Small Plates...GENIUS!

A RESTAURANT REVIEW

7:30pm, Reservation for 4, a great meal, a great Saturday night...

It was the weekend after Valentine's Day and after 15 phone calls and signifcant web hunting, this was one the only restaurant that could seat us before 9:3opm...it was a risk since none of us had ever heard of the place. We were looking for something different, something special...we found it.

Two steps into VIII fifty on Holcomb Bridge Rd and I knew. We are not in East Cobb anymore! Situated in yet another strip shopping center eatery that Atlanta suburbs are known for, we could have easily been dining in New York, Las Vegas or Miami. This former Rio Bravo has been transformed into a stylish, modern "hot spot." The space is wide open, and the best part, it's not too loud...loved that! Guess I am showing my age.

I fell in love with the concept of Small Plates or "Tapas" several years ago while working in Miami. First, at a downtown Spanish Cafe that has been around for ages, the at TuTu Tango in Coconut Grove as well as Buckhead. The Chinese have been dishing up their small tastes during "Dim Sum" for ages. This is a great way to eat because you get to try all kinds of food, share with others and eat to your heart's content. Everyone's happy!

While "Tapas" are usually Spanish or have a Latin flavor, many chefs have incorporated or fused international dishes into all sorts of unique tastes and plated them in small portions to be mixed and matched and ordered throughout the meal. At VIII fifty this is the way to go. They do have a section dedicated to some great looking entrees but we could not get past the top half of the menu.

My first plate, a salad, was Brussel Spouts. I NEVER eat Brussel Spouts...NEVER! I did during this outing and they were something else. Roasted with bacon and apples, dressed with onion vinaigrette...who knew!? I will try them again.

Another feature was they did not clutter our table with tons of little plates. In addition to the salads, we ordered another 5 dishes and they brought them on a long, skinny platter that went down the middle of our booth so that we all had access and did not have to shuffle and pass dishes all evening...cool!

Round 1: A table-top buffet of Scallops, Duck, Kobe Beef Sliders (aka mini burgers), and Lobster Corn Salad. All very tasty and easy to share. The Ceviche came in a Martini glass and was chock full of seafood, but not one of my favorites. (Sauce was a little too think and had a overly sweet, catsup-like taste). For something different we had the New Orleans Crawfish Cheescake and the Maytag Strudel...the later being the group favorite and the star of the evening!

Round 2: We ordered the Roasted Chicken Pot Pie and the Singapore Street Noodles...WOW...not Small Plates but Big Bowls! We could not finish them between the 4 of us. The Pot Pie was very Southern, very Homemade and a meal in itself. The Noodles were in a spicy, green curry. I loved the heat, but you should know, these Thai style noodles have quite a kick. Save them for last so you can enjoy the full range of sweet, savory, fresh and hearty dishes.
After all this, there are still at least 10 "Small Plates" that need to be tasted and the next time I am saving room for desserts (plural). Thanks VIII fifty for a nice dinner. We will be back...soon!