A couple weeks ago, I attended a media preview of Buckhead Bottle Bar.  It was the night before I was leaving for New York, so I definitely planned to take it easy on the dinner front so I could wake up for my 7 a.m. flight feeling skinny and ready to take on NYC.

Well, then I shouldn’t have gone to Bottle Bar for a 3-course meal.

A few weeks prior, I got the chance to preview the space while it was still in the construction phase, so it was cool to see it in the completed state.

Now picture it without all those tables which come out as they transition from dinner to late-night on the weekends.  You know that moment -  you’ve had a leisurely dinner with friends, you’re on your 4th or 5th cocktail, the conversation is starting to get crazier….then the DJ starts.  And, you nix your plans to hit another bar and end up staying in the same place you started all night.  That must be the goal at Bottle Bar.

I, of course, brought Chesley as my plus-one to the dinner and our eyes glazed over as we checked out the food menu.  Oh, and the drink menu.  I’m a big fan of places that offer a good $6 glass of wine, especially when it’s a trendy spot where you may think, upon walking in, that $15 cocktails are the norm.  What…a pleasant surprise.

After drink orders, we decided on the Cheese and Crab Fritters (I’m always down for any kind of “fritter”), Calamari, White Wine Mussels and Fries, and I ordered the Lamb Burger with Goat Cheese for my entree.

What diet?

And for the record, I haven’t stopped thinking about that burger since.  The chef, Ian Winslade, knows what he’s doing over there.

Since dessert was included in our “tasting” we had to go for it, even though I was starting to feel uncomfortably full.  Bring on Great Grandma Hattie’s Sticky Toffee Pudding and the Black and Tan Cheesecake.  I was officially stuffed, but more importantly, I needed to know who this Great Grandma Hattie was.

One of the best parts about Buckhead Bottle Bar?  It’s right next to Park Bench, Chesley’s and my old stomping grounds.  Had it been a weekend night and/or I didn’t have a 7 a.m. flight the next morning, we may have headed over there to dance on stage with Francisco and try to work off some of those fritters.

I’m sure that will be the plan next time, but I might have to skip Great Grandma Hattie and drink my dessert calories instead.