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2012 Index of Winners

Best Deli BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Goldbergs Fine Foods - West Paces
And multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Desserts BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Local Three Kitchen & Bar’s “Twix” Bar
Gary Scarborough is the self-taught pastry whiz and 20-year kitchen vet in charge of all things sweet and delicious at Local Three Kitchen & Bar - including the bet-you-can’t-eat-just-one-bite “Twix” Bar: A French butter cookie layered with homemade salted caramel and coated in thin white chocolate.more...

Gary Scarborough is the self-taught pastry whiz and 20-year kitchen vet in charge of all things sweet and delicious at Local Three Kitchen & Bar - including the bet-you-can’t-eat-just-one-bite “Twix” Bar: A French butter cookie layered with homemade salted caramel and coated in thin white chocolate. Scarborough’s swanky riff is a formidable rival to the original Twix. And at $3.53 per homemade bar, there’s no shame in taking one or three home with you for later.


3290 Northside Parkway. 404-968-2700. www.localthree.com.

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Best Desserts BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Cafe Intermezzo - Dunwoody
And multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Chinese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Canton House Chinese Restaurant

Best Doughnut BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Sublime Doughnuts
Sure, we know the competition has revved up this year, but while we admire those newcomers in Decatur, we’ve got to hand it to owner Kamal Grant and his team at Sublime Doughnuts for reaching yeasty and/or cakey perfection in every bite. Consistency and creativity is what keeps winning us over withmore...
Sure, we know the competition has revved up this year, but while we admire those newcomers in Decatur, we’ve got to hand it to owner Kamal Grant and his team at Sublime Doughnuts for reaching yeasty and/or cakey perfection in every bite. Consistency and creativity is what keeps winning us over with every trip to this den of doughnut loving. With more than two dozen treats to choose from, including our beloved Yin Yang (vanilla-chocolate) Twist, S’mores, and Sweet Potato Cake doughnuts, our infatuation is far from fading. Located in the Tech Plaza shopping strip, Sublime keeps students and others sufficiently glazed and frittered from dawn to dusk with freshly baked doughnuts continually emerging on long silver trays from the back kitchen. Peruse the menu over your first doughnut (few leave without a second) or grab one of the many doughnut-themed books (apparently, this is a genre), then nestle in on one of the comfy couches. The cheery yellow walls are decorated with doughnut-inspired art and framed reviews, including the shop’s 2012 write-up in Bake magazine, which voted it as “America’s Best Bakery.” Aren’t we the lucky ones? less...

Best Chinese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Yet Tuh
One is warm comfort; the other is crisp clarity. One is found off the beaten path in a Korean hideaway OTP; the other in the heart of Decatur. Yet Tuh’s barley bowl (bori-bop) is the East; The Bakery at Cakes & Ale’s grain bowl is the West. What they share is their essence - a bowl of grain, adornedmore...
One is warm comfort; the other is crisp clarity. One is found off the beaten path in a Korean hideaway OTP; the other in the heart of Decatur. Yet Tuh’s barley bowl (bori-bop) is the East; The Bakery at Cakes & Ale’s grain bowl is the West. What they share is their essence - a bowl of grain, adorned and delicious. At Yet Tuh, the barley is the star, but there’s a wide cast of characters that get mixed into the bowl at the table - thin shreds of nori, tender vegetables and mushrooms, spicy soybean paste. They come together in great harmony; a moment of Korean foodie Zen. At The Bakery at Cakes & Ale, the grain bowl is an ever-changing daily composition of whatever strikes chef David Sweeney’s fancy: usually quinoa, often fresh field peas or beans, an accent of finely diced peppers or fresh herbs. Sweeney’s grain bowl never fails to be striking in its effect - each element distinct, but a sum greater than the parts. less...

Best Ethiopian BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Desta Ethiopian Kitchen

Best Food Truck BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Atlanta Food Truck Park & Market
Atlanta’s rocky road to foodtruckdom suddenly seemed a little smoother when the Atlanta Food Truck Park & Market came to town. Previously forsaken by endless administrative hoops, and confined to scattered, weekly food truck days, the park’s opening created a permanent home for Atlanta’s modestmore...
Atlanta’s rocky road to foodtruckdom suddenly seemed a little smoother when the Atlanta Food Truck Park & Market came to town. Previously forsaken by endless administrative hoops, and confined to scattered, weekly food truck days, the park’s opening created a permanent home for Atlanta’s modest fleet of mobile restaurants. With the Atlanta Food Truck Park as an anchor, the scene has seen an explosion of growth: The number of food trucks in Atlanta has nearly doubled in 2012, with fresh food truck faces popping up every few months like clockwork. less...

Best Farmer’s Market BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Farm Mobile
We feel a little nostalgic whenever we see the bright green Farm Mobile truck pull up to our Main Street or local park. It reminds us of a simpler time when neighborhood moms would run out with a handful of change to meet the bread trucks that wandered down our block each week. Just as friendly, themore...
We feel a little nostalgic whenever we see the bright green Farm Mobile truck pull up to our Main Street or local park. It reminds us of a simpler time when neighborhood moms would run out with a handful of change to meet the bread trucks that wandered down our block each week. Just as friendly, the Farm Mobile folks post daily specials on a chalkboard. Skim it before climbing the steps into the back of the truck, making your way past bins stocked with organic and seasonal produce. Other offerings include: H&F breads, free-range eggs, and sustainable meats (grass-fed beef, Berkshire pork, and chicken from White Oak Pastures), which you’ll find once you gently squeeze by your neighbor and make your way to the freezer near the front. They also carry their own line of grits, polenta, and cornmeal, plus artisanal cheeses and pesto. Basically, you’ll find all the fixings for a great meal in one stop. The mobile grocer, based out of Riverview Farms in Northwest Georgia, is constantly making the rounds in metro Atlanta, keeping customers up-to-date on its whereabouts via Facebook and Twitter. It’s a lot easier than chasing after that old bread truck. www.grassfedcow.com/farmmobile. less...

Best Food Festival/Event BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Taste of Atlanta

Best Food Truck BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Yumbii @ Brookwood Hills

Best French BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Bistro Niko

Best Fried Chicken BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Watershed on Peachtree

Best Fro Yo BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Yoforia
And multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best gluten-free options BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
YEAH! BURGER

Best Grits BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Flying Biscuit (13 ATL Locations)
And multiple metro Atlanta locations.

Best Hamburger BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
YEAH! BURGER

Best Food Court BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Sweet Auburn Curb Market @ The Municipal Market

Best Hotdog BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
HD1

Best Ice Cream BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream

Best Georgia Beer Development BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
The future
Despite the fact Atlanta beer lovers have it better than ever before, our most exciting prospect is the future. As great as the last few years have been to us in terms of new, Atlanta-area craft breweries (Burnt Hickory, Jailhouse, Monday Night, Red Hare, etc.), the next few promise just as many if notmore...
Despite the fact Atlanta beer lovers have it better than ever before, our most exciting prospect is the future. As great as the last few years have been to us in terms of new, Atlanta-area craft breweries (Burnt Hickory, Jailhouse, Monday Night, Red Hare, etc.), the next few promise just as many if not more (Three Taverns, Strawn, Blue Tarp, Creature Comforts in Athens, etc.). Yes, thanks to growlers and Sunday sales we’ve begun clawing our way out of the dark ages, but the fact that brewpubs can’t sell the former and breweries can’t sell six-packs on site is a plague that remains. But hey, that’s why we’re looking forward, right? Onward and upward, true believers. less...

Best Indian BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Bhojanic Restaurant

Best Italian BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Sotto Sotto Restaurant

Best Japanese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Miso Izakaya - Permanently Closed

Best Local Food Company BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Hot Cafe

Best Korean BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Hankook Taqueria

Best Restaurant for Late-Night Dining BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Octopus Bar
It doesn’t open until 10 p.m. And even then, if you’re there before midnight, well, you’re not part of the in-crowd. But this is no nightclub. It’s a late-night restaurant/bar within a not-so-late-night restaurant in a (relatively) quiet corner of EAV. This is Octopus Bar. It’s the kind ofmore...
It doesn’t open until 10 p.m. And even then, if you’re there before midnight, well, you’re not part of the in-crowd. But this is no nightclub. It’s a late-night restaurant/bar within a not-so-late-night restaurant in a (relatively) quiet corner of EAV. This is Octopus Bar. It’s the kind of place David Chang and Sean Brock would go to pound beers and down oysters and platefuls of salt and pepper shrimp (with a TV crew in tow) before (or maybe after) hitting the Clermont Lounge. Octopus Bar is dark and rough around the edges, and the food from chef Angus Brown is like a loud, quick, Southern-fried, alcohol-soaked romp across Asia. In addition to the oysters and succulent head-on (eat-the-whole-thing) shrimp, the menu is always peppered with things like uni and quail eggs and kimchi. The ultimate late-night bite, though, is Octopus Bar’s lobster roll (with tomalley mayo). It’s enough to make you want to eat after midnight every night. less...

Best Beer Selection BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Brick Store Pub
You know about the Brick Store Pub, sure. Perhaps you’ve heard tell of its Belgian bar, itself alone an embarrassment of riches fleshed out with more than 100 bottles of Trappist ales, lambics, and quadruppels. Or maybe you read something about the beer cellar just across the hallway from that upstairsmore...
You know about the Brick Store Pub, sure. Perhaps you’ve heard tell of its Belgian bar, itself alone an embarrassment of riches fleshed out with more than 100 bottles of Trappist ales, lambics, and quadruppels. Or maybe you read something about the beer cellar just across the hallway from that upstairs bar, a cozy room fronted with a huge wooden door and containing more than 700 vintage and impossible-to-find brews, ranging from $5-$80 per reasonably sized bottle, and as much as $300 should you want to throw down on a 6-liter monstrosity for the table. Or perhaps you’ve read one of the many national media mentions of this legendary place that’s celebrating 15 years of slinging the very best beers the world has to offer. In fact, it’s known all over the world, and you’re one of the lucky few who could have it as your Cheers. So, why haven’t you? less...

Best Atlanta Beer/Local Brew BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
SweetWater Brewing Company

Best Mexican BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Nuevo Laredo Cantina

Best Middle Eastern BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Mediterranean Grill

Best mixologist BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Leon’s Full Service

Best New Restaurant BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
The Optimist

Best Overall Restaurant BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Kevin Rathbun Steak

Best Patio Dining BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Six Feet Under Pub & Fish House - Grant Park
And other metro Atlanta loactions

Best Patio Dining BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
The Midway Pub
It’s huge. Like, more than 25 tables and booths of varying sizes huge. So huge, that you’ll almost never have to wait for a spot to sit down, though you may end up at opposite ends of a long table with a pair of strangers. But that’s also one of the many charms of the Midway Pub patio - lotsmore...
It’s huge. Like, more than 25 tables and booths of varying sizes huge. So huge, that you’ll almost never have to wait for a spot to sit down, though you may end up at opposite ends of a long table with a pair of strangers. But that’s also one of the many charms of the Midway Pub patio - lots of smiling faces there to enjoy a beer (or three), just like you. More than just dog-friendly, Midway’s staff and patio are downright dog-enthusiastic, all warm smiles, water bowls, and welcoming words of admiration. A wooden overhang protects from sun and precipitation, and it’s adorned with assorted greenery. In fact, Midway boasts some of the finest bar plants around: succulents, evergreens, herbs (that are used in Midway’s food), and various viney, flowering specimens that are going to be a joy to watch develop in the years to come. With 32 rotating drafts, more than 100 bottles, and a food selection that goes beyond standard pub grub, you might want to bring a sleeping bag - it’s a little too easy to make yourself at home on this concrete slab. less...

Best Pizza BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Antico Pizza Napoletana

Best Farmer’s Market BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Grant Park Farmers Market
If you’ve ever been to the Grant Park Farmers Market, you’d never guess that it’s only in its second year. Every Sunday during market season, the west end of Grant Park becomes a bustling strip of local vendors - selling everything form handmade soap to homemade pasta - as if they’ve beenmore...
If you’ve ever been to the Grant Park Farmers Market, you’d never guess that it’s only in its second year. Every Sunday during market season, the west end of Grant Park becomes a bustling strip of local vendors - selling everything form handmade soap to homemade pasta - as if they’ve been doing it there for years. But the market’s real draw is all the freshly cut local produce, lovingly cultivated - often within a few miles of the park - by an emerging group of urban farmers. The park is also the perfect setting for a quick Hula-Hoop or an impromptu picnic under a shady tree. Just stop by one of the food vendors for supplies: S&J’s Woodfired Pizza, Crepe Masters, and Dumpling Girl’s homemade banh mi sandwiches are all on the menu. And for dessert, a pastry from Little Tart Bakeshop or a frozen treat from King of Pops will surely do the trick. Everything lovely and delicious about local food in Atlanta is at your fingertips on Sunday mornings in Grant Park. less...

Best place to dine alone BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Manuel’s Tavern

Best place to dine alone BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Octane Coffee
and other metro Atlanta locations

Best Place to Fill Your Growler BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Ale Yeah!
and other metro Atlanta locations

Best Hamburger BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Zesto
The local fast-food institution Zesto has been around since 1949, serving burgers, onion rings, chili dogs, milk shakes, and more greasy comfort faves than you can shake a crinkle fry at. The eats are just fine, thank you, though you’re not likely to see folks Instagramming photos of chicken tendersmore...
The local fast-food institution Zesto has been around since 1949, serving burgers, onion rings, chili dogs, milk shakes, and more greasy comfort faves than you can shake a crinkle fry at. The eats are just fine, thank you, though you’re not likely to see folks Instagramming photos of chicken tenders or hot wings to their followers. And that’s all right with us. This is where you come to re-group, refuel, and get a real taste of the people’s Atlanta. The Little Five Points outpost is where we go to ponder life’s big decisions over a Nut Brown Crown, sitting at the counter, watching the herky-jerky motion of Moreland Avenue traffic, and hoping for insight between bites of the hardened chocolate shell, chopped peanuts, and soft-serve vanilla. The newer diner and drive-thru location on Ponce de Leon Avenue is where we pull up in our newly slicked wheels after a stop at Cactus Car Wash. Seated at a roomy booth and munching on a cheesy Chubby Decker, we watch the school kids, errand-runners, and uniformed workers come and go, listening to our favorite cashier ask her regulars, “Hey, baby, where you been? Whatchu want?” Multiple metro Atlanta locations. less...

Best Cocktails BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick
Edgar’s Proof & Provision
Sometimes a cocktail’s name is so off-the-wall high-concept that you’ve just got to order it, even when you suspect you won’t want to finish it. And When I Was Eight at Proof and Provision sounds like just such an irresistible novelty. Charmingly topped with a few colorful Froot Loops, it looksmore...
Sometimes a cocktail’s name is so off-the-wall high-concept that you’ve just got to order it, even when you suspect you won’t want to finish it. And When I Was Eight at Proof and Provision sounds like just such an irresistible novelty. Charmingly topped with a few colorful Froot Loops, it looks and tastes just like the bottom-of-the-bowl cereal milk you gleefully slurped as a child - if your mom spiked it with high-test vodka. But, rather than create a three-sip gimmick, bartender Nate Shuman has somehow found a way - with the aid of oat grain vodka, orange and elderflower liqueurs, orange bitters, plus cream - to replicate a comforting taste of nostalgia and deliver a creamy, end-of-the-evening dessert cocktail you’ll want to savor. less...

Best Restaurant BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
The Shed at Glenwood

Best Restaurant Design BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
The Optimist

Best Place for a First Date BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Top Flr

Best Restaurant for Late-Night Dining BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
Octopus Bar

Best Restaurant to Bring the Kids BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
YEAH! BURGER

Best Restaurant BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
El Super Pan Latino Sandwiches & Bar

Best Restaurant to Take Visitors BOA Award Winner

Year » 2012
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2012 » Oral Pleasures » Readers Pick
TIE: Empire State South and JCT Kitchen


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