| Take your Valentine to Altobeli’s |
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Altobeli's has been offering fine Italian cuisine
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| Live music from a hot piano, Randy Barnes entertains at the piano four nights a week; he's joined by professional singers two nights. "Live mic night" is a huge favorite of Altobeli's regulars and new guests. |
Table Talk
By Barbara Schneider
bschneider@bigcanoenews.com
Red roses. Fine wine. Great food. Favorite love songs. Altobeli’s Italian Restaurant and Piano Bar serves up all the ingredients for the most romantic Valentine’s Day rendezvous.
The minute guests walk into Altobeli’s they experience the restaurant’s unique charm. Owners Al and Shahrzad Bashiri blended sophisticated European ambiance with a welcoming homey environment to create an inviting setting. Cushy upholstered booths hug the corners of one intimate dining room. A sleek grand piano has center stage between two dining areas near the traditional long, mahogany bar. Throughout the restaurant photos of patrons and menus autographed by local celebrities are proudly displayed like family photos.
Guests, whether first time or regulars, are treated special here. After your second visit, as the saying goes, “Everybody knows your name.”
Classic Italian
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| Owners Al and Shahrzad Bashiri create an inviting setting by blending sophisticated European ambiance with a welcoming, homey atmosphere. |
When first-time guests ask Al Bashiri what he recommends, he doesn’t hesitate. “I tell them they will not be disappointed with any of our dishes but add, try the veal. Our specialty is veal."
My husband Gerry agrees. Although Veal Parmigiana isn’t on Altobeli’s menu, he orders it every time he picks up the menu—no matter what else is on the menu or how many years we have eaten there. Nobody, he says, makes better Veal Parmigiana than Altobeli’s. And Al is happy to prepare custom dishes for his patrons.
Altobeli’s versatile menu is a la carte, offering guests the opportunity to pick their favorites. For starters consider Clams Origanata or Pasta E Fragioli—Al claims this is their “nearly famous” white bean soup—at $3.95 a cup. Antipasto Freddo can be ordered for two or four.
Vitello Alla Picatta, one of the featured veal dishes, is light, delicate and delicious. For beef lovers, Altobeli’s offers its Perfect Filet, a beef tenderloin sautéed and broiled with mushrooms. My favorite is Snapper a la Francese, a snapper filet egg-dipped and sautéed in lemon wine sauce.
Altobeli’s desserts are positively decadent. On our last visit for lunch we threw calorie-counting caution to the winds and ordered dessert. I chose chocolate cake—a far too mundane name for this to-die-for delight. A thick layer of chocolate mousse is slathered between rich, moist chocolate layers. I didn’t leave a crumb or offer anyone a bite.
Chef Ender Morales has been delighting patrons at Altobeli’s for 12 years. He keeps up to date on dietary trends, adding light meals, choosing the finest ingredients and cooking with the cholesterol-free oils and purified water.
Altobeli’s offers wine by the glass, half-bottle and full bottle from its extensive wine list. Entrees range from $10.00 for pasta dishes up to $24.95 for the Perfect Filet.
If you are driving to the Alpharetta area during the day, the restaurant offers a full lunch menu and is open on Monday for lunch and dinner.
Romantic music
Live music from Altobeli’s legendary “hot” piano bar is the perfect accompaniment to fine dining. Randy Barnes is on piano every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He is joined by professional singers on Friday and Saturday. Altobeli’s patrons like to join in on “live mic” nights. And, one Thursday a month, a guest is invited to perform. Randy rehearses with the guest singer to create a one-night show.
“And our customers get to know one another, too,” says Al. “They often go from table to table greeting one another. It’s more like a party than a restaurant.”
Asked how he has managed to keep his restaurant fresh and inviting after 20 years, he replies, “We take it [our business] seriously everyday and never take our customers for granted. If there is a problem we take care of it quickly and graciously. We focus on pleasing customers.”
Altobeli’s is an easy ride from Big Canoe, If you’re shopping or visiting friends in the Roswell-Alpharetta area, the restaurant is conveniently located less than three miles from the Haynes Bridge Road exit on Highway 400, North Point Mall, and the Alpharetta Amphitheater For information and directions call (770) 664-8055 or go to www.altobelis.com.
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