Atlanta restaurant guide
Words by Tony Ware
| Strip $$ |
245 18th St, Ste 5100 404-385-2005
Funky casual / dressy casual
New American fusion / sushi
With the 13,000-square-foot Strip, restaurateur and chef Tom Catherall has added a culinary temple to his food empire, which includes restaurants Prime, Shout and Twist. “Meat Drink Eat” is the slogan of this soaring, tri-level, indoor and outdoor steakhouse and sushi bar, which offers VIP tables, DJs, bottle service and ample choice for th ose on a liquid diet and carnivores upstairs. If you dine casually downstairs on the Asian and Mediterranean-styled, spice market signatures, try the unwrapped summer roll salad, springy lobster burger or snappy tandoori salmon tempered with chickpea raita.
West Midtown / Downtown
| the Grape $ |
264 19th St, Ste 2140 404-815-0090
Casual
New American
the wine bars and shops of the Grape franchise offer 120-150 wines in th ree serving sizes and 10 classifications. Polished and pleasantly snug, the Grape is more than just a wine bar—the lite fare varies creatively, from spreads, cheeses and sandwiches to meatier selections, satisfying all palates and price-points whether in the mood for vino or vittles.
| BED $$$ |
110 Marietta St, NW 404-222-7992
Casual to dressy
French-influenced New American
Cast in an earth y, jazzy palette, BED (that’s Beverage, Entertainment, Dining) is the only option in Atlanta for a supine dine. Occupying two-stories in Downtown’s Glenn Hotel and featuring safari-chic day beds, BED offers a pleth ora of French-American plates plus fusion entrees. Cocktails featuring freshly muddled fruit—such as the plum, lime, vanilla and apple “Pussy Galore”—are outstanding.
| Doc Green’s $ |
264 19th St, Ste 2180 404-347-5216
Casual
Salads
the latest franchise from the people behind Moe’s, Mama Fu’s and Planet Smooth ie—Doc Green’s sits behind a wild-haired Kokopelli character and a slogan: “Health y As You Wanna Be.” this store of squash and celery colors offers signature and customizable salads and, if you need more carbs, flatbread sandwiches.
East Atlanta / Grant Park
| Graveyard Tavern $ |
245 Glenwood Ave SE 404-622-8686
Anyth ing goes
Family-style Greek and Italian
Named after the location’s former occupant—a motorcycle graveyard and parts store—Graveyard Tavern is a spacious yet comfy alternative to East Atlanta’s hipster haunts. Sumptuously refurbished in oak and pine accents th roughout, Graveyard Tavern beckons with darts, vintage snooker tables, jazz and boogie woogie bands, a sizeable drink menu and a Greek- and Italian-influenced home-style menu.
| Six Feet Under $$ |
415 Memorial Dr SE 404-523-6664
Anyth ing goes
Fish fry / Southern
Six Feet Under may be named for its location across from Oakland Cemetery, but it’s a lively joint nonetheless. Dedicated to deep-frying, the restaurant has become a local favorite, serving Southern-fried shrimps, oysters and catfish, as well as microbrews and Belgian ales.
Midtown / Virginia Highlands
| the Zocalo $ |
187 10th St 404-249-7576
Anyth ing goes
Mexican
As zesty as any lemon or lime, this citrus-colored taqueria invites Latinos and gringos to gather at metal Corona beer tables amid classic Mexican movie posters. the menu offers a la carte cheesy starters, meatier entrees and especially zingy tacos. Specialties include chicken mole and the al pastor, rotisserie pork marinated in pineapple and chilies.
| the Spotted Dog $ |
30 North Ave NW 404-347-7337
Funky casual/dressy casual
Pub grub
the sixth and latest jewel in the crown of Derek Lawford’s English-style pubs, the Spotted Dog is a “gastropub” with in a meticulously renovated century-old firehouse. Inside palatial, smoke-free environs of warm woods, young urban professionals share pub fare and pints.
| Enoteca Carbonari $ |
710 Peachtree St NE 404-810-9110
Funky casual
Gourmet Italian
Enoteca Carbonari is a cozy, convivial space that celebrates the bountiful tastes of Italy. Succulent entrees—such as house-roasted suckling pig—are offered, but the most authentic experience is to slowly wind th rough selections of cheese, cured meat and wine. After all, enoteca means “wine library.”
| Taurus $$$ |
1745 Peachtree Rd 404-214-0641
Funky casual/dressy casual
New American
After nearly a decade helming Canoe’s Northern California New American cuisine, chef Gary Mennie opens a chophouse, where flavors are meaty and the decor is velvety. Daily wood roast specials and prime cuts showcase Mennie’s culinary strength s in simple presentations.
Emory Village / Toco Hills
| Saba $ |
1451 Oxford Rd 404-377-7786
Anyth ing goes
Pasta
An informal, unassuming pasta restaurant with in walking distance of Emory University, Saba comes from Ryan Aiken, once Atlanta’s pioneering burrito chef. With in this unadorned, low-lit room the perky cuisine pays tribute to the simple yet sprightly flavors Aiken pairs so well—now with pasta rather than in tortilla—as well as further out flavors, from linguine with tomato sauce to th ai tofu spaghetti with peanut and coconut curry sauce. Perfect for fueling a person’s carb-uretor.
| Shorty’s $ |
2884-B N Druid Hills Rd 404-315-6262
Anyth ing goes
Gourmet pizza
Opened by former owners of New American fusion pioneer, Dish, in Virginia Highlands, this skinny space offers th in-crust woodfire pizzas dripping with plenty of sultry flavor but no grease. If you’re not interested in building your own, there are signature pizzas named for rock stars, plus savory starters (primo guacamole, antipasto) and entrees (cedar-planked salmon, parchment-wrapped fish).
| Top Spice $$ |
3007 N Druid Hills Rd NE 404-728-0588
Funky casual / dressy casual
th ai / Malaysian
this beatific Toco Hills restaurant is perfect for th ose exploring Asian cuisine. An earth y environment with glass-top mahogany tables featuring decorative peepholes of seasonings, Top Spice offers piquant dishes that borrow from both cultures, like basil rolls, Malaysian buah mango chicken and pineapple prawn, and deep-fried, soft-shell crab in a spicy th ai curry paste.
Buckhead
| Spondivits $ |
360 Pharr Rd 404-869-9100
Casual
Seafood / Southern
the original Spondivits near the airport has been around for nearly 27 years. this location continues the same family-friendly, rustic roadhouse tradition. Seafarers and wayfarers come here for steamed and lightly battered shrimp, clams or oysters and bucketloads of the freshest crab. there are 100 shooters available, which ensures a boisterous atmosphere later on in the evening.
| Café Intermezzo $$ |
1845 Peachtree Rd NE 404-355-0411
Funky casual / dressy casual
Bistro fare
Enticing to see-and-be-seen crowds and starry-eyed couples, Café Intermezzo is a Buckhead mainstay that never seems out of fashion. Modeled on a Viennese kaffeehaus and established in 1979, Intermezzo has been serving small plates, impeccably pulled espresso and desserts—like rich chocolate cheesecake and flaky berry tart—to professionals by day, lovers by night and visiting celebrities on the down low ever since.
| Donlan and Greenbaum’s $$$$ New York Prime: A Steakhouse |
3424 Peachtree Rd NE 404-846-0644
Dressy
Steakhouse
Framed by wood paneling and brass trim, this airy men’s club serves manly portions of USDA prime beef. Succulent seared cuts are the centerpiece, alth ough lobster, oysters, jumbo lump crab cocktail and cheese-mashed potatoes are no slouches.
| Aiko $$ |
128 E Andrews Dr NW 404-869-4800
Funky casual / dressy casual
Sushi
Sushi bar meets martini lounge in the appropriately named Aiko, meaning “love child” in Japanese. this restaurant evolves into a nightclub as the evening progresses. the shimmering white and electric blue setting, with its fluttery curtains, is as flirty as the sushi rolls, which have names like Aphrodisiac, Rock ’n’ Roll and Viagra.
Outside the Perimeter
| South City Kitchen $$$ |
1675 Cumberland Pkwy, Smyrna 770-435-0700
Casual / dressy casual
Creative contemporary Southern
South City Kitchen Vinings furthers the original Midtown branch’s mission (and menu) of celebrating contemporary Southern cuisine. the lustrous interior and large patio are the setting for Low Country cuisine, such as buttermilk fried chicken and pumpkin seed-crusted Georgia trout.
| East Pearl $$ |
1810 Liddell Lane, Duluth 678-380-0899
Casual
Chinese
(Cantonese)
Despite resembling an alpine chalet, this restaurant offers superlative dim sum and scales the heights of authentic Cantonese dinner fare. If you’re dining on dim sum, try the myriad sui mai (pork dumplings), char siu bau (pork buns) and har gow (shrimp dumplings).
| Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ $$ Chicken & Waffles |
7301 Stone Crest Concourse, Ste 123, Lith onia 770-482-6766
Anyth ing goes / funky casual
Southern / comfort food
Like sweet Motown music, but smothered in gravy, the Harlem-originated chicken and waffles tradition warms body and spirit. this is the kind of down-home grub mom would put on the table, but in a setting dressed up like it was a night out at the Apollo. Gladys & Ron serve cozy stick-to-the-ribs cuisine at reasonable prices.