Travelling to Atlanta...

[Curlz]

I'm heading to Atlanta for two days to attend a conference, and I know that a few of us will want to get out of the hotel for a decent meal...anyone have any suggestions? I'll be staying at the Hilton downtown, if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance for the help; I'm leaving this Sunday, so I'd appreciate quick responses!

[therese]

Okay, so I know that people in New Jersey are really really smart, but you might want to post this query on the southeastern U.S. board. You may well be doing this as I write, but just in case...

First, the bad news. You are staying in one of the least exciting parts of Atlanta food-wise. Until recently nobody actually lived in right in downtown, so there was little in the way of dinner. People are moving in, but it's still pretty slim pickings. Sure there's the convention crowd, but many of them are not that into food, and locals dine out LOTS, so the restaurants go where the crowds are.

There's more bad news, too: the Hilton downtown is sort of a rat hole. Or at least it's been rat hole the last couple of times I had to go there for meetings.

But there is some decent food downtown, particularly if you're dining on somebody else's nickel. Luxe is new spot with trendo high end food. A bit delicate insofar as flavors go the last time (and only so far, it having opened in October, I thin). The Sundial Lounge is a rotating bar on the top of the Westin. Don't go for the food, but it is a great view of the area (so go before it gets dark). City Grill is a very pretty place in downtown that serves fancy food that feels a bit old-fashioned southern. I haven't been recently so can't vouch.

Other good areas to hit for food are Midtown (the closest to you, really almost downtown), Buckhead (a hike north in a cab), and Buford Highway or Lawrenceville Highway for ethnic (asian and latin on the former, Indian on the latter, neither to be attempted unless somebody rents a car). If you want to stick to public transit you can take MARTA north to the area around the Arts Center (Tamarind, South City Kitchen, Park 75, and Veni Vidi Vici all options) or east to Decatur (lots of small places, everything from pubs to sushi to alsatian).

[eatingwitheddie]

1)Tamarind is an excellent Thai restaurant with a woman chef.

2) The Silver Skillet is a funky breakfast spot that is unchanged from the 40's - salty country ham with red-eye gravy(and regular ham). Atmosphere worth gobbling up. Love to go here.

Atlanta's Buckhead restaurant group runs terrific restaurants. It's one of the top operators around. Last time I looked they had around 10 places. Two of them are: 3) Nava -south western 4) Bluepointe - contemporary

one of these is also a buckhead group restaurant, both are good:

5) Bones - Steaks

6) Chops - Steaks

7) Bacchanalia - maybe the most popular in town, more gastronomic than some others

8) Seegers - is celebrity chef owned and operated and renonwned for a big and very good night out. (Expensive?)

[davidthomas8779]

Downtown is indeed a pit. Sundial is good for the view, but you have to have perfect timing because you would want to go late enough so that it is dark enough to not notice the threadbare carpet and general look of grime, yet early enough to see the view in daylight.

I wouldn't waste a meal on Luxe unless you don't have the time or energy to leave downtown. I think Veni Vidi Vici is overrated and if you're coming from the northeast, you can get better italian.

Places to go:

South City Kitchen has great contemporary southern food that is well executed

Seegers if you want an astounding high end meal

Bluepointe for good straight ahead continental cuisine.

Philipe's in midtown is a great belgian restaurant (mussels, rabbit, etc.)

Tamarind is great, Surin in VA highland is also great and is in a neighborhood that is fun to walk around in.

Brasserie la coze in Lenox mall (yes, in the mall) has great french bistro food.

Skip chops and bones b/c you can get a steak anywhere

Tierra in Midtown (http://www.tierrarestaurant.com/page1.html) gets great reviews and has fun south american food. I just met the husband and wife who own it and really enjoyed their company. If you go, make sure you order what might be the best tres leches in the free world.

Bachnallia consistently gets reviewed as one of the best in the city (This year's recipient of the James Beard Foundation Award of Excellence for best restaurant in the Southeast ). Chefs are ingredient crazy (organic and high quality stuff abounds)

For more, check out the local food critic's guide at http://www.accessatlanta.com/restaurants/c...g_top50a-l.html he is generally very accurate.

If I were coming from out of town and choosing 2 dinners in Atlanta, I'd go to South City Kitchen and flip a coin between Bachanailla and Seegers.

[Curlz]

First of all, many thanks to all of you for the great info--I really do appreciate it! Secondly, yes, we're really smart here in NJ, but I was way too tired to be on line last night; I thought I had posted in this forum! The powers that be have obviously moved me in to the correct one.

I promise to let you know where I ate upon my return. Thanks again!

[Holly Moore]

If you're interested in a meal unique to Atlanta, consider Mary Mac's Tea Room. Takes you back to the gracious South before the invasion of yupscale diners.

[therese]

Such a relief to find that this thread had been moved from its original location on the New Jersey forum, as when I first noticed it this AM here on the Southeast I experienced some pretty severe cognitive dissonance.

Anyway, I'm going to point out that I didn't suggest Bacchanalia because chances of getting into Bacchanalia at this late date approach zero. Even 30 day in advance attempts to reserve on a weeknight will generally earn you a coveted 6:00 PM or 9:30 PM dining slot there, so I'd suggest that Curlz not worry about it too much.

The owners also operate another restaurant called Floataway that's over by Emory University. One of my favorites, a more casual version of Bacchanalia, very good. The cabdriver needs to know exactly where he's going to find it, as it's in the back of warehouse area that now houses some art studios, theatres, etc.

If he is looking for very high end dining (I do hope there's an expense account somewhere in the background, with a very lax administrator overseeing it) he could try Seeger's: fantastic food, very expensive (though not necessarily by New York/New Jersey standards), small and subdued dining room (there's basically no sign out front, so you or the cabdriver has to know exactly where to go), and service that manages to be snooty and sort of incompetent all at once. Reservations surprisingly (perhaps not so surprisingly) easy to get.

The alternative high end is the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. Same price point, fantastic food, and really great service. Reservations at this point probably difficult, but you could try.

The Food Studio is intown west, located in the King Plow Arts Center. Very good food, very good service, cozy and groovy feel to the place. Same owners as South City Kitchen (as well as La Tavola and Sala in Virginia Highland, another good food neighborhood).

Woodfire Grill (hard to describe the neighborhood, sort of south Buckhead, I gues) is great for cold weather dining. An open fire/grill makes it particularly nice, and the food's very good.

Somebody mentioned Tierra, one of my favorites. Another good Midtown option is MidCity Cuisine (I think this may within easy walking distance of a MARTA station).

Mary Mac's Tea Room (Midtown) is not my idea of the gracious south, but it is great people watching and the food's pretty good for what it is. The Colonnade is similar.

A new place in town is Blais. It's not been reviewed yet (opened right before Christmas), but very inventive food, stylish place, excellent service, and good price point. It's in Buckhead, on E. Paces Ferry near Peachtree.

I don't usually recommend the Buckhead Life Restaurants. Maybe it's just because I eat in them pretty frequently, as they're used lots for corporate entertaining. Great for checking out face lifts and other cosmetic, um, enhancements.

[Curlz]

Back from my trip, and as promised, I'm reporting in...thank you, thank you THANK YOU for all of your suggestions! Armed with info from you, I did further research, and ended up having two different but great meals...and actually, the second one was SUPERB.

The first night, I went with one of my colleagues to South City Kitchen...great atmosphere, 'tho I will say it was a tad noisy, and a little too warm (they were actually having a warm spell for a few days--it was 68 degrees when I got in at 6pm, so I did run in to this issue elsewhere). BUT...we had a terrific waitress, and the food was simply delicious. I had a tasty but unremarkable arugula/goat cheese salad, followed by a slow-cooked pork shank over mustard greens and butternut squash. Didn't realize how rich it was until I realized how FULL I was! We shared a key lime tart that was okay, but nothing to flip over--and I was too full for it anyway!

Last night was one of those great meals where I walked out of the restaurant having thanked the chefs, and telling them that we wanted to move in (which they encouraged us to do, btw!). We went to The Food Studio. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough for people who truly appreciate good food and wine! I went with 3 colleagues, one of whom is a certifiable oenephile, and another who's in the making. And of course, we all appreciate great food and try to have one good meal together whenever we attend this conference. The Food Studio did not dissapoint!

A quick synopsis...2 bottles of Steele Zinfandel and a 1/2 bottle of Gewurtz for the woman who can't drink red wines later, we had also feasted on an app special of whole crispy black bass, and shared another app of grilled mushrooms over a potato-leek tartlette. I then had what may be the best-named entree I've ever seen: Duck, Duck, Goose! For real...that's the name! I love duck, so it wasn't a tough decision for me: 3 items on the plate...1) a crepe filled with duck (my fave of the 3 items) 2) sliced duck over (drumroll, please....) "port-plumped prunes." YUM and 3) a goose sausage over a potato (?) sauerkraut. In all honesty, it was a great piece of sausage, but I can't tell you if it was goose or not. I also don't care! My friends had porcini-dusted scallops, Maine salmon, and the veal cheeks, and were equally happy with their entrees.

We then shared a 1/2 bottle of a fabulous dessert wine (I'll get the name--Quady, I think) that just tasted to me like liquid sunshine; it was citrusy, and a perfect way to end the meal. THEN we decided we needed to share two desserts, but the table (easily) split; one side had the cheese sampler, which looked wonderful, and my side had the Lemon Basil Bombe. Heaven on a plate for me, as I'm not a woman who requires chocolate (GASP!), but anything tart and/or berry makes me happy. This had both!! Not too sweet, and I think I could eat a pile of the candied lemon peel that accompanied it.

To top off the fantastic food, wine and company, we had one of the best waiters I've encountered in a long time; he was more than great...he may actually have been perfect. How often can you say that?!? His service, which was warm, friendly, and extraordinarily knowledgeable across the board just sealed the deal for us, and I plan to send the restaurant a note to thank them again and sing his praises. I will certainly recommend The Food Studio to anyone I know who is travelling to Atlanta, and for those of you who live there and haven't yet been, I just have three words: MAKE A RESERVATION!!! Wonderful ambiance, and a great place for a special occasion dinner or to go with your fellow foodies. Do let me know if you try it, and thanks again for your help!

[Gifted Gourmet]

For anyone else who plans a trip to Atlanta, may I suggest two new restaurants?

Both Blais and Woodfire Grill , while not particularly close to downtown, but located in Buckhead, and convenient to great shopping and entertainment, have been reviewed extensively on this website:

www.atlantacuisine.com.

Having tried both, I can reliably report that they both are truly innovative and creative!

Edited January 7, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[therese]

Glad to hear you that you particularly enjoyed your dinner at The Food Studio. It's one of our favorites. Now you'll have to come back and try the other places on my list! That group of restaurants really emphasizes service, so glad to hear that it also met expectations.

[Felonius]

I live in NYC but visit Atlanta often (was born there) and have eaten at just about every restaurant listed on this thread so far.

My favorites in the high-end category are Seeger's and Joel. I think Seeger's is really in another league from any other Atlanta restaurant, and the only one that could hold its own against competition from cities like NYC and San Francisco. It's expensive by Atlanta standards (I think the five course tasting menu is about $85), but worth the price.

Joel is a fairly new place near the West Paces Ferry and I-75 junction. They spent millions on the soaring modern dining room that feels more LA or NYC than Atlanta. Great food, and one of the most interesting wine lists in the Southeast.

After these, I'd choose Food Studio or Bacchanalia. Both have sort of funky settings and interesting, well-executed food.

I've eaten at Floataway Cafe several times and haven't been impressed. I like the atmosphere, but don't think the food is anywhere near as good as it is as Bacchanalia, which is owned and operated by the same people. Also, it's not all that much cheaper and drink/wine prices are comparable to NYC. I think my mixed drinks were 9 or 10 bucks. Too expensive for a casual cafe that is hidden away in an old industrial park.

There are many steakhouses in Atlanta (unfortunately none of them serve dry aged steaks), but my vote in this category goes to New York Prime. It's co-owned and managed by Bobby Donlan, the former manager of Bone's - which used to be my first choice for steaks until he left to open NY Prime.

Good food with a Southern influence can be found at South City Kitchen and Horseradish Grill. My favorite in this category though requires a drive up to Roswell, GA to Greenwood's. Bill Greenwood is a rather eccentric character who has been cooking fantastic Southern comfort food at this place for decades. Worth the trip up 400 if you have the time.

I ate at Emeril's new restaurant a few weeks ago and was disappointed. Average food at above-average prices. Not nearly as good as his original in New Orleans, or even its cheaper spin-off NOLA. The wine list is fantastic though, especially strong in hard-to-find Burgundies from small producers.

And in the greasy local joint category, one place rules supreme - The Varsity!

Edited January 19, 2004 by Felonius (log)