Partaking in a culinary adventure

Prom focuses around dates, dresses, and dancing, but while planning, students may find dinner before the dance the most stressful of all. The meal, usually extravagant, provides the attendants with the energy necessary to dance and party all night long.

Choosing a restaurant stresses many out, as price, location, wait times, and taste all factor in. The best part of NC hosting prom at Opera Nightclub means that people have all of Atlanta to choose where to eat.

Students can find steak, the popular choice for nice dinner, across Atlanta. Chop’s Lobster Bar, Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill, Bones Restaurant, and Kevin Rathbun Steak, all rank at four and a half stars. These restaurants present with major price issues, as most meals range around $40. Stoney River offers the cheapest prices, with some dinners available for less than $20.

The prom crowd also favors hibachi for dinner. Taki Japanese Steakhouse, Katana Teppanyaki & Sushi, and the Kobe House, all rank in at four stars or over. Nakato Japanese Steakhouse also earned four stars and received stellar reviews in regards to its elegance, service, and food; it ranges in price from $30 and under and can easily host a large group of people.

Italian restaurants circle the streets of Atlanta as well. Maggiano’s Little Italy impresses most, and students can easily call ahead for a reservation. Prices here range from $16.95 for Chicken Parmesean to $23.50 for Shrimp Fra Diavolo.

“I went to Maggiano’s for my sophomore prom; we were late and they still held our reservation, so it was a good place to go with our big group,” senior Bailey Fogarty said.  

La Grotta Ristorante, located in downtown Atlanta, received a vote as the “best Italian restaurant” by Atlanta Magazine 18 years in a row. It offers indoor and outdoor seating, and reviews on Open Table, Yelp, and Google Reviews claim La Grotta as “great for accommodating large groups of people.” Furthermore, Carrabba’s, a well-known chain restaurant, also serves up-to-par Italian food. Similar to Maggiano’s, Carrabba’s allows for an easy reservation process, and offers most dinner options ranging from $18.95 to $32, significantly cheaper than other Atlanta restaurants.

Atlanta offers options for vegetarians and vegans as well. Herban Fix ranks in at 4.5 stars and reviews claim that the freshness of the food cannot be denied. Vegans and non-vegans can easily find dishes to match their cravings with fair pricing.

Faye Norman, a vegan senior, said, “Herban Fix is aesthetically pleasing and the food tastes even better. There are a plethora of vegan choices and so many desserts to choose from, which is great news for a vegan. It is overall one of the best restaurants I’ve been to.”

Canoe not only offers vegan and and vegetarian food items, but also contains outdoor seating in Vinings which overlooks the Chattahoochee River; however, reviews suggest people set up reservations a few weeks in advance.

Regardless of the cravings or temptations for dinner, price, or people with exclusive dietary conditions or preferences, Atlanta contains restaurants to meet any prom group’s expectations.