Looking for the perfect locale for a memorable Valentine’s Day dinner? Dirty Rascal is just the place.
Don’t let the name fool you. From its classic Italian-American comfort foods to the name’s inspiration, this restaurant is oozing with love.
Led by James Beard-nominated chef Todd Ginsberg, the restaurant opened last month inside the luxury Thompson Hotel in Atlanta’s Buckhead Village. Breakfast and dinner are served, but the evening meal is where the full concept comes into play.
Ginsberg pays tribute to his mother — who nicknamed her mischievous child “dirty rascal” — with some of the home-style dishes on the menu. Her cooking inspired the restaurant’s signature meatballs (which include an entire pound of beef and pork) and the veal parmigiana, Ginsberg said.
The menu also includes favorites like king crab scampi, Italian wedding soup, chicken scarpariello, fettuccine with mushrooms, tortellini lamb Bolognese and eggplant parmigiana.
Some dishes on the dinner menu are meant to be shared,
making them ideal for a Valentine’s Day meal.
Some dishes on the dinner menu are meant to be shared, making them ideal for a Valentine’s Day meal. The lasagna served on a large Italian ceramic platter easily feeds two or three people.
Cap off the meal with sweets for the sweet. An in-house pastry chef prepares a daily selection of favorites such as cheesecake, tiramisu and panna cotta.
Even the Dirty Rascal dining room is made for a romantic night on the town. Appointments such as the leather-wrapped marble bar, warm woods, checked tile and distressed mirrors give it a swanky, mid-century vibe reminiscent of old-school restaurants in New York City. For an intimate dining experience, couples can slide into one of the six red leather banquettes, each adorned by its own chandelier.
Dirty Rascal is open daily. It is located on the lobby level of the new Thompson Hotel at 415 East Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta. The hotel is a Walton Gas customer.
Reservations are required for dinner, served 5:30 to 10 p.m. Call 470-600-3500 or email dirtyrascalreservations@thompsonhotels.com.