaurant.com/

SAVANNAH EATERIES

We say:
While visiting Savannah, we had the challenge of trying to find a few decent restaurants. You can see how much success we had at the city’s most well-known eatery, The Lady & Sons. Our remaining Savannah dining experiences were not as noteworthy, but we wanted to say a few words for the benefit of anyone who might be visiting Savannah in the future. At least you’ll know what to avoid.

Café Ambrosia
Café Ambrosia is a charming bistro with a European feel. It’s the perfect place to take a good book, grab one of the big plush chairs that are scattered around the café, and spend an afternoon sipping a glass of wine while avoiding the hoards of tourists roaming up and down River Street.

The grilled panini with pesto and roasted red pepper is straightforward but satisfying. The same can be said for the spring greens salad with goat cheese, candied walnuts, and dried cranberries. The raspberry crumble tart we had for dessert was lighter than expected, and thankfully not as sweet as many fruit tarts tend to be.



Café Ambrosia
202 East Broughton Street, Savannah, GA 31401


The Shrimp Factory
When you dine at a place named “The Shrimp Factory” you tend to lower your expectations. Maybe it’s the River Street location, right in tourist central. Or maybe it’s the cheesy nautical décor. The Shrimp Factory doesn’t really stand out in any way.

The “Crab-wich” has crabmeat in a mornay cheese sauce served on an English muffin with melted cheddar. The two cheeses make the sandwich a soggy mess, more gooey than crabby. The Shrimp Fantail Barbecue was better, though it was simply eight skewered shrimp coated in barbecue sauce and served over rice. Ho-hum dining at a ho-hum restaurant.



The Shrimp Factory
313 East River Street, Savannah, GA 31401
http://www.theshrimpfactory.com/home


Café at City Market
For the worst food and service in downtown Savannah, you must go to the Café at City Market. The ineptitude of this restaurant borders on the absurd. Two couples next to us left early because their server never actually served them. Our waiter, who seemed to be in a restaurant for the first time in his life, forgot our cutlery and our orders, and eventually overcharged us as well. On Sunday night, the café was out of pizza, cheeseburgers, and grilled chicken. After we ordered the salmon and asparagus fettuccine, our waiter told us the kitchen had run out of asparagus, but they could substitute it with “mixed vegetables.” (That’s code for carrots and broccoli). Instead we replaced it with a chicken salad sandwich that could have come pre-wrapped at 7-11. It was supposed to be accompanied by a cup of soup, but either a) the waiter forgot it or b) the kitchen ran out of it. It didn’t matter because it probably sucked anyway. The chicken cordon bleu was wrapped in a rubbery pastry and floated in a “cream sauce” that was actually just reheated half and half. Needless to say, we didn’t stick around for dessert.

This place gives tourist traps a bad name.



Café at City Market
224 West Saint Julian St, Savannah, GA 31401
http://www.savannahcitymarket.com/cafe/index.html


Gryphon Tea Room

Nestled among gorgeous Georgian style buildings and kiddy corner to one of Savannah’s many verdant squares, the Gryphon Tea Room is a beautiful café in a beautiful setting. Natural light beams in through the enormous windows, giving the café an airiness that contrasts with the dark wood trim. An enormous chandelier hangs down from the stained-glass ceiling dome while bright orange chairs provide a hip contrast to the otherwise classical decor. Can you tell that we love the look of this place?

The menu is simple but sufficient. The scones are warm and sweet, served with fresh cream and a dish of sliced fruit. And the ham sandwich comes with thick hunks of warm, buttery brie, a terrific combination. The coffee could be better though; perhaps we should have stuck with the tea.



Gryphon Tea Room
337 Bull Street, Savannah GA, 31402