We were wrong.  And we can admit that.  We first went to [tag]Repast[/tag] a few years ago when it first opened.  It was a good meal, and we remember the cocktails being exceptional, but it fell into our – “good but not worth repeating” category.  Many restaurants suffer this fate from us because there are just so many we want to try and so few that make it on the short list of “must repeat often.”  But we decided to give Repast a redo after a few years… and man, we have been missing out! Stupid silly girls.

Indeed, the cocktails were spectacular – especially the Repastini with ginger-infused vodka and a ginger salt rim.  Yum.  Alley joined us for the redo, and we used that as a justification to order 3 appetizers.  A cheese sampler that was superb; the tuna avocado tartare (tuna + avocado = always a winner); and bacon-wrapped dates (which went well with our cheeses).  Next, Ashley and I shared the “butter poached” halibut which was no doubt the best halibut we have ever eaten in our lives…and we have eaten some serious halibut.  This one was perfectly flaky with a light wild mushroom broth.   Alley went for the “repast style” crab cakes which were also excellent.

The dates wrapped in fabulous bacon and the Repastini in the background.

The owners are a husband and wife pair of chefs – he is from rural Louisiana and she is from Japan.  We spoke with Chef Joe Truex and apologized for our former Repast rejection and promised to put Repast on the repeat list.  And you should too.  Note: Ashley was unable to write this post because during the entire meal she was distracted and as nervous as a schoolboy over our Penelope Cruz look-alike Argentine waitress.

Ashley blushing over Penelope Cruz

Brutus gives it 4 big paws up!

This hip new(er) spot from the [tag]U Restaurant Group[/tag] in Midtown was packed on Saturday night when we arrived with our party of 8.  The neighbors in the condos above were out on their balconies having cocktails, complaining of the building wide smoke alarm that the restaurant, [tag]Cuerno[/tag], had set off – one of many times this has happened we were told.  But for those of us crammed into this tiny restaurant, we were grateful there was no fire as we would have had a hard time getting out of our chairs.

The space is very nice – complete with an anatomically correct large metal bull  sculpture and some big-ass chandeliers.  As we looked around the place, the staff was hard at work gathering extra chairs from some undisclosed location in order to convert our 5-top into an 8-top.  Good thing we like each other and do not mind touching strangers because we were all packed in there real tight.

We ordered two pitchers of Sangria which was very tasty and the fruit in the Sangria could put you on the floor.  We got a variety of tapas items which included tuna tartar, hot peppers, potatoes, mussels, a beet salad, and an “Americana Paella.”   The best items were the tuna tartar and the beet salad -oh, and the Paella.  The rest of the food can be summed up in one word – okay.  The potatoes were yawn yourself to death boring and I know they are just potatoes, but the sauce was lame and there was nothing tasty about them.  The mussels were nice, but really just okay.  It was all just okay.

The crowd was a great eclectic mix of sexy people, tourists, and locals. The service was not bad at all considering they had to practically jump over people to get to each table and the price was very reasonable.  It was an enjoyable evening out with friends – but I can think of better places to go get tapas next time.

Frank and Ashley get close at Cuerno.

Little Girl gives it 2 and a half paws up.

I haven’t been this excited about frozen yogurt since it was cool- like 1991.  But frozen yogurt is making a comeback in Atlanta through the yummy goodness of [tag]Yoforia[/tag].  Made with only organic milk and organic yogurt, this stuff is blissful.  I don’t know if “active cultures” are a good thing, but they sure as heck taste good.

This frozen goodness comes in cool flavors – the most standard is plain which is like vanilla but with a hint of lemon juice in it.  Other flavors include blueberry, green tea, and pomegranate.  You can get 3 toppings for one price (but you don’t necessarily have to get 3- you are just paying for up to 3)  and the toppings are magnificent…from fresh berries, to chocolate, to cereal!   And you get tons…

Ashley and I split a small size which quite frankly is plenty for us, but we have heard stories of small people gobbling up a large  – which is huge! Anyway, go get some Yoforia.  It is worth waiting outside (like we did) one Sunday morning until it opens!

Brutus gives it 4 big paws up…

The kitchen at Trois before the frenzy began.

Sure, we like to dine, and we like to share our opinions about places we eat, but we are not really “foodies” or snobs about this stuff. Case in point, it took us almost a year to finally make it to [tag]Atlanta Magazine’s “Best Restaurant for 2007[/tag] – Trois. Before I give my opinions about this experience, I feel I should say that we do not enjoy giving a negative review. We feel a little guilty. Ok – down to business. This place is NOT, by any stretch of the imagination, the “best” restaurant in Atlanta. And I feel a little sorry for them for having the burden of this label. But even if my expectations had not been raised by the various acclaims for this trendy spot, I would have noticed the failures of this place. A few small nit-picky things: place-settings were incomplete (missing a glass and some essential utensils, failure to give replacement utensils); failure to keep water glass full.

All can be overlooked by otherwise good service and/or excellent food. Alas, neither of these were present tonight. The appetizers were nice, a lump crabmeat thingy and a sampler for mid-town restaurant week, but then we waited almost an hour for our entrees. And they got them wrong. After waiting for them to get it right, we dug in. They were fine. No problems. But nothing to write about.

Our mediocre dining experience was nothing compared to what we witnessed around us. It was like watching the restaurant crumble before us. Every table around us had some problem. First, the solo guy in the booth on his cell phone complained that his Brandy was sour and headed for the door. Then, the guys next to us proceeded to have such an awful experience that they just gave up after an hour and left. Their entrees arrived before their appetizers then, after they sent back the entrees and waited 30 minutes for their appetizers, they got the wrong ones. It was a bad scene and the management was slow to respond. They wisely did not charge them for their drinks, but all they offered them was a weak offer for a future discount. No way those guys were ever coming back. The 4-top of elderly rich folk were also served their meals hours after they ordered it and without the necessary utensils. Really? Our seat near the open kitchen allowed us to listen as the wait staff reach a fever-pitch. All were clearly “in the weeds” and reeling from a poorly run machine.

Ok – and the moment you have all been waiting for – the toilet. The fancy toilet at Trois requires an engineering degree to flush. The sign on the door warns the ladies to “flush button on right” – but it took me 10 minutes to realize it was on the side of the toilet itself. Just stop trying so hard people. Give me a toilet I can flush, the food I ordered, and the fork I need to eat it. Seriously. My only positive recommendation – cool space, great cocktails. Get a drink at the bar then head to one of the many other far superior dining establishments in this fine city.

The un-flushable toilet at Trois.

Brutus gives it a mere one paw…