Parish, revisted

The first time I went to Parish was about a month ago. C-Dub and met our buddy, Randy, there while we was on a dinner break from Dad's Garage. We got there right when they opened that evening and practically had the restaurant to ourselves. This, of course, meant that I was able to get many pictures of Parish's beautiful dining room.

Walking upstairs to the dining room

Look at how pretty!

I really enjoyed my dinner that night - the Georgia farm fresh vegetable plate. It probably would have been too salty for some but for me, the saltier the better!

Crispy eggplant, swiss chard, sweet potatoes, & green beans

Since my first visit, I've heard some rumbling complaints about the food and service at Parish. I know C-Dub was a little disappointed in his meal but our service was just fine that night - nothing to write home about but far from atrocious.

This past weekend, we hit up Parish again to celebrate the birthday of my friend, Julie. Our reservations were at 7pm on Friday and it was considerably more crowded.


C-Dub and I started out with a few appetizers before our meal. I got the Sunflower Salad, so named because it is styled after a sunflower. (I didn't see it.) C-Dub got the Crispy Oysters Rockefeller.

Does it look like a sunflower to you?

The salad was alright. It didn't blow my mind or anything but I did enjoy the crispy sunflower seeds sprinkled throughout.

crispy oysters

The crispy oysters were not so great. The breading was too heavy and did not stick to the oysters very well.

For dinner, I took the safe route and got the Georgia Farm Fresh vegetables again. The veggies were good but not as delicious as the last time I ordered it simply due to the difference in vegetables between the two visits. I just loved the sweet potatoes and swiss chard in the previous dish. The abundant tomatoes in the veggie plate this time just weren't doing it for me.

Veggie plate!

C-Dub was very disappointed in the Tuna Tournedos he ordered, as the tuna came cooked almost all the way through and not seared, as described. (I, however, loved the little skillet potatoes that the tuna topped. It was like having a little bit of brunch for dinner!)

Mmm...like disappointment in your mouth!

The hands down winner of the night had to be Julie's Broiled Red Fish. (The bitch out-ordered me at her birthday dinner last year, too!) Wow, it was so good. The spice rub on the outside kind of reminded me of fried chicken - don't ask me why. Luckily for me, Julie is a lightweight and couldn't finish the dish - jackpot!

Does this picture make you drool too?

At the end of the night, our waiter (who was great, by the way) brought Julie a slice of Georgia Peach & Pecan Bread Pudding for her birthday. It seems like there is a pudding trend in restaurants now and I am loving it. Num, num, num, num, num! (That is the sound of me eating all the puddings you put in front of me.)

After a few glasses of sparkling Rose, I can only tell you that peach and pecan pudding was delicious but I can't go into the intricacies of that deliciousness.

Intricate deliciousness

I haven't written off Parish, yet - that Red Fish alone warrants another visit. And I still have to try the market in the basement!

Parish Market

Parish Restaurant
240 N. Highland Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307
404.681.4434
www.parishatl.com

Holeman & Finch, revisted

C-Dub and I went to Holeman & Finch for the first time a few weeks ago. It was delicious and fun. We were even lucky enough to arrive just in time for Burger Time!

So, Holeman & Finch seemed like the natural choice for a fun, catch-up dinner with some friends. We started out at the bar for a few drinks before we moved to a table. (I highly recommend the Michlits Rosé Frizzante, by the way!)

See how much fun we're clearly having? And we aren't even at table, yet!

By the time we were ready to sit down at a table, all the booths that I had been coveting were taken. But, sitting at the communal table was much nicer than I thought it would be.

The communal table

We started out with the cheese plate and didn't stop ordering until we stumbled out the door three hours later. It was all delicious, from the chopped romaine salad, to the tuna, the skirt steak to the chopped steak, and then finally to our three desserts - The Fool with Blackberries, a warm brownie with black pepper ice cream topped with toasted hazelnut and caramel sauce, a Coke float with homemade donuts.

chopped romaine and blue cheese

tuna in its rawest form

Painted Hills hand chopped steak

The Fool with blackberries in the background,
the Warm Chocolate Brownie with Black Pepper Ice Cream in the foreground.

Just when we thought we were done, our waiter walked over to tell us that it was now Burger Time. (For the uninitiated, Holeman & Finch Burger Time happens every night at 10pm. This is the only time that one can order a burger at the restaurant. And it is one delicious burger served on a homemade bun with homemade ketchup and wholegrain mustard.) At that point, after a few glasses of wine and way too much food; we figured, "What the hell!" and ordered a burger to share.

My share of the communal burger.

I highly recommend the burger. But I do have one complaint - those bread and butter pickles that top it. Come on, man! Give me some dill pickles with a burger that good.

Holeman & Finch
2277 Peachtree Road
Suite B
Atlanta, GA 30309
404.948.1175
www.holeman-finch.com