Located in the restaurant and shop-lined Columbus Street, the first problem one has to contend with will be finding a parking spot. It’s no problem for tourists like us, who took a cab from our hotel, The Prescott, on Post Street. Cab fare from the hotel was at $10. Take note, though, that it could be less, as going back to the hotel was just $7. I guess that the sights we saw that were happily pointed out to by the first cabbie explains it all. The ride also included some sightseeing "detours." It wasn’t too bad, though, as we learned that the area where Columbus Street is located is divided into what is called the "Little Italy" and Chinese (or did he say Oriental?) side.

We dined on a Wednesday night and would suggest to call ahead for reservations. When we arrived, there was quite a crowd waiting, but we were ushered right in. It was great for dinner-hungry tourists like us after a whole day of taking in the sights.

Inside, the decor comes strong with red and black - yep, Dracula’s color, no less! There were empty bottles that looked to me liked those used for "aging" wines together with clumps/strands of garlic hung from the ceiling.

Once seated, service is fast - real fast!

Some entrées on the menu are distinguished with a tagline and a caricature of a man (fangs and all) in black-and-white duds and a cape (throw in some red as well). Yep, you guessed it!!

For starters, it was the BAGNA CALDA ($4.95), oven-roasted garlic cloves in olive oil and butter, served with their house-baked buns. Take your pick. Spread it on or for real garlic lovers and just enjoy it one clove at a time.

The main entrées we chose were the GARLIC ROASTED PRIME RIB ($17.95 for the Lite Cut) and the TIGER PRAWNS GARLIC ROASTED with BABY PASTA. Both dishes we consider a 10!

From the moment we came in, no table was ever left empty for long. We noticed that as one is vacated, it is soon occupied, and this might explain why as soon as our plates were empty, they were hurriedly whisked away, a sign that our time was up. As we stepped out of the restaurant, there were still people arriving (at near 9pm).

As wonderful as the food and service was, Stinking Rose may not be one’s choice for an intimate/romantic dinner. It definitely is a choice for people who just want good food, fast.

As you enter, a sign says, "We season our garlic with food," and that’s the truth. Don’t bother coming here if you don’t like garlic, though the menu does feature two or three items with a cute little vampire face for those garlic haters amongst you. Let it be known, though, that the place reeks of garlic, so it’s really best avoided if you don’t like it.

On waiting for our table, we passed on the garlic shots at the bar but did eat the wonderful free garlic chips.

We got seated in the more romantic section, which was dimly lit and cozy, with candles on the tables with corks hanging from the ceiling, as well as Chianti bottles. It sounds odd, but it works.They brought us out bread rolls with a great garlic dressing whilst we browsed the menu.

There are plenty of vegetarian choices, and I opted for the Neon Ravioli, which was, of course, stuffed with garlic (as well as Ricotta) in a delicious basil cream sauce. All the pasta dishes are just $13.

The forty clove chicken roasted to the bone with garlic mashed potatoes ($18) looked good, but that will have to wait until next time. A menu item that made me laugh was the Silence of the Lamb shank served with fava beans.

There are a lot of tacky touches, but as the food was so good, you just have to love them. On leaving, there’s even a mini store of sorts to stack up on all your garlic needs, including a garlic room fragrance. They had great desserts, but in an area surrounded with pastry shops, I would save some belly space!