Cocktail Hour: Cook Hall

Ladies and gentlemen, drum roll please! My new favorite spot for cocktails in Atlanta is… Cook Hall at the W Buckhead.

My husband and I tried it for our date night last week. We loved it!

Between the dark wooden tables, mason-jar chandeliers, felt-wrapped chairs, and chalk boards throughout, the rustic atmosphere at Cook Hall is welcoming and cozy. Not to mention it has one of the best patios in Buckhead—a giant brick-wrapped outdoor space, facing Peachtree Road (for primo people watching).

We started with cocktails. I had the West Side, a vodka-lemon-mint drink, and hubby had a cherry wood-smoked Old Fashioned—it was still smoking when it arrived at our table!

Smoked Old Fashioned: Buffalo Trace bourbon, bitters, Luxardo cherry

West Side: Lemon-infused Tito's vodka, mint, soda

They also have these fun make-your-own cocktail kits that come your choice of liquor along with mixers, bitters, and herbs.

Per a friend’s recommendation, we tried the homemade ricotta as our appetizer. Holy amazingness!

Ricotta, served with local honey, black pepper, warm flatbread

We also got the fried cheddar-jalapeno cheese balls: Om-nom!

And the crispy duck tacos with spicy chipotle coleslaw

For our main course, I ordered the roasted snapper and the hubs got the braised short ribs. Portions are a little smaller than most are accustomed to (6 oz instead of 8+), so we also shared a side of the caramelized cauliflower.

Roasted snapper, spring vegetable salad, red chili vinaigrette

Braised short ribs, stout mustard, crispy onion ring

Caramelized cauliflower, hummus, raisins (sounds weird but is super tasty)

Pretty stuffed at this point, we ordered dessert anyway—we couldn't say no to homemade sorbet with a shot of tequila to pour over it! A great way to end a great meal.