Oral Pleasures

Every night is a busy night at Holeman & Finch Public House. Burger pilgrims arrive hours early to reserve one of the limited-edition, double-patty delights in advance. They camp out at the bar or around high-top tables, waiting elbow to elbow for an amplified voice to announce that Burger Time has arrived at last. Regulars chuckle at the nightly spectacle.

Atlanta diners are an enthusiastic bunch. Hip to the latest hot spots, the fooderati flock to newly opened restaurants, always hungry for what’s next. Holeman & Finch was no exception when it opened to a packed house and much fanfare back in 2008. But five years later, it’s still tough to find a seat in the house that former bar manager Greg Best, Linton Hopkins, and team built.

In the last few years, we’ve seen Atlanta’s restaurant culture evolve and reinvent itself with an explosion of exciting new restaurants. In many ways, staying power is a restaurant’s true currency these days. This year, when setting out to highlight the best Atlanta has to offer, we searched for restaurants that anchor our current dining scene and will continue to mold it for years to come.

Empire State South remains a bastion of modern cooking in the South, tackling three meals a day like nowhere else. Tasty China in Marietta reminds us that we’re still willing to venture OTP in the name of incredible ethnic food. We were once again seduced by the harmony of Octane Coffee and Little Tart Bakeshop. There are newcomers, too. This year we found smart, memorable cocktails at Paper Plane, daring and authentic Italian at BoccaLupo and Storico Fresco Pasta. Deft hands at the General Muir brought us a refined take on the Jewish deli.

Every year, it gets harder to create the list of Best of Atlanta winners. But having too many great restaurants to choose from is a problem we’re happy to have.

— Stephanie Dazey

Best Vietnamese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Nam Phuong Buford Highway (Featured)

The breadth of choices at either location of Nam Phuong Restauant is almost overwhelming. But the wide variety of Vietnamese dishes means everyone at your table can find a favorite to enjoy. Nam Phuong’s pho is clean, simple, and fresh. Beyond the soups, the showstopping ba vi delights platter is amore...

The breadth of choices at either location of Nam Phuong Restauant is almost overwhelming. But the wide variety of Vietnamese dishes means everyone at your table can find a favorite to enjoy. Nam Phuong’s pho is clean, simple, and fresh. Beyond the soups, the showstopping ba vi delights platter is a small feast that tickles all of the senses with chopped beef wrapped in smoky grape leaves, ground shrimp skewers, and grilled pork balls with a gorgeous mound of fresh herbs, rice noodles, cucumber, and more for wrapping. less...

Best Restaurant BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Empire State South (Featured)

Empire State South is the Leonardo da Vinci of Atlanta restaurants, a true master of everything from breakfast to cocktails to house-made charcuterie. The thought of making a day out of dining here, starting with slowly sipping a perfectly pulled espresso on the patio, lounging between meals by the outdoormore...

Empire State South is the Leonardo da Vinci of Atlanta restaurants, a true master of everything from breakfast to cocktails to house-made charcuterie. The thought of making a day out of dining here, starting with slowly sipping a perfectly pulled espresso on the patio, lounging between meals by the outdoor bocce court, enjoying adventurous cocktails late into the night, has all the makings of a micro luxury vacation. The menu is constantly changing, but you can always count on Southern-tinged dishes made with super-fresh local produce and other regional ingredients. Aside from the mains, lovingly baked biscuits in the morning and an array of jarred wonders such as puckery house-made pickles, earthy boiled peanut hummus, and rich and peppery pimento cheese at night, are excellent. The wine list is impeccable, including gems such as a bottle of La Chablisienne’s unusual sauvignon blanc from Burgundy (menu description: “deliciously nerdy”). No matter the occasion, the meal, the drink, Empire State South does it all while capturing the very best of modern cooking in the South. less...

Best Barbecue BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Heirloom Market BBQ (Where to Eat Recommendation)

A lot of people say Atlanta doesn’t have a distinct style of barbecue, but they are wrong. Our town excels at creative takes on classics. No barbecue spot exemplifies this more than Heirloom Market BBQ. Chefs Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee took a small spot located next to a gas station and transformedmore...

A lot of people say Atlanta doesn’t have a distinct style of barbecue, but they are wrong. Our town excels at creative takes on classics. No barbecue spot exemplifies this more than Heirloom Market BBQ. Chefs Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee took a small spot located next to a gas station and transformed it into a barbecue destination. Lee’s Korean influences find their way into condiments such as the sweet and spicy Korean-style sauce and sides such as kimchi. And the meats, oh the meats - the super tender and smoky brisket, the fall-apart pork ribs, and moist pulled pork. The tiny restaurant has become so busy, it’s now standing-room only on the patio. The owners are looking for another location with space for all of their devotees. less...