So last night I was supposed to have a kickball game…the classic 30-something team sport! If you haven’t heard Atlanta has had horrible storms lately, so at the last minute our game was cancelled. Rather than staying in and watching the rain, the hubster (RG) and I decided to venture out to a trendy local restaurant. Two Urban Licks is part of the Concentrics Restaurant group, and for the record I haven’t been disappointed with any of their spots yet. And I was not disappointed last night.
It is not easy to find though, located in the Inman Park/Old Fourth Ward area of Atlanta it is off a random road and back in an industrial looking building. You have to keep your eyes out, they have signs pointing you in the right direction but they are difficult to see also. Google Maps actually pointed us in the wrong direction too…so just make sure you have an idea of where it is ahead of time.
Pulling in, I had my doubts. It didn’t look like it would warrant its reputation…but it definitely did.
We sat at the bar, had some drinks, listened to live music, and ate dinner. The ambiance was amazing. It is a trendy scene, but not in an intimidating way everyone is there to have a good time. We mingled with another couple and an “NFL third-stringer” (I think that was a bit of an exaggeration, maybe he was on the Canadian league). Regardless, after we ate I wasn’t ready to leave. I could have danced and drank for a while longer, but alas I had to go to work in the morning so we did head out.
Thursday through Sunday there is a live band. It was two guys on a guitar and one on the drums. You would think that would be too loud and obnoxious for a nice sit-down restaurant, but it actually was a compliment to the scene. Two is known for infused liquors and those did not disappoint. I tried a berry infused cocktail and a pear infused one, while RG tried a blood orange manhattan. They were all very flavorful, pretty strong, but not too strong that you couldn’t swallow. I would say limit yourself to two, because they are deceivingly strong.
To complement the drinks we started with a calamari appetizer. I am not a huge fan of calamari but RG is always suggesting that as our starter. I gave in last night, and it was probably the best calamari I have had in Atlanta. It was just right, not tough or too chewy, and it was drizzled in a sauce that had just the right amount of sweetness with a touch of sour. I couldn’t stop eating it.
Because we started with a heavy fried appetizer I opted for the Ahu Tuna appetizer and a side salad as my entree. The Ahi Tuna came on top of homemade potato chips drizzled with a horseradish sauce. It had a complex mix of flavors but really came together well. The salad it came with raisins, feta cheese and a mustard vinagrette dressing. I could take or leave the salad, I probably should have tried the french onion soup instead. RG ordered the briskett and let me just tell you…this melted in your mouth. I don’t even remeber what the side was with this the briskett was that good. AND the piece was large enough for two meals. We took home about a third of it and made nachos with the left-overs. I want to say it was even better today, the spices and flavoring really sunk in. It is a bit spicey, so if you have a sensitive pallet be aware.
The best part of all was the entire restaurant group is running a special called Summer Swag. Through Labor Day you get 50% off up to $25…just enough to pay for the drinks 🙂
Nicole Guess | Drink. Dine. Discover 