Feedbag - Just Bar Food? I Think Not

When was the last time you had a jones for chili fries and a martini? Not recently? Me neither. But if you ever had such a yen, you could happily satisfy it at Halo Lounge. Thing is, Halo is kind of an odd place to eat dinner.

Saturday, 9:30 p.m. I’m starving. What time do you go for dinner at a nightclub, anyway? If we go now, will it be empty? If we wait till 11, will we be able to get a table? Finally, hunger wins out. We head for Midtown.

Sure enough, Halo is deserted. A handful of early birds cluster at the bar, but the rest of the club is a big, gloomy cavern. Halo is a gorgeous modern space, all concrete and glass, with sleek, low-slung couches and a bar that glows from pink to orange to blue. Normally, I think it’s fabulous. But without the pulse of the crowd, the place feels a bit forlorn.

We distract ourselves with a round of stiff drinks. A cute, chipper server swoops in, chatting amiably and pointing out some of his favorites on the menu. The chef’s trio, an appetizer that changes according to the chef’s whims, featured a succulent little crab cake, a dish of spicy marinated olives, and a potato latke. The latke wasn’t very sturdy, but it had a creamy texture and an outstanding, onion-spiked flavor. A grilled ham and cheese, pedestrian as it sounds, was the standout. Salty prosciutto and pungent, melting cheese mingled between slices of chewy peasant bread.

Sadly, the “bad-ass cheese plate” didn’t live up to its cheeky name. It consisted of a hunk of pecorino, a bit of crumbly Parmesan, some sort of goat cheese (“it’s from New England” is all the information we could get out of our server) and a standard-issue wedge of Brie. That brings me to another problem with eating at Halo: The servers aren’t really restaurant servers. Cheerful as our guy was, he didn’t know much about the menu.

After everything I’d heard about it, I had to try a s’mores starter kit: marshmallows, graham crackers, squares of milk chocolate, and skewers. You roast the marshmallows over a little flickering lantern and assemble the s’mores yourself. It’s too fun. At this point, the place starts to fill up. Several tables around us take one look at our cute little s’more setup and order one for themselves.

So I have mixed feelings about dining at Halo. The food is seriously worth a try next time you’ve got a late-night jones for a grilled-cheese sandwich and you happen to be in Midtown (they serve food until 11). But I can’t advocate it as a prime-time dinner destination. That is, unless you prefer having the place entirely to yourself.

florence.byrd@creativeloafing.com

Dinner on the Fourth

MidCity Cuisine will open the evening of Mon., July 4, to serve an all-you-can-eat barbecue dinner with all the fixin’s for $17.76. The menu will include summer favorites like chicken, brisket, spare ribs and more.

1545 Peachtree St. 404-888-8700. www.midcitycuisine.com.

Cocktails in Wine Country

Eno in Midtown has concocted an enticing cocktail list to squelch the summer heat. The menu includes Charbay Sparkling Meyer Lemonade, made with fresh-squeezed lemonade; the Grey Goose Watermelon Martini with watermelon juice; and the wryly named Eno-Colada.

800 Peachtree St., Suite A. 404-685-3191. www.eno-atlanta.com.

In good Campania

Sotto Sotto continues its regional exploration of Italian cuisine with its seventh Tour of Italy dinner Tues., July 26. The meal will feature the distinctive cooking of Campania. Expect flavors from Campania’s principle city, Naples, known for its rich tomato sauces and prolific use of garlic, olive oil and black olives.

313 N. Highland Ave. 404-523-6678. www.sottosottorestaurant.com.

Patio Pleasures

Every Sunday through Sept. 4, stop by Meehan’s in Brookhaven for a “backyard BBQ” that includes pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs and all the picnic fixings ($12 per person).

4058 Peachtree Road. 404-467-9531. www.101concepts.com.

A Shucking Good Time

Dantanna’s is offering several specials from now until July 30. Tropical cocktails have been added to the menu - Naked Cabo Wabo-tini, anyone? If you can’t make it to Mexico this summer, this drink will have to suffice. Local bands will play for free on the patio every Thursday and Friday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. And every Monday through Friday between 4 and 7 p.m., stop in for 25-cent shrimp and oysters.

3400 Around Lenox Drive. 404-760-8873. www.dantannas.com.