Octopus Bar

Octopus Bar Restaurant Review:

Look for a Vietnamese restaurant called So Ba and within its confines you'll find the Octopus Bar, which opens after So Ba has closed for the day. (Octopus Bar only occupies an enclosed patio.) Its founders, the late Angus Brown and So Ba's chef Nhan Le, shared disparate cultural and culinary backgrounds but made the seeming divergence connect in this off-the-beaten-path after-hours establishment. Drawing hospitality workers as they leave their places of employment, Octopus Bar also appeals to anyone eager for adventurous food. We like to grab a like-minded dining companion and share myriad plates. The seasonal menu changes daily. In the spring, dishes may make playful use of ramps, that wild garlic that grows northward from the Appalachians, and foraged chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms. Share a lobster roll, crammed with chunks of tender crustacean meat bound by seasoned mayo. Look out for any of the oyster preparations or the crispy shrimp, to be eaten in their entirety including heads and tails. Sawagani (Japanese crab) have made their appearance in the lineup, too. Uni will adorn either risotto or some form of pasta, and UGA Siberian sturgeon caviar may materialize on occasion. You never know what to expect, but slowly savor each treat as if it were the last morsel you'll ever enjoy. The short wine list provides worthy sipping in this cocktail-devoted environment.