Restaurant Reviews

As I start to venture out and about, eating at restaurant has taken on a whole new meaning of a big night out! This last month I had the opportunity to dine at a variety of restaurants. I wish I was a foodie like our friend, Joe Duffy, but instead I will share with you my experience at Latitudes Kitchen & Tap, Oak Steahouse, and Wei Sichuan Authentic Chinese Cuisine.

Newly Opened Latitudes Kitchen & Tap in the Holly Springs area near the Sixes Road exit off of 575 at 5947 Holly Springs Parkway Suite 202. My friends eat there all the time and so we went as a family one night and then with them a few days later; so in my two-visit experience, I enjoyed a variety of menu items and the casual ambiance.

The restaurant has an open spacious feel and I was pleasantly surprised to find a separate stand alone full bar offered. They also have a small patio dining area, that is perfect for those that want to eat outside. Scoop tip: You can call ahead at 678) 403-8869 to be put on the waiting list.

The menu offers a variety of options and I highly recommend the brisket slider appetizers (which can also be a meal), the gourmet mac n cheese, and the W 84 Cab burger with pimento cheese. The mac n cheese comes with sautéed spinach, mushrooms, and caramelized onions. It can be topped with your favorite protein such as brisket, shrimp, chicken, or even salmon. The campfire skillet consists of ribs, chicken and brisket can be shared as the portions are plentiful.

On my next outing, we headed to Avalon. If you haven’t been at night – the streets are lit up with beautiful lights overhead and it feels like you could be anywhere — not just Alpharetta, Ga! We stopped off for a drinks at Branch & Barrel and had to have their salt and vinegar Brussel sprouts appetizer, it is so tasty and addictive. I love that they cut the vegetable lengthwise so I can get more crispy leaves. Chef Todd Hogan is opening another Branchwater restaurant in Canton and I can’t wait! This is a great place to stay and eat as you can see from their menu selections. They also have a large outdoor covered area to dine in.

We continued to Oak Steakhouse and ate outdoor at their large covered patio. In a traditional steakhouse fashion, they offer dry aged cab prime strip or bone in rib eye. For those that want to try the marbled wagyu beef, you can –for a price! Of course, traditional steaks are offered too with a variety of toppings and sauces. I always want all the sides that are offered as they enhance the steak and the sharing experience. We enjoyed the truffle frites, the gruyere mac and cheese, the potato puree, and the southern fried quail.

One of the facts I found interesting is their sister restaurant right next door, Colletta Italian, shares their homemade pasta. So, if you are in the mood for Italian, they offer a fresh pasta selection with their special toppings. If you saw our table, I would say Don’t Judge Us…we were out for a special evening celebrating a friend! You can make a reservation on open table through their website and we liked they offered a more casual outdoor option as my husband wore shorts, a button down and flip flops.

Now onto a mid-week dinner outing on a Tuesday night! Fellow blogger and friend, Eli Zandman from Tomorrow’s News Today, told me his friend Gary (formerly of Smoke + Duck on Power’s Ferry Road) opened his first OTP restaurant, WEI Sichuan Authentic Chinese Cuisine, at 35 S. Marietta Parkway and invited me to join him and foodie blogger Emily Robinson of Ultraepicure Instagram. My knowledge of chinese food is the “American version” and so it was a pleasure to be with a foodie who I begged to order for me. I wanted to appreciate the authentic Sichuan cuisine and yes, the chef is from Sichuan.

We had a feast of dry fried eggplant, Sichuon dandon noodle (my favorite) pan fried bao in chicken, pork and vegetable, chicken soup dumplings, sesame tofu, and shan city spicy shrimp, which is not for the faint of heart as the spices are next level hot! If you want to try Sichuan food, check out Wei next to La Parilla in Marietta and they have their own parking lot and an outdoor patio too. We finished with fried ice cream and fried pumpkin mochi.

All photos below by Emily Robinson of UltraEpicure.