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2007 Index of Winners

Best Burrito BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Willy’s Mexicana Grill
Multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Lunch BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Trois

Best Cajun BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Redfish

Best Caribbean BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Bahama Breeze
Multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Take-Out Food BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Doc Chey’s Noodle House

Best Cheap Eats BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Eats

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kajjers/2623824087/
It’s seriously hard to find a decent inexpensive meal in Atlanta these days. EATS has been around about 15 years — long enough that it was there before Ponce de Leon became the kind of place that would host a Home Depot and Whole Foods. The restaurant serves excellent jerk chicken, lemon-pepper chicken and pasta dishes. What’s more, the vegetables — especially the corn and collards — are terrific. The atmosphere is … well, they remodeled the men’s room this year. It looks great!

Best Cheap Eats BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Eats

Best Chef BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Arnaud Berthelier
ARNAUD BERTHELIER is deeply symbolic of the Ritz-Carlton’s tradition of bringing Atlanta its best chefs (Guenter Seeger and Joel Antunes also once held the head chef position there). Berthelier is cooking some of the best food this city has ever seen, and his technique is both bold and delicate.more...
ARNAUD BERTHELIER is deeply symbolic of the Ritz-Carlton’s tradition of bringing Atlanta its best chefs (Guenter Seeger and Joel Antunes also once held the head chef position there). Berthelier is cooking some of the best food this city has ever seen, and his technique is both bold and delicate. Dishes such as chilled Parmesan and bean cream with pesto ice cream show his boundless creativity at creating luxury with unexpected components. Put your palate in his hands for a special occasion and prepare to be delighted. less...

Best Chef BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Rathbun’s

Best Chinese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Tasty China (Marietta)
The much-lauded chef Peter Chang has left TASTY CHINA, but the kitchen staff hasn’t missed a beat. In fact, they’ve introduced a whole new slew of dishes even while retaining the Szechwan favorites that made Tasty China Atlanta’s ultimate foodie destination for Chinese. Trymore...
The much-lauded chef Peter Chang has left TASTY CHINA, but the kitchen staff hasn’t missed a beat. In fact, they’ve introduced a whole new slew of dishes even while retaining the Szechwan favorites that made Tasty China Atlanta’s ultimate foodie destination for Chinese. Try any of chef Liu’s new lamb dishes, or go for any of the old favorites — hot and numbing beef rolls, wontons in chili oil, fish and coriander rolls. There are more delicious dishes on the menu here than you’ll ever have time to eat, so go soon and go often. less...

Best Chinese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Chin Chin Brookhaven
Multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Coffee House/Coffeeshop BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Counter Culture Coffee
There’s a new coffee company in town: COUNTER CULTURE COFFEE. The owners are so devoted to java that they’ve opened a training center in the King Plow Arts Center and hold a weekly “cupping” (think wine tasting but with coffee) on Friday evenings that is open to themore...
There’s a new coffee company in town: COUNTER CULTURE COFFEE. The owners are so devoted to java that they’ve opened a training center in the King Plow Arts Center and hold a weekly “cupping” (think wine tasting but with coffee) on Friday evenings that is open to the public. The company specializes in forging personal connections with coffee growers, and some of the best places in town, including Octane, are now devotees of Counter Culture’s beans. less...

Best Coffee House/Coffeeshop BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Starbucks
Multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Coffee House/Coffeeshop BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Octane Coffee
If you’re one of those coffee snobs who proclaims loudly that since your visit to Italy you simply can’t abide American cappuccino, then head over to the Westside’s OCTANE, where you’ll find a version pretty dang close to the real thing. It’s also a greatmore...
If you’re one of those coffee snobs who proclaims loudly that since your visit to Italy you simply can’t abide American cappuccino, then head over to the Westside’s OCTANE, where you’ll find a version pretty dang close to the real thing. It’s also a great place to work, eat or grab a beer after work. The staff has good taste in music, the art on the walls is local and vibrant, and they take their coffee seriously. Every neighborhood should be so lucky. less...

Best Coffee House/Coffeeshop BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Starbucks
Multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Cookies BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Alon’s Bakery & Market

Best Cuban BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Palomilla’s Cuban Grill House
Atlanta was lucky to take in a huge wave of Cuban immigrants in the ’70s, and we’re still reaping the culinary rewards. Ironic, then, that the chef at PALOMILLA’S, Javier Salas, actually is Peruvian. No matter. The new cafe features the best Cuban food Atlanta has ever seen.more...
Atlanta was lucky to take in a huge wave of Cuban immigrants in the ’70s, and we’re still reaping the culinary rewards. Ironic, then, that the chef at PALOMILLA’S, Javier Salas, actually is Peruvian. No matter. The new cafe features the best Cuban food Atlanta has ever seen. Lunchtime specials, such as chicken fricassee, are ridiculously inexpensive. The papa rellena — stuffed, deep-fried mashed potatoes — is a heavenly mixture of textures and flavors, with picadillo seeming to erupt from the loaf-sized appetizer. Other standouts: tamales, roasted pork and a mango pie that is without peer anywhere. less...

Best Cuban BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Havana Sandwich Shop

Best Deli BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Muss & Turner’s - Smyrna
MUSS & TURNER’S is much more than a classic deli, but even if you strip away the cooking classes, the vacuum-sealed gourmet meals and the evening menu of such dishes as wild stripe bass bouillabaisse and grilled hanger steak, you’re still left with the best deli meats and sandwich menumore...
MUSS & TURNER’S is much more than a classic deli, but even if you strip away the cooking classes, the vacuum-sealed gourmet meals and the evening menu of such dishes as wild stripe bass bouillabaisse and grilled hanger steak, you’re still left with the best deli meats and sandwich menu in the city. Well, it’s not exactly in the city. It’s in Smyrna, but it’s certainly good enough that people from all parts of Atlanta journey there. However, if you order at least $100 worth of food, the deli will deliver (with 48 hours notice). less...

Best Deli BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Jason’s Deli
Multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Desserts BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Cafe Intermezzo

Best Chinese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
East Pearl Seafood Restaurant
If eating gloppy rice soup with bits of pork and mushroom in a mountain chalet appeals to you, then EAST PEARL is your place. The soup is delicious, as are the dumplings and duck’s feet. East Pearl has a selection slightly less greasy than other dim sum places in town, and the huge tables ofmore...
If eating gloppy rice soup with bits of pork and mushroom in a mountain chalet appeals to you, then EAST PEARL is your place. The soup is delicious, as are the dumplings and duck’s feet. East Pearl has a selection slightly less greasy than other dim sum places in town, and the huge tables of Chinese families who flock there every weekend appreciate it. The mountain-lodge decor is still pleasingly surreal. less...

Best Chinese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Hong Kong Harbour

Best French BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Trois
Both traditional and modern French are represented on the menu at TROIS, so whether you’re in the mood for beef bourguignon or wild salmon with truffle coulis, chef Jeremy Lieb understands the grandest of cuisines and interprets it beautifully. To really French it up, try the chateaubriand formore...
Both traditional and modern French are represented on the menu at TROIS, so whether you’re in the mood for beef bourguignon or wild salmon with truffle coulis, chef Jeremy Lieb understands the grandest of cuisines and interprets it beautifully. To really French it up, try the chateaubriand for two or the burgundy snails, and don’t forget to check out the pleasing selection of French wines. less...

Best French BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Cafe Alsace

Best Seafood BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Six Feet Under Pub & Fish House - Grant Park

Best Fried Chicken BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Watershed on Peachtree

Best Diner BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Majestic Diner

Best Grits BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Flying Biscuit Cafe - Candler Park

Best Cajun BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Pappadeaux - Marietta
Gumbo is one of those rare dishes where the more stuff you add, the merrier: shrimp and crab and oysters, chicken and duck and andouille sausage, lots of spice or a little, load up the rice or don’t. The charm is in the mix, but so is the challenge. Gaining a sense of proportion becomes key.more...
Gumbo is one of those rare dishes where the more stuff you add, the merrier: shrimp and crab and oysters, chicken and duck and andouille sausage, lots of spice or a little, load up the rice or don’t. The charm is in the mix, but so is the challenge. Gaining a sense of proportion becomes key. Atlanta is blessed with a range of gumbo offerings from independently owned restaurants, but the chain PAPPADEAUX gets it just right in its seafood gumbo. The broth is just thick enough, the roux just the right shade of brown, the debris of crab just tattered enough, the spice just hot enough. (Someone knows how to tap that cayenne dispenser!) less...

Best Hamburger BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
The Earl
THE EARL is frequently praised for its bar food, partly because of the now-legendary Earl Burger, which this past year earned kudos in a much-cited Wall Street Journal piece about Atlanta as America’s burger capital. The unce patty of Black Angus beef is perfectly prepared to order over an openmore...
THE EARL is frequently praised for its bar food, partly because of the now-legendary Earl Burger, which this past year earned kudos in a much-cited Wall Street Journal piece about Atlanta as America’s burger capital. The unce patty of Black Angus beef is perfectly prepared to order over an open flame. It’s never greasy, features fresh and perfectly proportioned dressings (leafy green lettuce, red onions, tomato, pickles), and is served on a buttered and toasted sesame seed bun. The optional wasabi mayo offers a nice change of pace and displays an attention to detail that allows the Earl Burger to sizzle to the top. less...

Best Hamburger BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
The Vortex
Multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Ice Cream BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Hank’s Ice Cream
The bad news is that HANK’S lost its lease in Grant Park. The good news is that the Houston-based company is looking for a location in Midtown. Meanwhile, a Hank’s has opened inside Wakefield Foods near the airport in College Park. Yes, it’s worth the drive to stock up. Themore...
The bad news is that HANK’S lost its lease in Grant Park. The good news is that the Houston-based company is looking for a location in Midtown. Meanwhile, a Hank’s has opened inside Wakefield Foods near the airport in College Park. Yes, it’s worth the drive to stock up. The butter pecan takes that classic to a new level. The black walnut is better than oral sex. When Valentine’s Day rolls around, Hank’s sells rose-flavored ice cream, maybe the most exotic flavor we’ve tasted outside the kitchen of a molecular gastronome. less...

Best Ice Cream BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Jake’s Ice Cream

Best Indian BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Madras Mantra
A vegetarian restaurant (where you won’t miss the meat), MADRAS SARAVANA BHAVAN is so popular that owner Narenda Patel opened a meat-serving restaurant at the opposite end of the shopping center in which MSB is located. The dosai, forearm-length rice-flour pancakes filled with spicy potatoesmore...
A vegetarian restaurant (where you won’t miss the meat), MADRAS SARAVANA BHAVAN is so popular that owner Narenda Patel opened a meat-serving restaurant at the opposite end of the shopping center in which MSB is located. The dosai, forearm-length rice-flour pancakes filled with spicy potatoes and other seasoned veggies, are the favorite here. In fact, the dosai get so huge you can order one that literally fills the table. We urge you to branch out and experiment with other dishes, including any of the curries (try the one made with eggplant) or the thali plate, which gives you a sampling of many dishes. The restaurant is currently undergoing renovations but will re-open at the end of this month. less...

Best Indian BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Madras Mantra

Best Italian BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Sotto Sotto Restaurant
Riccardo Ullio, the owner and executive chef of SOTTO SOTTO in Inman Park, is a perfectionist who hasn’t conceded to the Americanization of Italian cuisine. Specifically: The food is never drowned in sauces or piled up in belt-loosening quantities. Risottos are undoubtedly the best in the city.more...
Riccardo Ullio, the owner and executive chef of SOTTO SOTTO in Inman Park, is a perfectionist who hasn’t conceded to the Americanization of Italian cuisine. Specifically: The food is never drowned in sauces or piled up in belt-loosening quantities. Risottos are undoubtedly the best in the city. Taste rules and pasta dishes are straightforward, often featuring seasonal ingredients. The roasted fish, boned tableside, is a favorite with many. Fantastic desserts, such as the chocolate soup and the golden panna cotta, also win over hearts and mouths. less...

Best Italian BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Sotto Sotto Restaurant

Best Japanese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Nakato Japanese Restaurant

Best Korean BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Hae Woon Dae BBQ
There are plenty of other Korean restaurants in Atlanta, including those that specialize in tofu and soups, but HAE WOON DAE still soars to the top. Hae Woon Dae specializes — around the clock — in meats grilled at your table. Soon after you order bulgogi or any other of the many meatmore...
There are plenty of other Korean restaurants in Atlanta, including those that specialize in tofu and soups, but HAE WOON DAE still soars to the top. Hae Woon Dae specializes — around the clock — in meats grilled at your table. Soon after you order bulgogi or any other of the many meat dishes, an employee arrives with a bucket of thermonuclear-hot coals that he dumps in the grill in the middle of your table. Meanwhile, you’re noshing on a vast array of complimentary pickled goodies and eyeballing the zillion athletic trophies decorating the restaurant. Sound surreal? Try it at 3 a.m. less...

Best Korean BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Hae Woon Dae BBQ

Best Kosher BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Bagel Palace

Best Local Brewery BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
5 Seasons Brewing Company - North
The beer selections rotate seasonally at 5 SEASONS, but there’s no doubt these guys are brewing the best local beers around. In the past year we’ve especially enjoyed the Belgian-style beers on tap in Alpharetta, and the Dry Irish Stout served at the Sandy Springs location. If you’remore...
The beer selections rotate seasonally at 5 SEASONS, but there’s no doubt these guys are brewing the best local beers around. In the past year we’ve especially enjoyed the Belgian-style beers on tap in Alpharetta, and the Dry Irish Stout served at the Sandy Springs location. If you’re into European-style beers, 5 Seasons won’t disappoint. less...

Best Local Brewery BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
SweetWater Brewing Company

Best Wait Staff BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Grant Central
There are plenty of restaurants in Atlanta where you have to provide a headshot when you apply for a job, and where the waitstaff uniform is some kind of microscopic miniskirt and super-high heels. That is so not hot. What is hot is the scruffy gaggle of servers and cooks at GRANT CENTRAL in East Atlanta.more...
There are plenty of restaurants in Atlanta where you have to provide a headshot when you apply for a job, and where the waitstaff uniform is some kind of microscopic miniskirt and super-high heels. That is so not hot. What is hot is the scruffy gaggle of servers and cooks at GRANT CENTRAL in East Atlanta. The tattoos, the dreadlocks, the sneers, the lopsided smiles, the crooked teeth, the spiky belts are all adorable, and even more so because the last thing they’re going for is recognition of their hotness. Our hearts are aflutter. less...

Best Wait Staff BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Hooters
Multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Margarita BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Element
The margarita at ELEMENT would be cool if it were only what it appears to be on first look: a Slurpee for grown-ups. But the liquid-nitrogen frozen cocktail works as more than a novelty when you take into consideration that the low temp of the scientific technique used to make it means no ice is required.more...
The margarita at ELEMENT would be cool if it were only what it appears to be on first look: a Slurpee for grown-ups. But the liquid-nitrogen frozen cocktail works as more than a novelty when you take into consideration that the low temp of the scientific technique used to make it means no ice is required. Your frozen treat is made up entirely of tequila and Element’s special sour mix. The result is smooth, almost creamy, and dangerous. Dangerously delicious! Sorry, this drink inspires dorky catchphrases… less...

Best Margarita BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Agave Restaurant

Best Southern BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Mary Mac’s Tea Room

Best Mexican BOA Award Winner

Year » 2007
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2007 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Zocalo
This is a difficult call every year because metro Atlanta has so many authentic Mexican restaurants. Most of them, however, are taquerias. In fact, ZOCALO operates a taqueria itself in Grant Park. But its Decatur and Midtown locations offer more substantial menus. The chili en nogada — a stuffedmore...
This is a difficult call every year because metro Atlanta has so many authentic Mexican restaurants. Most of them, however, are taquerias. In fact, ZOCALO operates a taqueria itself in Grant Park. But its Decatur and Midtown locations offer more substantial menus. The chili en nogada — a stuffed poblano pepper with walnut-cream sauce, garnished with pomegranate seeds — is a seasonal favorite. But you should also try anything with the restaurant’s homemade mole sauce. less...

 

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