I'm going to be in Atlanta next week for work; what are some appropriate places for business dinners? By that, I mean (in descending order of importance):

1. They take reservations.
2. No communal seating.
3. Nothing too far from downtown; most people are staying in downtown hotels.
4. Decent menu selection - we've got at least 3 adventurous eaters, but not everyone is. I'd like to be able to accommodate most tastes.
5. Entrees priced in the $35 range.

I know it's somewhat restrictive, but such is the life of business meetings. For reference, my go-to equivalents in Chicago are Balsan, Bistronomic, Piccolo Sogno, Bar Toma, and the late (sniff) Prairie Fire.

I think you need to get out of downtown for a decent place.
Given your criteria, Rathbun's would seem a good choice.

TomInSkokie wrote:I think you need to get out of downtown for a decent place.
Given your criteria, Rathbun's would seem a good choice.

We actually wound up going to Krog Bar right across the street; there were only three of us on that night, and were wall willing to make the trip out and didn't care about reservations. Rathbun's is definitely on the list for the next time I'm there. My memory is hazy due to the amount of wine I had that night (and the sheer novelty of eating outside in January), but I think the Boquerones were the consensus favorite dish of the night. It's amazing to think on how differently I see anchovies today as compared to the horrid little things that defiled perfectly good pizzas that I remember from childhood.

I'd also like to add The Optimist to this thread. I got to try the Crispy Skate Wing, the Spicy Spanish Octopus, the Braised Short Rib & Sweetbreads, and the Littleneck Clams.

It was the first time I've ever had skate battered and fried, and it worked far better than I thought it would. It was a light tempura batter which gave a nice textural contrast without overwhelming the delicate meat. The octopus was my favorite dish of the night - just perfectly charred and tender, garnished with olives and just the right amount of kick in the sauce. The short ribs - the only meat dish of the night - was tender with a beautiful sear, but the sweetbreads deserve special mention. The taste was great, but what set it apart was that they managed to give them a firmer, meatier texture than usual. I know many people like the soft texture, but these had a kind of chewiness to them without losing the integrity of the sweetbreads. The clams were pretty good, but the lardons of bacon overwhelmed them a bit with the smokiness. Each component was delicious separately, but I'm not sure they really belonged together like that (maybe it would have worked with a smaller cut of bacon. These lardons were huge - more like lego bocks than matchsticks).

Anyone been to Atlanta for more of the Southern food style and possibly BBQ? Some of the places I am looking into include:

Colonnade
Carver's Kitchen
Ria's Bluebirds
Mary Macs Tea Room
Flying Biscuit
Silver Skillet

Fat Matt's Rib Shack
Community Q
Pig n Chik
Fox Bros BBQ
Heirloom BBQ

Any other must haves while in Atlanta?

Check out Empire State South. Had a really enjoyable meal there last time I was driving through Atlanta. One of these days I'll get those pictures organized and make a post on it.

Check out Empire State South.

Thanks for the rec. I have heard a little about it, and just looked and found out our hotel is 1/2 mile from the restaurant, so that may work out well. The menu looks interesting.

Some of the best BBQ is found in the northern suburbs. Sam's BBQ1, Dave Poe's BBQ, and GC (Grand Champion) BBQ are all in Cobb County. Swallow at the Hollow has very good BBQ along with live music on the weekends and across the street is Greenwood's on Green Street, which has great southern fare in Roswell.

Help

On verrry short notice...will be in Atlanta for 3 days! With binding constraints... Somewhere that appears to be on i-85, just south of Chamblee (?), not far from Northlake Mall(?)...

I don't know. Atlanta at all. And will be with non-foodies for most of the time (maybe, for a rare meal, a little mobile on my own...)

I love BBQ. Southern food in general (meat n three, breakfast - biscuits/gravy etc). Fried chicken. Sweet tea. Anything that id get better there than in Chicago... (read about great Chinese...we get good Chinese here and only passable southern, so would prefer the latter.. But would make an exception for outstanding..)

Any suggestions at all in this area? Or somewhere nearby for 1 sneak away outstanding meal?

Any help appreciated

C8w

c8w wrote:Help

On verrry short notice...will be in Atlanta for 3 days! With binding constraints... Somewhere that appears to be on i-85, just south of Chamblee (?), not far from Northlake Mall(?)...

I don't know. Atlanta at all. And will be with non-foodies for most of the time (maybe, for a rare meal, a little mobile on my own...)

I love BBQ. Southern food in general (meat n three, breakfast - biscuits/gravy etc). Fried chicken. Sweet tea. Anything that id get better there than in Chicago... (read about great Chinese...we get good Chinese here and only passable southern, so would prefer the latter.. But would make an exception for outstanding..)

Any suggestions at all in this area? Or somewhere nearby for 1 sneak away outstanding meal?

Any help appreciated

C8w

Although I never got there in my Atlanta days, the closest place I can think of for you along those lines is Matthew's cafeteria in Tucker.

2299 Main St, Tucker, Georgia

http://www.matthewscafeteria.com/

If you're willing to travel further afield, I would recommend Flying Biscuit (I find the original location near L5P better than the newer ones) and the Colonnade over Merry Mac's Tea Room. Another place I liked was Our Way Cafe, south of downtown Decatur in Avondale Estates.

There isn't a lot of good BBQ in the Atlanta area, but the few ones mentioned above in/near Marietta are the best of those options.

borborigmy wrote:Anyone been to Atlanta for more of the Southern food style and possibly BBQ? Some of the places I am looking into include:

Colonnade
Carver's Kitchen
Ria's Bluebirds
Mary Macs Tea Room
Flying Biscuit
Silver Skillet

Fat Matt's Rib Shack
Community Q
Pig n Chik
Fox Bros BBQ
Heirloom BBQ

Any other must haves while in Atlanta?

None of those BBQ place are all that great. The ones in Marietta mentioned above are all better.

Ria's is great for breakfast. Mary Mac's is a huge place and more of an Atlanta institution than great eats. Flying Biscuit I love, though I think the original location in L5P to be better than the others. The Colonnade is a bit similar to Mary Mac's, though in a quieter and seedier location on Cheshire Bridge; both Merry Mac's and the Colonnade are great places to people watch, though I think the latter is even better.

I thought I'd bump this thread. I'm flying into Atlanta. My son is visiting friends at the Varsity...us old people have to find our own restaurant. Anything nearby the Varsity...or there abouts? I'll have a car (but I hate to drive it). This would be a late lunch, mid priced, preferably southern style. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

razbry wrote:I thought I'd bump this thread. I'm flying into Atlanta. My son is visiting friends at the Varsity...us old people have to find our own restaurant. Anything nearby the Varsity...or there abouts? I'll have a car (but I hate to drive it). This would be a late lunch, mid priced, preferably southern style. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Ez. Empire State South. less than 10 min walk from the Varsity.

Thanks Steve. I appreciate it.

Mary Mac's is super easy to get to from the Varsity and pretty much the ur-example of an Atlanta meat and three. It's not perfect but kind of the exact inverse of Empire State South -- not flashy, long-running, about as close to straight-up Southern as it gets in Midtown. Very kitschy.

nrs wrote:Mary Mac's is super easy to get to from the Varsity and pretty much the ur-example of an Atlanta meat and three. It's not perfect but kind of the exact inverse of Empire State South -- not flashy, long-running, about as close to straight-up Southern as it gets in Midtown. Very kitschy.

For 'authentic', the Busy Bee for meat and three out MLK west of town is the place. Empire State South is owned by a TV Chef, you know what you're in for including the blue jean and madras shirt clad front of the house staff--which often is not a bad thing.

For post food truck tattoo hipster chow, nearby recently blossomed Krog food court is the place.

The middle of the day, you could buzz up to Tasty China for pretty good sichuan. For superb over the top chef prepared Sichuan in a small humble place, go to Masterpiece in Duluth.

Outside of rush hour, Atlanta interstates fly with a speed limit of 65 and a de facto average speed of 75. That puts just about everything within easy reach between the hours of ten and two.

We spent last weekend in Atlanta for a wedding.

We went "crazy" by staying in 2 Airbnb's for our trip. The first one was in Little Five Points.
Mr.pairs4life wanted Indian so I used Foursquare, he couldn't wait to ask our host or use her resource guides, and found a place a few minutes away. Our meal was serviceable.

While we were there I used Foursquare for nearby ice cream and then googled Morelli's less than two miles away.

What a gem. This place reminds me of a modern day Crown Candy in the south. They make their own ice cream and whipped cream. I went for a sundae with a brownie, salted caramel ice cream and black cherry chip ice cream. I substituted caramel sauce for hot fudge. This place is turning out great product.

Morelli's Ice Cream

749 Moreland Ave. SE ( it is in a shopping complex so drive slowly)
ATLANTA, GA 30316
404-622-0210

I've never done anything involving Atlanta except travel through there and that's all I did again on a recent trip. However this time I wasn't flying but rather driving through, with an overnight stop. We were headed to South Florida and after stopping for lunch at Cochon Butcher in Nashville we wandered into Atlanta just in time for Happy Hour. We met a friend at some dive and had a few cold brews as I just kind of stared into the oblivion after the long drive in. After that we went back to the hotel and headed out for dinner.

Brush

Saw this new Japanese spot that caught my eye so we decided to take the ride over to Decatur and check it out. Walked right in and got a seat at the bar though we could've sat anywhere as it want all that packed. I guess word hadn't gotten out yet. Though they do have sushi we were here for yakitori.

Binchotan Grill

The menu features a variety of meats on a stick including most all of the chicken parts. Aside from the grilled meats they also have a section dedicated to Kushikatsu which are breaded deep fried skewers that originated in Osaka. A double order of each pork belly and mushroom was on point and just the start as far as getting good goes.

Kushikatsu

Best thing going is here is what drew me in in the first place. Real deal yakitori. Real deal meaning random jidori chicken parts grilled over binchotan charcoal. The Japanese coal burns at an extremely high temperature and is the gold standard for yakitori back in the old country. It's high heat causes for all the chicken skewers to crisp up really nicely while remaining perfectly cooked being both juicy and crunchy. You can get the skewers in breast, thigh etc but those are for the pre-teens. It's all about the cartilage, neck, rib, oyster etc. We tried a bunch but I kept coming back to these three below, which I could eat all day with some cold Asahi by my side. Fantastic.

Chicken Yakitori - neck, oyster, tail

I didn't think it could get much better and maybe it didn't but the Chasu bowl was every bit as good as the yakitori. Some of the most succulent pork belly I've had from anywhere. Melt in your mouth deliciousness. Keep this place in mind if in Atlanta and near the Decatur area. We really enjoyed our visit.

House Chashu Rice - seared pork belly, green onion, soy cured yolk

After closing down Brush we were ready to head back to the hotel...right after I got dessert. I wasn't going to let the fact we were a quick ten minute ride from The Varsity become a would've/could've/should've type situation.

The Varsity

I've seen this place countless times on the TV. Usually when there's a big sporting event in Atlanta. The local mini-chain got it's start in 1928 in what was a much, much smaller space. This one I was at must seat at least 500 people these days, not to mention the sheer size of the parking lot. I can only imagine the place over SEC championship weekend or something similar. They love their chili dogs in these parts and that's the best seller at The Varsity so that was my dessert, with an order of onion rings. Chili Dog was pretty good while the onion rings were pre-cooked and thus not all that hot. I'm glad I went but dont need to rush back.

Chili Dog and Onion Rings

Back to the hotel for some rest before the second leg to South Florida. But not before breakfast of course. Was rec'd a place for bagels by Twitters foremost bagel expert and stopped in seeing as how it was kind of on the way to where we needed to go.

The General Muir

Here we have an NYC style deli with an upscale more contemporary look than the old school spots of New York's past. It's hidden in a shopping/living area but if you got google maps it's easy to find. Breakfast looked good but I wanted to get on the road and do so without feeling to weighed down so I just got a bagel with lox, cream cheese, tomato, onion, and capers to go. It came served in two (each side dressed) and made for the perfect light meal for two before the push to Florida. Next time I want to try the much hyped burger and the pastrami hash as I'd happily go back if I found myself back in ATL Georgia.

Bagel with Lox etc.

Brush Sushi Izakaya
316 Church St
Decatur, GA 30030
(678) 949-9412

The Varsity
61 North Avenue NW
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 881-1706

The General Muir
Emory Point, 1540 Avenue Pl B-230
Atlanta, GA 30329
(678) 927-9131