No. 246 nails the red sauce classics - Review - Atlanta - The Infatuation
"For us, it was the complimentary table bread: A crusty country loaf and a side of marinara mixed with pan drippings, giving the sauce a heartier taste that’ll threaten to spoil your dinner. Every meal at this Italian restaurant in Decatur starts this way. Alone, it's enough to make No. 246 recommendable. Fortunately, the food you’ll pay for is almost entirely fumble-free, too. No. 246 excels in all corners of its classic pizza-and-pasta menu, from a parmesan-loaded caesar salad to classic spaghetti served with a giant meatball. The restaurant's consistency and range make ordering both difficult and low-stress. Cheesy garlic bread and wood-fired pizza are both mozzarella-cloaked stunners. Spicy rigatoni al vodka deserves its own cheer section, and thinly sliced eggplant parmesan will make it hard to put your fork down. If we're handing out one skip card, it goes to the squid ink spaghetti that skimps on shrimp and has a one-dimensional fra diavolo sauce. But otherwise, there are really no bad choices at No. 246, only bad tablemates who won’t support a divide-and-conquer ordering strategy. The environment should help get your dining companion in the mood to share. People order bottles of pinot and recline in their chairs until they're empty. Tightly packed tables encourage friends to lean in closer to talk about what that one guy from college is up to now, and the open kitchen makes everything warm and busy. You could easily have a group dinner here without any pressure to dress up. In fact, the only pressure is trying to keep yourself from finishing that bread as soon as it hits the table, rather than saving some for dipping with your meal. How to get into No. 246 Plan to book a reservation at least a week out. And two weeks out for groups of five or more. In the warmer months, diners spread out onto the patio, so it's slightly easier to get a reservation. Food Rundown Complimentary Bread & Sauce Free bread already feels like a gift from the gods, but this marinara sauce with a rich beefy taste makes the bread so hard to stop eating. PlayMute video credit: Nina Reeder Margherita Pizza This is a solid, straightforward Neapolitan pizza topped with fior de latte mozzarella. The crust comes out pillowy soft inside and charred around the edges. photo credit: Cameren Rogers Spicy Rigatoni This is great and carries more heat than your run-of-the-mill rigatoni alla vodka. Caico E Pepe Sometimes, this dish comes out a little too saucy if you’re looking for the traditional Roman preparation. But the al dente spaghetti, big flecks of pepper, and sharp romano still make this a satisfactory order. photo credit: Cameren Rogers Black Spaghetti Squid ink spaghetti does a good job soaking up a spicy fra diavolo sauce, but we could stomach a few more bites of shrimp and a little more acidity in the sauce. This is better as a Saturday special, when you can get the dish with a whole lobster. PlayMute video credit: Cameron Rogers Eggplant Parmesan This thinly cut eggplant stays moist and meaty while not disappearing behind a mound of breading. It’s an easy nominee to the city’s eggplant parm hall of fame. photo credit: Nina Reeder Side Of Pasta For $7, you can add on this side of yawn-worthy spaghetti to your entree. It's basically just noodles tossed with a smidge of butter, cream, and parmesan. In our experience, the entrees don't have enough sauce to necessitate the pasta. You're better off ordering a sauced pasta dish to share as your side or second course." - Nina Reeder
