Restaurants in Marietta

Do you waste hours in bakeries trying to decide whether you want to buy a full-sized cake or a cupcake? You're not alone. Recent bar graphs show that 78% of all Americans feel overwhelmed when deciding which baked good to purchase and often leave the store empty-handed. Your next visit doesn't have to end dessert-less. Commit the following chart to memory and deciding will be no problem:

You've had grits, but you haven't had grits the way Dogwood does them. Today's Groupon gets you $35 worth of food and drink for only $15 at the sophisticated southern food Midtown restaurant at 565 Peachtree St. Redefine grits with toppings like butter-poached lobster, fried oysters, pimento cheese, and ham. Grits are just one way Dogwood turns traditional southern specialties into modern marvels: its menu boasts twists like a baby arugula salad with pickled watermelon, fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic reduction.

The simple description of Fishook Grille’s cuisine is “South African,” but since the country's culinary influences come from around the globe, that term doesn’t quite capture the diverse flavors that spring from each dish. The spices are Portuguese, the cooking techniques are Bangladeshi, and the entrees themselves—tilapia, salmon—are reflections of the coastal country’s prominent fishing industry. The eatery also features an abundance of health-conscious dishes, including entrees that are grilled instead of being fried in oil or injected with cream filling. The restaurant’s two locations pay homage to South Africa in other ways, too; artwork from the country lines their walls, and their moniker derives from the small fishing village of Fish Hoek.

Chandeliers illuminate red, tufted booths and draped walls replete with golden Buddhas, Middle Eastern art, and woven-wood panels. Such touches earned Tantra an "Extraordinary-to-Perfection" decor rating from Zagat and OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice Award for romantic restaurant. The eatery also received high praise for its service and food, propelled in part by executive chef Terry Dwyer’s blend of Mediterranean, Indian, and Persian flavors. Drawing from his training at the Culinary Institute of America, chef Dwyer caramelizes scallops in a basil rub, grills ostrich filets, and stuffs pork tenderloins with quince and fennel, using these distinctive combinations to bring out unexpected flavors and baffle blindfolded taste testers. On the first Tuesday of every month, these dishes couple with tango dancing to add an extra layer of romance and spontaneity to dinner dates.

He may sometimes be busy appearing on CBS’ Better Mornings Atlanta, but Who’s Got Soul Southern Café founder and head chef Keith Kash is so serious about food, his restaurant has its own mission statement. Emphasizing attention to detail and a love of food in each dish, Keith and his café staff stand by a commitment to cooking only high-quality foods with an emphasis on family and cultural traditions. At two locations, guests can choose meals of catfish, ribs, wings, or sandwiches, many of which come with a choice of sides, such as slaw, potatoes smashed with an organic anvil, and steamed cabbage with carrots.

Authentic Chinese, Thai, and Malaysian dishes dusted in spices and doused in curries make noses curious and mouths water as diners peruse a menu of more than 100 Asian fusion items. Inside the restaurant, walls the color of green tea adorned with bamboo-shoot silhouettes surround customers devouring dishes such as Malaysian curry chicken served in a clay pot with potatoes, onions, and string beans alongside general tso’s chicken glazed with spicy sauce. Bright-red box letters spelling Malaya light up nightly to draw in diners, and speedy staff members zoom delivery orders to offices, kitchen tables, and opera balconies.