Bill Addison Reviews Barcelona Wine Bar; John Kessler Pans Ocean Prime

In this month's Atlanta Magazine, dining editor and restaurant critic Bill Addison reviews Inman Park hotspot Barcelona Wine Bar, noting its "outstanding drinks and hit-and-miss tapas" as well as its skill for capturing "Atlanta's zeitgeist" of thirty-somethings. In sum, Addison says that the buzzy atmosphere and forward-thinking wine list trump any issues in the kitchen:

"I wager the glitches will improve when the crowds simmer down. And really, with the exception of the grim paella, even the mishaps barely diminished the pleasure of the experience. Barcelona defies conventional restaurant wisdom by proving that when a place encourages this much revelry (and serves such good wine!), the cooking isn't everything."

John Kessler, lead dining critic for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reviews Ocean Prime, awarding the small chain's Buckhead location with zero stars. The "fair" rating for this "perfect recreation of a mid-century supper club" stems from the fact that "the kitchen simply doesn't deliver the quality to justify the extremely high menu prices." As Kessler tries not to "come off like a jerk," he can't help but draw the conclusion that:

"Your drink will billow with smoke and your very pleasant waiter will talk of Peru, and you will end up with the kind of meal that would have been perfectly fine had you stumbled upon it on a road trip."

THE ELSEWHERE
Wrapping things up at the AJC, Bob Townsend takes a First Look at Burger Tap and Gene Lee visits Sushi Yoko in Norcross. At Creative Loafing, Cliff Bostock lunches at Desta and updates his review of Taqueria La Oaxaquena.

THE BLOGS
Jimmy at Eat It, Atlanta writes about his experience working on the Creative Loafing Fried Chicken Smackdown. ATL Food Snob goes to Marietta's Botekim Brazilian Bistro and stops by food trucks at Underground. Todd Brock checks out Shorty's Pizza for the Daily Slice.