Aquamoree Southern tapas makes itself at home

Moving into a fully furnished pad is awesome, until you realize that Ikea doesn't actually hook up their toilets to anything. For a restaurant moving right into a fully furnished pad (with working plumbing!), check out Aquamoree.

Taking its name from blending the Italian for "water" and "love", Aqua flowed seamlessly into the freshly renovated/decorated former of home of Tikul: the airy, window-lit space is (still!) lined with orange-hued Mexican stone, and helmed by a chef named "Fortune" who graduated from ATL's Cordon Bleu Manga Cum Laude, so clearly he wasn't one of those chefs who spent all his time doing pots. The menu's touted as "upscale Southern cuisine prepared as tapas" and kicks of with lunch offerings like Carnitas Sliders (w/ jalapeno cabbage slaw & sweet 'n sour tomato relish), cheddar/goat/jack Truffled Lobster Mac 'n Cheese, and "Mini Shrimp Corn Dogs" = cute, but not yet recognized by the AKC. Dinner's got goodness like a Bourbon 'n Peach Glazed Pork Loin and Espresso Braised Beef Short Rib with bacon gravy (both available as tapas or entrees), or large portion-only plates like a cherry/Serrano chile-reduced Slow Roasted Duck Breast, 'cause apparently even to fowl, size mallards.

Dranks include ~17 wines, a few bottled brews, and an 11-strong cocktail list including martinis like the vodka/olive juice/cheese-stuffed olives "Water Man", and the pepper-infused tequila/St Germain/watermelon puree "Hot and Bothered" -- which also describes the Ikea staff when they find you sawing logs in a torskandt.