Although Atlanta has a wide variety of fabulous restaurants, many of the suburbs are still overwhelmed with popular chain eateries that don't exactly have creative kitchens. My part of town, East Cobb, is particularly dreary when it comes to restaurant selections. Fortunately, there's at least one notable exception: Seed. Seed is in a newly renovated strip mall with Whole Foods and Cook's Warehouse. The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice enough, though some window treatments on the front would be a well-served use of space; no one should have to stare at the parking lot or Kohl's during dinner! That's the only bummer. Otherwise, we've always had attentive, gracious service, and we love this little spot.

Here's what you need to know:

Drink menu -Seed has a hopping bar and if you like experimenting with house cocktails, you'll be happy with your choice.. I don't really stray from the wine menu, but during the warmer months Seed has a great house sangria. For the non-drinker, I'd highly recommend their fresh squeezed berry lemonade.

Seed's assorted "tastes" or appetizers are classic, mostly Southern fare: deviled eggs, mussels, etc. The real standout order is the pimento crostinis. Toasted bread, pimento cheese, ham, apple, basil, olive oil, and pepper. I'll be experimenting with these ingredients to see about making a knock off. SO incredibly delicious!The "go to" salad is the Hammock Hollow Farm Lettuces. The ingredients are local and you can taste the freshness. The greens are tossed with walnuts, apples, & Gorgonzola, so what's not to like? Solid dish if you want your greens.Seed often adds seasonal salads to the menu. When the one with beets shows up, well, you KNOW I'm going to order it!

When you read reviews for Seed, many people rave about the pork chop with pimento cheese polenta. If you're interested in something hearty, this is your dish!However, my absolute favorite entree is in the sandwich section. I LOVE the Spicy Asian Fish sandwich. The onion marmalade is just cool enough to cut the heat of the fish spices to make the entire sandwich a party for your mouth. Love, love, love this sandwich!A close second on my favorite list is a seasonal dish, the sweet potato dumplings with brown butter. I usually avoid pasta because I don't want the carbs, but when I want to splurge or ignore calorie count, this dish makes it all worth while.Of the fish selections, I was disappointed with the Scallops because of the heavy-handed salt. I've only tried this dish once, so I may need to give it another chance, but if you order, ask for low salt!

The same salt issue has crept into the fish of the day, but not consistently, so it's worth a try. I especially like that the fish is served over Brussels sprouts or roasted cauliflower.Three guesses on what sides I'd recommend? Yup - Brussels Sprouts! Can't get enough!!We skip dessert most of the time, but they all sound delightful. As for the peach crumb cake, it's delectable! One word of warning - don't show up without a reservation. Seed is an unusual suburban treat, and people flock to this shining star!

Restaurant Review: Seed