Kristian's Corner

Goldfish- Located in Perimeter Mall, Goldfish is one of the 'Here To Serve' Restaurants, which includes Noche, Strip, Twist and a few others. Obviously, Goldfish is a seafood place...hence the name AND their signature dish "Tempura-fried Pet Goldfish with Sweet and Sour Tequila Shooter". I'm kidding, of course. Actually, their menu is pretty diverse and pretty good. I've never had a dog, but I've also never been WOWed, either. This time, we stopped for lunch and had the Skate with Caper Brown Butter and a Cobb Salad. Both were good. The service is always decent, but has that Applebee's feel to it... "Hi, my name is Chad and I'll be taking care of you today. Would you like to start out with our signature Fried Pet Goldfish?" I'm not complaining, but I prefer servers with a personality and no rehearsed sales shtick.

For dinner, we hit one of favorite spots in ATL, ONE Midtown Kitchen http://www.onemidtownkitchen.com/home.html, which is also part of a group, but a smaller one. The Concentrics Restaurants group as some of the hottest and coolest places in ATL, including PieBar, Trois, Two Urban Licks and the Lobby at Twelve at Atlantic Station (more on that later). Anyway, ONE Midtown couldn't be more difficult to find, but that doesn't stop the place from being jam-packed. Once you arrive, you'll most likely be greeted by Bob Bost, the host with the most. This guy is THE GUY you want working the floor at a restaurant. Humorous, generous, gracious, he comes across as someone you've known for years. Bob and I actually met years ago, but we aren't sure where. The first time we dined at ONE and walked in, we looked at each other and tried to figure it out, but couldn't. May have been a past life. We probably peeled potatoes together in some trench during WWI. Not that I'm into the Shirley McLaine thing.

The menu at ONE Midtown is a lot like Solstice and everything is done really well. The kitchen is also really fast, so if you want to take some time, hold off on ordering your entrees. For apps, you HAVE to have the Goat Cheese in Griddled Sourdough. Excellent. As for the menu, just ask your server for some recommendations. The staff is great and honest about what's good and what's great. They also have personalities and I like that. It's a lot like eating at one of our restaurants.

For lunch on Sunday, we hit Atmosphere, a little French place, also in the Midtown area. It was very good, but the Brunch menu was pretty limited and they were out of four menu items. No worries, though, since the Steak Frites was available and that's what I was in the mood for. Since we went for Brunch, I can't really comment on much more. I'd like to try it again at night. Maybe next time.

The last GOOD place we ate was Nan www.nanfinedining.com, which is a gorgeous Thai place across the highway from Atlantic Station. This place isn't true Thai, but more like Thai fusion, but that's not a knock on it, as it is spectacular. Only problem is the prices. Look to spend night time entree prices for lunch. OUCH! $18-32 for a lunch entree is probably not in your daily lunch budget, so be aware. However, if you're looking to splurge, this is a kickin' place. Heck, the restrooms at this place are worth the visit!

Atlantic Station http://www.atlanticstation.com - When my in-laws first moved to ATL a few years ago, this place didn't exist. Heck, it was a wasteland of old rail warehouses and garbage. Now it's a thriving, exciting destination directly across the highway from downtown. Even if you aren't an engineering/architecture buff, you can appreciate the scale of this project. It's amazing. I could go on and on about it, but you're better off checking out the website. The other beautiful thing about this place is that it's right down the street from IKEA, one of the greatest stores in the history of mankind.