Rumi's Persian Restaurant

Nothing soothes the soul like Persian food. As a novice to middle eastern cuisine, my friends took me to a new Persian establishment in Atlanta: Rumi's. The restaurant has a very open layout where the kitchen opens into the bar which opens into the front of the restaurant. The contemporary design makes it a very beautiful place to celebrate occasions. Even if you have a reservation, the wait can be slightly long esp on weeknights. Our service, however, was impeccable.

The best part of the experience is the food. I ordered the Jujeh Chicken with saffron rice and cooked tomato served with fresh basil. I would have to say this was the best chicken I have ever had. The meat literally melts off of the bone and is so tender and infused with herbs. In addition, they have this special house seasoning that complements the rice and the chicken. My friends tried the Chicken Koobideh and the Barg Kabob Beef Tenderloin and both raved about their dishes. For dessert we ordered Rumi's tart and baklava; Both of which has really good texture, and the perfect amount of sweetness that wasn't overwhelming on the palate.

The prices I would say are on the higher side with a typical entree between $18 - $25, but the portions are pretty large. Overall, I would come back here if it was a nice occasion for their amazing chicken. Plus I want to try the fig ice cream and the Pot Du Creame!

Bantam + Biddy: A Chicken Rotisserie

In my pursuit to explore Atlanta's foodie culture, I decided to stop by a new place on Piedmont Rd. Nestled amid Opera, one of Atlanta's top nightclubs and Ra, a sushi powerhouse, Bantam and Biddy is a gem. Parking is plenty and accessible with a back-sided entrance into the restaurant.

Upon entering  walking through an awkward bathroom area, we were greeted by a friendly server and seated instantly. The fast service provided by the very sweet servers seemed very positive. The only thing that surprised me was how little our server knew about what was in some of the items; he might have been fairly new so I won't hold this over him or the restaurant.

This place truely lives up to its name; you can't go wrong ordering anything with chicken. For breakfast we ordered the Challah French toast served with honey butter, Protein Scramble (an amalgamation of eggs, rotisserie chicken, scallions and goat cheese), and freshly squeezed orange juice. The challah or egg bread gave it an gorgeous creamy inside especially when dipped into the honey butter. The protein scramble was a executed perfectly with the goat cheese perfectly balancing the texture of the chicken and eggs. We wanted to try the Green Monster Smoothie but they were sold out by 10:00 in the morning.

We also ate lunch here. Personally I preferred the breakfast more than the lunch, but the entrees were decent.We got the 1/2 Carolina Chicken with piri piri sauce with cheddar mac and cheese and loaded mashed potatoes and the penne pasta with chicken, zucchini, and eggplant. The highlight was the loaded mashed potatoes!

I would say it's slightly pricey and is one of those places you go to once or twice. I would  thoroughly recommend this restaurant.

Protein Scramble with Fresh Fruit

French Toast with Honey Butter and Blueberries