REVIEW: Cooks & Soldiers (Atlanta, GA)

Hey readers,

What do you do when your friends are stuck in traffic and are over an hour late for your dinner date? (Okay, that rhyme wasn't intentional!) You eat a pre-meal before the actual meal, that's what! Our dinner date of 4 was set for 7PM at Gio's Chicken on a Friday evening. Seeing that I got out of work around 4, I began making the drive to West Midtown to avoid the evening rush hour traffic. I stopped by both Atlantic Station and IKEA to pass the time and grabbed a few grocery items while I waited for my girlfriends to arrive. At around 6 or so, all that walking and shopping was wearing me out and the fact that I had skipped lunch earlier that day. I sent a mass text to my girls and asked them how far away they were since I wanted to grab a small bite to eat before they arrived. Fortunately for me, all of them responded by saying that there were some major delays on their side of town due to construction and the likes, so I decided to hit up one of the many West Midtown restaurants that I've had on my Atlanta restaurant bucket list for a while, which led me to Cooks & Soldiers. Prior to coming here, I knew that C&S had mainly small tapas-like plates, which was perfect for me since I just needed something to fill my tummy for the time being. With Iberian Pig, Sugo, Double Zero Napoletana and now Cooks & Soldiers under Castellucci Hospitality Group, you know it's bound to be top notch as their restaurants are some of the most popular in Atlanta.

Let's get started:

✿Sign

✿Exterior

✿Bar Area

✿Interior/Main Dining Room

✿Menu

✿Pato Ahumado (Smoked duck confit, caramelized onions, garlic, allioli, bleu cheese, brandied cherries)

✿Almejas (Sapelo Island clams, Basque cider, bacon, feta, apple, fennel)

✿Fruity Pebbles (Cereal milk croquetas, toasted marshmallow, citrus berry reduction)

✿Inside view of Fruity Pebbles

✿FOOD (5/5): Starting with the pato ahumado, I was pleasantly surprised at how well all of the different ingredients meshed with one another. The toasted bread paired wonderfully with the moist and smoky confit along with the zesty bleu cheese and garlic aioli. My favorite part of this dish had to be the brandied cherries-they were sweet, yet slightly boozy and complemented the savory cheese and onions incredibly well! Next came the almejas, the Sapelo Island clams dish. To be honest, these were just okay. The cider flavor overpowered the delicate essence of the clams, but made for a great dipping sauce for the toasted bread, which were already delicious on their own. The addition of the feta, bacon and green apple was tasty in the sense that they each added their own texture to the overall dish. Despite wanting to order several more small plates to try out, I decided to finish off my little tasting with their fruity pebbles dessert, which was one of the main reasons why C&S was on my radar in the first place. Get this, these little fried morsels of heaven are deep fried croquetas served with toasted marshallow, crumbled fruity pebble cereals and a finger-lickin' citrus berry dipping sauce. They're served fresh from the deep fryer and are piping hot when they arrive at your table. Don't let them sit for long since they're best consumed fresh--I'm sure that won't be a problem though since they're simply irresistible!

✿SERVICE (5/5): Upon entering C&S, I was immediately greeted by their friendly hostess and seated by one of the smaller tables near the windows in the main dining room. Seeing that I arrived just shortly after they opened, service was spot on in that my server (who's name I can't recall at this moment) immediately stopped by my table within a few seconds of being seated and filled my glass with water. When asked if it was my first time dining with them, I answered that it was. She replied with a huge and genuine welcome and proceeded to walk me through their entire menu, including the drinks as well. Additionally, she made some recommendations, which included both the pato ahumado and the clams dish, which is why I decided to order them. She was quick to bring out each dish and made sure to check up on me consistently in the short hour that I dined with them. She had the biggest smile on her face and was incredibly personable, friendly and attentive-I really wish I remembered her name because every Atlanta restaurant needs a server like her and I just really want to brag about how great she was! Despite the dinner crowd that was rushing in behind me, she still gave me her undivided attention each and every single time she stopped by my table, which certainly enhanced my dinner experience here.

✿DECOR (5/5): The decor at C&S is gorgeous, chic and elegant. When you walk through the front doors, you'll notice the bar area that extends all the way and the cured meats hanging from the rods. The main dining room has several smaller tables and booths on the outskirts, followed by a few conjoined tables in the center for larger parties. There's also a semi-closed off section (unsure as to whether or not the white curtain moves or not) as well as can be seen above. There are two wide glass windows that allow customers to look through into the open kitchen. In the afternoons and early evenings, the sun shines through the tall windows and naturally lights the place up, but in the evenings, the firefly pendant lights suspended from the ceilings illuminate the dining room and add an aesthetically pleasing touch and overall romantic vibe. The light wooden furnishings match well with the black and charcoal gray decor, which also add a rustic feel. Lastly, the outdoor patio is great for those that enjoy dining outside and matches that of many other restaurants in the area that also offer one, including JCT. Kitchen, Star Provisions, The Optimist, Bocado and more. 

Overall, despite spending a little more than I had initially wanted for a pre-dinner snack ($35 total w/ tip included), I'd highly recommend Cooks & Soldiers for their unique Basque-inspired menu, fantastic service and gorgeous decor! Dining here is definitely a splurge for me, but it's well worth it! A word of advice: bring friends. That way, you can try a wide variety of different items from the menu without breaking the bank!

Have a sweet day,

-Sandy

FTC: I was not paid or compensated for this review. All reviews and opinions expressed are my own.

If you'd like to invite Bella Vivere to cover & share your restaurant's media events, tastings or parties, feel free to shoot me an email at bellavivere {at} gmail {dot} com-Thanks!