KYMA

He says:
Everything about Kyma is boring and white. Take the décor of this Buckhead dining mainstay. Traditional white linens cover every table of the dining room without offering an ounce of personality. Or take its well-heeled patrons. On a recent Friday night, the entire restaurant was filled wall to wall with old white people. It’s hard to find such a homogeneous crowd in a multicultural city like Atlanta, but hey, there you go! Finally, take my $30 entrée of dorado. Lightly sautéed in butter and garnished with a few capers, this soggy white fish is average-tasting at best. At worst, it’s an awful value.

She says:
That’s not the only mediocre thing at Kyma. For a Greek eatery that specializes in seafood, there is a surprisingly lack of variety on the menu in terms of preparation – all filets come lightly buttered with capers. Apparently you are supposed to glean knowledge from descriptions like “clean” and “moist” to choose your fish dish. We went the more challenging route and chose our dishes based on the sustainability of the fish, using our handy sustainable seafood pocket guides. This narrowed our options down to a measly two choices.

The barramundi does indeed have a “clean mild flavor” and is “flaky” compared to the slight chewiness of Downtown Boy’s dorado. So it’s a nice, fresh-tasting, boring white fish. For $30 you’d think they would add a serving of saffron rice, or roasted potatoes, or something to the plate (something besides the slop of indecipherable wilted greens, that is).

If I went back to Kyma, I’d probably focus on the appetizers, as they fare much better. The wood-grilled octopus is extremely tender and tasty, and the spanakopita has a fantastic flaky crust, though the interior is too salty.

He says:
Kyma handles its red meat decently well. Their lamb shank is plenty big, and the slow-braised meat slides right off the bone. The wood-grilled lamb chops have a decent gaminess, but the preparation is inconsistent. One of the chops I tried was cooked medium while the one right next to it was rare.

As for Kyma’s dessert list, well, you guessed it … it’s boring.

We say:
Kyma is the worst kind of bore – an expensive one.



Kyma
3085 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/index2.html

BLOSSOM

She says:
When you step off the charmed streets of Charleston you want to step into a place like Blossom. With wood tables, warm lighting, and a wood fire grill in the center of the open kitchen, Blossom is both elegant and comfortable. The service also surpasses the usual expectations. One of our friends asked about the vegan-friendliness of the menu and our waiter didn’t bat an eye at his queries; on the contrary, he was very accommodating, bringing olive oil for our friend to dip his bread in and ensuring that all cheese was left off of his food. He also made excellent suggestions about what dishes to order and a bottle of wine to compliment them all. Now that’s good service!

And then there is the fish. Blossom specializes in seafood, almost all of which is locally caught. Maybe that’s not unusual for a town so close to the sea, but it’s not everyday that you experience the quality of fish served at Blossom.

He says:
The steamed mussels Uptown Girl and I shared were outrageously good. They were unusually plump and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I couldn’t get enough of them. The broth of white wine, tomato, capers, and garlic was the perfect complement, bold yet not so overwhelming as to distract from the mussels. As Uptown Girl can attest, I was happily dipping my bread into the remaining sauce until my entrée arrived.

Our two dining partners chose the chilled beat salad (mache, basil, almonds, champagne vinaigrette) and the porta bella mushroom salad (arugula, apples, garlic aioli, and lemon shallot vinaigrette) and both were very happy.

She says:
The mussels were a tough act to follow, but the grilled yellow fin tuna firmly stood its ground. Seasoned and seared lightly around the edges, the remainder of the thick steak was left rare… a perfect grill job. The port wine reduction added a complex contrast which I loved, although the friend who I shared the dish with thought it was too sweet. The tuna came with Carolina rice (long-grain rice) that was slightly saccharine and tasted a bit creamy, although it had been cooked into a patty so that the edges were almost crunchy, sort of like sticky rice. Delish.

My friend and I also shared the linguine with clams. The homemade pasta was a welcome treat, and the clams were very fresh. My only complaint was that the clams were a bit over-salted, whereas the pasta was a little bland. A bite with pasta and clams was wonderful, but otherwise the dish was slightly off balance.

He says:
I went with the special of the day, a local critter called triggerfish. I’m not usually a fan of mild white fish, but I am definitely a fan of whatever the chefs at Blossom can cook up. The triggerfish was superb, the delicate white flakes of the fish prepared in a mild butter sauce for a result that was by turns light and rich, graceful and awesome.

The one letdown of the night was our vegan friend’s wood-oven grilled vegetable pizza (sans mozzarella). The pizza dough already starts out thin, and without the cheese to retain its moisture, the end result was awfully dry. I suppose this highlights Blossom’s one flaw, its dearth of vegetarian and vegan options. It’s difficult to offer stellar vegan at a seafood joint, I admit, but if a restaurant could pull it off, I’m sure it would be Blossom.

We say:
When in Charleston, eat at Blossom.




Blossom
171 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC 29401
http://www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com/

SIX FEET UNDER (Westside)

He says:
We recently visited Six Feet Under’s newest location at 11th and Northside Drive. In contrast to the original’s gritty, dive bar feel, everything about SFU-Westside is more polished, more new… more Midtown. That’s not necessarily a good or bad thing, it’s just different. There is considerably more seating and the booths are more spacious. Instead of an outdoor patio overlooking Oakland Cemetery, there is a spectacular view of Midtown and Downtown Atlanta.

She says:
One similarity between the two is that once the sun goes down, the breeze makes both patios a chilly place to be. Bring a jacket!

He says:
The other constant is the kitchen, which still serves some of the best catfish in town. I ordered the catfish po’ boy, a large filet of fried catfish with lettuce, tomatoes, and remoulade on a hoagie bun. The hoagie could have been toasted longer, and the lettuce could have been fresher, but the catfish was terrific. Moist inside and crunchy outside, it’s still my go-to platter at SFU. The home style chips were better than I expected, but my side order of zucchini potato hash, which the waiter described as a hash brown spin-off, was a limp, flavorless mess. At SFU, I say stick to the basics.

She says:
I had the combo tacos, a great way to try three different types of seafood. One taco comes with fried calamari, another with blackened shrimp, and the third with grilled catfish. Each has its original filling ingredients, from fried jalapenos to fried leeks and cucumber wasabi. All were delicious.

We say:
SFU 2.0 = A-OK




Six Feet Under (Westside)
685 11th Street, Atlanta, Ga. 30318
http://www.sixfeetunderatlanta.com/index.php?id=home

SIX FEET UNDER (Grant Park)

She says:
When I think of Atlanta, Six Feet Under absolutely matches my image of this city (or at least one distinct corner of it). The menu is packed with Southern specialties, from hush puppies to fried okra, and is known and loved for its excellent catfish. And unlike Mary Mac’s and other similarly staid restaurants, Six Feet Under has a gritty character that attracts hillbillies and hipsters alike. Waiting for a table outside with us were parties of various ages, sizes, colors, and tattooedness.

A seat on the patio of the original Grant Park location, which overlooks the Oakland Cemetery, is a coveted spot on a warm Atlanta evening. Unluckily for us, the night we visited was downright chilly, and we were forced to zip up our sweatshirts and huddle over our citronella candle just to stay warm. The service was quick and friendly though, making up for the 45 minute wait and less-than-friendly hostess.

We started out with fried green tomatoes, lump crab cakes, and alligator bites (because where else will you ever get to order alligator bites?). The tomatoes were lightly fried and not too oily, and came with a zingy horseradish sauce. The crab cakes didn’t hold together, crumbling at the touch of a fork, but I attributed this to a lot of crab meat and not much filler, as attested to by the vivid crab flavor. And the alligator bites? Tastes like chicken. (Chicken nuggets, to be exact.)

He says:
According to the menu, the Georgia Fried Catfish I ordered was “cornmeal breaded & fried to perfection.” You know what? It’s right on. The catfish was the best item of the night. Incredibly fresh, the silky texture of the catfish fillet came through with every bite, contrasting beautifully with the definitive crunch of the fried exterior. The side of corn on the cob isn’t anything special though, and the hush puppies are downright lousy, so my recommendation is to load up on the fried green tomatoes and alligator bites beforehand.

She says:
DB, you should have said something earlier, because I would have eaten your entire ear of sweet corn, rather than just stealing bites when you weren’t looking!

I went for the shrimp and grits. The dish wasn’t bad… the grits were creamy, the blackened shrimp large and juicy and not overly seasoned… It was just one of those meals where after a few bites, I was tired of eating. The dish would have benefited from more of the asparagus, red pepper, and fried leeks and onions to enhance its complexity.

We say:
Six Feet Under is a great spot to bring out-of-towners to enjoy some real Southern cooking. But line up early and order carefully – the menu is definitely hit or miss.




Six Feet Under (Grant Park)
415 Memorial Drive S.E., Atlanta, GA 30312
http://www.sixfeetunderatlanta.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