Here's a draft from the past (11/30/05!) that never got published for some odd reason... probably because I was packing up for the move to California. Regardless, this is an abbreviated recollection of our date at Canoe.

Somehow, in our first three years worth of dating, my then-fiancee, now-wife and I had never been on a traditional "date" date. We'd gone dancing and had coffee, made each other dinner and eaten out dutch, climbed Stone Mountain and went canoeing, even slept on top of a building together to watch the sunrise - but never a "traditional" guy - asks - girl - out - for - dinner - at - a - nice - restaurant date.

Clearly it was high time.

SO, we made a night of it and dined at Canoe, and it exceeded all our expectations.

Sandi looked stunning in a red and black floral Puimond corset (from Madame S) and matching black flowing dress (from JC Penney's, proving you don't have to shop in San Francisco for style). I did my best to match in a red turtleneck, black leather jeans, and long leather coat from Stormy Leather, but Sandi was clearly the star of the show in her elegant ensemble and long flowing hair.

Canoe itself is in Vinings on the banks of the Chatahoochee, and riffs incessantly on its name: a fish-and-game heavy menu, canoe-shaped ceilings, and even little wooden paddles to stir your tea. As I recall, we both had fish; while the menu has no doubt changed I had something like the peppered Alaskan halibut, which now comes with mushrooms, sugar snap peas and giant couscous, and Sandi had the grilled salmon, which now comes with wilted baby spinach, spaghetti squash and carrot saute. I don't remember precisely whether this is what we got, but from the ingredient list alone these are "high schema" Sandi and Anthony meals, and I seem to recall the giant couscous being really delicious. Of course memories can be inaccurate, but I remember it being tasty.

The service was similarly stunning: the waitstaff was very attentive, our tea was rapidly refilled, and no-one gave the goth couple from San Francisco guff over her tight corset and his long leather vest coat. (OK, technically we were living in Atlanta then, but we had gotten engaged in San Francisco at a goth / industrial / fetish dance club, and a few months later we moved out here. The point is, while we looked very formal and very sharp, we didn't look very Vinings, and they still treated us wonderfully).

And I'd say more, but I now remember why this post didn't get posted: we took pictures, and I'm pretty sure they all went missing for some reason. Ah well.

It was still a fantastic restaurant, and exceeded our expectations.

Go check it out!
-the Centaur

Labels: Restaurant Review