Citysearch
October 25, 2007
Editorial Review for Enoteca Carbonari – by Jennifer Soong
The Scene
The owners of Baraonda opened a cozy neighboring eatery, replete with wine bottles and a wood-burning oven. Dark exposed-wood beams and medieval chandeliers contrast with stone accents. Aglow in soft lighting, the restaurant is ripe for romance and the never-ending wine list, abundant with Tuscan wines, should quell any first-date jitters. Knowledgeable servers help to decipher the menu and make complementary pairings.
The Food
The tasting-friendly menu has an Italian bent, but don't expect any pasta or pizza specialties. There are a handful of dinner entrees, like a daily fish, but you may prefer to stick with small plates for sharing and paninis at lunchtime. A cheese selection, mostly semi-soft, comes artfully arranged with warm bread, pecans and a dollop of jam. The cured meats of proscuitto and salami make an excellent combination with grilled vegetable crostoni. You'll want to linger over a glass of vino.
User Reviews for Enoteca Carbonari
Avoid "the norm"
05/17/2007 Posted by nacyraq
This is a great place! Very romantic, as they've definitely mastered the "wine cellar" feeling ~ or sit on the patio and enjoy a view of Atlanta's most popular street. The menu is small but there is something for everyone - its not your every day italian menu as the pasta is very limited, but the meat is fantastic, the bread is always great, and the unique menu items make it difficult to choose just one thing. The service is always great (Tom knows his stuff!), and its worth any wait you may experience. GREAT date spot! (Unless you're going to a show, try to go on a night that has a quiet Fox, otherwise you'll be waiting!)
Terrific value, great wait service, relaxing atmosphere
02/24/2007 Posted by bb_s
Update Update!!! Went for the second time last evening 8/10/07. Sadly, Tom our wait person last time had just moved out of state. Bummer. No matter. The rest of the wait staff was exceptional and I give Mario a lot of credit for cultivating such a hard working group. But.....all that would be worthless if the food weren't so darn delicious. Started off with gnocchi and proscuitto. Interesting take on gnocchi and very yummy. Next, a beet salad. That was pretty darn interesting with a lot of flavors popping through. Masterful really. Then onto the meat dish. Not big red meat eaters but we gave it a shot and we're glad we did. It was a combination pork, duck, lamb, sausage and strip steak (think I got that right) all grilled and artfully arranged in a bowl with some beans. Wow. It was just great. Wonderful grilled flavor and everything was tender and perfectly done. Sadly, we couldn't finish it all so we had to take it home. Too bad we'll have enough for lunch huh? Then, 'cause it was 800 degrees out, we had to have a little gelato so we did the pistachio thingy and that was great too. Bottom line....great wait staff.....delicious food....and the ambience takes you out of ATL to somewhere else although according to my expert traveler, not Italy. Doesn't matter. It was a relaxing, enjoyable evening, flawlessly served and absolutely delicious. Mario really has something to be proud of and ATL should let him know it!
Pros: Great Food, Wonderful Service,
Cons: can't think of one
