Geo wrote:I've got to tell you that Downtown Atlanta is the most disappointing central core, eat-wise, I've ever been to...
There's some Good Eats in ATL; but you've got to have wheels--yours or some taxi company's--to get there...
I've got to admit, there's no place in this country that frustrated (and angered) me more than ATL.
Accurately understated. Makes dining in the Loop look like the promised land.
If you are without car, here are some options nigh by downtown or train/taxi accessible; list constrained by access--none so good as you would have with a car.
1. Deacon Burton's. lunch. fried chicken. Little Five Points area, accessible by ten min MARTA train ride.
2. MF Sushibar. Bus, or ten min Taxi. A lot of folks like this place (including several whose opinions I respect), run by a couple of Viet-American brothers.
265 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
404 815-8844
3. BBQ. don't bother
4. Mary Mac's, Ponce de Leon. meat and three tired steam table southern food. bus/ten min taxi.
5. Krog. ten min Taxi. A good chef, a tough dinner reservation to get, but might be do-able on a weeknight. Haven't been, but have eaten his food many times and been happy at his former digs.
7. Italian. don't bother.
8. Brickhouse, Decatur. 15 min train ride. Exc beer draft and bottle selection and free wifi, eat somewhere else, anywhere. In fact, you could lunch at Deacon Burton's, then hop on the train to Decatur to while away the afternoon here.
As has been noted--Woodfire is very good (past posts here, many at CH). figure a $15-$20 taxi fare each way) and min $50 per person.
Intrepid choice (and best eats):
Take northbound Doraville-bound Marta train to Chamblee (18 min). Walk 1/4 mile north on New P'tree road to Chinatown Square. Walk inside to the hawker's food court. Eat at the 'China Kitchen' stall. From a past post on another board:
"dishes that are reliable winners:
Gautieh aka cigar shaped pot stickers with pork filling-OUTSTANDING
Onion cake aka scallion pancake
Chive Dumpling
#4 dumplings aka steamed dumplings with pork filling
Chef's Special Chicken Legs aka 'Three Cup Chicken' mentioned above
Home Style Tofu...ask for it HOT!
Fish in Hot Oil (make sure you emphasize you want it hot, or they may tone it down)
Beef Soup with noodle.
This one may be hard to order, but the effort is worth it: Shehilon (fresh mild mustard green) with preserved vegetable, fresh soybeans and pressed dried tofu. Sounds bizarre, but its the best comfort type home cooking dish, very common, from Shanghai.
#6 on the Noodle menu, shredded pork, preserved vegetable and noodles in broth, what we would think of as a soup, although its listed in the noodle section. Better even than the beef soup.
Pork Meatball. Ask for it 'with noodle and bok choy'. It will come with some glass rice noodle vermicelli on the bottom to absorb the sauce. Aka 'Lion's Head'. A terrific dish."
Please report back.
Chicago is my spiritual chow home