Urban Living - Old Fourth Ward basics
Coffee Bars/Tea Rooms
JAVAOLOGY Besides coffee drinks, the cafe serves breakfast sandwiches and panini. Mon.-Fri., 6:15 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sat., 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 7 a.m.-9 p.m. 466 Edgewood Ave. 404-223-3202. www.javaology.com.
PARKGROUNDS Good (Batdorf & Bronson) coffee, pastries and Internet with two twists: an extensive breakfast menu and a little dog park. Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 8 a.m.-9 p.m. 142 Flat Shoals Ave. 678-528-9901. www.parkgrounds.com.
Cool Shops
CABBAGETOWN MARKET Neighborhood grocery store and deli featuring local and organic produce, imported food, baked goods and grilled sandwiches in a charming old storefront. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun., noon-6 p.m. 198 Carroll St. 404-221-9186. www.cabbagetownmarket.com.
IRWIN STREET MARKET A cluster of stalls and counters selling flowers, soap, Jake's ice cream and other sundries in a brightly colored building next to the would-be Beltline. Tues.-Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 660 Irwin St. 404-586-9972. www.irwinstreetmarket.com.
LACED UP A haven for sneaker connoisseurs who want to be buried in their shell-toe Adidas, Tues.-Fri., noon-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 572 Edgewood Ave., Suite 114. 404-230-5905. www.lacedup.biz.
LIGHTING LOFT Funky lamps and more funky lamps. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 593-B Edgewood Ave. 404-522-2074. www.lightingloft.com.
P VALENTINE Sherlita Patton, aka Mrs. Big Boi, is a co-owner of this trendy boutique selling women's and men's casual clothing. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., noon-4 p.m. 572 Edgewood Ave., Suite 115. 404-521-3660. www.myspace.com/pvalentine.
Galleries
EYEDRUM ART AND MUSIC GALLERY The place to go for a crash course in underground art. Fri., 3-8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 1-6 p.m. 290 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Suite 8. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org. Best of: Best Experimental Music Venue
SALTWORKS GALLERY This former piano warehouse has been transformed into a must-see temple of smart, edgy conceptual work installed with a scrupulous attention to detail. Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 635 Angier Ave. 404-876-8000. www.saltworksgallery.com.
U*SPACE GALLERY Affordable art and eclectic group shows make this a fresh voice in the Old Fourth Ward. Wed.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 439 Edgewood Ave. 404-653-7331. www.uspacegallery.com.
Music Venues
LENNY'S BAR It's lost some of its trailer-park charm since relocating from its old Memorial Drive home, but this is still the place to hear every band in the world before they get famous. 486 Decatur St. 404-577-7721. www.lennysbar.com.
Nightclubs and Bars
97 ESTORIA It's got a quirky, vegetarian-friendly menu, but the laid-back, smoky nighttime bar scene is what brings in scruffy Cabbagetown regulars. Mon.-Sat., noon-2 a.m.; Sun., 12:30 p.m.-midnight. 727 Wylie St. 404-522-0966. www.97estoria.com.
OVER DA EDGE New two-story dinner club and bar caters to the cool in you with a little bit of R&B, a little bit of soul, and a whole lot of swagger. 483 Edgewood Ave. 404-681-3343. www.overdaedge.com.
Restaurants
AGAVE It takes its name from the plant from which tequila is made — and for good reason. The bar is heavily stocked with rows of enticing tequilas. Stuffed mountain trout tomatillo and grilled red-chile pork tenderloin are among the most satisfying offerings. $$ D. 242 Boulevard. 404-588-0006. www.agaverestaurant.com.
CAFE 458 One of those rare places that exists both for our brunching pleasure and for the good of the community. All proceeds go to Samaritan House, an organization that helps homeless men and women reach self-sufficiency. $$ B, L. 458 Edgewood Ave. 404-523-1239. www.samhouse.org.
CAFE CIRCA Elegant urban setting for a menu that is kind of international and kind of Caribbean. The chocolate chicken wings are spicy, slightly hot and not too sweet. $$ L, D. 464 Edgewood Ave. 404-477-0008. www.cafecircaatl.com.
CARROLL STREET CAFE The Diem Inc. outpost in East Atlanta, this wine bar-cum-cafe embodies all the Apres Diem style with Cabbagetown's eclectic sensibilities. B, L, D. $-$$ 208 Carroll St. 404-527-2700. www.apresdiem.com/carroll.
DYNAMIC DISH Dynamic Dish, an eclectic vegetarian restaurant, delicatessen and market, serves up warm, roasted rosemary tofu sandwiches and classic warm German potato salad as well as daily specials. $ L, D. 427 Edgewood Ave. 404-992-2179.
HIGHLAND BAKERY With signature whole-grain breads, you can stop worrying about preservatives in your food when you dive into an egg-and-cheese sandwich or one of the seven lunch sandwiches. $ B, L. 655 Highland Ave. 404-586-0772. www.highlandbakery.com.
KEVIN RATHBUN STEAKHOUSE 4 stars. Kevin Rathbun Steak serves food perfectly suited to the modern business dinner. Steaks and sides are excellent, as they should be. But where Rathbun really impresses is with his other dishes, and particularly with seafood. $$$ D. 154 Krog St. 404-524-5600. www.kevinrathbunsteak.com.
KROG BAR 3 stars. The folks behind Rathbun's opened Krog Bar in a tiny building in the Stove Works complex parking lot. It's the closest thing to a genuine tapas bar's ambiance our city has ever seen: You'll likely be forced, just as you are in tapas bars in Sevilla, to sit at long tables with strangers. $-$$ D. 112 Krog St. 404-524-1618. www.krogbar.com.
LOTTAFRUTTA As the name suggests, LottaFrutta is totally adorable. The place bills itself as a "gourmet fruit house and market," specializing in fruit cups with fanciful names like dolce vitta and cremolatta. $$ B, L, D. 590 Auburn Ave. 404-588-0857. www.lottafrutta.com.
P'CHEEN The orange walls may turn some people away, but this pub is worthy of patronage. The cornmeal-crusted calamari with chipotle marinara is killer, as well as the crimini mushroom caps. $$ L, D. 701 Highland Ave., Suite 5. 404-529-8800. www.pcheen.com.
RATHBUN'S 4 stars. The smash-hit restaurant takes Atlanta's favorite dining-out elements — industrial-redo decor, tapas, comfort food — and combines them into a hip, delectable experience. Smoked-salmon tostadas, fries with blue-cheese fondue and veal chop in a pool of sweet corn and Gouda are but a few choice bites. $$$-$$$$ D. 112 Krog St. 404-524-8280. www.rathbunsrestaurant.com.
ROLLING BONES PREMIUM PIT BBQ Sleek pit serves up mouth-watering meats with succulent sauce and divine side dishes quicker than most fast-food joints can take your order. $ L, D. 377 Edgewood Ave. 404-222-2324. www.rollingbonesbbq.com.
THUMBS UP DINER A breakfast joint whose weekend waits are worth braving: Nutty, whole-wheat biscuits and egg scrambles are served to one of the town's most integrated dining crowds. $ B, L. 573 Edgewood Ave. 404-223-0690. www.thumbsupdiner.com.