The Georgia Pine, near Snellville GA

Resurrected from the ashes of Gary’s Bistro, the sister restaurant to “Local Republic” has emerged with a pared down menu and a focus on locally sourced meats and produce. Staff tell me it’s been open about two months, and the chef of Georgia Pine, Scott Smith, has Local Republic roots.

I went for lunch on Mike “Gadget Geek” Stock’s suggestion. We met at the bar and moved to a table. He ordered a reuben, I ordered the trout special. As appetizers I ordered a pickle plate and Mike ordered octopus. I added an extra side, some collards.

pickles.

octopus.

One of the biggest reubens I’ve ever seen.

Trout special. Excellent fish, as good as anything I had in Savannah over the weekend.

Everything was good, no stinkers in the lot. The pickles were tasty and subtle, the octopus had a hint of spice to it. Collards were tender and hit the spot. My fish was as good as anything I had while near the Atlantic coast, and Mike’s reuben was the king of sandwiches, in terms of size.

I’m told the menu is a work in progress, so expect more changes. But what I’ve seen so far is promising, and gives me hope this restaurant will stand to the big three of this region (Local Republic, Graft, Three Blind Mice) and lose nothing in the comparison.

The Georgia Pine
1250 Scenic Highway, Suite 1240
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
(770) 978-1800

Note: Mike’s take on this meal can be seen here.

 

Dunwoody Bistro, Dunwoody GA

It’s in the strip mall at the corner of Jett Ferry Road and Mount Vernon, a small cozy spot with a few chairs and tables inside, a couple outside. It’s a European eatery with a small menu, merely a page at lunch.

Soup of the day

Steak and brie sandwich

I came here and had a steak and brie sandwich. The brie surprised me a little as a cooked cheese; some of that was the hint of horseradish with the dish, which set off the chunks of steak and the bits of red bell pepper. There was also a soup I tried, with a cheesy broth and chunks of portobello, quite tasty.

Understated and pleasant, I’ll probably find my way back here sometime.

Dunwoody Bistro
2482 Jett Ferry Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338
(770) 206-5200

 

B’s Bistro, Sandy Springs GA

B’s Bistro is on Sandy Springs Circle, in  a strip mall a little north of the intersection of the Circle and Hammond. To get there, turn west from Hammond and Roswell Road, pass the Baskin Robbins, head to the next major intersection. Head north, and B’s will be in the strip mall almost immediately on your left.

Inside, it’s good looking, with much of the seating wrapped around a very long bar. There are a few seats clustered together on  the far side, but for the most part, it’s a bar and accompanying seats. The layout reminds me of Three Blind Mice, though at this point B’s is new enough it’s still building clientele. The two flat screen televisions by the bar made sports watching easy. If they regularly show sports, then B’s Bistro would be a better sports bar  than many in the area.

Staff was good and efficient. The kitchen is still getting its act in gear. That was the major problem I faced there, finding an item I could order. I ordered mussels, and staff said the kitchen didn’t have any that day.  Order a sandwich, and my waitress apologized for the time it took. Since I brought a book and was reading, I wasn’t quite sure why the apology was needed.

At lunch, it’s far cheaper than the Urban Spoon price point. The most expensive item on the lunch menu ran around $12. The sandwich was good, though the choice of meats sort of molded into a thick chunk of meat. Maybe it’s asking much to get a little green leavened into the meat, but that’s a minor point at best. B’s Bistro offered a nice sandwich, nice bread, good presentation, very pleasant ambience. I’d recommend it for now, with the proviso that the kitchen continue to improve.

B’s Bistro on the Circle
6010 Sandy Springs Circle
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
(404) 389-9258