Newly Reopened Bombay Grill - Savoy Drive in Chamblee

The Bombay Grill can be found at 2165 Savoy Dr, Chamblee, GA 30341, the access road that parallels I285 along the North end of the Perimeter between Chamblee Dunwoody Rd and N Peachtree Rd (the exist signs also lists N Shallowford Rd). Savoy Dr is on the inside of the Perimeter - you'll also see the massive Bowlmore (or is it Bowl 400 now?) facility nearby so it might be fun to plan both a buffet and bowling adventure.

Bombay has been at the location for many years - it's an interesting if a bit dated building that contained many tables and a fairly simple buffet line, originally. It was also a bit tired and offered very mediocre food and eventually closed more than a year ago. The few times that I ate here it had more to do with having a centralized meeting location than for the food itself - think very mediocre. I think the last time I ate at the original was over two years ago and I was little impressed. I'm happy to say that the new management has done a fantastic job both revamping the tired interior and producing much, much better food.

The exterior has been freshened up a bit, but it's really the interior that shines with new booths that provide a bit of intimacy that wasn't present originally, and much nicer, more upscale fixtures and trim details (check out the metal ceilings!). There are also some rather astonishing expansive artworks on the walls that provide stunning vistas into Indian life and culture. Kudos to the designer who took this place to the next level - there's both elegance and style where previously there was none. I'd feel comfortable entertaining any group at this restaurant.

I came during lunch and elected t have the buffet. Don't let the line fool you as there are many options that are a bit unobvious. The current hot-line has a soup kettle (which today contained a hot-and-sour soup that was spicier, more acidic and heartier than the typical mulligatawny), a long hot-table and a short table at ninety degrees that contained cold items. I thought the buffet food good but for a restaurant with Bombay in the name would have expected more Northern Indian items (even the Northern items seemed in need of a bit more spices as the flavors were a bit indistinct). The restaurant seemed to have more South-Indian items that belied its name (not that this is a bad thing but my South Indian friends noticed it right away). The other thing that was noticed, at least by my vegetarian friends, was that the veggie items were mixed with the meat items which is atypical of Indian buffets in the US - it doesn't bother me but Bombay may want to adjust this.

The other unexpected treat was the push-pot of Indian style latte - it wasn't the heavily spiced tea-cooked-with-milk that I experienced in Bangalore, but was still good and not something you typically see (although you can sometimes ask for it) - kudos to Bombay for having this extra touch.

 The third treat, and something you need to experience, is the Masala Dosa - when they come around offering naan they'll ask if you want one. If you haven't had this, it's basically a crepe-style pancake that's rolled over with a fill of curried veggies (mostly potato) and served with some sambar and chutneys. When I was in India this was my favorite breakfast item - traditionally served in the South on a banana leaf - it's simple, delicious food and worth experiencing if you haven't (yes I know some other buffets do this, but when I see it on a buffet it's typically small, enchilada-shaped dosas that have been sitting on a hotline - these are made fresh). 

I'm very curious now to experience Bombay Grill for dinner - perhaps I'll have an update to this review soon for the evening service. Speaking of service, in a word it was fantastic, with many people coming by our large table and taking care of us. Between the updated interior, the decent food and the great service, I'll be coming back, as will my friends.

-- John

(shorter version of this review posted to Yelp)

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse - Perimeter Center Near Perimeter Mall

This location of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse can be found at 4501 Olde Perimeter Way, Atlanta, GA 30346 in Perimeter Place, the large complex anchored by Target at the corner of Perimeter Center West and Perimeter Center Pky, near the Perimeter and Perimeter Mall which is at the top end perimeter... wait I don't think I've mentioned that this is at the perimeter? All perimeter jokes aside, you'll see Fleming's on the right as soon as you pull into Perimeter Place - there's a short driveway tot he valet.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse is part of Bloomin' Brands, the same group or restaurants that also include Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill. Of course all four are represented in the Perimeter Place shopping center with Fleming's being the flagship restaurant (it certainly has the highest priced menu of the four). The restaurant has a high-end, old-school feel to it with cloth tablecloths and napkins and plenty of staff running around with the same high-end appearance. Unfortunately, the restaurant falls a bit flat to me when compared to the other nearby restaurant with which it competes. When you enter the restaurant there's some type of smell associated with red meat that I found disconcerting, sort of a metallic scent in the air. I've eaten at the restaurant a handful of times and this same smell has assaulted me each time and frankly I thought not to return.

My most recent visit was due to a training and sales seminar that I attended where the subject matter was interesting enough to overcome my hesitation of returning, well that and the lunch was free (which I've found can overcome a lot!). The service in general was quite good and the food, including my steak, was excellent. The seminar itself was a bit boring and included too many topics for my mind to absorb readily so other than the free lunch the experience was a bit of wash. Nothing horrible to note and I did leave very full, just a bit of a unclean feeling that hung with me until I got back to work. Actually a couple of cocktails could have helped and maybe I'm being sensitive to something that's not quite there, an affectation perhaps.

Flat Breads served to the table as an appetizer

Custom Fleming's Cutlery

Individual Breads

Salad of Field Greens

Filet with Mashed Potatoes and hari couvert

Walnut Turtle Pie

So in general there was a sense of griminess to the place that I wasn't expecting - maybe it does so much business that it doesn't get fully clean or maybe I just came at a bad time or time of day - I really don't know and it's nothing I can quite put my finger on to define. It may be that pervasive smell of meat that prevented me from fully enjoying myself but whatever it was, there was nothing to entice me into returning.

And therein lies the rub - I'd much rather go down the street to Capital Grille when I'm in the mood for fine dining, or to McKendrick's Steak House if I want a fine quality steak when I'm so inclined. If I'm looking for a more value-priced steak, I'd rather go to the sister-company Outback Steakhouse which is within walking distance as it seems to be more reasonably priced. My company provides Bloomin' Brands gift cards every Holiday season, I'm not sure if it's the smell of this place or something else, but I'd rather use the card at Outback instead of Fleming's. I'm probably just too cheap to really get this place, preferring a nice sushi dinner for the money.

-- John

Los Bravos Mexican Restaurant - Johnson Ferry and Ashford Dunwoody Rd

You can find Los Bravos Mexican Restaurant at 2042 Johnson Ferry Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30319 in the corner of Johnson Ferry and Ashford-Dunwoody Rds in Chamblee. This is the shopping center anchored by Kroger that also conveniently hosts Star Bucks and is a bit of a community center for residents in the area. Los Bravos is on the Eastern-side of the building between Dollar Tree and Starbucks.

I've been coming to Los Bravos for close to 15 years - I had previously visited the Los Bravos on Decatur Rd near the hospital so I was very familiar with the style of food. This is more of a quantity and value play rather than a superlative food play, although it does have some standouts. 

The interior is painted in bright colors and there is a small Cantina-style bar where you can get your cervesa and margarita (both frozen and on the rocks). I rarely come here for drinks - it's the quick lunches and great service that keeps me coming back. There's ample seating in the large rooms in back or for a more intimate atmosphere there are also booths. 

Usual clientele are generally the employees of businesses found locally - lot's of technical people from the hospital, the Cox campus and others. We eat here quite a bit due to its proximity to my work, the quality of the service, the speed of delivery, the price of the food, and because they are accommodating to my friend Sid's vegetarian needs. They'll gladly make most dishes with a substitute of beans, potatoes or onions/peppers.

The chips and salsa are very basic - nothing particularly spicy in the salsa, however the chips have always been fresh for me, often still hot from the fryer. 

There's a special lunch menu where you can eat for right around $7 and the food can be quite filling, especially when you eat a lot of chips - however those chips do take their toll, both in calories and in coma-inducing effect later in the afternoon. I have other recommendations that I believe are still both very good and of great value:

Chicken Soup - this is one of my favorite dishes at Los Bravos - I usually get the large but most will find the small more manageable - add a side or a taco the small isn't quite enough. I love this soup - chicken stock with fresh lime, chunks of shredded chicken, pico and a bit o rice. The large is in a bowl that could fit on your head - seriously, so consider than when ordering. I love this in the winter or when I'm feeling a bit under-the-weather. It's a bit too hot to order during the summer (I sometimes still get it but it's hard to finish the large).

Chicken Soup (Large)

Chicken Soup (Small)

Fish Tacos - these are huge and quite good - and you can get them griddled or fried, one or two (two mostly cover a huge platter so keep that in mind). I go for this when I need a bit of a healthier option.

Carnitas - these are slow roasted pork chunks, served fork-tender with a  bit of crust on the outside and are absolutely delicious. These are served with cooked onions and a spicy sauce that I've only seen with this dish - I liberally pour it over the meat and break up the chunks a bit so it slathers all surfaces. The carnitas are served with pico, sliced avocado, lettuce, rice,  refried beans and flour tortillas. This is my number one dish when I'm famished.

Carnitas Dinner

Carnitas Dinner

Fajitas - whether you get beef, chicken or shrimp, the Tex-Mex fajitas at Los Bravos are quite passable - the lunch portion is smaller than the dinner and for the $2 or so difference in price I'd say go for it, unless you're on a mad-numbers-crunching-budget. This dish comes steaming on a hot pan with all of the sides included with the carnitas above.

Number 6 Combination - This is my favorite combination, one burrito, one enchilada and one taco - I get this all chicken to cut down a bit on the calories, plus I'm not a big fan of the spiced ground beef at Tex-Mex restaurants. This is the equivalent of a Number 21 or Number 11 at other Tex-Mex chains (funny how you can derive the history of these restaurants by the Combination menu numbering - it seems that most of the menus have been copied from each other through the years - I'm sure there's some correlation between the restaurants relative age and the spawning of new restaurants as chefs move on to open their own restaurants).

Number 6 Combination

Speedy Gonzales (vegetarian)

Speedy Gonzales (vegetarian)

Special Lunch A (Chicken)

Special Lunch A (Chicken)

Pollo Ranchero

Burrito Verde

Special Lunch No 3 (Huevos Rancheros)

Pollo Ranchero

Chicken Casadilla

The service here is very good and the hostesses very accommodating, even for large parties (I've brought as many as 20 here without reservations and only had to wait a few minutes for them to juggle the seating). They also will split the check (you tell them what you ordered when you line-up to pay - they subtract until the last person gets stuck with anything anyone forgot - ha! So make sure you pay first.). All-in-all a good, solid dining experience.

Adios!

-- John