11 Atlanta restaurants for foodies
Where to eat well and please your inner foodie
Photo credit: Matthew Smith
Having too many great restaurants to choose from is one of those good kinds of problems to have. But if an exciting, palate-pleasing experience is the only directive that guides your dining choices, this list of 11 best bets is as far as you need to look.
Aria
Aria is the third incarnation of the old Hedgerose Heights Inn, brought back to glorious life by chef Gerry Klaskala's contemporary cuisine and Kathryn King's delectably composed desserts. Expect respectfully prepared, seasonal accompaniments for classic luxury ingredients like lobster, foie gras an...
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Bacchanalia
At once modernist and classicist, the California-influenced cuisine of owner-chefs Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano is based on solid technique, simple presentation and fresh, first-quality ingredients. The spare industrial setting fits the food like beurre blanc on fish, while the service, wines...
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BoccaLupo
Chef Bruce Logue has transformed the former home of Sauced into a modern industrial scheme complete with rustic wood, gray walls, and white enamel fixtures. Expect old standards from Logue's former post at La Pietra Cucina, like his famous black spaghetti, as well as authentic new dishes featuring p...
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Food Court at Chinatown Mall
Got a hankering for a giant bowl of brothy seafood noodles or soy-lacquered duck that melts in your mouth? This food court offers six outstanding fast-food spots to satiate your Asian cravings.
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Kimball House
In a town where cocktails are taken very seriously, Kimball House quietly took over the title of everyone
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Mamak
In general, Malaysian cuisine cherry-picks its features from Chinese, Indian, and Malay cooking styles. Mamak's sprawling menu includes stewed curries, noodle dishes, and soups. Favorites include Nasi Lemak, a platter filled with hunks of sparerib, potatoes, coconut rice, anchovies, and a hard-boil...
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Miller Union
Longtime Watershed sous chef Steven Satterfield and Sotto Sotto manager Neal McCarthy have come together to deliver a personal-feeling, truly regional restaurant, serving Southern food without shtick or embellishment among the warehouses and train tracks of the Westside.
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One Eared Stag (permanently closed)
At One Eared Stag, boldness of flavor wins out above all else. The entire menu is an exercise in boldness, in defying cliché. Chef Robert Phalen comes across as more of a creative force than a perfectionist. But any inconsistency is made up for by the sheer pleasure and originality the food inspires...
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Star Provisions (permanently closed)
The takeout menu varies slightly each day, but count on seductively constructed sandwiches such as the shrimp po'boy or the prosciutto and Parmesan, among other options. You'll also find a butcher and a specialty cheese counter in the back of the space.
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Wrecking Bar Brewpub
A comfortable restaurant in an uncooperative space with heavy stone walls in the basement of a Victorian-style home. There's a lot of wood everywhere, including a bar that is virtually hidden from much of the dining room. Farm-to-table food. Great original brews.
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