Brooklyn Cafe in Sandy Springs, Georgia

As a Bronx, New York transplant I am always suspect of establishments that boost to have New York or Brooklyn flavor. I have seen them come and go and not come close to serving up the authentic Northern cuisine.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit a local restaurant, "The Brooklyn Café" for a friends Birthday luncheon. I checked out the menu on line and saw that they offered Lobster Bisque, Gazpacho, Fig & Walnut Salad and Jumbo Lump Crab cakes. So after I finished drooling over the menu I knew I had to make plans to visit.

As soon as you drive up to the restaurant, it is so reminiscence of what a local neighborhood Brooklyn café would look like, so I was very impressed. The outdoor terrace is where most of the "real" northerners dined just like they do it in Brooklyn. However, I have been a Northern transplant for so long that I am not really feeling the 100 degree weather here in Hotlanta, oh, I mean Atlanta, Georgia, so Fresco dining is out until fall!

Once you enter the café, it brings back more memories and some parts of it reminds me of a New England Café with the cute chairs and bead board surrounds. It was very friendly and felt like home. The only thing that was a little different was the beautiful artwork displayed throughout the café. It added a little something extra to the atmosphere and makes the dining experience a little more special.

Okay, I am serious about my food, so I had to focus on the menu and get my mind off the décor. So foody Karen kicked in and I thought I was ready as I had already previewed the menu prior to getting there, but then the wait staff came and made it all that more difficult. As he told us in detail about the new special and the favorites. There were so many wonderful items to choose from that I decided to go with the Grilled fish sandwich which was Mahi Mahi served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, dill sauce and came with a side order or chilled asparagus, green beans or French fries.

The presentation for the sandwich was just lovely. It was served on an open faced Kaiser roll with my side item. The fish was fresh and seasoned just right. It was absolutely delicious! That was such a great meal that I just had to try another dish, so I went for the Shrimp, Avocado and Tomato salad and that too had very fresh greens and the Shrimp was nicely seasoned. So another hit!

Since it was a birthday celebration, I couldn't leave without trying a little something sweet, so I went for the chocolate cheesecake. I must warn you, this cheesecake isn't for your average chocolate lover. This cake is for the serious chocoholics ONLY. Dangerous and Rich and I'll leave it at that!

Now, let's get to the price point for The Brooklyn Café in Sandy Springs, Georgia. You can have a lovely lunch for about $10.00 and if you want to add a starter you can choose from a nice bowl of soup for $5.00 or $6.00 more depending on your choice. So, I give the Brooklyn Café two thumbs up and say it was a great dinning experience and the food was fantastic! Check them out today at: www.brooklyncafe.com or visit them at their Sandy Springs location at:

220 Sandy Springs Cir NE # 101
Atlanta, GA 30328-3861
(404) 843-8377