Ray's on the River – an Engagement Celebration

I know I got engaged in April but we had his family over that evening and I was on a plane at 6:00AM the following morning. This was the first chance we’ve gotten to go out for a lovely dinner to celebrate. I picked him up at the airport and his flight was a bit delayed, just enough to put us on I75 northbound out of ATL airport at 5:30PM. I have to say that the carpool lanes are great! We zipped by tons of standing traffic to make it home in record time.

I planned a reservation at Ray’s on the River in Atlanta (Sandy Springs for you locals). As you walk in the front door there is a beautiful fountain depicting salmon swimming upstream to spawn. While it is beautiful I am vexed to see how it fits into the Chattahoochee river theme, the banks of which is where Rays is located.

The décor inside is very chic, upscale nautical themed. Not in your face nautical but blue lit porthole shaped opaque windows and a ceiling reminiscent of teak decking. We were seated in the back with floor to ceiling windows that showcase the river view. The tables have crisp white table cloths, comfortable seating and the dining room is designed such that the noise is kept to a minimum.

We started our celebration with a glass of Piper Heidsieck Brut, which they had by the glass – very nice. We then had starters of Mediterranean mussels and fried calamari.

The mussels were tender and the broth was a white wine with smoked garlic, onions and tomatoes. The broth had a heck of a lot of garlic – more than I would ever use. It was tasty but strong. The calamari was big enough to serve 2 or 3 and I wish that the waiter had warned us when we ordered. They were very good though, tender on the inside and crispy batter on the outside. It also included crispy batter fried hot peppers with a spicy marinara dipping sauce. It was very good – in fact I took home the leftovers.

For our entrees we had the parmesan crusted sea scallops on lobster risotto and the crab cakes with creole buerre blanc. I thought that the scallops were cooked perfectly but the parmesan coating was mixed with some sort of breading that to me, detracted from the overall texture, though it was my fiance’s entrée and he loved it. The risotto was good but I’ve had and even made better.

The crab cakes were heaven. The were big lumps of crab meat with no filler. Perfectly seasoned and cooked so that they had a nice crunch on the outside while not being overcooked on the inside. The creole buerre blanc made the dish for me. Some fresh corn and tomatoes and a tangy butter sauce complemented the sweetness of the crab beautifully.

The wait staff was awesome, our waitperson; Adam, showed genuine excitement when I proudly showed off my ring and our news. He brought us a complimentary dessert of chocolate roulade with crème anglaise, raspberry coulis, fresh strawberries, whipped cream and a chocolate inscribed message on the plate which said “Congratulations”. Very nicely done.

I loved Ray’s and highly recommend it. The service is attentive but not overbearing. The staff is knowledgeable about their products and the live soft jazz filtering in from the bar made for a wonderful dining experience overall. They are also famous for their steaks and while we did not try one, they looked divine. If you get to Atlanta – do give it a try, you will not be disappointed. And take the time to walk around the grounds afterwards. It’s a wonderful setting.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some leftovers to attack!