One of my friends recently celebrated her birthday at KR Steakbar in Peachtree Hills. This spot is the latest in the Kevin Rathbun collection of Atlanta restaurants and just as tasty as the other two spots. For a group dinner, this was an EXCELLENT choice since all of the plates are small and sampling is the rule of the day. A group our size makes ordering a bit tricky, but our server was extremely helpful in the process. As a group, we loved almost all of the food, but there were definite standouts. To begin, let's chat about the artichokes from the 2013 Creative Loafing List. These babies are tiny globe artichokes, trimmed to their hearts, lightly battered and fried with lemon slices. Delish! I highly recommend eating the lemon too. If you have a large group, order multiple plates!As great as the artichokes were, the unanimous opinion of what was "list worthy" was the grilled bacon. I generally avoid olives (too salty for my taste), but the mixture of olives, chilies and bacon. OH MY -- wonderful! This dish is also available in the bar area if you're in the neighborhood and want to swing by.Soft-shell crabs are now in season and KR Steakbar perfectly flash fries them. I adore these little bits, but only half of the crowd was even willing to try them. Soft-shell crabs are mentally challenging, but worth working through!Also in the seafood/challenging corner is the grilled octopus. This dish with squid ink and white beans looks a little intimidating, but everyone who tried it thoroughly enjoyed the smoky flavor. HIGHLY recommend this dish!

In case you want some veggies in the mix, you won't go wrong with the vegetable misto dish where the assortment of asparagus, squash, and root veggies are lightly fried and served with an olive oil, garlic, basil dipping sauce. This one went fast!We skipped the pasta part of the dining experience which was likely a bad call. However, no one was in the carb mood, so we went straight to the protein part of the meal. There were enough Californians at the table excited about seeing Tri-tip on the menu (a cut of meat originating in Santa Maria, CA) that we ordered several plates. Nom. Nom.The hanger steak was also tasty and, since we ordered it medium rare, perfectly cooked. I love when a kitchen gets the temperature correct! Well done KR!!! The salmon was solid, though not particularly noteworthy. I hear the lobster is fab, so that's on the list for next time!My favorite sides were the potatoes, kale salad, and snap peas (pictured below). The snap peas are in season THIS INSTANT and are as sweet as sugar!Desserts are definitely a treat. If you're into chocolate and hazelnut and a pudding that tastes like a lighter, less grainy version of Nutella, this is the dessert for you.If you're in love with cakes and enjoy the nutty flavor olive oil gives, try the olive oil cake with pistachio gelato.However, if you want something completely unusual and divine, try the smoked strawberries. The picture doesn't do the dish justice, but WOW! So, so good!Overall, a fun spot to eat and a great night to celebrate a friend. Happy dining!

Restaurant Review: KR Steakbar