ATL restaurants during upcoming trip

[rockandroller]

I'm sure there are past threads someone can post for me, or recommendations if you want to post those? I will be in Atlanta Monday-Thursday next week and am looking for good dinner locations each night. This is a business trip and my boss is not a seafood fan so no seafood/sushi-heavy type places. Love healthy/organic but it's not a requirement, would also do steak/chop type places, any cuisine including Thai, Mexican, whatever. Have never been to ATL before so am up for anything.

Will be staying at the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton and close by would be great, but isn't required.

Thanks!

[Gifted Gourmet]

past threads someone can post for me, or recommendations

We actually do have some highly interesting discussions on dining in the Atlanta area, rockandroller, and I will locate some of the most promising for your upcoming visit to Atlanta.

Look over the discussion on One midtown Kitchen and note, if you will the post by Dave the Cook on his recent meal there. Even if you only want a regular meal there (and not a tasting menu), this place is sensational!

Yet another discussion on Atlanta dining can be found here.

A number of links to good Atlanta dining are located in my post here ... ... enjoy looking over the many options .. we are a city for every imaginable taste and I look forward to hearing about which choices you made and how they turned out!

[rockandroller]

OOH, O.M.K. sounds awesome, that is definitely going on the list. Thx so much for these links. I will report back after the trip!

[Voodoo]

I think Bone's is a clear best for steaks in ATL.

I like both Tamarind and Nan Thai for thai restaurants. They are sister restaurants. Tamarind is pure thai, far less expensive and far less fancy. Nan Thai is more thai fusion, trendier and pricier.

In my opinion, the regular menu at One Midtown is not nearly as spectacular as the tasting menu.

If you are going to be at the Four Seasons or Ritz (Buckhead), you should make it a point to go to their respective restaurants - Park 75 and The Dining Room. Never been to either but both are very well regarded.

If I had one meal to go to in Atlanta, it'd be at Bacchanalia. Full disclosure: I have also never been to Seeger's.

[rockandroller]

Thx, I will research all this stuff. So many choices, so little time.

[Collins]

Thx, I will research all this stuff.  So many choices, so little time.

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If it hasn't been mentioned on one of the other threads, you should check out Woodfire Grill - think that would fit in nicely with some of the comments/"requirements" you were listing.

[Gifted Gourmet]

you should check out Woodfire Grill - think that would fit in nicely with some of the comments/"requirements" you were listing.

←

I had quite forgotten about Woodfire .. here is their website & menu and thanks, Collins, for reminding me as well!

[rockandroller]

Have returned from Atlanta. It was a whirlwind trip and I didn't get out to as many restaurants as I would have liked, but isn't that always the case. I had to eat in a lot of hotels because that's where my meetings were, but overall it was a great visit. Southern hospitality is apparently a real thing - everywhere I went people were nice, friendly, helpful...even the homeless people downtown were very helpful and guided me back to my hotel when I got lost on a fitness walk (I tipped them, of course).

Highlights include...

- lunch at Vickery's (can't find a website but they are at 1106 Crescent Ave NE in Midtown). Very cute little patio, I had a cuban type sandwich and a margarita which were both refreshing in the very hot temps (87 most days I was there). So many places with these little patios, I wish we could get it together to offer similar options in Cleveland without having to wrack your brain coming up with 1 place with a patio AND decent food AND at a reasonable price. Simple, unassuming, friendly, with a lush patio and comfy indoor seating area.

- dinner at Rosa Mexicana, which I think has to be called a chain as they had about 7 other locations listed, but I've never been and was in the mood for Mexican. It was kind of upscale mexican - lots of people get the guac as they make it at your table, mixing in a variety of ingredients, but I was so full from various business meals I didn't want to overdo it, so I just got the chicken mole enchiladas, which were very tender and delicious. They have a truly excellent tequila selection here, better than any place I've found in Cleveland and finally someone has come up with the genius idea of tequila flights for those who enjoy expensive, sipping tequilas. New love - Corazon (anejo). May be even better than Patron (anejo), I was surprised. Had to stop at Ikea afterwards, but unfortunately with less than an hour, I felt like I just got there and had just started exploring when they started making announcements about closing and shutting off lights. There isn't enough time to spend in Ikea, that's for sure.

- dinner at Einstein's (no, not the bagel place). Another place with a great outdoor patio. Service was pretty spotty but that was the only weak link. We got a ton of apps to share with a couple of my local friends who had recommended the place, and I ate so much it was hard to move.

My sinuses got worse and worse while I was there and I realized after putting all the symptoms together that it had been nearly 3 weeks and I must have a sinus infection. Between the heat, the exhaustion, the sneezing and blowing my nose and the mild dizziness from my sinuses, I couldn't manage any other trips here or there and couldn't smell or taste anything by the 3rd day, so I stayed in and ordered room service. I know! But it was downtown and I didn't feel comfortable stomping around trying to find something when I couldn't taste anything anyway.

Some scoop in case you don't know - it's recently become public knowledge but not everyone knows - the Sheraton in Midtown has been bought by W hotels and is changing over to a W in less than a year's time. The changes are all cosmetic and will require no major construction and the hotel will stay open the whole time. Book now and lock in Sheraton rates for your stay.

Unfortunately my journey home turned out to be the worst flying experience ever. I wasn't looking forward to it with my head the way it was anyway, not to mention I really do not enjoy flying even when I'm feeling well - I see it as a necessary evil to get me from point A to point B in the quickest fashion. Very, very long story short, we sat on the plane for 5 freaking hours before we finally took off, due to the storm. This included having to return to the gate for more fuel because we taxied for so long, having to de-plane briefly due to a brake problem, and just general waiting until the weather cleared enough on our flight path for us to leave. Five hours. And once we got airborne, after we reached cruising altitude, about 15-20 mins into the flight, we banked sharply in another direction. My boss said quietly to me that he was afraid we were turning around but nobody came on and said anything, so we just waited. half hour later the pilot comes on and said the weather was too bad, so we were diverted westward, and while weather is better now, we (once again) are too low on fuel to continue back to Cleveland, so we had to land in Indianapolis and take on more fuel. I finally landed home at midnight, a full 6 hours after our initial scheduled landing time. Freaking CLE was nearly shut down, with only one way to get to baggage claim (the normal way was gated up) and of course it was the furthest away door away from where we landed. I didn't get home until quarter to 1.

I regret not being able to visit some of the other restaurants in ATL but there just wasn't enough time, energy or appetite to fit more in. Thx everyone who offered their help/referrals/suggestions.

[therese]

Sorry about your sinus infection and sorry about your truly hideous flight home, but at least you got to enjoy some of our pleasant outdoor dining weather. Later in the summer it's actually too hot to eat outside, so you came at a nice time. Spring and fall are the best times to visit Atlanta.

FYI, Sheraton and W (and Westin, for that matter) are all the same company, Starwood. So the hotel's not been sold, it's just being "re-branded," most likely in the context of some much needed fixing up.

[rockandroller]

It was plenty hot but you won't find me complaining

It is indeed a major re-branding, it is as complete an overhaul as a property could have without actual major construction happening, from what I understand. My question for purposes of selecting a property for my large meeting in fall of 07, which is why I made this trip, is what happens to the staff in such a large change-over. Not to poo-poo Sheraton but it's a different class of hotel and a different class of service and guests that stay at a W than at a Sheraton. And what about the food? Etc. I'm wondering if the staff goes through some kind of "W" training or something.

My IKEA jones is now in full effect. Am planning the long drive to Pittsburgh now, which I've always resisted because of the distance, but now I simply must fit it in.