Casual dining encompasses a large segment of the restaurant industry. These types of restaurants cover everything from local independent spots to big franchises, but defining characteristics include table service and a sit-down meal.
There’s generally a theme, type of cuisine, specific decor, and ambiance that make the dining experience stand out.
These restaurants may offer a full bar and a wine list.
Patria Cocina
When the ’ WOW’ factor catch you off guard!
- Bar, Wine, & Beverages: A
- Quality of Service: A
- Food and Menu: A
When the ’ WOW’ factor catches you off guard!
We visited this restaurant as a Sunday-fun-day activity. Why? Somebody recommended thru my website www.lovepassionandfood.com
Located in The Beacon Atlanta shopping center (southwest) it has been open for more than 3 years, according to our well-trained Host.
We were very excited about this restaurant after we read that “We DO NOT use any canned sauces or salsa because that is not how we were taught to cook. All of our sauces and salsas are made with fresh ingredients that everyone can pronounce. No additives, artificial syrups, or dyes are ever added to our food, agua frescas, or margaritas.” as stated on their website.
Medium size restaurant with great patio area, one section is cover with a long table for large parties.
The inside has a long bar in the back and a nice layout in the dining room area. Contemporary décor that perhaps is missing the ‘cozy’ factor.
They don’t take reservations over the weekends, but we didn’t have to wait at all for our patio seating.
Bar, wine, and beverages: A
Here is where my first WOW factor took place. As listed in the QR code and on a very modest
print-out, all cocktails have an exciting combination of ingredients. Our lovely waitress advises that, in
addition to the one on the list, there are two ‘secret cocktails’ (prepared
with secret ingredients).
I tasted several of them, including the two secret
ingredients cocktails, and I have to say ALL of them had such a refreshing and
NATURAL flavor, surprise hints of spicy chiles/sugars, and were well garnished.
Quality of Service: A
The restaurant Host and our waitress both were well trained.
We were also surprised that other
dining servers stop by taking away our finished plates or just asking if
anything else was needed at the table.
Overall, all essentials were met: Attention to detail,
Smiley and calm faces, great and humble attitude, and knowledge about the menus
and restaurant. Well done!
Food and Menu ‘A’
Second WOW, all your ‘must traditional Mexican recipes’ are
listed on the menu. However, the well-selected ingredients and the natural
flavors of sauces and garnishes place this cuisine above any other Mexican
restaurant in town.
The ‘Tacos de Papas’ (vegetarian dish) has so much flavor
that you won’t miss the protein. The
‘Sopes de Carne Asada’ were the perfect appetizer, and why not, even can work
as an entrée, the well-seasoned beef spike the mild flavor of Sopes, the pickled
onions and avocado garnish put together every bite.
The grilled Octopus over sauté cauliflower is a piece of
jewelry on the menu, well platted, cooked, and garnished. In one bite, you will find all Latin American
flavors. Be ready!
The Steak fajitas was a well-seasoned flank steak along with
a flavorful Frijoles Refritos.
Suggestion; find the fajita’s WOW factor. Plate the side
dish on a beautiful ceramic, where the well-done recipes can be better
appreciated or even match the rest of the menu creations.
Desserts, two homemade recipes, traditional flan, and ice
cream with Churros. Simple but well
done.
Patria Cocina is the perfect restaurant for any casual
occasion. On a budget, well served, and fantastic food & cocktails… well
deserved three A’s!
Truva
Understaffed or just a bad day?
- Bar, Wine, & Beverages: B
- Quality of Service: D
- Food and Menu: C
This Restaurant have all the elements to be a great spot, not only for their large attractive menu, but also for a great bar experience.
Unfortunately, the well-done decoration, great patio, on-going cool layout, does not match your overall experience on an after-work Friday evening.
Bar, Wine, & Beverages: B
Our bartender Natasha has been great every time we have
visited the restaurant. However, if the
restaurant serves full menu at the bar, the bar staff can NOT be a server for
the tables surround the bar at the same (like a Chef cannot be also the Maître). Cocktails
are creative, and you can find a good wine/origin/vintage in their wine list. Unfortunately, the busier the bar it gets,
the less of a quality is going to be your cocktails. There is still plenty room for improvement
and creativity.
Quality of Service: D
Understaffed? Clearly that is the situation with this
restaurant. Kudos to the receptionist, we didn’t have a reservation, but she
was gracious to invite us to have a seat, while she was looking for a table.
Most importantly, she did with a great, attentive, and calm smile.
We can’t say the same about the waitress staff, everyone was
running little in a ‘evacuation’ mode.
All the beautiful décor, comfortable seating, and great view was
interrupted by the level of stress from the staff. The lack of floor management, attentive
customer service (regardless of server’s area), smiley faces, and attitude were
reflected in our ‘stressful’ overall experience.
Observation to the management: Observe your staff and the
interaction with their clients, identify their challenges, and the restaurant’s
flow, as a whole. Take notes and then
meet with your staff before the service to go over those observations. Clients will note the difference.
Food and Menu: C
Why ‘C’, the fundamental reason is poor kitchen’s
supervision, and this is why, as a
Chefs, we spend a lot of time developing a great seasonal menu full of flavors,
fresh ingredients, creative presentations, and a diverse vegetarian, seafood
and meat selection.
Truva has all those elements, but when it comes to translate
these creations to a great tasting, it fails in two fundamentals cuisine
techniques:
BRAISED LAMB SHANK: Nice presentation, sauce had a nice flavor
(I didn’t taste the coriander as the menu highlights). Unfortunately, the Lamb
shank was COOL to the bone, with a distinguish ‘refrigerator’ after taste.
I understand a braised meat cannot be done ‘a la minute’,
therefore, the hot station in the kitchen needs to ensure to provide enough
time for the meat to warm up and the expeditor use the thermometer to double
check the temperature before it goes to the table.
SEASONED LAMB KEBABS: Great combination of flavors.
Unfortunately, the question of rare, medium, medium well, etc. never got asked
to our table, therefore, the kitchen assumed was ’extremely well done’, a crime
for a tender lamb meat.
Overall, Truva is still a good alternative for your casual,
family, friends, date, even business experience. Let’s hope the management
reads the reviews and pay attention to the suggestions, then, will become an
excellent restaurant and bar alternative.
26 Thai Kitchen and Bar
Flavors that don’t match your name.
Big menu with a little execution.
- Bar, Wine, & Beverages: C
- Quality of Service: B
- Food and Menu: C
One of my favorite foods is Thai. The flavors and aromas of ginger, chilies, coconut milk, curries, Thai basil always come to my mind.
26 Kitchen & Bar in Midtown Atlanta came to my attention after a follower’s recommendation. The restaurant has a great outdoor patio and a cozy indoor dining room.
We were very excited about the menu, so we ordered various dishes to taste the Chef’s creations.
Bar, wine, and beverages: C
The drinks looked better on the menu than they did in
reality. Most of them were watered down;
therefore, it was hard to recognize and enjoy all the flavors.
It also seems like the bar was running short on garnishes for
the cocktails. If the word “Bar” is part
of the restaurant’s name, the bartender must ensure an excellent customer
experience.
My advice to the bartender is to take your time, be
creative, be unique, and no rush your service.
Quality of Service: B
If the restaurant offers patio service, the expectation is for
your server to be available and not disappear inside the restaurant.
Cordiality and attentiveness are some of the qualities of a
good server. Unfortunately, our server
did not have these qualities.
Food and Menu: C
Like the bar menu, the food menu looked better on paper than
it did in reality. I was very disappointed with the calamari, spring rolls, crab
cheese rolls, shrimp in a blanket, to name a few.
The flavors lacked Thai authenticity or even Asian influence. Sauces tasted and looked that they came straight
from a bottle.
Main Course, ‘Five-Hours Short Rib’, with this dish was a completely
different experience. A lot of different
flavors, unfortunately not sure if the cooking technique and tastes were in sync.
The short rib was braising without any Thai or Asian spices.
Therefore, it had a plain meaty taste with tones of bitterness and sour flavor.
Unfortunately, it did not go well with
the red curry sauce. My advice to the
Chef is to try a different cooking technique and spices that can better match
the rich red curry sauce.
Panang Salmon & Shrimp, this dish has the potential to
be a hit. Flavors were there, but the careless platting makes you think that
Chef did not want to cook or the kitchen was about to leave.
I hope this restaurant steps up its culinary game, provides
training to its staff, crafts authentic flavors, enhances
presentation/platting, and improves bar service.
Alchemy Bistro & Bar
Alchemy Bistro & Bar, a jewel on the main street of Edgartown, MA.
- Bar, Wine, & Beverages: A
- Quality of Service: A
- Food and Menu: A
As their website describe, it is truly a friendly, elegant, charming, and stimulating restaurant.
Reservation for two on the second-floor balcony, which we highly recommended. View over the main street and just a quiet area to experience the perfect romantic culinary experience.
We were very excited about Alchemy’s menu inspired by culinary styles from Itlay, Spain, and France.
Bar, wine, and beverages: A
A friendly bartender offered a seat at the bar
while we were waiting for our table. Their signature cocktails were well
executed. Spicy Mango Margarita, 400
Conejos Mezcal, Watermelon, Basil, Lime,Tajin Rim, were our favorite.
As soon we were seated, our friendly server
offered the wine menu. A conservative but well-selected list did the job for
our menu selection
Quality of Service: A
Our server had a great attitude and
explained with many details the menu.
His suggestions were right on point as was his wine pairing.
Our service was flawless during the
whole evening. Everything came right on time without a rush. The restaurant manager stopped by our table
to check out on us and our culinary experience right before the dessert. That
was a great touch and very well received.
Food and Menu: A
From the appetizers to the
surprised dessert was a whole culinary experience. Oysters were fresh with a
lovely homemade spicy sauce. Crab legs
(for one) were great, setting the right mood for the entrees.’
Atlantic Mahi Mahi and the F/V
Martha Rose Scallops were our selection.
Both dishes came with full flavor, excellent presentation, and well-done
cooking techniques.
The manager highlighted that the
Chef uses fresh produce and proteins from local farmers and fishermen.
A pleasant evening, excellent food,
perfectly served, along with a fantastic cocktail and wine selection.
Thai Villa - New York City
A sophisticated menu designed and prepared for Thai royalty but served in the middle of Manhattan.
- Bar, Wine, & Beverages: A
- Quality of Service: A
- Food and Menu: A
The interior décor is stunning. The wooden furniture and exposed brick walls provide a warm and welcoming ambiance. The five wooden cabanas offer the perfect private dining experience.
Bar, wine, and beverages: A
We tasted several of their
signature cocktails, and our favorites were Mali Martini, Plumpiness, and Smokey
Mekhong Old Fashioned. Beautiful presentation, exquisite garnishes, and unique flavors.
Well-selected International beers and wine lists were offered, along with bartender creations.
Quality of Service: A
Our server was not only attentive and friendly but also a great food ambassador. She explained and answered all our questions. The service was flawless, and each dish came in a perfect sequence.
Food and Menu: A
From the Royal Pad Thai to Ped Ron Crispy Five Spice Duck and the traditional Tom Yum Koong, every dish was a collection of unique, time-honored, and exceptional flavors.
A Thai meal should have five primary flavors: salty, bitter, sour, sweet, and of course, spicy. The perfect balance, a royal recipe, exceptional ingredients, talented Chefs…all together, to deliver an excellent meal.
Buena Vida Tapas & Sol
This Spanish-inspired restaurant is located on the Atlanta beltline
- Bar, Wine, & Beverages: A
- Quality of Service: B
- Food and Menu: B
This Spanish-inspired restaurant is located on the Atlanta beltline ( A former railway corridor around the core of the city that has re-purpose and becomes a combination of trails, walkways, green spaces, and parks). Buena Vista Restaurant & Sol offers an indoor-outdoor bar experience, an urban-style dining room, and a phenomenal patio and lounge area with a trendy design and decoration.
When we looked at their menu online, we were impressed with their variety of seasonal tapas and well-described crafted cocktails.
Bar, wine, and beverages: A
From a classic Margarita to the well-done Pretty in Pink, Cachaca-based cocktail (a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice originally from Brazil), all the cocktails tasted were refreshing, with a great combination of liquors, fruits, juices, herbs, and spices.
I appreciated and enjoyed their wine list. A great selection of European and South-American wines can turn your evening into a wine tasting experience. Perhaps a good suggestion for the owners, along with tapa tasting.
Quality of Service: B
Our server was very attentive and friendly in the beginning. However, we experienced the ‘Patio karma’. Not sure if the restaurant got too busy or our server got pulled to cover the indoor dining area as well. With five people ordering an average of three tapas per person, our table got very crowded with dishes, more so, without removing the empty ones.
Managers must oversee the whole operation, paying close attention to each table’s flow, including the outdoor areas. Customers would appreciate that personal touch, and this action will allow them to provide
positive or constructive feedback.
The restaurant has all the elements to become a great destination for tapas and cocktails
in town. Maintain that status should be everyone’s responsibility.
Food and Menu: B
The Tapas concept comes from Spain, a small portion of food served on individual plates. The great thing about tapas is that the inspiration, ingredients, presentation, spices, and flavors’ combination have no limits.
Buena Vida has a seasonal menu with many classic and contemporary tapas. My favorite was the Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp sauteed
with fresh garlic, chile flakes, butter, and white wine). The whole shrimp was used to prepare this recipe, adding a great flavor to the sauce.
The grilled pulpo did not have the expected flavor as it was described on the menu. The judion beans, asparagus, and chorizo tasted like they were all cooked separate, and the harissa sauce could not add flavor to the bland cooked pulpo.
Lamb chops had a good presentation; unfortunately, overcooked, fatty, and tough. The vegetarian and vegan tapas alternatives were a hit or miss on flavor, temperature, and garnish.
Overall, Buena Vida Tapas & Sol is a good alternative when it comes to cocktails and ambiance. Food had the right inspiration and design, but
there is room for improvement on execution, flavors, and culinary techniques. I will be on the lookup for their following seasonal menu.