I got a preview of the new Cosmos Cafe last night at the Media Preview Party. The new Ballantyne location boasts patio seating, a beautiful round bar, eclectic international flavors, amazing decor, and seating for 280 people.
As I trudged my way over to Ballantyne from Uptown in the pouring rain, my pant legs got completely soaked — I looked like something the cat dragged in. Lucky for me though, I felt better as soon as we entered the restaurant because we were warmly welcomed by a bevy of staff and were immediately offered a drink and some food.
We chose to sit in a maroon and purple faux-suede booth facing the restaurant to take in the chic decor. As we sat at our table, waitstaff came by every few minutes with little samples of Cosmos’ dishes. (The parade of delicious food was so exciting I was distracted from being uncomfortable in my rain-soaked pants.) We sampled fried goat cheese salad, dips, satay, kalamari, grilled octopus salad, lobster and crab cakes, lamb shanks, sushi, mini lamb burgers, and multiple pizzas.
The pizzas are wood-fired and have a slightly smokey flavored. The two we tried, the Alfredo and the Shepherd, were extremely good with nice crusts. I’d say try the Shepherd pizza — it’s a bit lighter than the Alfredo and has a great combo of sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, ricotta cheese, artichokes and goat cheese.
I was surprised at the quality of their sushi. Both the California roll and the spicy tuna roll were well-made and tasted fresh. No soggy, mushy rice here.
The circular bar was custom made in the restaurant with woods from around the globe. To make the bar, strips of wood were bent and glued together strip by strip to form the amazing work of art. The final bar masterpiece resembles the rings of Saturn…which goes along with the entire theme of the restaurant – planets/space/cosmic harmony. The circular design and jagged pieces jutting from the ceiling above the bar represents a planet with an explosion caused by an asteroid. (Tidbit of info: In Russian, the word cosmos simply means “space.”) Even the lighting is kinda neat — the lights fade from green, to blue, to red, but not in a cheesy way. When you go visit, be sure to ask about the decor.
Cosmos Cafe in Ballantyne is officially open to the public today. Their grand opening will be tomorrow, May 7. Currently the restaurant will be open for dinner on weekdays, in addition to brunch on the weekends. But stay tuned — lunch will be served in the future. If you are looking for a place to take Mom this weekend, Cosmos is planning a grand Mother’s Day buffet this Sunday.
The restaurant is located at the Village at Robinson Farm. 8420 Rea Rd, Charlotte, NC.
