by Margaret R. on I came here for the NYE event. It was alright. The place wasn't too crowded so it was pretty easy to get to the open bar. The crowd was diverse. The music was okay. The first floor had late 90s music, while the second floor play music that was popular last year. I didn't hear to much of the top 40s on the radio now. The theme was creation, but the decorations sucked and were serously lacking. They had two people dressed up as Adam and Eve, but they looked bored as hell. I don't even know why they bothered dancing on the stage. Also, they barely had any balloons to drop for the countdown. The bathroom is too small. I had to wait more than 15 minutes to get a stall, which is always a mood kill.
by Ashley M. on **Full disclosure - I'm friends with the Chef, Nick Melvin.** I've eaten at Parish several times over the past year, and was usually really disappointed, either too salty or underseasoned, service was hit or miss and on busy nights it was really loud. I wasn't a fan of the menu boards because there was no description and we frequently had servers who would mess up side items or would say they what they didn't know what they were. When I found out Nick Melvin was leaving Serenbe (which I adored and ate at as often as possible) and coming to Parish I was excited. His food is consistently good, if not great, and his approach to food is simple and clear - the best ingredients carefully chosen and thoughtfully prepared. I went on Wednesday, the first night that the new menu was rolled out, and split everything with a couple friends. We had three apps, three entrees, and three desserts: Apps 1) Pork and beans - glazed pork belly over warm white bean salad - Phenomenal, rich and smoky and the textures, though similar, played off each other beautifully. The pork belly has a sorghum and bourbon glaze which cracks when you cut into it while the belly yields softly. My favorite of the night. 2) Crisp romaine salad with radishes, croutons and sunny yard egg in an anchovy dressing - I'm a huge fan of runny eggs on salads, and this one is great. Essentially a repurposed Caesar salad, the flavors came through clean and distinct. 3) Hushpuppies - Smoky and flavorful, served with a coleslaw. Only complaint was that I wish they had been crispier. Entrees 1) Fried chicken with grits and beans - Just really good fried chicken. 2) Crawfish pie with sour cream drop biscuits - Spicy, rich, and stuffed with vegetables. The crawfish pieces were plump and sweet, not overwhelmed by the other ingredients. The sour cream drop biscuits served as the crust in a small ceramic pot. The dish is hot - both temperature and spice - but so good we didn't wait for it to cool. 3) Tasso and crab stuffed catfish over maque choux - my favorite, and I don't usually like catfish. That maque choux is insanely good, I could eat a whole bowl of it on its own. Desserts (I'm not really a dessert person) 1) Kentucky Derby Pie with Mint Julep Ice Cream - tasty. 2) Community Coffee Semifreddo and biscotti - My favorite - tasted like rich sweetened espresso. A perfect dessert for coffee lovers. 3) Strawberry and Rhubarb cobbler - not as sweet as I thought it would be, which is good. Overall the food was excellent, some of the best I've had in Atlanta and there were some clear standouts (the pork and beans). The service was great, attentive, but not cloying. I wanted to give it 4 1/2 stars because I know it will only get better, but thought it wasn't fair to round down.
