Speakeasy

Athens, Georgia
(706) 546-5556
Price: $10-$15

By Jo Lee

With its tapas style menu and energetic but laid-back atmosphere, Speakeasy is the perfect overture to a night on the town. If you’re ever looking for a great place to bring a group of people and have an enjoyable meal at a reasonable price, Speakeasy is the place to go.

Speakeasy is not the restaurant where at precisely 7 p.m., the lights dim in an effort to create a romantic mood. On the contrary, the low lighting, posters of 1930s era paintings and jazz music create the right combination of liveliness and sophistication for any occasion, even on a random Wednesday night.

The first order of business was, of course, drinks. On Monday and Tuesday nights, Speakeasy serves bottomless wine for $14.95, but since it was Wednesday, my friends and I decided to try some of the restaurant’s specialty martinis. The berry martini is deliciously frothy, due to the coulis, (a puree made with raspberries), sugar and limejuice. The Georgia Peach Martini isn’t overly sweet as the unorthodox addition of mint gave it a lighter, more refreshing flavor. Though these martinis come in five-ounce glasses for $5, it is only $8 for the 10-ounce, so that’s what we ordered.

Tapas evolved from the Spanish tradition of meals consisting of foods like calamari and olives. People in Spain would be given these small appetizers for free to accompany a drink before a meal later at night. However, the tradition at today’s Americanized version is to order lots of different dishes and share them among a group as a meal in itself.

We started off with a delicious, creamy spinach dip in a bread bowl. Though it only comes with four toast points for dipping, once those were devoured we divided the rest of the honey wheat bread bowl amongst ourselves.

The second appetizer was my favorite dish of the night. Beer battered coconut shrimp are fried but not at all heavy or greasy. And the delectable Asian dipping sauce, equal parts salty and sweet with soy and pineapple, is the perfect addition to the large shrimp. At $7 for four shrimp, it is slightly expensive but definitely worth the price.

For the main course, we had ravioli and sesame tuna. Chef Pat Anderson, who has been at the restaurant since its opening in 2001 presents a unique twist on the Italian classic, ravioli. The cheese-filled ravioli are lightly fried instead of boiled. Smothered with a cheesy cream sauce and sliced onions, this dish is best shared among a group, as it was the heaviest and richest of the night.

The sesame tuna is seared to perfection, with a delectable spicy rub on the outside and the right shade of deep pink on the inside. A scrumptious sweet and sour Thai dipping sauce complements the ahi tuna, rounding out the flavor of the dish. These entrees cost around $11, which is comparable to the rest of the entrees on the menu.

Our sugar cookies may have seemed a basic choice for dessert. However, they are warm and soft and are a great way to end a meal. Fresh out of the oven and topped with maraschino cherries and cream cheese icing, these cookies are anything but boring.

The only downside to the evening was the service. Though we received our food in a timely manner, once our table was packed with food, we were left to our own devices. Empty plates, martini glasses and the water pitcher sat unnoticed for nearly ten minutes as our server tended to the large birthday party near us. However, this did not dampen our dining experience.

Though much of the traditional Spanish tapas has changed in its voyage across the Atlantic, the tradition of going out afterwards has not. Because it’s ideally located on Broad Street and serves food until 11 p.m., Speakeasy is a great place to grab a cocktail and everything from appetizers to a full meal as a prelude to a fun night out in the Classic City.