Earlier today, I received an emphatic email attacking the post about my first pie at Rusto’s Pizza, a new pizzeria in the Cheshire Bridge area. I have taken the time to share this email with people and let you pass your own judgments. It comes from a concerned citizen by the name of Chris Jones, who has an uncanny familiarity with the people behind this pizza shop. Although he is unaware of the fact that pizza with pesto is still classified as white pizza (albeit with a green hue), and that a side salad isn’t really a salad option, he was kind enough to explain to me why the burnt to all heck pie that I had was not indicative of their wonderful pizza. I have taken it upon myself to add some line breaks for readability. Otherwise, it’s a direct copy of the email received.
Rusto’s Pizza Restaurant Review: Shilled, Shamed, & Just Plain Bad – Cheshire Bridge, Atlanta, GA [First Impressions] 4
When I first walked into Rusto’s Pizza on Cheshire Bridge, I had an inkling of hope that Atlanta was about to have yet another respectable pizzeria to deal with. By the time I walked out (or at least shortly thereafter), I was ejecting food from my mouth post haste while debating whether to simply toss the rest of my personal sized pie or use it as a deterrent against potential muggers. I went with the former. While the food was bad enough, the true kicker was the laughable attempt by owners Russell Wooten and Greg “Somebody” to promote their business through less than honest methods.
Thirsty Dog Tavern Restaurant Review – Peachtree Hills, Atlanta, GA [First Impressions] 1
Fresh out of the groomer, The Thirsty Dog Tavern is now open in Peachtree Hills. A hot mess of Olive Garden meets The Titled Kilt plus Park Tavern with a touch of Taco Mac, it’s a reworking of Vita, the previous tenant at 2100 Peachtree. While it’s location is ideal for the nomad in you and me, I was able to coax Deez from his real world responsibilities so that we could enjoy a little lunch at Atlanta’s newest pet friendly establishment.
The restaurant itself is conceptually all over the map, but the food is most similar to those nationwide chains that try their best to serve basic Italian fare. If memory serves me right, the vast portion of the menu at TDT is a holdover from the previous restaurant. That is no surprise when you consider that Vita’s Tony LaRocco, as noted by John Kessler, is one of the proprietors. Along with Dave Heany, formerly of Star Bar, LaRocco has driven out one failed concept and replaced it with a straw-grasping alternative in the hopes of righting the ship. While little there was horribly wrong, save for the fried food, there wasn’t a single aspect of the meal poking at me for further inspection.
Baroni Italian Restaurant Set To Open In Midtown [Openings] 2
The owners of Baraonda are expanding their mini-empire with the opening of a new Italian restaurant on the north side of Midtown. The still cooking Barona is set to open in Brookwood Place (1745 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30309) in the space vacated by Wolfgang Puck’s.
The restaurant group made some waves last year when they shuttered Bazzaar Lounge in favor of Publik Social House. Then, earlier this month, they shut down Enoteca Carbonari in order to expand Baraonda (the new adjunct is named Baraonda’s Wine Room).
There isn’t a whole lot known of Barona at this time, however, a few things are out there. There’s no fixed opening date on the map, but late April to Mid-may have been tossed around. The vibe will definitely be that of a neighborhood trattoria, with pizzas, pastas, and a handful of traditional Italian options available.
Chef Craig Richards of La Tavola: Inside The Chef’s Kitchen #16
Craig Richards of La Tavola in Virginia Highlands has been serving up straight up Italian food for the past several years at the neighborhood trattoria. As many with many residents of Atlanta, Richards didn’t start off here. He relocated to Atlanta from Kansas by way of Kansas City.
While in Kansas City, Richards had the opportunity to work under Lidia Bastianich. Bastianich, one of the earliest celebrity chefs, is a fairly well known restaurateur and cookbook author. You may remember her from her PBS TV show.
But alas, Richards left Bastianich’s care after spending some time in her eponymous Pittsburgh restaurant and moved to Atlanta. Now as the executive chef of the Fifth Group’s La Tavola, Richards spends most of his time hunkered down in the kitchen. He’s not all work though, you can find him cavorting around facebook or posting to his blog, which he started in August of last year.
Despite his handful of obligations (kids, wife … swimming), Richards did manage to squeeze us in for a little bit. So sit back and enjoy … and welcome to ITCK!
The Kind Pie Restaurant Serves Up Pizza And Sandwiches In Buckhead [Food Finds] 3
Late in February January, The Kind Pie opened up as Atlanta’s newest pizza restaurant. As their tagline says, this is “pizza with a conscience conscience.” However, their menu includes a good number of Italian appetizers, a few salads, and some inviting sandwiches. Not surprising, you’ll find top quality products that lend themselves well to the concept. In fact, they put out some gluten-free pizzas that appear very popular early on. Though I have yet to actually step foot inside the restaurant, located in the heart of Buckhead, I did have a chance to sample some sandwiches for dinner (last night by the time y’all see this go up). Though the consumption conditions were less than ideal, things are looking good for TKP, and I’m looking forward to giving them a full look-see in the near future.
Sayonara Old Spaghetti Factory, Closed For Good [Dead Pool] 1
The massive restaurant space at the corner of Ponce De Leon and Penn Ave is now dormant. Yes, it appears that the Old Spaghetti Factory has closed up shop and moved on to greener pastures. While the restaurant chain is still alive and kicking outside the state of GA, they finally threw in the towel on January 24th. While I always considered it one of the worst restaurants in the city, the place seemed to get a pretty good crowd. So in that respect, I must say that this was a bit of a surprise. Cheerios y’all!
Chef Keira Moritz: Inside The Chef’s Kitchen #2 1
After a week of being under the weather, it’s time that we get things back up to speed. Fortunately, today is Friday, and that means another edition of Inside The Chef’s Kitchen. Since this is still a new feature, I’ll point ya’ll to the introductory post so that you can familiarize yourself with what this is all about.
For this installment of the weekly interview series, we scored some time with Georgia native Keira Moritz. Moritz, who hales from Valdosta, currently runs the show at both Pacci Ristorante and AltoRex Lounge.
In addition to having a vibrant and warm personality, Moritz knows her food. Her prowess in the kitchen helped Pacci land on Esquire’s list of best new restaurants in 2009.
If you want to go visit Keira, all you have to do is make a reservation! If you see her walking the floor, don’t hesitate to say hello. I’m sure she’ll charm you with some of her Southern hospitality. And with that, welcome to ITCK!
Grant Park’s Stella Shuttered In Favor Of Doc Chey’s [Dead pool] 3
Had I written on Stella Trattoria, you would have seen one of the blistering reviews that I’m known for. To be honest, I thought I had written it. Only when I heard that the restaurant is off to the land of restaurants past did I notice the oversight. Regardless, the Grant Park Italian eatery, who shares a father with Osteria 832, never caught my culinary fancy. Despite a very memorable meal there (because of the tornado – not the food) and the unabashed love by a dear friend (see … even my closest companions don’t always agree with me), the place just never caught on.
The space is scheduled to go through some renovations and open in February as the equally unimpressive Doc Chey’s.
Quattro Celebrates This Weekend: Good Things Come In Threes
The picture says it all. This Sunday, Quattro in Midtown is celebrating their three-year anniversary with a little free food. From 4pm to 7pm, you can stop in at this Piedmont Park restaurant and watering hole and grab some grub. Sounds like this would be a good time for me to drop some thoughts on the joint, so maybe I’ll do that in the next few days.
Quattro Restaurant Address & Information
1071 Piedmont Road, Atlanta GA 30309 // 404.881.0000 // Quattro website // Quattro menu
