The idea of dining inside a luxury hotel has never caught on in Atlanta the way it has in cities such a New York and Las Vegas, where top-shelf chefs vie for space inside the city's most hallowed trophic towers. Atlanta is not a walking city; we don't just drop by the Waldorf=Astoria for a quick martini pick-me-up only to find ourselves staying for dinner. Or perhaps the night. If this were not the case, perhaps some of the hotel's in Atlanta would offer better dining experiences.
Instead, we get mutated versions of what already existed elsewhere — Spice Market, inside the W Hotel in Midtown, may be a big-name Jean-Georges Vongerichten transplant, but it looks and acts exactly like what it is — a restaurant inside a hotel lobby. Craft, from Top Chef chef Tom Colicchio, will open "in time for the holidays" in a free-standing building in front of the Mansion on Peachtree (this was a Colicchio coup, since appearing as its own keeper will help this New York transplant fair better below the Mason-Dixon line).
Concentrics Hospitality has had a decent run of offering fine fare at Room at Twelve and Lobby at Twelve, but these are hardly the Essex House experiences one might expect from a stay in New York (though even the Big Apple has its share of trouble: Alain Ducasse pulled his restaurant from the famed hotel).
In Atlanta, only the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton offers the kind of evening one might expect from, say, the newly renovated Oak Room inside the Plaza (where, by the way, chef Joel Antunes now hangs his toque).
Enter into this modern fable Neo, the restaurant inside the Mansion on Peachtree, a Rosewood luxury property that includes residences, as well as a lovely English garden to stroll through after dinner. Neo offers neo-Italian cuisine in a lavish setting, where cordial-yet-reserved tones of eggshell and black echo the marble from the hotel's modern lobby, which winds its way to a secluded bar across from Neo's main dining room. Altogether the essence of modern affluence and style.
The menu, on the other hand, could stand to go back in time a bit. Modern Italian is somewhat of an oxymoron, but everything in its place, right? Chef de cuisine Giuseppe Napoli came to Neo from Dazies in Queens, New York (perhaps most famous for its use as a location for T.V's "30 Rock") and its valet parking. Napoli has a strong background in corporate cooking, too, having worked as corporate chef of Forest City Daly Company.
His menu, consequently, has the feel of a good chef trying to break free of the corporate box. In other words, "modern" becomes "dated," especially in dishes like roasted chicken with an overly dry parsley orzo and swordfish with a seemingly unending array of vegetables such as arugula, cannellini beans, peppers and eggplant Parmesan. Both are completely acceptable; neither exceptional.
Capable is the word that comes most to mind with Napoli's cooking: mushroom risotto is adequate, but lacks the umami-laden pizazz and creaminess so wanted in this dish; seared foie gras as an appetizer is better with sweet-tart roasted Granny Smith apples and luxurious Madeira reduced to a tawny essence. Beef brasato (beef braised in Barolo) is perhaps his best dish — richly braised, tender and a good match for carrots and cremini mushrooms. Gnocchi di fontina is too gummy to be enjoyed.
An Italian wedding soup (escarole soup) is the most old-fashioned thing on the menu, and one of the most delightful — chock full of rich brodo and brimming with escarole.
I would be remiss not to say that if I never see another bowl, cup or glassful of tiramisu it would be a blessing. That is, unless it's Neo's tiramisu, which is a martini glass full of sumptuous mascarpone-laden custard blended with a hint of coffee and cookies. By far, it is the restaurant's best dessert offering, leaving a dated "chocolate exploration" in its wake, though a trio of tiny cheesecakes made a fine showing with a creamy Laura Chenel goat's cheese the most delectable of the three.
Neo is lovely in so many ways, and Napoli makes a fine effort to break free of his corporate shackles. At the end of meal, though, it still feels like hotel dining.
Food: Modern Italian
Service: A little yin, a little yang — servers here clearly want to impress, and that's the problem.
Address, telephone: 3376 Peachtree Road, 404-995-7545
Price range: $$$
Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club (including Carte Blanche)
Hours of operation: Open for breakfast daily from 6 to 11 a.m.; lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner Monday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. Brunch on Sunday from 6 to 11 a.m.
Best Dishes: Beef brasato, foie gras with roasted Granny Smith apples
Vegetarian Dishes: Mushroom risotto, tomato bisque soup, whole wheat rigatoni
Children: Yes, early evening hours
Parking: Complimentary valet through the hotel.
Reservations: Yes
Wheelchair access: Yes
Smoking: No smoking; outdoor terrace available in the English garden
Noise level: Medium
Patio: No
Takeout: Available
Website: www.rosewoodhotels.com
KEY TO RATINGS
Outstanding: Sets the standard for fine dining in the region. 
Excellent: One of the best in the Atlanta area. 
Very good: Merits a drive if you're looking for this kind of dining. Good: A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss. 
Fair: The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated Poor.
PRICING CODE: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)
