I've passed by this restaurant quite a few times but this is the first time I've been in. It's located near Target at Briarcliff and North Druid Hills. The front is plain but the atmosphere inside is more upscale. They have what seems to be a well-stocked bar and they have jazz performances on some nights. The seating was mostly European-style (chairs); they probably have some cushions but I didn't see them.
I just stopped by for a quick buffet lunch. As you can see, I got carried away---you're supposed to dip your bread into the food, not spoon the food on top of it. It was pretty tasty; I'd say medium spicy, enough to get your attention but not too hot. Dinner would, of course, be a better test. I plan to try out their dinner some time.
Queen Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant
Terra Terroir
Terra Terroir is on Peachtree at North Druid Hills. Like so many Atlanta restaurants, it's in a nondescript mall. But the room itself is beautiful. The restaurant is inspired by Northern California wine culture, so the room has a lot of wood and photographs of nature, plus an outdoor seating space.. I only had a salad, so I can't comment much on the food, but my salad was very nicely prepared. As one might expect given the motif, they seem to have a wine list heavily weighted toward interesting California wines.
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Shorty's Neighborhood Eatery
Shorty's is on North Druid Hills across from Toco Hills Shopping Center. It's a fairly low-key location but inside it has a nice studenty feel, as befits its location near Emory.
Jason and I sampled two different pizzas. His was a nontraditional pizza with BBQ sauce, among other things. I had one with sausage and green olives. I don't usually get green olives, but I really enjoyed the bursts of saltiness they provided. This is a classic thin crust pizza. Shorty's isn't going for the artisanal pizza, unlike some of the other places I've reviewed. This is a very good college pizza; I wish they'd been near my dorm.
Lawrence's Cafe and Restaurant
My friend Donna Hardaman introduced me to Lawrence's Cafe and Restaurant. It's a Middle Eastern restaurant on Buford Highway at North Druid Hills.
Since it was my first trip, I had to try the combo lunch. As you can see, it had a selection of greatest hits, all of which were very well prepared. Although this was a fairly large lunch, the feel was very light and pleasant. The salad on the right was additional, but a welcome addition. I've been eating too much lettuce lately. Coffee is usually a hit at such places, and this was no exception. My coffee was prepared by steeping in my own little pot. It had a wonderful rich flavor without being in any way bitter. All too often in this country, people try to make coffee rich by overroasting the beans (are you listening, Starbucks?) and trying to cram too much caffeine into the cup. My cup here was what a good cup of coffee should be---handmade.
Mezza
Last night, Ted Lee joined us for dinner at Mezza. It's on Lavista in north North Druid Hills. The food is nouvelle Mediterranean/Lebanese. The format is tapas. You will need to order several plates to complete the meal but you don't need to order everything at once. You can pace both the variety and quality as you go; everything arrives quickly. The quality is excellent. A few favorites: fried eggplant; fried cauliflower; hummus deluxe, which includes ground meat; chicken and beef shawarma.