Libretto's - New Parktowne Village location

Il Diavolo (back half) and San Gennaro (front). The Il Diavolo was spicy and one of our very favorite menu items!

Soon after moving back to Charlotte in 2012 I visited the Ballantyne location of Libretto's - post here. Now a third Charlotte location at Parktowne Village (corner of Woodlawn and Park Rds.) joins Ballantyne and Epicentre. I recently had two very enjoyable meals at Libretto's - Parktowne and even had the opportunity to speak with owner Mike Libretto about his restaurants and the restaurant business here in Charlotte. 

All of the food was good and the atmosphere at this location is pleasant, nice for couples and families with a bar available for single diners as well. The eggplant parmigiana remains a personal favorite. However, this was my first time trying the pizza and it was also very good - so many delicious specialty pies to choose from. My husband and I both love spicy foods so the Il Diavolo was right up our alley with pepperoni, spicy sausage, jalapenos and roasted garlic - yum! The stuffed mushrooms were also fantastic as an appetizer and we enjoyed the linguini with clam sauce as well. The best news is that this new location delivers to where we live - awesome! I look forward to returning to Libretto's to try more soon, including the wings, Square pizzas, Calzones and Strombolis. 

 Out front.

 Neat bar/outdoor area. When the weather is nice you can sit outside overlooking the fountain!

Full bar. 

Half of a Roasted Beet Salad - kitchen was nice enough to split this for us.

Linguini with White Clam Sauce - garlicky and delicious!

Florentine (right half) and New Yorker (left).

Display of pizzas and garlic knots. Easy to stop in for a quick lunch.

Tasty garlic knots with the wonderful tomato sauce.

Stuffed Mushrooms with sausage in a creamy alfredo sauce - so good!

Eggplant Parmigiana - a beautiful rendition and still one of my top picks.

Eggplant Rollatini - awesome appetizer - would be enough for small appetite meal.

Side of meatballs. Must try. The baby also loved these!

Cannoli we tried was good! Tiramisu, cheesecake and a brownie are also available to satisfy the sweet tooth.

The Capital Grille - New Additions to Plates Menu

Shrimp and Piquillo Peppers with Crisp Bomba Rice with grilled spring vegetables on the side.

I was recently invited to sample The Capital Grille's new Spring Plates Menu. The new additions feature asparagus soup (hot), fresh spring vegetables and a tasty shrimp and rice dish - the perfect light lunch for spring. The asparagus soup (below) was particularly tasty and the "Bomba" rice served with the lightly spiced shrimp reminded me of risotto.

The New England clam chowder, a long time offering on the Plates menu, is another item I had not tried previously. The chowder was creamy and full of clams and potatoes as it should be. The Plates menu at The Capital Grille continues to be an affordable means of enjoying the upscale atmosphere and delightful view at Atlanta's Buckhead location.

Delicious asparagus soup.



Lobster roll with truffle fries.



New England clam chowder.

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Alfredo's - An Atlanta Classic

Calamari.

Somehow I lived in Atlanta for more than four years before I dined at Alfredo's Italian Restaurant. I drive past it all the time and heard that it exemplified "old-school Italian" cooking so I'm not sure why I waited so long! One reason might be that the parking lot is always full and a reservation is a must on the weekend. Luckily when we had a friend visiting from out of town we reserved a table and had a lovely meal. It really is old-style Italian (and old-style Atlanta, having operated for more than 35 years), with wonderful, attentive service by men who appear to have been in the business for years and a head waiter/maitre'd who reminds me of some of the characters in stereotypical mafia films.

The signature sign on Cheshire Bridge Road.



Mussels appetizer.

For the amount of food you receive, the value is outstanding. Although I did not photograph the buttery garlic bread or the pickled vegetables that are brought out to every table, they were both delicious, the veggies very nostalgic and the bread great for sopping up all the delicious sauces presented throughout the meal - I think we ate four baskets! The above-pictured mussels are listed in the "Zuppe" section and do contain a delicious white wine/garlic broth that can be eaten as soup after consuming the delicious mollusks.

For entrees the three of us split two: the linguine pescattore and the veal three ways. Both were outstanding. More yummy sauce to eat with garlic bread!



Padrino (Godfather): veal three ways with spinach.

Chicken and the Egg - A New Destination in Marietta

Over the weekend my family was invited to a pre-opening "friends & family" night at Chicken and the Egg, a new farm to table restaurant in Marietta. While I don't visit Marietta often, Calvin and I both agreed we will return here for the excellent food, atmosphere and service - our server Richard really took great care of us. For all those Cobb County-ites, the existence of Chicken and the Egg should cut down on the tendency for many to drive all the way ITP for modern Southern cuisine. This week the restaurant opens with dinner service only; lunch will be added August 8 and a family style weekend brunch will also be in the mix at a future date. I look forward to returning again soon!

Creative cocktails include the "Dirty South" martini, featuring house pickled okra instead of olives and "South of the Border", a refreshing watermelon cooler with a kick.



The amuse bouche included one of my favorite foods: a scallop served over homemade ravioli. I am assured that there is some variation of this on the full dinner menu!



Delicious mini sweet corn muffins, available with sorghum butter and maple butter - yum! These will definitely be a big hit for brunch.



Fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese fondue, country ham and tomato jam. One of our favorite parts of the meal. I loved the tomato jam and Calvin had been talking about fried green tomatoes for weeks - finally satisfied his craving.



Roasted heirloom tomato and vidalia onion soup. This soup was creamy but not too heavy. I really enjoyed the deep tomato flavor, but did not really taste much onion.



Short ribs with smoked gouda au gratin potatoes, baby carrots (including heirloom varieties in purple and white). Our waiter was impressed that my 8 year old stepdaughter ordered this - and she loved it, especially those potatoes, which were really quite something.



Clams + Linguini - littlenecks with crispy pork belly, tomatoes, onions in a spicy broth with griddled bread. This was my favorite entree. So much flavor and just the right spice.



The fried chicken was also fantastic - you can tell the chicken is brined before being breaded and fried. The mac & cheese was another table favorite - I'm sensing a pattern with us and cheese! It contains 5 cheeses and was absolutely delicious. The braised turnip greens added a green, flavorful component to the southern feast.



I didn't taste the vegetarian lasagna but it looked awesome and a woman at the table next to us was nice enough to let me photograph her plate!



Functional decor - makes it easy for the waitstaff to replenish silverware and adds a nice touch to the dining room.



Bar area - I was impressed at the overall size of the restaurant. There is also a private room available for small to medium sized groups.



Fried apple pie with boiled peanut and sorghum ice cream. After my recent foray into ice creams, this was definitely interesting and tasty.



Outstanding banana pudding. Definitely my top pick for dessert - from what I tried so far anyway! I look forward to returning soon!