First Impressions

John: I didn’t get an invitation to the official Kenny Chesney pre-concert party, but I think everyone else in North Fulton did. The invitation obviously said: be at Village Tavern at 6:30 p.m., wear cowboy hats and/or boots and be drunk. We decided to visit Village Tavern on the night Mr. Chesney was in town and it seems that around 1000 of his most ardent fans decided to do the same thing. The place was absolutely packed. I’m talking ‘I wasn’t sure if there was a large enough flow of oxygen to support the amount of people in the building’ packed. I have to mention this because considering the near riot that was taking place inside, our server Ken was all over everything. My water was never empty, we didn’t have to wait to order and hey, since I wasn’t at the concert, having a server named Kenny was the next coolest thing I could hope for.

Copsey: We invited our new intern, Annie, along with us to Village Tavern, mostly to make up for pretty much ignoring her earlier in the week.

Being a girl, she was able to offer some insights into the food that Breech and I, as guys, just are not wired to do. Like ask for vegetables with a dish instead of fries and then actually eat and comment on them. Weird.

Village Tavern is built like a ski lodge, with large wooden beams everywhere and a medievally-large fireplace in the main room. With so many people inside the noise was serious but it died down after a while as people finished their dinners.

Our server, Ken, was extremely helpful in the alcohol department, running us through the extensive wine list and rattling off the numerous beers they have on tap. Needless to say, I was happy and just a little impressed.

John: A
Copsey: A
 
Appetizers

John: Copsey will probably talk about the sampler because he ate the whole thing. I tried to explain to him that it’s called a ‘sampler’ because you’re suppose to sample each different item on the plate. Since Copsey ate the sampler faster than Kobayashi can eat a hot dog, I snacked on the Thai chicken skewers. I have to admit, I was a big fan. Basically it’s a chicken strip, except its grilled. If you’ve ever tried to cook a small piece of chicken, it’s pretty easy to burn. Not only did VT not burn the chicken, they coated it with a mouthwatering semi-spicy teriyaki sauce. Combine that with the eye catching way the dish was presented (in the shape of a Teepee) and I can say I’ll probably have to order it again next time I’m there.

Copsey: I got the sampler, which, as you would think, had a good selection of many of the appetizers. Crab cakes, fried calamari, bruschetta and spring rolls. The crab cakes were delicious and juicy and the spring rolls had a wonderful sweet flavor. Even the calamari was good, and I don¹t usually like calamari.

In fact, Little Intern Annie ate one, thinking it was an onion ring only to quickly realize it wasn¹t. She apparently doesn¹t like fish (which is why we had none that night) but said the calamari was great. There you go: what better way to sell these appetizers than to say even a non-fish eater liked the fish appetizer?

John: A
Copsey: A 
 
Entrees

John: For some reason, not going to the Kenny Chesney concert put me in the mood for Braised Short Ribs. I think Copsey will agree that the short rib was the best one of our three entrées, by far. It would be like comparing Braveheart to Scary Movie 3. The rib was tender, juicy and perfectly complemented by the mashed potatoes that were server with it. It was also served with green beans, but those are healthy, so I didn’t eat them. Annie however did eat them and when she couldn’t finish them, she took the rest home, so I’d say she liked them. Copsey ordered some BBQ pork sliders. I thought my bun was a little stale, but the BBQ pork was hot and tasty, so my taste buds were slightly confused.

Copsey: The BBQ Pork Sliders came as three little buns filled with pulled pork and a little cole slaw on top. They were tasty, but there was nothing incredible about them. The menu claims they have several pizzas on offer, and we took them up on this, ordering the Greek Flatbread.

This is a small pizza that had mozzarella, feta cheese, chicken, tomatoes and cucumber. An incredibly healthy choice (you can guess who ordered this one). It was nice and fresh, with the veggies crunchy and juicy. Unfortunately the vegetables combined with the flatbread, I couldn¹t shake the feeling I was eating a salad with crackers. Maybe that was the point, but I was a little disappointed.

John: B
Copsey: B-
 
Dessert

John: When I saw apple cobbler on the dessert menu, I said to myself, ‘I bet Kenny Chesney likes apple cobbler, I think I’ll order some.’ What Village Tavern served up was some of the best apple cobbler I’ve ever had. The apple crumb and the sauce itself had a hint of cinnamon, sugar and spice; so it was made of everything nice. I could have finished this dish on my own, but Copsey demanded that I share with the intern. I hate interns.

Copsey: I’m not sure what heaven is like, but they must serve the banana crepes there every day. Firstly, the presentation was great, with gobs of gooey fudge topping two rolls of banana flavored ice cream-filled crepes.

There was even a whole banana on the side. It looked so perfect that I almost didn¹t eat it. Almost. Banana ice cream is something I don¹t think about too often but after eating this dish I couldn¹t believe that I have been missing out. And no, I did not share with the intern.

John: A
Copsey: A
 
Final Impressions

John: All in all, I have to say the visit was a success. Sure I had to park three miles from the restaurant and yes there were 3,000 people inside. But our food came out in a timely manner and every single person in the restaurant seemed to be having a good time. It was amazing; I hadn’t seen that many smiles since Rachel and Ross got back together in the final episode of Friends. Not one baby cried, not one child pouted, I didn’t hear one dish break, and Copsey didn’t spill anything on himself.

Copsey: It was a very good evening indeed. People were happy and enjoying their meals and – as far as I could tell – never looking at their watches to see when Kenny started. Our meal was good but, like a picture frame, the superb appetizers and desserts surrounded largely mediocre entrees. Still, it’s definitely worth a visit.

John:B+
Copsey: B