By Meridith Ford Goldman

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

There are two things that absolutely must not be missed if you visit Sauced, retro-vibe restaurateur-ista Ria Pell’s new foray into semi-fine dining in Inman Park.

The first is the second bathroom on the left (the first bathroom on the left is good, too, but not as good as the second). Anyone born before 1975 will want to spend some time there. The walls are lovingly wallpapered with album covers of the kitsch of eras gone by: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’s “Whipped Cream” floats above the chair rail with Tito Puente, Tony Orlando & Dawn and Otis Redding and Carla Thomas’s “King & Queen.” Forty-fives that belonged to Pell’s grandparents handsomely rest above, creating a border of circles and vinyl.

Like the outspoken and seemingly unshakable Pell, they are infectious. As odd as it sounds, I could’ve brought in dessert and spent the rest of the evening giggling and reminiscing.

That dessert — more specifically lemon ice box pie — is the second thing at Sauced no one should take a pass on. Pell claims it’s a hybrid of several recipes — including one of her own — but won’t bake and tell on its “secret ingredients.” Flaky crust gets spread with mile-high lemon filling, tangy and fluffy, dwarfed only by the airy, cloud-like meringue that blankets its surface. Naughty. And nice.

Pell has taken the stark former space — what was 11:11 Teahouse — and turned it into a cozy spot that looks in part like my parents’ basement circa 1977 and in part post-prohibition speakeasy. The bar — salvaged pine rafters from the old roof — has a slick, shiny veneer, and the barkeeps serve up fun, seasonally inspired cocktails made with gin and rye. Wood paneling strewn with taxidermal fish and fowl evokes whacky memories of Hang Ten shirts and Carole King.

The menu does a little of the same, and will be no surprise to anyone familiar with Pell’s cooking at her iconic Grant Park breakfast spot, Ria’s Bluebird, which will celebrate its tenth birthday this October.

There’s as much camp as kitsch, with throwbacks to classics like beef Wellington and canapés, but with old-fashioned, Southern-inspired twists: the canapés appear on fluffy biscuits, topped with different treats (such as barbecued shrimp); the Wellington is not tenderloin, but tenderly braised short rib meat wrapped in puff pastry “painted” with Coleman’s mustard and served with duxelle and demi-glace. The former plays out the cuteness and comes up a winning dish; the latter is sloppy, with doughy, mushy puff pastry, and no flavor from the mustard.

Southern style gets gussied up in a fun starter of black-eyed pea fritters, nicely fried and just big enough for a couple of bites. The party comes to halt with the dish’s trio of chintzy sauces for dipping, from “hotlanta” (the best of the three) to a smoky tomato that tastes like liquid smoke. Dolmas are cleverly wrapped with collards and filled with an unremarkable mix of brown rice, nuts and dates.

Pell has become famous for the tasty, clever vegetarian dishes she doles out at the Bluebird by the bowlful, and the seitan-made stroganoff at Sauced is another example of how good she is at creatively making non-meat taste meaty – hand-cut egg noodles envelope a creamy, mushroom laden sauce with lots of umami-laden flavor.

The restaurant accepts cash only, and there is an ATM on the premises, which gives the ambience an even goofier appeal. She offers no apologies for what some may interpret as an inconvenience. “It’s just too expensive,” she told me by phone, “and I see it as a way for us all to be living in the now a little more.”

I’ll be living in the now in the bathroom, with a slice of lemon ice box pie and Herb Alpert.

Sauced

Overall rating:

Food: Retro Americana

Service: Prompt and knowledgable

Price range: $ - $$

Credit cards: Cash only; ATM on the premises

Hours of operation: Open Tuesday - Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to midnight

Best dishes: Canape biscuits with barbecued shrimp, black-eyed pea fritters, seitan stroganoff, lemon ice box pie

Vegetarian selections: Seitan stroganoff, roasted Brussels sprouts, Caesar salad

Children: Yes

Parking: Adjacent lot at the rear of the building or on-street

Reservations: No

Wheelchair access: Yes

Smoking: Outside only

Noise level: Medium

Patio: Yes

Takeout: Yes

Address, telephone: 753 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta, 404-688-6554

Web site: www.saucedatlanta.com

Pricing code: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less.

Key to AJC 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 and miss.

Fair

Food is more miss than hit.

Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated Poor.

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