Did you ever go to a fine restaurant and it just felt natural? From the valet to the hostess, you felt perfectly welcomed and, well, comfortable. My husband and I had that feeling recently while visiting Ray’s Killer Creek in Alpharetta.

The moment we walked in the door, we felt like we were at a well-attended party in someone’s gorgeous home rather than at a restaurant. We were promptly greeted by a most gracious maitre-d and escorted to our table in the center of the dining room—yet due to the large, overstuffed booth, it felt private. Our server, David (whom we later found out was also a chef trained in Italy) was most pleasant and seemed genuinely glad to host us at his table for the next hour and a half. He shared with us the specials of the evening that Chef Daniel Frier had created, and seafood lover that I am, I quickly decided on the sea bass and crab cake. I knew this was a perfect choice, but little did I know just how perfect it was going to be. In addition to my entrée, I ordered some of chef’s crab bisque. It was amazing, but knowing the rich entrée that was coming, I only enjoyed about half of this cup of soup, and fought the urge to finish the whole thing. I loved the flavor of the crab as well as the hint of sherry.

My entrée was gorgeous—the healthy portion of sea bass was pan-seared and sat on top of a mound of smashed potatoes accompanied by the crab cake and small ramekin of a mixture of sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced cloves of garlic and fresh basil tossed in olive oil. The cherry tomato side was such a simple pairing that really enhanced the dish both in color and flavor. I’ve since tried to recreate the dish in my kitchen, but it just doesn’t have the flair that Chef Frier’s creation had. The crab cake was delightful and full of lump crab…something that you don’t often find. I could barely detect any filler and each buttery bite went too fast.

My husband, Jeff, a Midwesterner and true lover of good steaks, is the perfect person to critique the steak at Ray’s Killer Creek. And trust me, he will be coming back for more. His steak was cooked to perfection—a true medium rare. Upon putting the first bite into his mouth, he recognized that the steak was not only cooked perfectly, it was also a fine cut of meat. Jeff enjoyed the steak…all of it.

Next, both of us happened upon a most unique side that had us smitten from the first bite! Ray’s Killer Creek creamed corn is literally to die for. We later found out from David (chef David as we casually named him) that in preparing this scrumptious dish, Chef Frier starts with a rue then adds the fresh creamed corn and doesn’t stop there, he actually adds smoked gouda and gruyere chesses that really set off the flavor. Needless to say we cleared the plate of any remnant of the creamed corn.

Dessert was next, and was a treat in itself. My favorite was the praline bowl filled with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with seasonal berries and pecans. The praline bowl was hand-made at the restaurant and had a latticed appearance that with each bite actually tasted of pralines and went perfectly with the smooth and creamy vanilla bean ice cream. This was a perfect finish to a stunning meal.

I’m thrilled that a great such a great steakhouse with fantastic food, warm, friendly and approachable service and upscale atmosphere that has comfort at its heart is just a quick dash up or down Georgia 400. I know Jeff and I will be dashing back there soon!

For more information, visit www.raysrestaurants.com.