Two Stars for Paper Mill Grill; First Look at Poco Pomodoro

Wyatt Williams reviews Paper Mill Grill for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, awarding the Marietta restaurant a "very good" rating of two out of four stars. Williams says former Leon's Full Service chef Eric Ottensmeyer doesn't do anything fancy, but he nails the execution:

When I read a menu like this, I can almost hear the line cooks whine, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, another salad with beets and nuts. Another chicken potpie." The kitchen is bored with the formula, it doesn't put in the extra effort, and the diner is stuck with the same uninspired dish that existed to begin with. The food world is a vicious cycle. My cynicism about Paper Mill Grill's textbook New American menu was completely wrong. ... To be clear, none of this is world-changing, but it is the kind of cooking that New American is supposed to be about.

Over at Creative Loafing, Meagan Mastriani takes a first look at Poco Pomodoro in East Atlanta. Mastriani finds handmade pastas for low prices:

A heaping plate of delightfully twirlable house-made fettuccine ($8) is enough food for two people. Choose between the bright and flavorful roasted basil marinara or fresh pesto. An order of pasta comes with a slice of garlic bread and a side salad of mixed field greens drizzled in house-made balsamic vinaigrette. Other mainstays such as lasagna ($10) made with mozzarella, provolone, and ricotta cheeses, and a filling that changes daily, anchor Poco Pomodoro's menu. Last week, there was a sausage and pepper lasagna and another made with spinach and mushrooms. Fresh ravioli ($9.50), also made with an array of fillings that change frequently, is on the core menu. Last week featured two varieties: a three cheese and a mushroom and chicken ravioli.

THE ELSEWHERE AND THE BLOGS: Atlanta Food Critic says if Southern food had a church, Revival would be it. Marie, Let's Eat! finds excellent yard bird at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken. Fried Chicken Lips appreciates the combination of Taiwanese and Sichuan cuisines at La Mei Zi.