Dining Out: Little Alley Steakhouse
There are plenty of good steakhouses in Atlanta, and Billy and I are taking a hit for the team to make sure that we confirm this fact for all of you! A couple of weeks ago our friends were raving about Little Alley Steak in Roswell, so we jumped in and scored a Saturday Date Night reservation. The raves were true -- the dishes were (mostly) hits, the atmosphere was fun, fun, and our server was fantastic. The fact that the location was close to home only made the evening better. Of course, you need to bring a good attitude when it comes to finding a parking spot in Roswell since it's always a bit of a hassle near Canton St. That said, here's the skinny on what we ordered.
First up, some appetizers: I think the best was the lobster bisque, but I have to take that faith based on the fact that my friend was decidedly low key about the yumminess and gobbled it all down without sharing. I didn't recognize her low key tactic at first, but in hindsight I see how it worked.
I thoroughly enjoyed my beet and goat cheese salad with pork belly, but not everyone was as enthusiastic as I. Perhaps it's an acquired taste?
Billy had the Cobb Salad which, for me, was the only real miss of the evening. The flavors were fine but, as you can see, the dish was a tad anemic.
However, the main event of the evening more than made up for a disappointing Cobb Salad. The Chicago cut beef was incredible! Our friends ordered the "Progression of New York Strip" which is a sample of beef that has been wet aged, USDA prime, and dry aged. Each came with a "salt pairing" (I've never heard of that!) Wow!
When it came time for Billy and I to make a decision, we decided to "go big or go home," and so we split a 30 oz. steak (I forget the name of the cut!!) special. Of course, the bone is about 7 ounces so it's not as much meat as it sounds (nor do you get a t-shirt for finishing it). The meat comes at the temperature the chef selects (medium rare), which is perfectly fine by me. The au jus on the side was all you need as an accompaniment.
However, you can't really have a steakhouse experience without some sides. Our favorite was the mac -n- cheese. When your restaurant is in the heart of the south, you better bring your A game to this side and Little Alley does exactly that.
After a little "Rock, Paper, Scissors" competition I was able to finish off the goodness on the steak bone.
However, the real winner was Mack the "puppy," who enjoyed a surprise brunch on Sunday morning.
Happy dining!!