Eating Here = Best Decision Ever!. Me and a party of about 8 went here for dinner, to celebrate my friend's birthday. After researching tons of nice restaurants in Atlanta, we decided on Murphy's, because the menu seemed to have something for everyone. We couldn't have picked a more perfect place! The hostesses were polite and approachable. Our reservation was honored with no wait, except for us waiting for the rest of our party to arrive. They were even nice enough to seat us before our entire party was there.
For small plates, we ordered the cheese plate, mussels, and calamari (one of their specialties). Everything was simply delectable! The mussels were cooked perfectly and were juicy and succulent; the cheese was delicious and flavorful (the goat cheese is to die for); and the calamari definitely lived up to its reputation! One of our friends had never had calamari, and she definitely became a fan of it that night!
Our server, Jodi was very knowledgeable about the menu, and had a very energetic, lighthearted, and accommodating personality. She was able to suggest the perfect wines, based on the taste profiles that we described to her. I really appreciated her expertise and thorough, accurate descriptions of the menu items. She made all of our mouths water, by the way she explained the wines and dishes. So many things on the menu sounded good that, at times, we had a hard time deciding, but Jodi made it really easy for us to choose, with personalized suggestions, based on what we wanted.
Per wine, we wanted something bright and flavorful (but not OVERLY sweet) to complement our small plates, and she suggested a bottle of the Kuentz Bas pinot gris. She was spot-on to a tee! Everyone loved it, and it went very well with what we ordered. I would definitely recommend it. I wanted a glass of something bold and red to go with my entree, so Jodi recommended one of the Argentinean Malbecs. I'm almost certain that it was the Achaval Ferrer, but I can't be 100% sure. Whatever it was, it packed just the punch that I was going for. The South African Shiraz was also very nice.
For the entree, I ordered the Sausage and Spinach Meatloaf. I know meatloaf may not sound THAT exciting, and I was semi-reluctant about getting it because it seemed kind of boring, but again, Jodi stepped in and described it in a way that made me feel like I needed it in my life! And I did not regret my decision. It was a very hearty, homey entree that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside (in the best way possible). A fulfilling portion of two perfectly-cooked, moist, melt-in-your-mouth slices of meatloaf, stacked atop each other, smothered in zesty marinara sauce; with smooth, creamy mashed potatoes, and crisp-but-juicy green beans on the side. Call me dramatic, but after almost every bite, I just closed my eyes and reveled in the splendor that is this dish. So, so good. Heavenly, even! I tasted some of my friend's trout, and that was also very tasty, and I'm not even a huge fan of fish. I was really excited to try the truffle mac n' cheese, but surprisingly, it was probably my least favorite thing of the night. It was just okay... definitely not the party-in-my-mouth that I was expecting.
Service was prompt, friendly, and 100% on-point. Everything was appropriately-priced, worth every penny, and actually a great value. I don't think anyone had any complaints. At one point, a manager came over to our table to converse and see how our experience was going. I couldn't quite hear the conversation, as I was at the other end of the table, but she seemed to be very personable and engaging, and our friends were smiling and laughing with her.
At the end of the meal, Jodi got a little confused with splitting the tickets. That is the only issue that we had the entire night. She explained to us that it was her last night (unfortunately!), so we're just going to blame it on that. To avoid the issue though, I would simply suggest explaining what you will be paying for, as you order it. It makes it whole lot easier, once you get to the end and people are trying to take responsibility for what appetizer to take care of, etc. Besides that everything was 5-STAR all across the board... epic win!! I will definitely be back!
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