Restaurants
words by > Tony Ware
Atlanta
Sweet Lowdown
942 Peachtree St, NE Midtown | 404-207-1324
$$ | Southern Nouveau
A two-story, multi-million dollar, 11,000-square-foot endeavor conceived both as an innovative kitchen and an events facility. This sprawling high-tech complex offers cuisine that’s much more down home than one might expect. Chef Carmen Cappello, who made a name putting together unexpected small plates, has set about concocting new takes on cozy, energizing Southern staples, like bacon steak, redfish, smoked chicken, pickle sickles and other vivacious infusions.
Au Pied de Cochon
InterContinental Hotel, 3315 Peachtree Rd Buckhead | 404-946-9070
$$$ | French
Some restaurants are lush, some plush and some lavish. This 24-hour eatery in Buckhead’s InterContinental Hotel falls under the last category in its furnishing—check out the Venetian chandeliers, hand-painted rococo frescos, marble floors—but doesn’t forsake the others in its offerings. Chef Jerômé Grilhot makes sure that the rousing raw bar and namesake roasted pig’s feet are not the only moist bistro indulgences of note.
Zuma
701 Highland Ave Old Fourth Ward | 404-522-2872
$$-$$$ | Sushi
An early anchor on the most vibrant cusp of what has been noted as a “hot new nabe,” Zuma is a lacquered lair in an atmosphere influenced in no small part by Tokyo’s sleek sensory-overload-meets-reverent-cool. With flat screens and red lanterns, the décor is Armani-meets-anime, but the real show is in the razor sharp details that dot the top grade sushi and sake offered within.
New York
Gordon Ramsay at the London
151 West 54th St Midtown | 212-468-8888
$$$$ | Continental
In a windowless wood and glass porthole-lined dining room etched with elegance, sits this latest venture from the UK’s Michelin Three Star celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Precisely executed mosaics balancing French-flecked, rich-meets-refined flavors are offered as three or eight courses in this poised setting. The London Bar offers modern small plates, as well as formal English Tea, for a less strictly tailored foray.
Dallas
Abacus
4511 McKinney Ave Knox-Henderson District | 214-559-3111
$$$$ | New American
From plush Miró-inspired textiles to multi-textured dishes, Abacus celebrates tangents that come together in vibrant synergy. Featuring the award-winning cuisine of Kent Rathbun, this open, indulgent showroom balances the piquant characters of Pacific Rim, Southwestern, Mediterranean and Creole cuisines in a delicious array of dishes.
Boston
Om
92 Winthrop St Harvard Square (617) 576-2800
$$$$ | New World
Fusion Within the 5,000 square feet of Om’s two-level interior, one can find nods to the serene, meditative elements of Tibetan culture—bamboo paneling, Buddhist sculptures, an opalescent waterfall—that stand in compelling contrast to the fusion fare’s flair. Just as the decor is artisan-hewn, the menu is lovingly handcrafted by chef Rachel Klein. Klein assembles and deconstructs dishes that are part contemporary, part classical and all sensual.
Washington, DC
Rasika
633 D St, NW Penn Quarter | 202-637-1222
$$$ | Modern Indian
Subcontinent street fare meets High Street fashions in this polished den of modern lines and seductive essences. Within a stylish saffron and cumin cocoon, Bombay-via-London chef Vikram Sunderam leads a luscious, triumphant initiative fusing Eastern and Western flourishes. On an impressive menu sure to please any gourmet, the vegetarian tastings are especially savory.