Restaurants
Eat > Restaurant Guide
Atlanta, Baltimore, Connecticut, Las Vegas and Washington, DC, offer some of the country’s best dining.
words by > Tony Ware
Atlanta
Ibiza
2285 Peachtree Rd, Buckhead | 404-352-3081 Casual/Funky | $$ | Spanish/Mediterranean Named after the hedonistic Balearic playground of an island, Ibiza restaurant and lounge is a smokin’ scene. One reason for this is the hookahs. This restaurant— sister to adjacent Moroccan mainstay Imperial Fez— features a patio of water pipes and honey-fl avored tobaccos (a North African/Middle Eastern tradition). Owners/chefs Rafi h and Rita Benjelloun have offered a feast of savory food, dance performances and live music inside Imperial Fez for 15 years, and Ibiza continues this tradition of sultry, sincere hospitality (though it’s fl amenco rather than belly dancers at Ibiza). Ibiza’s lux, theatrical décor, with motifs inspired by Sevilla architecture and generously pillowed booths, will have you saying “Moor, Moor, Moor!” You’ll be similarly excited by the cuisine, especially after being presented with piquant house-cured olives, pungent sautéed garlic shrimp, baked quail legs with port-honey berry compote, saffron cream scallops, mascarpone and paprika chicken or a host of other options. Complete the indulgence at your own pace with French raisin cheese, glazed fi g and Spanish dessert wine or Turkish coffee.
P’cheen
701-5 Highland Ave, Old Fourth Ward 404-529-8800 Funky Casual | $$ | International Bistro An anchor for Atlanta’s burgeoning “new” Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, P’cheen is an international bistro that puts a spin on the familiar. Insider these burnt umber walls, time-honored fare is given a bold contemporary update. Like the welcoming environment, P’cheen’s multicultural dishes, such as Guinness-battered fi sh and chips, Thai buffalo wings, jerk barbecue ribs and curry, are redolent and warming.
Donlan and Greenbaum’s New York Prime: A Steakhouse
3424 Peachtree Rd NE, Buckhead 404-846-0644 Funky Casual | $$$$ | Steakhouse Those with beefy appetites and equally healthy budgets will surely fi nd what they’re looking for in this ritzy room. Truly manly portions of USDA prime beef are served at this wood-paneled eatery. Succulent, perfectly seared meat may be the centerpiece, but the lobster, oysters, sea bass, jumbo lump crab cocktail and sumptuous sides are also impressive.
Restaurant Eugene
2277 Peachtree Rd, Buckhead 404-355-0321 Casual/Dressy | $$$$ | New American Restaurant Eugene is that rare restaurant offering elegant atmosphere and cuisine that is understated without being underdeveloped. In posh and poised surroundings, a precise menu of regional New American fare is presented. Iconic dishes are given signature, subtly Southern-tinged twists, and Sunday Supper has become a tradition. This eatery expertly balances homespun with haute cuisine.
Washington, DC
Sushi-Ko
2309 Wisconsin Ave NW, Glover Park 202-333-4187 | Funky Casual $$-$$$ | Sushi An area favorite for 30 years, this minimalist mecca introduced DC to world-class sushi. Chef Koji Terano handles fresh fi sh like butter beneath his knife. The roasted salmon with miso vinaigrette, mussel and eggplant soup, baby octopus with mango sauce and, of course, supple, deftly molded sushi and sashimi are but a few highlights. Burgundies and rare sake complement the cuisine’s delicate subtleties.
Baltimore
The Brewer’s Art
1106 N. Charles St, Mt. Vernon 410-547-6925 Funky Casual/Dressy Casual $$$ | Bistro/New American Located beneath the soaring ceiling of a converted Victorian row house, the Brewer’s Art is both refi ned and rustic. In the lustrous upstairs dining room, a succinct menu offers hearty Continental brasserie fare with seasonal New American accents. Those in the mood for something more casual can enjoy zesty small plates such as rosemary garlic frites and rich Belgian-style house brews in the rathskeller’s grottos downstairs.
Las Vegas
Alex at Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S | 888-320-7110 Dressy | $$$$ | French Riviera Until Vegas builds an exact replica of Versailles or you can afford a jaunt to Monaco, AAA Five Diamond-awarded Alex at the Wynn will help sate those in need of irrefutable opulence. After all, Chef Alessandro Stratta’s prix-fi xe fare evolves seasonally—drawing from the traditions of Provence and Nice—while the service remains like the décor: impeccable.
Connecticut
L’Escale
500 Steamboat Rd, Greenwich 203-661-4600 | Casual/Dressy $$$$ | Provençal Appropriately set in the Delamar Hotel on Greenwich Harbor, L’Escale means “stopover,” or “port of call.” Only a short journey from New York but miles away in spirit, L’Escale is the conception of Le Colonial’s Jean Denoyer and Rick Wahlstedt, and serves evocative Provençal cuisine.