Eclectic Bar & Bistro

Remember Tierra? Probably not, anymore... Except maybe for their tres leche. It was decent but it was never as good as everyone was jacking it off to be. The food was ok but the seats were too close to one another that you could smell what the person next to you had for breakfast. It was a nice little neighborhood mom & pop shop that lasted many years but there were too many factors that led to their decision to close shop. They had a good run but it looks like it's time for someone else to break wind in here. So, enters Eclectic...

It's not a good sign when a brand new restaurant is already doing interweb deals in their first month of opening. Amateur hour at it's finest. In your face Scoutmob and Yelp deals only strengthens their path to doom. It's like a ticking time bomb ready to explode like some teenager's sack of blueballs. But that's not always the case with every resto that does deals. So, let's take a chance and a looksie...

I walked in, the place was dead (as with every other time I drive past it), wanted to turn around but the bartender spotted me... Too late. Let's give it a go and see what's up. They opened up the space a little and added a decent size bar. Most of the staff  and owner(s?) were sitting at the end of the bar socializing like a bunch of sorority sisters. Only one person greeted the people who actually came in and he was the bartender.. And the server as well, since the rest of the staff were pretend working. The owner/staff were fucking clueless on how to run a resto. In the course of an hour, I saw her (owner) run behind the bar a bunch of times and only tended to her girlfriends at the bar. Is this a clubhouse for the little rascals or a fucking business? The only person busting his ass was the bartender/server/cook/manager/busser/janitor/plumber/decorator/investment adviser. He did a kick ass job.

Let's take a look at the menu since the cocktail menu almost put me to sleep... British, Irish and Greek cuisine is listed on their Facebook page but yet their menu is heavily Italian with hints of French and Mediterranean. Does anyone not see what's wrong with this picture? It's a melting pot of the most generic dishes found all over town. Ok, just relax, take your time and pick out something that they might be able to do competently... But first, let's grab a drink. A beer in a bottle is prolly the safest bet. Go for it.

About to Jock off...

Portuguese Clams, fresh tomatoes, Spanish chorizo, housemade garlic croutons. Sounded great on the menu but the taste was a whole another story. Bland frozen Manila clams... But don't worry the chorizo should have enough salt to balance it out. Too bad they tasted more like bacon SPAM, not that SPAM isn't good, but just not good in this dish. Why are the croutons cooked with the clams? They were soggy like a 80 year old man's sack steeping in a jacuzzi for hours. Was it terrible? No, but it wasn't memorable either. Off da list.

Eclectic Shish Kebob, beef or lamb, roasted potatoes, tzatziki.This was not bad at all. The lamb and beef (you can ask for both) were both cooked a little under medium-rare but that's ok with me. Only thing... Nothing was seasoned in this dish. The potatoes needed seasoning, olive oil, oregano, garlic... Even a squirt of lemon juice would do. The tzatziki was decent with little cubes of cucumber in it. Overall, a totally acceptable dish.

Pasta Carbonara, pancetta, spaghetti, sweet peas, parmesan. Dude, seriously, don't start with me... Does this even remotely look like a carbonara? Fuck my life... Where to begin. This was insulting to me and I'm not even Eyetalian. Crappy cheap box spaghetti that were way undercooked, frozen peas, tasteless pancetta and a cream sauce that reached a new level of pump pump squirt... In the wrong direction. This dish was pretty rank. I have had better frozen pasta dinners by Michelina's and at a fraction of the price of this monstrosity. Someone kill it, it's an aberration.

The lack of traffic in this conveniently located spot with high visibility will ultimately spell out one thing unless they actually have a leader that will step up and care about the sustainability of this place. It almost feels like the owner opened this place so they can hangout with their friends. No one said a goddamn word when I walked out the door... Hell, even a kick to my balls would be at least some type of acknowledgement. Hospitality at it's finest.

1/2 Star for the kebob and working bartender.

1425 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA
(404) 228-7559
http://www.facebook.com/EclecticBistroBar