Atlanta restaurant guide May 2006

Food 101

1395 N. Highland Avenue 404-347-9747
Casual
Comfort Food
The second location of this take on American classics from 101 Concepts, Food 101 offers comfort from the cuisine to the furnishings. With sage walls and exposed brick, buttery banquettes and black-and-white photography, this Morningside location is exceedingly swank and hip. Offering hearty portions of something for everyone (and something to surprise anyone), Food 101 is a culinary speakeasy that does retro and contemporary with aplomb. Toothsome versions of old favorites such as meatloaf, pot roast and ravioli, plus more modern medleys, are raised from homey to honed by a deft selection of condiments and complements.

 

Midtown/The Highlands/ Inman Park

O’Terrill’s $

510 Piedmont Avenue 404-815-0079
Anything goes
Pub Grub
A stand-alone neighborhood haunt that’s equal part sports bar, fish fry and pub. Karaoke, trivia, wireless internet, open mic night, darts, poker, a screened deck and more make this the best rumpus room your buddy never built. Fish and (homemade) chips are renowned, and requisite Guinness comes either in a pint glass or bowl as specially made ice cream.

Baraonda $$

710 Peachtree Street N.E. 404-879-9962
Funky casual/dressy casual
Italian/Pizza
First bringing the woodfire brick oven-style Neopolitan pizza to midtown in 1999, Baraonda also offers pastas and entrees, but stick with the award-winning pizza. Baraonda also introduced the amore and rowdiness of an Italian trattoria, replete with loud world beat music, nooks and an airy patio.

Taurus $$$

1745 Peachtree Road 404-214-0641
Funky casual/dressy casual
Chophouse/New American
After nearly a decade helming Canoe’s Northern California New American fare, chef Gary Mennie opens his chophouse, where flavors and decor are meaty and velvety. Daily wood roast specials showcase Mennie’s strengths in no-bull presentations.

Pozole $$

1044 Greenwood Avenue 404-892-0552
Funky casual
Nuevo Latino
A mini-cantina, this former noodle shop is now all dark lacquered wood and liquor bottles dotting blue walls. Servers weave through with frozen margaritas and chili-fueled dishes such as pozole, slow-cooked pork tacos and ribs in mole.

 

Buckhead/Cheshire Bridge

Jöel $$$

3290 Northside Parkway N.W. 404-233-3500
Funky casual/dressy casual
Modern French
The namesake of Joël Antunes, this eatery is modernist-organic in both its soft-focus ambience and razor-sharp approach to French cuisine. Antunes is a naturalist who seeks the bright flavors of seasonal ingredients, then marries them with Far Eastern accents, highlighting tastes and textures with bracing sauces and sorbets.

Cedars $$

2770 Lenox Road N.E. 404-261-1826
Casual
Lebanese/Mediterranean
A festive Lebanese restaurant where the atmosphere is infectious, Cedars may offer a no-frills shopping center environment, but there is no skimping on the authentic Mediterranean cuisine. Affordable buffet (lunch and Sunday) and à la carte choices highlight all the succulent, marinated fare of the region, and are great for sharing.

Dantanna’s $$$

3400 Around Lenox Drive 404-760-8873
Casual/dressy casual
Surf ’n’ Turf
The next best thing to being at the game is being nowhere near it, as long as you’re at Dantanna’s. This upscale sports bar offers impeccable surf ’n’ turf whether you’re in to pitch, putt or punt. Come for the widescreen TV and projection screens or top-drawer service, kitchen and cocktails.

Taverna Plaka $$

2196 Cheshire Bridge Road 404-636-2284
Anything goes
Greek
Among Atlanta’s small handful of Greek restaurants, Taverna Plaka stands out by not only serving heaping portions, but also by overflowing with communal energy. Garlicky, freshly ground hummus greets each table; enticements to come include delightfully crisp and gooey mezedes (appetizers), ouzo and dancing.

South of France $$$

2345 Cheshire Bridge Road 404-325-6963
Dressy casual/dressy
Country French
Celebrating 28 years, this homey Provençal restaurant honors the fundamentals of French country café cooking. Rough stucco, a dimly lit low-ceiling dining room, fresh flowers and a live vocalist evoke a romantic atmosphere, while the rich, creamy cuisine gives off authentic aromas.

West Midtown/Downtown/ Sweet Auburn

Rosa Mexicano $$$

245 18th Street 404-347-4090
Casual/funky casual
Upscale Contemporary Mexican
The Southeastern outpost of a famed New York chain, this dramatic eatery presents modern Mexican cuisine within a luminous environment of flower, Aztec and Acapulco imagery. No meal begins without custom-spiced, tableside-ground guacamole, and none is complete without a margarita spiked with fresh pomegranate. In between, indulge in a plethora of smoky and spicy rustic flavors.

Quinones at Bacchanalia $$$$

1198 Howell Mill Road 404-365-0410
Dressy
New American
Quinones is the third venture of critically feted restaurateurs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, owners/chefs of Bacchanalia/Floataway Café, and furthers their four-star reputation for emphasizing Georgia-grown organic produce in intimate settings. Offering a single seating of 36 patrons nightly, Quinones features eight to 10 deftly plated and wine-paired courses of exquisite yet earthy cuisine.

Harlem Bar $$

262 Edgewood Avenue N.E. 404-588-0014
Funky casual
Southern
Silhouettes canoodle between the exposed bricks and against the amber, backlit bar of this restaurant/lounge in a sliver of prime real estate in the historic Sweet Auburn District.

And the gourmet Southern soul food with a twist—scrumptious fried chicken, sweet potato cheesecake and crispy catfish nuggets—is as velvety as the retro-contemporary environment.

 

Cabbagetown

Village Pizza $

186 Carroll Street 404-586-0040
Anything goes
Pizza
This glossy, bargain-priced neighborhood pizza joint features laminated blond-wood booths and distressed art in what is a vibrant, hodgepodge area. Subs and calzones maintain a laudable balance of cheeses and meats, while the pizza stands out thanks to a snappy tang of the restaurant’s signature sauce.

97 Estoria $

727 Wylie Street 404-522-0966
Casual
Pub Grub
A brick-and-pale-wood bar with a peppering of curvaceous retro-modern accoutrements, this place has a vibe like James Bond’s favorite ski lodge. The cuisine is updated pub grub, with such mix-and-match items as roasted lamb quesadillas, vegan riblets, wasabi sweet potatoes, pulled pork, batter-dipped fries and spiced Thai green beans.

Carroll Street Café $

208 Carroll Street 404-577-2700
Anything goes/funky casual
Bistro/Breakfast
An idyllic slice of bohemia in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood, this place has the kind of exuberant synergy with its surroundings that you’d find in a great New York City sidewalk café. Loved as a bistro and coffee bar (with full liquor and wine bar), Carroll St. Café offers sandwiches and salads in a setting as quirky and quaint as its community.

 

Outside the perimeter/ Buford Highway

Muss & Turner’s $

1675 Cumberland Parkway, Smyrna 770-434-1114
Anything goes
Gourmet Deli
With a pedigree partially from the locally acclaimed Fifth Group Restaurants, Muss & Turner’s brings gourmet-to-go to the suburbs. Those looking for gastronomic goodies to either eat in (especially haute sandwiches with wine by the glass) or take-out can find house-made, vacuum-packed specialties to suit any taste.

Co’m Vietnamese Grill $$

4005 Buford Highway, Doraville 404-320-0405
Casual/funky casua
l Vietnamese
Located on Buford Highway, near many authentic delights, trendy Co’m offers an ebullient location to explore Vietnam’s vibrant, elegant flavors. A variety of meats is offered for wrapping in smoky la lot (betel leaf) rolls. Diners can also caramelize marinated meats in their own personal hot pots.

So Kong Dong $

5280 Buford Highway, Doraville 678-205-0555
Casual
Korean
This Korean eatery sticks with what it knows: freshly made tofu. Try this silky delight stewing in stone hot pots surrounded by rice, egg and vegetables; or snack on kimchi and sip barley tea. No matter what, your spirits will rise while your wallet stays padded.

 

Decatur/Emory Village

Duck’s Cosmic Kitchen $

111-D New Street, Decatur 404-371-8823
Anything goes
Bakery/Bistro
Formerly a dilapidated pump house, this quaint space bursts at the seams with fresh baked goodies. The menu specializes in eclectic café selections, from pizzas, bagel sandwiches and veggie burgers to succulent shrimp cakes.

Madras Saravana Bhavan $

2179 Lawrenceville Highway, Decatur 404-636-4400
Anything goes
South Indian
Don’t let the shopping center location fool you. Madras Saravana Bhavan is a standout if you’re in the mood for some South Indian vegetarian “breakfast” cooking (meaning hearty and savory). There’s a down-home Southern vibe along with plenty of Indian families, lending this dining experience a particularly authentic feel.

Wahoo! A Decatur Grill $$

1042 W. College Avenue, Decatur 404-373-3331
Casual/funky casual
New American
A welcoming warehouse conversion on the edge of a casual community. The rustic space and earthy, unfussy food—New American bistro fare featuring Continental, Southern and Southwestern influences— are made-from-scratch labors of love. And people love to crowd Wahoo’s garden patio and enjoy the menu’s affordable, homey dishes, especially the fish