Voodoo

Ya, it was a great run. One of the most informative sources of information on the happenings in the Atlanta dining scene. This forum won't be the same without it.

You'll enjoy Bone's, I think. One of the top 5 restaurants in the city, in my book.

Maybe I can't see it because I live here, but I don't really see Atlanta as a city with great regional cuisine. I do, however, believe that Atlanta has a very good dining scene with excellent options is virtually every category. If money is no object, it doesn't get any better than Bacchanalia and Restaurant Eugene, in my opinion. Eugene is more focused on Southern Cuisine, but both are superb examples of what Atlanta has to offer. For more reasonably priced options, Watershed is quite good, as gwilson mentioned.

Catherall, Aja, and Dale? Makes sense. Richard Blais mentioned that he and Dale are friends and that he's been trying to get him down here. Do you suppose that there is some motivation on Blais' part to turn Here to Serve into a reputable restaurant group after the way he was treated at Concentrics? Don't know. But I do know that in his time at One Midtown, he was delivering the best food that restaurant has ever seen and has seen since and the same is true for Here to Serve which had an even bigger reputation for being all about style over substance.

After years of embarrassing themselves with laughable top 100 lists, Jezebel finally decided to pick a worthy #1 - Bacchanalia.

Are you suggesting that Bone's is no better than any other steakhouse? I can say without a doubt that Bone's served me the best steak I have had anywhere. I do not order steak often, but I have had it at enough places that Bone's does it better. The steak I had at Bacchanalia, for example, did not compare. Nor have the ones I've had at Palm, Morton's or Ruth's Chris. If there are steaks as good as Bone's to be had at a price point cheaper than Bone's, then I'd like to know where. Great meat costs money. Bone's waiters' announce that they only serve aged, prime beef after you are first seated.

LOL. You should have seen his space in Atlanta. It was at the end of a strip mall. It was not Tomoe, but it was nothing spectacular for sure. The only thing interesting about the place besides the food and Soto himself was his selection of classical music, which he really loves as he plays both the violin and cello. Andre Watts was and, as far as I know, is still a very good friend and a frequent patron of Soto. That's neat, I guess, but not as cool as seeing Shirley Manson five seats over from me at the sushi bar.

It makes me happy to hear someone say that. I always felt that Soto was the best or second best (behind Bacchanalia) restaurant in Atlanta, so I had high hopes for him (as seen earlier in this thread) when he told me he was going to NYC. He was already cooking at a very high level, but with his sourcing improved and the customer-base becoming richer and more savvy, I thought he could be an elite NYC sushi chef pretty quickly. I was obviously disappointed when I read the NYT review which gave him two stars. I had not looked at the list until just now, but apparently I have been to four NYT three-star restaurants in my few visits to the city. No contest, my meals at Babbo and Cafe Boulod were nowhere near as good as Soto. I mean not even close to close. I enjoyed Perry Street and Gramercy Tavern very much, but they were still not as good as Soto. Jean-Georges was the only dining experience I've had in NYC that I can say was more elegant and more sophisticated, but that's a four-star restaurant. I don't think Soto aspires to be Masa, but he can be more than just the nice little Village sushi joint.

Big Bacch, for me. Restaurant Eugene is second. Nowhere else comes really that close in my opinion to those two. I don't fancy myself an expert by any means, but I have been to many, if not most, of the places generally regarded as top 25 restaurants in Atlanta. For service, innovation and quality, Bacchanalia and Restaurant Eugene are a clear cut above most places, with Bacchanalia getting an edge.

Great pictures, doczconz. Have you tried the broiled lobster with portabella and mango, assuming he's still serving it? My favorite dish on Earth. The lotus-wrapped steamed lobster with uni mousse is way up there as well. Sounds like Soto has turned the corner after some initial jitters. It also looks like he is serving a lot of new dishes, which both makes me happy and sad. Happy that Soto can finally do the menu he wants to do without worrying about if he can source the right ingredients or find customers that will appreciate it. Sad that he lives 500 miles away in NYC instead of 5 miles away in Buckhead.

Quatrano and Harrison coming downtown would be nothing short of epic. They moved out of Buckhead, what, 8 years ago and look how they neighborhood around them has developed and the one they left has diminished. Please come downtown!

Not sad to see Piebar go. It was unpopular even among non-foodies, which is unusual since Concentrics seems to get a pass from a lot of Atlantans for its food.

Jean-Georges is coming to ATL? If they are anything like his superlative NYC places, I will be thrilled. I have been to Perry Street, Jean-Georges and Dune in the Bahamas. All were great, especially the first two. I asked the GM at Dune if Jean-Georges ever comes there, and he said yes, all the time, so perhaps his restaurants are able to maintain a high level.

I forgot what I got the one time I went to Watershed, some piece of fish I think, but I will not forget the salmon croquettes that I shared with my cousin. Those things are good.

It is not necessary for you to speak in hypotheticals. Soto serves one langostine dish. He served it in Atlanta for at least 5 years, and he's been serving the same dish in New York. Soto serves at least three non-langostine lobster dishes. The langostine dish is buttery, rich and delicious, but displays no exceptional talent or complexity that I can discern. The lobster dishes are not only better, in my opinion, but showcase a far more intricate understanding of food with their interplay of flavors which the langostine is lacking. The first bite of the langostine tastes the same as the last bite because that's all there is. The lobster dishes all include other things, and whether it's mango, caviar, yuzu, uni, the combination enhances the dish in the way that the langostine never experiences. The funny part about this argument is that you don't even know that I'm wrong when I say he's wrong to point out the langostine as Soto's best from the kitchen. Go and see for yourself. As for Bruni's comments on Soto's disposition, I do take issue with his characterization of Soto. But I've stated my case, and I have no reason to argue with you about it. That is, unless you are Frank Bruni.