Go. Try. Become a Regular

by Malika Harricharan

When West Cobb Magazine asked me to review La Strada restaurant in East Cobb, my first thought was “Wow – I haven’t eaten in there in forever. I wonder if it is still good?” So, I did what I usually do before visiting a restaurant. I went online and checked out their website and get a general idea of what their menu is like and a sense of what I’d like to order.

Upon entering, I was greeted by John Lefkaditis, the current owner, who bought it from the original owners 7 years ago. His warm and friendly demeanor immediately let me know this was a family restaurant that wants to turn every guest into a regular. I learned that in it’s 21 years the restaurant has gone through several iterations from originally being a house, to a pool hall, an Ernie’s Steakhouse, to the restaurant we now see as Trattoria La Strada.

Being seated in a cozy table at the back of the restaurant, I felt free to take pictures without the flash being a nuisance to other diners nearby. The decor, hasn’t been updated in quite a while. John said the regulars seem to like it and he doesn’t want to mess with what works. He recently updated the booths which was a major change for them, but a necessary one.

Trattoria La Strada- Marietta, Georgia

  Before looking at the menu, we were brought some garlic bread with an minced olive spread, which I quite enjoyed, surprising, as I don’t usually care for olives, but this was quite tasty when spread on top of the garlic bread.

Trattoria La Strada - Garlic bread with an minced olive spread

  Our server, Dee, who’s been at La Strata just under 2 years, recited to us the 4 appetizer specials and 4 entree specials that evening without having to consult a cheat sheet once. As she touted the stuffed shrimp, we gave that a try. And I knew I wanted to try the calamari, of which they have 2 offerings – 1 is the traditional ring calamari with red sauce, but I found myself leaning to the more unusual calamari steak, which, in it’s appearance is like a thin fried chicken cutlet.

Trattoria La Strada - Calamari Steak

Trattoria La Strada -Stuffed Shrimp

At this point, John, popped over once again to see how our dinner was. I kept my eye on him most of the evening, and watched as he chatted up patrons, which seemed to be almost entirely made up of regulars. After speaking to John for a while, I learned that he worked for the revered Buckhead Life Restaurant Group as a manger at several of their restaurants (most recently Kyma) for years before buying La Strada. So, obviously he knows what he is doing.

John Lefkaditis - Owner, Trattoria La Strada

That being said, we took his recommendations on dinner and each tried one of the specials. Originally, I intended on ordering the Steak Pizzaiola – a NY Strip topped with marinara sauce. But when I heard about the lamb shank Osso Bucco special, I just couldn’t resist. And, my dining companion went for the veal chop special.

Tratoria La Strada - Lamb Shank Osso Bucco

   My lamb shank didn’t disappoint. The huge shank had tender, juicy meat, nearly falling off the bone – no knife necessary. I chose the risotto as a side, but you have a choice of potatoes if you prefer. Speaking of huge, my companion’s veal chop was gigantic. Although he arrived at the restaurant with an appetite, he barely made a dent in this chop, amazing as it was. I highly recommend ordering anything veal here. If there isn’t a veal special, the stuffed veal parmigiana, sounds like a great choice – topped with prosciutto, eggplant, marinara sauce, and mozzarella.

Trattoria La Strada - Veal Chop

Trattoria La Strada - Zuppa Inglese and Cioccolato at Forno

   After having our remainders boxed up, we truly had no business looking at a dessert menu, but we did anyway. Believe or not, this was the hardest decision of the evening – and usually it is the easiest. As to be expected the true Italian classics are on the menu – Tiramisu and Cannolis. I’m sure the Tiramisu is good, but I just couldn’t handle a rich dessert like that at this point. So, I asked for a lighter suggestion and was told about the Zuppa Inglese – the Italian version of the English Trifle. As promised, this was light and small enough to be the perfect finish to my meal. I did also have a taste of the Cioccolato at Forno – a flourless chocolate cake. It was superb – the decadent chocolate filling pairing well with what was left of our red wine.  In my chat with John, I found out he offers gluten-free past and rice, a concern of many customers nowadays. I also found out that he does monthly wine dinners and wine tastings. “How do you spread the word?”, I asked, as it obviously wasn’t noted on their website. He said it is almost like an underground event – not something they promote. Only regulars are in the know. As one of the customers was leaving he shouted at John “See you next Thursday!”

  Ah! I finally began to understand, La Strada isn’t about hype or mega advertising. They are just about being a family-oriented restaurant who has built a loyal following by providing friendly, thoughtful service and consistently good food. Go. Try. Become a regular

 Trattoria La Strada

La Strada now honors the MaxSave Card. 

A True Classic Comes to Kennesaw

By Malika Harricharan

Nearly 45 years ago, Ruth Fertel, a single mother, mortgaged her house and invested her life savings to buy a restaurant named “Chris Steak House.” Shortly after taking ownership, Ruth added her name to the restaurant, becoming Ruth’s Chris Steak House. The Ruth’s Chris empire has expanded to well over 100 restaurants spanning several countries.

 Although Ruth’s Chris had humble beginnings, the cooking styles, recipes and overall hospitality and top-notch service are still evident when visiting Ruth’s Chris Steak House. I felt that immediately when walking in the door of their new location in the new Embassy Suites on Chastain in Kennesaw. Originating in New Orleans, many menu items have a Cajun-style influence to them – shrimp cocktail with Creole remoulade or bread pudding with whiskey sauce. The New Orleans influence is even more evident in the lunch menu with items like French Quarter Steak Skewers and Chicken La Louisianne.

 I had been to Ruth’s Chris once before and remember it being a fantastic and pleasurable meal. So, I was pretty thrilled when I was invited to check them out for the debut of the Kennesaw location of Ruth’s Chris. Open just over a week, the restaurant was fairly busy on a Wednesday evening when I visited. Most tables seemed to be comprised of business diners, with a few couples scattered in the mix.

 The appetizers at Ruth’s Chris are comprised entirely of seafood. You can find the usual suspects – calamari, shrimp cocktail, and stuffed mushrooms. But I decided to veer away from that and order the Crab Cakes and the Ahi Tuna.

 The steaks aren’t the only things that get delivered on a sizzling plate – the Crab Cakes were delivered the same way. These were full of lump crab with not much else and no iota of filler or breading. My only recommendation is to leave them on the sizzling plate and eat off of that. Otherwise, they will tend to get cold rather quickly. Still tasty, mind you, they are just much better when hot.

 The Ahi Tuna is equally as delicious served atop a ginger/ mustard sauce. I love sauces, but I would go easy on this one. Don’t drown your tuna in it; otherwise the sauce will tend to overpower the tuna. In fact, I would ask for the sauce on the side, was I to order that again. Then gently dip the tuna slice in the sauce, so as to enhance the tuna NOT overpower it.

 Up to this point, portions seemed decent – not huge. But that all ended after the appetizers. We ordered the Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomato Salad, which were split between the two of us. At the recommendation of our server, we had them split it in the kitchen and deliver it to us. Nice thick pieces of mozzarella sat on fresh sliced tomatoes. Again, the dressing was little overpowering here, I’d ask for it on the side.

For mains, there truly is something for everyone with seafood selections, lamb, chicken, but of course, steaks are the stars at Ruth’s Chris. They only serve USDA prime steaks. These steaks are cooked at 1800 degrees to lock in the flavor, and then served on sizzling plates to ensure that the meat stays hot the entire meal.

The two steaks we sampled were the Ribeye and the Tournedos and Shrimp. The Ribeye was huge and had excellent marbling. Steaks can be complimented with a sauce of your choosing – blue cheese, Au Poivre, Bearnaise, Hollandaise, but I prefer mine just as they are with Ruth’s Chris butter toping and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.

The Tournedos with Shrimp are two small 4 oz filets that come with jumbo shrimp on top. The filet was melt in your mouth tender and the shrimp sweet and full of flavor.

The side dishes are large and one will most likely be plenty for two people to share. Potatoes come in 7 varieties, and the standout is the sweet potato casserole with pecan crust. The slightly sweet side was a compliment to the buttery steak.

While there is no shortage of au gratin, creamed or cheesy sides, I took a pass on these as I felt they would be too heavy with all I had eaten, so I opted for the simpler sautéed mushrooms. Simple, yes, but they weren’t lacking any flavor. And they were huge. Ruth’s Chris doesn’t do anything in small way. Had I not had such a filling start to the meal with two starters and the salad, I would have chosen a more rich side like creamed spinach or potatoes au gratin, which are specialties here. But there’s always next time.

When they wrap up your food at the end of the evening, and I say when because it is inevitable, not one group left without taking some food home, they refer to it as a food souvenir rather than a doggy bag. We were no exception, with half of our steaks wrapped and most of the side dishes as well.

But we still had to have a bite of dessert. The Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake and the Apple Crumb Tart were colossal and individually more than two people could eat. So, after a couple delicious nibbles we had to pack those up as well.

If you are a coffee lover, don’t miss the French Press coffee at Ruth’s Chris. Served in individual carafes, it is such a treat  to have this freshly brewed coffee. My intent was to have one cup as it was already 9 pm, but it was so wonderful, I ended up having 3 cups, hence, here I am at 1 AM writing this article.

 It’s nice to have a restaurant like Ruth’s Chris in Atlanta and even closer to us OTPers in Kennesaw. You probably know Ruth’s Chris isn’t cheap. But once in a while, it is worth the splurge to have a steak so high in quality, you’re reminded why you’re a carnivore and prepared so well, it just melts in your mouth. Everyone that we encountered seems to not only be well versed in the menu and professional, but genuinely proud of where they work.

 Extras: They are open Thanksgiving Day from noon until 9 pm and are offering a 3-course meal for under $30 per person.

Downtown Acworth has been going through a renovation over the last couple years. Several notable restaurants are located there, including Henry’s, The Old Mill, Fusco’s Via Rome, and my most recent discovery the Waterstone Grill.

 Full disclosure: Waterstone Grill invited me to review their restaurant. I had the pleasure of chatting with owner, Joanne Tubo and learning about the history behind the historic building. Turns out, Joanne and her husband own the buildings on either side of the Waterstone Grill.  In fact, Waterstone Grill was once home to Henry’s before they moved a couple doors down a bigger space.

 Joanne told me they spent 2 years completely renovating the space. And it shows from floor to ceiling. Beyond the dark woods prevalent throughout the intimate restaurant, you’ll see stamped ceiling tiles, brick walls, and against the back wall, a beautifully tiled drink station. Architecture lesson: the space was once an alleyway and converted into a building using the walls of the exterior buildings on each side, the term being an infill building. When you visit, note the different styles of brick on each side of the restaurant.

 Shortly after being seated, Jackie, our server for the evening, suggested we do a tasting of Waterstone’s house wines. I obliged thinking, “how good is house wine?”, especially at only $5 a glass, but I was pleasantly surprised. Of the whites, the Sauvignon Blanc was the best, and of the reds, the Merlot was a clear winner. The brand, called Foxbrook, is one I’ve not heard of and Joanne told me they aren’t available for retail, one of the reasons she chose the brand.

 Our complimentary rolls included not only regular rolls but a zucchini muffin type of roll as well. These were slightly sweet and very moist. I like that they offer something a little different than average rolls. I’m not the only one who likes them this much – they’ve become so popular with regulars, that the AJC has published the recipe in a recent issue.

 Soup of the day was Crab Bisque and Jackie didn’t have to twist my arm much to give it a try. It was creamy, a tad spicy, a chock full of crabmeat. Hands down, some of the best crab bisque I’ve ever had. Now my boyfriend went for the French Onion soup. His mom has a special recipe she prepares every Christmas that I just love and this tasted just like it. FOS can be tricky as it is pretty easy to over salt it, but this was the perfect balance of sweet onions, gooey cheese, and flavorful broth.

 Although my soup was small, it was very filling, and I could have quite easily jumped into the main course, but I absolutely had to try a couple appetizers: calamari and bacon wrapped shrimp with spicy bbq glaze. Be warned: the glaze is pretty hot, so if you don’t like too much heat, I’d avoid this app.

 As for the calamari, when I saw that there was a lot of friend peppers within it, I thought the peppers were there as an extender, but once I started eating I found the calamari was complimented by the peppers. It came with a marinara and a soy ginger dipping sauce. I really didn’t care of the ginger sauce – it seemed to have too much soy and not enough sweet to it.

 At this point, we had had quite a bit of seafood, and perhaps it would have been a good idea to try a steak or chicken dish, but we just couldn’t resist the scallops with potatoes au gratin or sesame trout. When I saw our dishes come out, I knew we’d made the right choice. My scallops, 6 of them altogether were cooked just right and the orange scented cream sauce paired well with the scallops. 

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 The trout was a huge portion; the 2 large pieces could easily feed two. And it is coated in both white and black sesame seeds. I found it to be tasty as my boyfriend did, cleaning his plate. Our sides (yellow rice and potatoes au gratin) were winners too, not just there to take up space on the plate.

 For dessert, we sampled the crème brulee and the blueberry and lemon pound cake. You can’t go wrong with either one of these desserts, although I’m slightly partial to the pound cake. The combination of tart blueberries with the sweet lemony cake is delicious.

 Waterstone Grill is open for lunch and dinner everyday but Sunday. I can’t wait to visit again and try the Pear, Walnut, and Goat cheese salad along with their Smoked Gouda Risotto – a bargain at under $4 a piece. And they have a martini menu that has nearly 10 specials including a Snickerdoodle martini.

 Extras: On Saturdays get a bottle of house wine for $10.

A True Atlanta Tradition by Chloe Morris

My dad’s office was literally two blocks away so eating here when we were younger was a regular thing when we came to play at his office. It’s been about a couple of years since I’ve been at Mary Mac’s so I talked a friend into joining me for lunch last week. I remember when Mary Mac’s was just a tiny space. Over the years, they’ve added a room here, a room there, and now they just about occupy the entire block. By the way, be very careful when crossing the street in these parts — we almost got killed twice, and while crossing on a crosswalk, too!

A Real Kennesaw Treat by John Bickford

Sitting just around the corner from Wildmanl’s, and a block or two from The General, The Boxcar is one of the most comfortable, friendly restaurants you’ll find.

The cozy dining room lends itself to family conversation and a small town atmosphere. If the weather is agreeable, the deck is also an option. Here, a very friendly staff will serve to you food items that the menu cannot do justice. There is just no way to say how good the roast beef melt tastes, or how surprised you will be by the potato salad.

My family and I came by for lunch one day, and decided to return for dinner on another night. It was a good decision. It was a Thursday evening, and we got to try their house made pasta. My wife ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce. It was an ample dish of fine spaghetti, smothered by a thick marinara meat sauce, accompanied by two pieces of sourdough garlic bread (which was wonderful) and topped with parmesan cheese.

My daughter ordered rigatoni alfredo with sliced chicken breast. Adorned with diced tomatoes and broccoli, this dish was delicious.

Not to be outdone, I ordered the smothered chicken. I am here to tell you that this is a tasty entree! Chicken breast smothered in cheeses and peppers and onions, with broccoli and wild rice beside it made for a man-sized meal.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our dinner, and had leftovers to carry home.

But it doesn’t end there. Read the name of the restaurant.

The strawberry banana cheesecake and the strawberry cheesecake were extremely good! The Boxcar offers a wide variety of cheesecakes worthy of a visit in their own right.

So visit downtown Kennesaw. Check out the interesting stores and the Civil War Museum. Say hello to Doc Eaton (get him to show you his trains). Without fail, make sure to save time for a good meal and a slice of heaven at The Boxcar.

The Boxcar – A Cheesecake Cafe

2893 N Main St Nw,

Kennesaw, GA 30144

(770) 919-7740

Website

To Read More Reviews by John Bickford, click here to go to his blog, From My Table