Atlanta Grub

I'm heading to Atlanta tomorrow for the Final Four. Any restaurants I should not miss? And I love a great hole-in-the-wall as much as the 5-star locations....

Everyone is raving about the food at Watershed. Upscale southern classics by Scott Peacock.

After that the short list is:

Bacchanalia
Joel
One Midtown Kitchen
Seeger's


Also, don't forget the Varsity for a chili dog or burger and fries.

Some places that we have been to:

Bones An old style, mahogony-paneled expensive steak house
http://www.bonesrestaurant.com/about/
have not been there in many years, but friends that have been there say it is still the best.

The Varsity An old-time drive-in
http://www.thevarsity.com/index.php
The one downtown is the original and the best.

Have fun - Be careful, if things hold true, the traffic in Atlanta is ALWAYS bad!

Some places that we have been to:

The Varsity An old-time drive-in
http://www.thevarsity.com/index.php
The one downtown is the original and the best.

Suzi: Did you like the Varsity? I thought it was awesome junk* food.

*junk meant in the nicest way possible of course.

Yeah, it reminded me of the drive-ins of my youth (in Pittsburgh - the Big Boy, Gino's and Isaly's). Of course they weren't near as busy and the menu not quite as extensive. The last time we were there was our nephews graduation from Ga. Tech. and it was packed and "junky" as could be!

Buford Highway is an eating paradise.

It was a run-down old road like Preston Highway (no offense to people who live near Preston Highway), but, because of the access to low-priced apartments, it became a draw for immigrants of every kind. A trip to the Buford Highway Farmer's market is like a visit to the UN, and you can find lots of non-perishable items to bring back on the plane if you like to cook.

There's Bahn Mi, Korean Barbecue, tacos, dim sum...you get the idea.

I'd make more specific recommendations, but it seems that every time I go, the restaurants have changed. Look on Roadfood or Chowhound or the discussion board for the AJC (the Atlanta paper) for updated recs.

The high-end recommendations above are all good. I like Floataway Cafe as well, owned by the same couple who own Bacchanalia.

I lived in Atlanta for almost 5 years, here are a few suggestions.

Buford highway is a great bet for nearly any type of ethnic food imaginable. A few of the places I used to frequent were:

C'om Vietnamese Grill (vietnamese fusion)
Pho Bac (more classical pho place)
Ming's Korean BBQ (very small place, authentic, very cheap)
Hae Woon Dae (Great bulgogi and kalbi prepared right in front of you)
BBQ Corner II or Canton House(Great dim sum)

Some other favorites around Atlanta:
Little Bangkok -- Cheshire Bridge Rd. -- my favorite place for Thai/Chinese (they do both very well) in atl area. I would highly recommend the panang curry, it's the best i've found in atlanta. Other daily specials are also usually amazing.

Baraonda -- Peachtree in Midtown
-Great gourmet pizzas topped with everything from apples to brie

for a late night pizza snack - Fellini's is the standby (mult locations)

More upscale faves:

RATHBUN'S - this place is amazing. I've been twice and have been impressed both times. The rare thai beef, and the sea scallops with country ham grits were brilliant.

Fogo De Chao - not sure if you've been to a Brazillian Churrascaria (there are probably 7 or 8 in Atlanta by now...Fogo is the best), but it's quite an experience. They bring out 14 or 15 cuts of beef, chicken, lamb, etc on large skewers. The meat keeps coming until you flip over your card from green to red. This process continues until you finish your meal. They also have a wonderful salad bar stocked with smoked salmon, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella balls, and other treats.

I've heard good things about a fairly new place called Repast.

You'll probably hear about One Midtown Kitchen and Two Urban Licks, two creations of Atlanta restaurant mogul Bob Amick. While these places seem to wow most with their grandeur and design, the food itself is somewhat marginal. Of the two OMK is better, but I wouldn't frequent either.

People rave about the brunch at Watershed as well. I had it a few years back and wasn't that impressed, but they may have changed things up so I really don't know. The Indigo Girls actually own this restaurant in Decatur.

Flying Biscuit is the Atlanta breakfast landmark. The have large, exploding biscuits that seem to defy conventional baking possibilities.

The Varsity is another landmark. Great, greasy goodness.

As far as steaks go, I haven't had the best experiences at Bone's, although everyone else seems to enjoy it. I prefer Prime (in Lenox Mall) or The Capital Grille in Buckhead.

I gotta get back to work, just thought I'd throw out a few places.

Hope this helps.

PM me if you have any questions.

I lived in Atlanta for almost 5 years, here are a few suggestions.

Buford highway is a great bet for nearly any type of ethnic food imaginable. A few of the places I used to frequent were:

C'om Vietnamese Grill (vietnamese fusion)
Pho Bac (more classical pho place)
Ming's Korean BBQ (very small place, authentic, very cheap)
Hae Woon Dae (Great bulgogi and kalbi prepared right in front of you)
BBQ Corner II or Canton House(Great dim sum)

Some other favorites around Atlanta:
Little Bangkok -- Cheshire Bridge Rd. -- my favorite place for Thai/Chinese (they do both very well) in atl area. I would highly recommend the panang curry, it's the best i've found in atlanta. Other daily specials are also usually amazing.

Baraonda -- Peachtree in Midtown
-Great gourmet pizzas topped with everything from apples to brie

for a late night pizza snack - Fellini's is the standby (mult locations)

More upscale faves:

RATHBUN'S - this place is amazing. I've been twice and have been impressed both times. The rare thai beef, and the sea scallops with country ham grits were brilliant.

Fogo De Chao - not sure if you've been to a Brazillian Churrascaria (there are probably 7 or 8 in Atlanta by now...Fogo is the best), but it's quite an experience. They bring out 14 or 15 cuts of beef, chicken, lamb, etc on large skewers. The meat keeps coming until you flip over your card from green to red. This process continues until you finish your meal. They also have a wonderful salad bar stocked with smoked salmon, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella balls, and other treats.

I've heard good things about a fairly new place called Repast.

You'll probably hear about One Midtown Kitchen and Two Urban Licks, two creations of Atlanta restaurant mogul Bob Amick. While these places seem to wow most with their grandeur and design, the food itself is somewhat marginal. Of the two OMK is better, but I wouldn't frequent either.

People rave about the brunch at Watershed as well. I had it a few years back and wasn't that impressed, but they may have changed things up so I really don't know. The Indigo Girls actually own this restaurant in Decatur.

Flying Biscuit is the Atlanta breakfast landmark. The have large, exploding biscuits that seem to defy conventional baking possibilities.

The Varsity is another landmark. Great, greasy goodness.

As far as steaks go, I haven't had the best experiences at Bone's, although everyone else seems to enjoy it. I prefer Prime (in Lenox Mall) or The Capital Grille in Buckhead.

I gotta get back to work, just thought I'd throw out a few places.

Hope this helps.

PM me if you have any questions.