I don’t do restaurant reviews here, but this post is an exception. On New Year’s Eve, I had one of the best meals I have had in a long time, at South City Kitchen in Vinings, Georgia, near Atlanta. (South City Kitchen has two other locations, one of which has become a favorite restaurant of Hollywood types when they’re in Atlanta.) The Rocket Scientist and I chose to have their New Year’s Eve prix fix dinner, and I had a marvelous time. (Don’t worry, we sat outside on a terrace that was otherwise empty for most of the meal, next to an open window, and the servers were masked.)

Dinner started with “She-Crab Soup.” Rich and creamy, with plenty of crab, a cup of this soup would be a meal in itself, along with the cornbread and biscuits that came with the meal. (The lightest biscuits I’ve had in a long time. The cornbread was good, too.)

I am still recovering from oral surgery, so I was limited in what I could order for my entree. I settled on the shrimp and grits. I have never had shrimp and grits before, but this entree was exceptional. The tomato-poblano sauce could be served on its own as a soup. The creamy grits are the best grits I have ever had. I only ate part of it, so that I would have room for dessert, but am looking forward to reheating the portion I took home. It won’t be as good, of course. The Rocket Scientist had the pork chops, and they were smoky, moist, and flavorful, accompanied by tasty, nicely roasted sweet potatoes.

If I was less than impressed with any part of the meal, it would be dessert. Don’t get me wrong: the vanilla bean cheesecake was very good, with cherry compote. Perhaps because I was already full, I was not bowled over by it. It was simply a very good cheesecake. The best part was the lemon whipped cream. The Rocket Scientist, on the other hand, ordered the other dessert option, the bourbon chocolate bread pudding. That was wonderful.

Coffee rounded out a very nice meal. Good food, good conversation, everything you would want on a New Year’s Eve date. Or a date anytime, really.

So, if you’re ever in Atlanta, try out South City Kitchen.