Restaurants
words by > Tony Ware
Atlanta
Silk - TOP EAT
919 Peachtree St,
Midtown | 678-705-8888
Funky Casual/Dressy Casual | $$$ | Pan-Asian
Silk, opened by Atlanta dining scene mainstays Anna and Raymond Hsu, features loft chic: metallic sheen and plasma screens balanced by cloth swatches, walnut walls plus bamboo and German limestone floors. Beyond the internationally sourced accoutrements, Silk’s eye for detail and custom crafting extends through sushi and the kitchen overseen by Chef Kochi Chiba, who deftly combines Continental foundations and Asian flair. Silk’s most unique attribute, however, is being Atlanta’s only restaurant offering Kaiseki—Asian tapas, essentially. Kaiseki has blossomed into tasting menus of seasonal small plates (often seafood) ornately presented with edible garnish. Chef Chiba is recognized as one of America’s top three Kaiseki chefs, and a seven- or 10-course sake/riesling-paired dinner in Silk’s private banquet room is deliciously harmonious.
5 Seasons Brewing Co.
5600 Roswell Rd, NE,
Sandy Springs | 404-255-5911
Anything Goes | $$ | Multicultural Pub
Fare Like a grand mountain lodge, this mammoth brew house is pastoral but polished. From the visible copper brewing vats to the menu specials—comfort food influences from Japan, Germany, Italy and Britain using mostly locally sourced, organic ingredients—the mood is well rounded and convivial. And the rotating list of handcrafted beers is the best in town.
The Sun Dial
210 Peachtree St, NW,
Downtown | 404-589-7506
Dressy Casual/Dressy | $$$
Contemporary American The Sun Dial sits atop the tallest hotel in the Western hemisphere (the Westin Peachtree Plaza). From 723 feet above the ground, this revolving restaurant offers a 360-degree view of Atlanta and heady cuisine to match. Chef Christian Messier cooks seasonal fare with rich Continental flourishes in an equally jazzy, refined setting.
Dressed
950 W Peachtree St, Suite 240,
Midtown | 404-347-3434
Casual | $ | Upscale Salads
This fresh idea features chef-designed and customizable salads in an urbane setting of crisp marble and glistening Lisa Jordan photography. French Culinary Institute alum Justin Smolev offers 60-plus toppings and 25 dressings, plus daily rotating soups from Souper Jenny. It all adds up to premium greens for little of your hard-earned green.
Los Angeles
CUT
9500 Wilshire Blvd
310-276-8500 Smart
Casual/Funky Casual | $$$$
Steakhouse Southern Californian carnivores looking for a meal that’s protein-rich, and one where it couldn’t hurt to be actually rich, should look to this latest venture by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. This haute Beverly Wilshire hotel haunt—cast in radiant, rounded white by famed architect Richard Meier—is a mod heaven and haven for lovers of cushiony, charred and caramelized dishes a cut above.
Philadelphia
Vetri Ristorante
1312 Spruce St,
215-732-3478
Smart Casual | $$$$ | Italian
In this outwardly nondescript townhouse sit rich walls of countryside yellow, warm copper accents and 35 seats coveted even by other master chefs (such as Iron Chef Mario Batali). Spurred by but not tethered to Northern Italy’s rustic cuisine, Chef Marc Vetri deconstructs traditions, enhancing earthy into upscale, but always respecting simplicity and his ingredients’ inherent characters.
Tampa
Bern’s Steak House
1208 S Howard Ave
813-251-2421
Dressy Casual/Dressy | $$$$
Steakhouse Bern Laxer, the founder of Tampa’s most decadent detailed restaurant, believed that “the guest must always come back.” But why would they ever want to leave? With 24 kinds of caviar, the freshest saltwater seafood, farm-fresh organic vegetables, dry-aged broiled beef (sold by thickness), over 6,900 wines and a dessert lounge with house-roasted coffee, Bern’s has spared no expense since 1956.
San Francisco
Cyrus
29 North St,
Healdsburg | 707-433-3311
Dressy | $$$$ | Contemporary Luxury
An hour north of San Francisco, in Healdsburg, a 65-seat shrine to Old World indulgence and New World playfulness lies underneath vaulted ceilings. A luxe outpost in Sonoma Wine Country’s Hotel Les Mars, this intimate, attentive Michelin Two Star destination offers freeform tasting menus marrying French, Asian and regional sensibilities. From the small-batch cocktails and introductory champagne/caviar cart, no detail is overlooked.