Elite Event: Patio Opening at the Café at Ritz Carlton

Ohhh, this was nice. REAAAALLY nice. In fact, I have to admit that it was the most fancy schmancy Unilocal Elite Event to date!
I had never been to a Ritz-​Carlton before, but having heard great things about the hotel chain (and reading the glowing reviews on Unilocal), I was super excited about this very exclusive event. It was a real treat for those of us Elites who chose not to partake in the « Unilocal Night at the Hawks» the day before (or those sore, late RSVP-​ers who did not get confirmed for it).
From the moment I pulled up to the lobby entrance for complimentary valet parking, I was treated with the utmost respect. Everyone from the valet attendant to the kind individuals who led me to the patio where the Café at Ritz-​Carlton was located were super warm and welcoming.
Having been right on time for this event, I was able to snag a spot at a table with fellow Elite Amanda D. We were later joined by new Elite Pratik S. and his lovely wife, as well as my +1, Sherry W.
This was one of the rare events where we did not even have to leave our seats for drinks or food. Some servers circulated the patio with bottles of TerraNoble white and red wines while others served hors d’oeuvres. The servers were very generous in ensuring that my glass of Cabernet Sauvignon was not intentionally left empty. I have to admit, I enjoyed a few glasses.
I was lucky enough to be able to try all four of the following fancy hors d’oeuvres that were served that night:
* Mediterranean Lamb Spiced Sliders (4.5 stars) — Normally NOT a fan of lamb (in fact, I normally abhor the meat’s strong smell/​flavor), I was so glad I gave these a try. Topped with roasted tomato compote, arugula (my fave green!), and grilled red onion (another thing I dislike!), the lamb sliders did NOT have the usual strong odor that is usually associated with the meat. It was really flavorful and delicious! As strange as it may sound from someone who does not like lamb, I highly recommend it and would order it myself!
* Garden Vegetable Gazpacho Shooters (3 stars) — Having never tried «gazpacho shooters» before, I have to admit this was not my cup of tea. It had a good flavor, but I wasn’t a fan of the chilled, drinkable nature of the appetizer. I think I would have liked it better hot (or at least warm), but I guess this is meant to be served chilled.
* Beau Soleil Oysters (3 stars) — The raw oyster was topped with «house made crème fraîche and mango relish.» The oyster was fresh, and if I was a lover of the shellfish, I probably would have loved it. It was decent by my taste buds.
* Sea Bass Tartare (3.5 stars) — This appetizer consisted of a shot glass with little, chopped up pieces of sea bass topped with «basil, preserved meyer lemon, and fennel-​yuzu emulsion.» The emulsion, which was a weird texture as it was really foamy, was kind of strange to eat. However, I really liked the blend of basil and sea bass. Overall, it was tasty!
This event was so upscale that there was really no «place» for a photo booth. I guess it just wouldn’t have worked, so I really didn’t take too many photos that evening.
Overall, the «Patio Opening at the Café at Ritz-​Carlton» gets 4.5 stars for being such a special event on an evening with beautiful outdoor weather. Indeed, it was the perfect way to «open» the Café’s patio in time for spring. It’s a great venue for a sweet evening date or casual conversation with good friends. Thanks, Kathleen and the Ritz-​Carlton Buckhead, for hosting such a wonderful Elite event!
[Review 020 of 100]

Ahhh what a delightful time I had at my first Unilocal Elite event!
Traffic was predictably awful, but once our car reached the door, we were treated like royalty! There was someone to get our doors when the valet took our car, and someone to open the hotel door for us on the way in. The doorman asked correctly if we were part of the Unilocal gathering (we looked so fabulous how could we not be?), and once inside we were led to the café patio.
We passed through a gorgeous lobby accented by a crystal chandelier with giant purple drops, and then a parlor dining room, complete with a leather sofa lounge area, all dark wood and pale accents. We were guided the entire way by strategic, helpful employees until we were greeted outside by Maureen at a table with name tags and Unilocal swag.
The open-​air patio had umbrella-​covered tables with room for four at each, and a big wet bar in the middle. Tiki torches lined the edge of the patio, lined by a short concrete ledge that held assorted bushes. A talented man played chill, upbeat classical guitar, which helped set the relaxed and casual mood. The weather was comfortable and just a little breezy: the perfect setting for a relaxing evening outside.
I grabbed a glass of white wine and my husband grabbed a glass of red, and we sat down at a table half-​occupied, and chatted with our new friends the whole evening!
They provided a light tasting menu to give us an idea of some of the things they served. They had:
— Mediterranean Lamb Spiced Sliders with a roasted tomato compote, arugula, and grilled red onion. (Yummy! Made you want seconds!)
— Garden Vegetable Gazpacho Shooters with cucumber relish and extra virgin olive oil. (Excellent, tart and refreshing!)
— Beau Soleil Oysters with house made crème fraîche and mango relish. (First oyster on the shell I’ve been brave enough to eat and it was delicious!)
— Seabass Tartare with basil, preserved Meyer lemon, fennel-​yuzu emulsion. (Probably the most unusual on the menu, but if you love tartare like me, it was very tasty!)
Everything was delicious with lovely presentation. All the dishes looked appetizing and simply but nicely accented. (I’ll add a few pictures I remembered to take.) The idea wasn’t to provide a full meal, but when we asked they were very nice and supplied us with a basket of bread to supplement the little morsels. Of course, thanks to Unilocal it was all free, so this isn’t a review that talks about prices.
Perfect weather, location comfortable and relaxing, company enjoyable, and food and drink delicious. All in all a most gratifying evening! I didn’t realize how much I’d needed a night out like this until we were driving home on cloud nine. I’d love to go again and try more of their menu!

As an Atlanta-​newbie, events like this one are a must. This was my first elite event in the ATL (coming from orlando), and I have to say, what a warm welcome. Kathleen did a fantastic job of organizing this gathering.
The Ritz location was pretty easy to get to. I didn’t know where I was going, but followed my GPS and found it without a problem. Valet was very pleasant and one of the staff inside actually showed me to the patio since I was unfamiliar with the place. They were all so kind and helpful. Once on the patio, I was immediately greeted with a glass of wine. I chose the red. The cab selection was perfectly paired with the yummy tastings. Food came out at a steady pace, and I particularly enjoyed the oyster and the sea bass tartar. I’m a florida girl, so I guess that’s predictable. The lamb burger was really good, but I’m not much a meat eater and the gazpacho was very flavorful.
The staff on the patio made sure we were always comfortable and never with an empty glass, — or plate for that matter.
I’m happy to have met a bunch of the Atlanta Unilocalers and look forward to seeing you all again! Thanks again Kathleen and the Ritz. Now I know a great place to bring friends that visit from out of town :)

Allo, Dahling. Follow me. Your table awaits. Please enjoy perfect weather with your Unilocal cohorts on the RC patio with full-​bodied wine, elegant hors d’oeuvres and acoustic Spanish guitar.
I love that the chef popped out to snip fresh herbs from the patio garden. Au courant.
More please.
Cheers~

I’ve been an Elite member for almost two years, and this is my all-​time favorite Elite event. The service at The Ritz was incredible. My wine glass was never empty, the passed appetizers were super tasty — especially those lamb sliders — and the weather was just perfect.
The Ritz exudes classic elegance, but the patio was very laid back. I enjoyed nestling into one of the comfy chairs with my pal (Elizabeth H’s twin sister — Julia) and sipping a lovely Terranoble Chardonnay.
Thank you so much to everyone at the Ritz Carlton and to Kathleen M for putting this together!

Definitely not what most would consider a typical Unilocal event, but that’s probably one of things I liked most about it. Don’t get me wrong, filling a club and drinking complimentary cocktails whilst jamming out to what feels like all of my favorite songs is fun.
Notice I said fun. It’s not a requirement for me to have a cute time. Tonight at the Café Patio at Ritz-​Carlton I thoroughly enjoyed sipping red wine outside and sampling amazing food. The oysters were unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. Truly a fabulous flavor compilation from Chef Travis Robinson. Angela M. prompted me to try the soup as it was being passed and I loved it too.
It was also nice to have so much space to enjoy everything (including the awesome weather). Shout out to the great team at the Ritz-​Carlton Buckhead. I’m always mindful to tip bartenders, servers, hosts, and valets at events. This time I was able to keep my cash in my pocket because they took care of compensating the wait staff. Very classy. :)

Lovely evening for a patio party — and at the Ritz no less! I loved too that I got the famous Ritz treatment the moment I left my car with the valet — every Ritz staff member we encountered on the way to the patio was very warm and welcoming. And yes the patio gives you a view of Lenox/​Peachtree traffic but if you have great company, great service, and great food — you forget all that quickly.
Honestly the highlight for me was the 2011 Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon — probably one of the best wines I’ve had in a while, and obviously for my +1 who had 3.5 glasses (and 1 glass of the chardonnay) :) The food was good too — my favorite was the Lamb Sliders w/​the roasted tomato compote. I’m not a lamb person but I really liked the lamb sliders which says a lot. I liked the Garden Vegetable Gazpacho Shooters too esp. the creaminess but I had a little difficulty eating the long garnish pieces gracefully :) I liked having the Oysters (the mango relish was a unique addition that worked well) and also the Seabass Tartare — but my only complaint (and shared by others) was that both weren’t served cold. But overall, everything was fantastic. Also enjoyed having the live guitarist playing for our event which made the perfect evening more perfect.
Thank you so much to Kathleen and to the Ritz Carlton staff for hosting a wonderful event for us. I know I’ll definitely be back for that wine :)

Ohmygod. I thought I had missed out w/​my anti-​Atlanta Spirit ways but did I ever feel important here.
And broke, so very very broke. But that is not going to stop me from coming here for afternoon tea (and you guys are welcome to join me, whenever that is!) sometime. And probably more drinks on this patio.
The Ritz kept the wine coming, and I had no problem sitting around for awhile afterwards to w/​Angela H for sure! It was so nice out there. Peachtree road is right there and yet you really don’t feel like you’re right in the middle of rush hour traffic.
And the food! I had never had seabass or oysters before. I am not sure I am a fan of either but I tried them! The gazpacho was really good, it was a lot richer than others I’ve had and I really liked it that way rather than the liquid salsa types. And the lamb sliders were awesome, I hate red onion but it was so good on them. The sliders weren’t very lamb-​y either if you know what I mean.
Despite being in such an upscale place this felt so chill. It was nice. And talk about perfect weather today for it!
Also I have to say I was crazy for that Chardonnay and typically it’s my least favorite white wine.
Thank you so much to everyone at the Ritz Carlton and to Kathleen for putting this together!