New Taste Tuesday: Secreto Kitchen & Bar
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| (c) Paulo Junior |
Secreto Kitchen and Bar is your new reason to venture outside Atlanta proper for a memorable meal. With a Southern-inspired menu and an elegant yet relaxed setting, this restaurant is worth the drive to Alpharetta.
Executive chef Boyd A. Rose puts a contemporary spin on his secret family recipes, using locally sourced ingredients and decades of experience in culinary innovation. Every bite at Secreto is sure to satisfy your comfort food cravings in an elevated way.
WHY GO: Because you need a new go-to spot outside the perimeter to catch up with your parents/coworkers/girlfriends.
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| The decor is the perfect mix of rustic and modern |
THE VIBE: Super cozy and inviting, yet just sophisticated enough.
DRINK THIS: The Repossessed signature cocktail. Made with rye whiskey, ginger beer, lemon and bitters, it is refreshing and very satisfying. The bartenders seriously know what they’re doing here.
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| The Repossessed signature cocktail |
EAT THIS: Starting your meal with the crispy seared lamb belly is a must! It is hard to put into words how tasty this dish is. It’s topped with a spicy tomato jam, which is life-changing.
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| Crispy seared lamb belly (c) Paulo Junior |
The hubs and I also had the roasted red pepper crab bisque and the arugula beet salad before our main course. Both were very impressive: The latter had every ingredient I like on a salad, so it’s basically my new favorite thing to eat, and the soup was very well-balanced, where neither of the major flavors overwhelmed the other.
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| Roasted red pepper crab bisque |
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| Arugula beet salad (with goat cheese and pistachios) |
For the main course, you cannot go wrong with any of the menu items, which include coastal shrimp and grits, chef Boyd's Southern fried chicken and Charleston-style crab cakes. I went for the shrimp and grits and the hubs had the pan-seared diver scallops -- they were both so satisfying (I keep coming back to this word, because it very accurately describes the entire menu).
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| Pan-seared diver scallops |
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| Coastal shrimp & grits |
For dessert, you cannot pass up Chef Boyd’s carrot cake. Putting a twist on his grandmother’s recipe, he makes it extra fluffy and tops it with cream cheese frosting. Yum!
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| Chef Boyd's carrot take, inspired by his grandmother's recipe |
LOGISTICS: Secreto Kitchen and Bar is located at 6195 Windward Pkwy, Suite 102, in Alpharetta. There’s plenty of free parking right in front of the restaurant, and reservations are available for dinner Monday through Saturday and lunch Monday through Friday.