Atlanta’s Best Bites
Atlanta’s TOP DINING
BY BROOKE PORTER
In a city where it seems a new restaurant—or five—opens every week, we nailed down the top eateries to try during a visit to Atlanta. From sushi to steak, tapas to Thai, here are some places that will definitely please your palate.
Prix Fixe
Bacchanalia • Westside
404-365-0410 • 1198 Howell Mill Rd
Owners/chefs (and husband-and-wife team) Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison use only the freshest organic ingredients on their modern American menu, many of which are sourced from their own Summerland Farm. The superb cuisine is matched with elegantly casual surroundings, the ideal atmosphere in which to savor your $72 four-course meal ($115 with wine pairing).
FRENCH
Atmosphere • Midtown
678-702-1620 • 1620 Piedmont Ave
One step inside this quaint 1950s cottage and you’ll find a world of French flavors. The warm and inviting restaurant delights with classics like escargots and steamed mussels in white wine and garlic broth served with fries, as well as modern interpretations of the traditional, such as Monkfish and shrimp cassolette over fennel and bell pepper confit with saffron fumet sauce.
SOUTHERN
Watershed • Decatur
404-378-4900 • 406 West Ponce De Leon Ave
While it’s not a mom-and-pop Southern kitchen, Watershed serves some of the best fried chicken and grits in town. James Beard Award-winning Chef Scott Peacock brings his expertise to the menu, which supports organic and local farmers. Fun fact: The Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers is one of the restaurant’s proprietors.
TAPAS
Pura Vida • Virginia-Highland
404-870-9797 • 656 N Highland Ave
The dishes at Pura Vida—owned and operated by Chef Hector Santiago—are inspired by ingredients from both Latin America and Spain. Bold and inventive, his tapas creations are savory without being overpowering. And for those unfamiliar with traditional Latin flavors, a glossary of terms is provided on the menu (so you won’t have to ask what huitlachoche or aji rocoto mean).
MEXICAN
Sala • Virginia-Highland
404-872-7203 • 1186 North Highland Ave
Although Atlanta is home to some incredible authentic Mexican joints, Sala serves more refined versions of the classics, along with one of the city’s finest margaritas. Chef Jeff Smedstad, who trained in Oaxaca and is a master of Mexican flavors, recently revamped the menu. Feast on a pecan and applewood-smoked chicken tamale with Oaxacan cheese; crab enchiladas with salsa verde and chihuahua cheese; or the pan-seared, ancho-glazed shrimp and fish tacos.
ITALIAN
Sotto Sotto • Inman Park
404-523-6678 • 313 North Highland Ave
This sophisticated, cozy restaurant serves simple yet flavorful Italian fare at its finest. The regional cuisine is prepared with the highest quality ingredients by Chef Riccardo Ullio. The signature seafood risotto (risotto al frutti di mare) and the butternut squash-filled “hats” (cappellacci di zucca) are two of Ullio’s favorites.
SEAFOOD
Kyma • Buckhead
404-262-0702 • 3085 Piedmont Rd
The highlight of Kyma’s authentic Greek menu is without a doubt the wood-grilled whole fresh fish, ranging from a mild and tender loup de mer “lavraki” to full-flavored, firm pompano. Seafood specialties are equally tantalizing, including Norwegian salmon with artichoke stew, pearl onions, organic bunch carrots, kalamata olive tapenade.
www.buckheadrestaurants.com/kyma
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
The Real Chow Baby • Westside
404-815-4900 • 1016 Howell Mill Rd
Atlanta’s first create-your-own stir fry restaurant is also one of the best deals in town. For just $7.99 for lunch and $11.99 for dinner, fill your bowl as many times as you want, choosing from more than 70 of the freshest vegetables, meats, seafood, rice, noodles, sauces and spices. Leave it at the 60-inch, flat top grill for a chef to stir-fry it up, and it’ll be delivered to your table piping hot.
SUSHI
MF Sushi • Midtown
404-815-8844 • 264 Ponce De Leon Ave
Creating sushi that’s almost too beautiful to eat, chef and co-owner Chris “Magic Fingers” Kinjo—with the help of his brother Alex, who designed the restaurant—has made this sleek and sophisticated restaurant the place to go for sushi, made with fish flown in fresh from Japan.
BURGER
Ann’s Snack Shop • Edgewood
404-687-9207 • 1615 Memorial Dr
If you drive too fast down Memorial Drive, you just might miss this tiny stand known for its gigantic burgers. Inside you’ll find an eight-seat counter, a grill, and Ann’s rules and regulations, which include “do not curse” and “do not lean on counter.” The famous Ghetto Burger—two patties with onion, bacon, chili and cheese—is not for the faint-hearted. Don’t waste room in your stomach on the fries; you’ll need all the space you can get for just the burger.
THAI
Nan Thai Fine Dining • Midtown
404-870-9933 • 1350 Spring St
Nobody creates better authentic Thai dishes than chef/co-owner Nan Niyomkul herself. This sophisticated Midtown eatery serves to-die-for traditional curry, as well as Chef Nan’s specialties, like fried whole red snapper with kaffir lime, basil leaves and roasted red curry sauce, and braised beef short ribs with masaman curry sauce.
PIZZA
Cameli’s Gourmet
Pizza Joint • Midtown
404-249-9020 • 699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
This amily-owned-and-operated hidden eatery may be a hole in the wall, but the pizzas that comes out of its ovens are anything but small. Keep it simple with a monster slice of cheese pizza, pick from the expansive list of toppings or opt for one of the specialty combinations, like the Tranquillo with basil pesto sauce, sautéed chicken, red onions and mushrooms.
VEGETARIAN
Café Sunflower • Buckhead • Sandy Springs
404-352-8859 • 2140 Peachtree Rd // 404-256-1675 • 5975 Roswell Rd
Dine on vegetarian cuisine at its finest at either of Café Sunflower’s two locations. Highlights of this earthly eatery’s menu include the mock sesame chicken with veggies and organic brown rice, and the grilled garden soy steak fajitas. And make sure to save room for the dairy-free chocolate raspberry mousse cake. Even carnivores will leave full and satisfied.
DESSERT
Southern Sweets • Decatur
404-373-8752 • 186 Rio Circle
What better place to satisfy your sweet tooth than the bakery that supplies many of Atlanta’s restaurants? This family-fun business serves cakes and pies whole and by the slice, as well as cookies (and a full lunch menu). If amaretto butter cake or bourbon bread pudding aren’t your style, there’s chunky apple spice pound cake, sweet potato praline cheesecake and cherry pie to try.
BARBECUE
Fat Matt’s Rib Shack •
Cheshire Bridge
404-607-1622 • 1811 Piedmont Ave
The line is always long at this roadside restaurant, but the barbecue is worth the wait—and the line moves fast. In addition to its ribs, chopped pork sandwich, rum baked beans, coleslaw and pecan pie, Fat Matt’s is known for its nightly live blues. If the weather is right, try to snag a seat on the brightly painted outdoor patio.
STEAK
Bone’s • Buckhead
404-237-2663 • 3130 Piedmont Rd NE
An Atlanta mainstay, this decadent and classy restaurant has been wining and dining Atlanta’s movers and shakers for almost 30 years. Pair your selection of steaks and seafood—from a 14-oz. filet mignon and 22-oz. bone-in rib-eye to live Maine lobster and king crab legs—with Southern-inspired sides like grit fritters and corn pudding.
ROMANTIC
Canoe • Cobb County
770-432-2663 • 4199 Paces Ferry Rd NW
What could be more romantic than dining along the peaceful banks of the Chattahoochee River? The calm waterfront and rich landscape outside only enhance the warm, rustic restaurant’s fresh seasonal cuisine. Chef Carvel Grant Gould expertly prepares the freshest seafood dishes that are good enough to make the outside world just float away.
BRUNCH
Murphy’s • Virginia-Highland
404-872-0904 • 997 Virginia Ave NE
An Atlanta mainstay, Murphy’s has commanded its corner on Virginia and North Highland avenues for more than 25 years. If there’s one thing you’ll hear locals talk about—besides the tollhouse pie—it’s the brunch menu. From the malted waffle with warm maple syrup and honey cinnamon butter to the frittatas and egg specialties, Chef Gregg McCarthy knows how to get the job done right.
BUSINESS LUNCH
Joël • Buckhead
404-233-3500 • 3290 Northside Pkwy
What better way to impress a client than with a meal from a James Beard Award-winning chef? Chef Joel Antunes’ spa menu is ideal for an efficient business lunch: In 35 minutes for just $25, dine on three courses of French cuisine with Asian and Mediterranean influences. You can also choose from an à la carte menu with delectable options such as baked halibut with soy beans, artichokes and spring vegetable broth. Private dining is also available—as well as audio/visual needs—for those extra important meetings. www.joelrestaurant.com
VIEW
The Sun Dial Restaurant • Downtown
404-589-7506 • 210 Peachtree St
Not only does Atlanta’s only tri-level fine dining restaurant boast the most breathtaking view of the city—from 723 feet above the spectacular skyline—it also revolves, offering a 360-degree panoramic view. Located on the 73rd story of the Westin Peachtree Plaza, The Sun Dial boasts equally impressive cuisine; for fall, Chef Christian Messier recommends the balsamic braised short ribs with root vegetables and horseradish.