Recently, on a local radio show, Ian Sommerholder (formerly of Lost, now Vampire Diaries and an new Atlanta resident), told the morning DJs that Ecco was his favorite spot in Atlanta. Gee, Ian, tell me something I don't already know.
Ecco opened in midtown in 2006. Even tho the building that now houses Ecco was a crack den until a few weeks before Ecco opened, the place has been an instant classic since the day it opened. It's a beautiful restaurant. You know how some restaurants you go to look so ultra-modern and ultra-hip that you know in two years time, they will look completely dated? Not Ecco. Ecco is timeless. I've previously mentioned my love for French bistros. Well, Ecco is the french bistro's Italian cousin. And it's a restaurant that improves with time. Everything on the menu is good, but if you can only order one thing, get a charcuterie plate(and if they have the house-made Meyer lemon ricotta cheese, pick that for one of the cheeses!)
Needless to say, L and I love Ecco. And when we're there, we're treated like family. That's what makes Ecco so special to us. It's just like home. We've been taking A there since he was in still in a baby carrier. In fact, Ecco was the first restaurant we took A out to dinner. We sat the car seat on the bar and had a lovely dinner at the bar. A slept through most of it, when he wasn't smiling at all the staff. It helps, too, that our old friend Brent now works at Ecco and whenever we come in, Brent is there to take care of us.
So now they know us. And they've watched A grow. They seem genuinely delighted when we come with A. Once they even sat is in the very center of the restaurant. Had the highchair waiting for us when we arrived.
At our most recent visit, we violated my "no dining with child later than 6:00 pm" rule and showed up after 7:00. I felt bad. There were adult diners there. People who really didn't deserve to be subjected to my 2 year old. Thank God for Brent. He tirelessly entertained A while his parents were too tired or too distracted to do so. (We just wanted to enjoy an awesome dinner at Ecco without too much interference from A.) Brent was my hero that night. He not only kept my child entertained; he made sure our food and drinks arrived promptly AND he waited on several other tables at the same time!
Recently, I saw that Ecco added skate wing to the menu. Mmmmm. That and the fact that Ian Sommerholder apparently hangs out there has got me itching to go back. (Oh, and I miss Brent, too!)
