PARK 75 CHOCOLATE BUFFET

He says:
When I first heard about the secretive, limited-time only “Chocolate Buffet” at the Four Seasons Hotel restaurant, Park 75, I knew I had to take Uptown Girl there for Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately the buffet isn’t actually inside the restaurant as I was informed, which is a shame since Park 75 was named the best old school restaurant by Creative Loafing. Instead it occupies the space just outside the restaurant’s entrance, overlooking the hotel’s bland, airy lobby. And while Uptown Girl and I were dressed to the nines, some of the other folk were clearly hotel guests who decided to plop down in their pajamas and flannel shirts for a midnight snack. So much for my attempts at romance! <heavy sigh>

She says:
Wow, Downtown Boy makes it sound like we were slumming it on our V-day date. That hardly gives credit to the fact that we spent the evening at a chocolate *buffet* (as in eat-as-much-dessert-as-you-can) concocted by the Four Seasons’ pastry chef. It wasn’t exactly the Cheesecake Factory.

Each of the 15 or so desserts were portioned into bite-size samples, so we were able to try everything without going overboard, and then get seconds on our favorites. The sweets ranged from smores (lavish graham cracker base with a layer of decadent milk chocolate and a slightly crunchy marshmallow topping) to traditional chocolate mousse and bites of chocolate-chunk brownies. We agreed that our favorites were a gooey chocolate bonbon filled with a crunchy hazelnut filling and a chocolate cake that was flavored with chili and other mouth-tingling spices. I also enjoyed the cardamom cheesecake; Downtown Boy compared it favorably to the Indian dessert, burfi. As if so many scrumptious desserts weren’t enough, they also had a chocolate fountain, an endless cascade in which we dipped strawberries, pineapple, angel food cake, fried dough, and rice krispie treats!

We say:
If Park 75 could bring the buffet inside, they would have an unabashed winner on their hands. Fortunately, between the waterfall of never-ending chocolate and the platters of creative and opulent desserts, you’ll forget everything else soon enough.



Chocolate Buffet at Park 75
9pm-12am, Friday & Saturdays through March, $20
75 Fourteenth Street, Atlanta GA 30309
http://www.fourseasons.com/atlanta/dining.html