Restaurant Review: Bi Ba's, Atlanta

North of Atlanta, near the Gwinnett conference and event center, is one of those irresistible little Italian joints with finger-licking garlic bread that are all too few and far between these days. There for an event at the Gwinnett and feeling rather isolated at the local La Quinta, we were thrilled to find an inviting bar crowd (more friendly than fashionable, refreshingly) and well worn red leather booths that practically beg you to settle in for a second bottle of easy-drinking Chianti.

Huge plates of fresh pasta did not dissuade us from devouring a batch (or was it two batches?) of hot from the oven garlic rolls topped with butter and parmesan. Throwback favorites like eggplant parmesan, chicken marsala, fettuccine alfredo, a decadent spaghetti carbonara, and an appealing house salad are the stuff of childhood memories - or casual meals in a Rome trattoria, for that matter.

Isn't it funny how down to earth, just plain good food restaurants become so appealing after too many fancy schmancy meals or high falootin' chef inventions? This is one of those places that you wish you had in your own neighborhood, maybe just a block or two away - good for walking off all those delicious carbs. (june 2005)

Bi Ba's Italian Restaurant
4850 Sugarloaf Pkwy Ste 202
Lawrenceville GA
(770) 277-3666