Matt and I got in touch with the Le Meridien hotel in Dunwoody to chat with their chef and GM about some of the new food offerings at Portico, their restaurant. Some of the best dining around town is tucked away in our hotels, so we wanted to highlight some “other” places to dine in, that aren’t on our listeners usual list. All you married couples have said this before “can you think of someplace else” when choosing a place to eat, so think Portico next time that happens.
What happens when a bunch of parents stay over at...
Le Meridien in Dunwoody
How'd this all start?
Before the podcast, I shamelessly suggested to their publicist that they put us in some rooms for a night and let us really experience Le Meridien to inspire Dunwoody parents that live right around the corner to come eat, drink and do the craziest thing of all: pay to sleep within a couple miles of their own homes. And that brings you to this article…
A whole lotta hype later!...
About a month in advance, we got the word out about our night out through this website. We called it our “We Ditched the Kids” event, because let’s face it, we love our kids, but ditching them for adults-only stuff is necessary for survival.
So we had 3 of us confirmed to stay over at the hotel and some parents coming for Happy Hour and just hanging out in the evening. Getting parents to commit to anything is close to impossible until a few days before an event or party (teenage babysitters can be unreliable, grandparents occasionally only think of themselves and fall down stairs, etc). So a huge thanks to everyone that made it out. Pro-tips for you Junior Social-Planners out there – send out LOTS of personal invite texts and just see what happens. Worst case, you’ve got a smaller, more intimate crowd. Best case, A LOT show and surprise you! You won’t know for sure until 30 minutes after you’ve made your wife cry for being late, and it’s just you two sitting at the bar and she’s somehow not forgotten about what happened 30 minutes ago.
Happy Hour 4-7 Everyday!!
Around 4 our group started trickling in, which was no coincidence because from 4-7pm draft beers and an assortment of cocktails and appetizers were only $5. My wife and I dove right in with bacon-wrapped jalapeno tots, blue cheese chips and two Moscow Mules. I gave both drinks to my wife immediately than figured out what I wanted to drink.
By the way parking is validated (notice it’s even written on the menu above) AND on Friday and Saturday it’s complimentary anyway. So don’t even trip about paying to park. If your husband tries to park at McDonalds tell him its completely unnecessary.
Dinner at Portico
After a solid 4-to-7’s worth of Happy Hour drinks, plus like 2 more hours, I was finally able to get the group into Portico to eat. As it was late we pretty much took over the restaurant, so it was like a private dining room. The food was excellent, mine in particular, a mushroom ravioli. The curse of getting something you really like once is now I’ll never be able to go back and eat anything other than that.
Outside Patio
The dinner group hung in for after-dinner drinks on the patio (because duh, if you’ve got a babysitter, milk it for all its worth). Le Meridien has definitely proved itself to be a great spot for large gatherings. If you’re reading this and have a high school reunion to plan, 40th birthday party, whatever, the lobby bar has more than enough room to spread out a large group, but they’ve also got this HUGE outside area with plenty of seating and a large fireplace.
Wrap up and video montage!!...
Watch the video below and it’s pretty clear we all had an amazing time, right here in our own backyards of Dunwoody. It was a 5 minute drive, but if we wanted to be really boushie, the hotel shuttle would have driven us if it was within 2 miles. The staff at Le Meridien was incredible. Big thanks to the bartender Jessica and Moises who stepped in to back her up when we ordered too many drinks at once (and ya’ll I left that Moscow Mule cup in my room, its not in my pantry). No regrets. Well one… We had big plans to hit the pool that night, but that patio was just too cozy.
To end this in Marvel movie fashion…
We will return… (very soon, we have an 80’s themed Halloween party coming up and this is the perfect spot)
