DINING RECAP

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At my first meal at Co on Highland Avenue, I ordered the beef pho. I could have ordered many other things, because the menu is long and varied. But, if a restaurant serves pho, that deliriously comforting and classic Vietnamese dish, I want to order it.

When a bowl of it arrived, I quickly noticed a few things. First, the very thin sheets of sliced beef, always to be served rare and floating on top, had all been completely cooked through well before the bowl was delivered. It was a simple mistake — perhaps the result of the dish lingering too long under the heat lamp — but not one typically made by a kitchen serious about pho. Also, the herbs served on the side — Thai basil and cilantro — were dried out and sorry-looking.

How was it? Pretty good, I guess. Like cheeseburgers or pizza, even when pho is bad, it is still pretty good. But, I could point you to a dozen different bowls of pho in strip malls all around this city that easily outshine it.

Co is a chain with seven locations scattered throughout the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia. This Atlanta location, part of a glossy new mixed-use apartment building, positively glows with thin red neon bulbs and dark glass. But, for all of that polished new construction, Co offers a menu that’s rough around every edge.

WYATT WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTED BY The beef pho served at Co is accompanied with traditional garnishes of herbs, sprouts and sliced jalapenos.