I went out with two other people and even though t...

I went out with two other people and even though there were no reservations available, I was still able to easily get a table in the oyster bar area at 7 PM on a Saturday night without prior notice. The oyster bar was busy, but once seated, it was like a dance was going on with a deft ebb and flow throughout the night.

I started off with a tray with each of the oysters and my favorites were the Chunu and the Belon. The Chunu had a mild salinity with a very satisfying creamy finish to it and the Belon was a european species attributing to it's meaty and substantial nature for an oyster. To accompany my oysters I found a new wheat beer to add to my favorites. It was from the Arches Brewery in Hapeville, Georgia and I had their Queen's Weiss wheat. It had a substantial floral taste blossoming in the first sip and continuing until the last drop

For my main course I enjoyed the scallops with a side of the benet styled hush puppies. The scallops were my favorite part of my meal. If you are hungry then get some sides, but they are worth trying. The scallops were large, perfectly seared and so very tender that I only used the weight of the knife to cut them. The sliced and toasted nuts on top along with the roasted corn on the plate made for a great contrast in textures with the tenderness of the scallops. The sauce on the plate added to the complexities of the dish without overwhelming anything. The hush puppies as promised were delectable and sweet with the powdered sugar on top and the maple butter on the side.

For dessert I tried the ice cream sandwich and the peanut brittle ice cream. The ice cream sandwich came with two and both are large enough to split if needed. The rich chocolate cookies used were dark and played well with the deliciously sweet cherry ice cream between them. The peanut brittle ice cream was addictive in the way the sweet and salty peanuts melded with the caramel and cream to make it a spoonful of nirvana.

Every part of the meal was above high expectations which put The Optimist as one of the very few seafood restaurants I will gladly return to in Atlanta.