Oral Pleasures

In most cities situated more than 5,000 miles from Seoul, it’s hard enough to find a silky, sizzling bowl of tofu soup at a normal hour of the day - let alone at 5 a.m. Doraville is the exception. Tucked just inside the Perimeter on Buford Highway, 88 TOFU HOUSE serves tofu nearly 88 ways, predominantly in soups rounded out with meat, vegetables, seafood or bean paste. Even better, the restaurant stays open around the clock, meaning that you can order up the ultimate hangover cure — at a spice level that will knock the misery out of you - before your hangover even sets in. Even in the wee hours, the slightly tattered and friendly space can be packed with Korean diners, but servers do their best to make customers of all ethnicities welcome. The menu is printed in both English and Korean, and the waitstaff communicates well enough to let you know that the raw eggs on the table are to be cracked into the bubbling broth. less...

We’ve been addicted to the lamb sandwiches, croissants, chocolate-chocolate cookies and country French bread at ALON’S BAKERY for more than a decade. In recent years, Alon Balshan has expanded his Virginia-Highland shop into a true gourmet treasure, with prepared foods and artisan cheeses. Balshan is also responsible for the fabulous gelato next door at What’s the Scoop. less...

We dread this selection more than any other, since really good ‘cue in town. We like the fair prices, the great staff and an ambiance that’s all shabby and no chic (thank God). We like feeling safe while eating amid half the Atlanta Police Department. And we like all the food, but especially the ribs and chicken, not that the chopped pork isn’t grand, too. Sides are particularly good. Get the collards, the fried potatoes, the candied yams and finish with the best red velvet cake you have ever tasted. less...