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I start a new job next week and will most likely be in Atlanta for training the week of the 23rd. Any suggestions for good chow while I'm there?

Where in Atlanta? Like Chicagoland, its a big place with often unpleasant traffic.

Quick picks intown, upscale but good value: Woodfire Grill, Mid City Cuisine (both have epynonomous web sites). Both have nice bars too.

Buford Hwy & Norcross: So Kong Dong (fresh tofu house). Penang (the Atlanta branch is exceptionally good, in fact now better than ever), Zapata (genuine Mexico City type upscale food--not like Frontera, more pedestrian in its genuiness), Salsa Con Sabor (Peruvian & Puerto Rican in Chamblee), La Fonda San Carlos (like being in Mexico, the good and the bad!); many many others.

This only scratches the surface, and ignores trend intensive areas a visitor might enjoy like Buckhead, VA-Highland, Decatur, Little Five Points and Midtown.

BBQ is bleak here. Sorry. So is southern cooking, but one must-try if only to say you have been is the Colonnade on Cheshire Bridge (cash only) for big drinks, great yeast rolls and pretty good meat and three. Suggest the fried chicken or prime rib, the iceberg wedge with bleu cheese, the collard greens and the corn bread--do you get the drift?

Joel, a very, very upscale business-elegant french place, has a weekday 3 course prix fix for under $30, and a terrific sommelier who knows his deep list. Not mass quantities of food, but with luck, often good.

Shiraz way up on Jones Bridge Road in Duluth has great to-order kabobs combined with a worthwhile buffet--sort of like a Persian Radizio. If you are working out in Alpharetta, put this on your list, otherwise its too far from everywhere to consider.

All in all, I'd say your prospects are good.

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Chicago is my spiritual chow home

I used to go there on business a lot, and liked Ru-San's. It's a cheap, non-traditional (read: creative) sushi place. My former Japanese co-workers scoffed at the place as actually a Thai restaurant, but I liked all the creative stuff they did with sushi rolls. My only beef: the noise level can be too much. Locations downtown, midtown, and Buckhead.

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there's food, and then there's food

With specifics on where you will be staying, we can provide specifics on where you might enjoy dining. My experience is primarily in Cobb County and in north Fulton County. Others live/work in other areas and can speak more intelligently about them.

Steve,

What about Pitty Pat's Porch for southern Cooking? I remember eating there several years ago and being quite impressed.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

Thanks for the tips! Some friends and I are probably going to hit a place called Fat Matt's on Thursday night for BBQ and blues. It may not be the best but good friends and good music will compensate well I believe.

Count yourself lucky, you got there on a rare day in a most unusual year.

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Chicago is my spiritual chow home

Very funny. Seriously, I had some pretty good fried chicken.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

As Steve intimated, Pitty Pat's Porch does not have a high standing among the Atlanta diners. It is fortunate that you enjoyed your meal. That is what each of us hopes for when we go in any restaurant. There are better and more consistently good sources for fried chicken or southern cuisine, in general, in the Atlanta area.

Fatt Matt's gets mixed reviews - but generally pretty good. We have only eaten there once - mid afternoon - and we were the only customers at that time. Our experience was decent, but I feel there is better bbq in the area - but not with blues. My guess is you will enjoy your time with friends at Fatt Matt's.

Last year I ate at Loco Luna tapas bar. Pretty good. I remember it was in a kind of off the beaten path location.

How was the BBQ?

I'm heading to ATL in a couple weeks and am heading up to Roswell, they have a branch of Dreamland there.

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I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.

The Dreamland franchise in Roswell generally does not have a great reputation. My favorite in Roswell is Swallow at the Hollow on Green Street. It is a couple of miles south of Dreamland. They have live music on weekends, their sides have a great reputation, as do their homemade pickles and portabella sandwiches - in addition to ribs and chopped pork.

Sorry, I totally forgot about this. THe Co. decided to have the trainers come up here instead so no trip for me.

On the plus side my new job has me driving all over the city and suburbs so I've gotten to try a bunch of new places; Taqueria Puebla-tasty, Buona Beef-I don't get the hype, Lao Sze Chuan in Westmont, still the Best.

Adrian Miller is writing a book on BBQ and soulfood, he has been visiting Atlanta this weeK;

"Michon's Smoked Meats and Seafood. It was nice to grab some solid 'cue so close to the Atlanta airport. I got greens and black-eyed peas as sides (for good luck with my flight)."

1583 Virginia Ave College Park, GA 30337
(404) 766-7770
http://www.michons.com


For BBQ: "I didn't like This Is It, Fat Matt's was very tasty, but I would give the nod to Fox Bros."

This is it BBQ and Seafood
3523 Camp Creek Pkwy
East Point, GA 30344
(404) 629-1114
http://www.thisisitbbq.com


Fat Matt's Rib Shack
1811 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
(404) 607-1622
http://www.fatmattsribshack.com


Fox Bros Bar-B-Q
1238 Dekalb Ave
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 577-4030
http://www.foxbrosbbq.com


Big Daddy's Cafe (liked the chocolate cake)
2284 Cascade Rd SW
Atlanta, GA 30311
(404) 758-4000


Strawberry grouper @ Mr. Crab Fish Market, Atlanta, GA. The lady working there was really pushing it...and it is delicious. Red drinks are popular w/ soul foodies, could red fish be the next wave?

(not sure where this may be)

Chef Sonya Jones tempting me w/a tray of red velvet cupcakes at her Sweet Auburn Bread Co. Bakery in Atlanta, GA.

234 auburn ave ne, atlanta, GA 30303
http://www.sweetauburnbread.com


Key lime cake@ Busy Bee Cafe, Atlanta, GA. Thanks to my cuz Karl Fuller II for tipping me to this.

810 M.L. King, Jr. Dr, SW
Atlanta, GA 30314
Hours: Mon - Fri 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM Closed Saturday
Ph: 404.525.9212 Fax: 404.522.9812
http://thebusybeecafe.com/old/index.html


J&G Fish and Grits
53 Forsyth St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303
404-753-8777


Haute Doggery 1 ("HD1"). For Top Chef fans, it's an upscale hot dog place in Atlanta that's run by Richard Blais

Haute Doggery 1 aka HD1
664 N Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306

(404) 815-1127
www.hd1restaurant.com

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

At Fox's get the ribs and the Thursday Fred Flintstone short rib special. Unless you're a stoner, in which case then get everything else.

Perhaps none are soul food, nonetheless Atlanta's real home cooked food these days is from the South and East:
--Chicago Supermarket on weekends for Barbacoa Borrego, Carnitas, Chivo, Posele and Tamales Oaxaqueno
--Chef Liu for Tianjin pastries and Taiwan fare
--Cafe 101 for Taiwan fare
--CoCo's for Chef Danny Ting's Hong Kong dishes
--Gu's bistro for Sichuan

But like old world Greek, Italian and German places are magical realism artifacts rather than expressions of vibrant communities, soul food places too have succumbed to the 21st century.

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Chicago is my spiritual chow home

Steve,

Do you know where 'Mr. Crab Fish Market, Atlanta, GA.' happens to be? When I did a search, I never came up with an establisment with this name.

Thanks!

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

I will second the love for Chef Liu's, though I haven't been since they moved out of the tiny shack on Buford Highway to bigger digs nearby.

When I lived in Atlanta (college in Covington 2002-2004, Atlanta 2004-2006, after graduation 2006-2007), I skipped the mediocre Merry Mac's Tea Room for Our Way Cafe, a meat n three in Avondale Estates. I don't know if it is still around. The Colonnade is a real throw-back, I've enjoyed my couple visits there. Somehow it was the perfect place to eat after going on a tour of Oakland Cemetery with my college class on Southern History.

Visiting friends, a new favorite is Sheikh Burrito, a persian burrito place on the seediest street in Atlanta, Cheshire Bridge. The owner is very nice, plus they have popsicles from the popsicle guy; I guess you could call them gourmet popsicles, he shows up around Atlanta at various street fairs and the like.

As for BBQ, Atlanta is pretty lacking, at least from the few places I have been to. Fat Matt's is meh to me, and Daddy D'z (near the historic Oakland Cemetery) is only slightly better. Instead of Fat Matt's, if I wanted to sit around eating BBQ and listening to live blues, I went to Maddy's, just north of downtown Decatur (though I think they only had live music once or twice a week). Fox Brothers has the better BBQ than any of those three.

I came up blank too.

re Strawberry Grouper: this fish lives in warmer waters, up near the surface. It's prone to worms aka parasites. Black grouper, on the other hand, lives in cold water and eats a much richer diet and has far fewer if any worms. That's why red grouper is cheap, and black grouper expensive.

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Chicago is my spiritual chow home

Fox Brothers is one of the best bbq establishments in metro Atlanta. Their greatest competition comes from Cobb County - Dave Poe's BBQ on Whitlock west of the Marietta Square, Sam's BBQ 1 on Lower Roswell Road east of Johnson Ferry Road, Heirloom BBQ on Akers Mill Road just west of Powers Ferry Road.

I think I went to Sam's once, I remember it being good. I'll have to check out the other two places sometime; as one of my best friends lives in Sandy Springs, that won't be a far ride.

Sam's BBQ1 was originally Sam & Dave's BBQ 1 - eventually a second location was Sam & Dave's BBQ 2. After a period of tiime, Sam Huff and Dave Poe separated the two business sites into Sam's BBQ 1 and Dave Poe's BBQ. Recently, a former employee of Sam and Dave has begun G C BBQ (Grand Champion BBQ) on Shallowford Road at Johnson Ferry Road with a very similar menu. Heirloom BBQ is run by a husband and wife team - a southern white boy and his Korean wife. They are both talented chefs and have blended their backgrounds into a most enjoyable cuisine.

Any suggestions near Emory? I'll be there for a conference soon.

thanks in advance!

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Leek
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog.
http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

You WILL need a car. Atlanta is LA with trees.

Community bbq is well reputed but i haven't been.

On nearby Buford hwy.
Chef Liu for Tianjin style dumplings, noodles and pastry and exc taiwanese.

Cafe 101 for exc Taiwanese.

Coco's for exc Hong Kong food.

Get a car and schlep out to Bo Bo China in Lilburn for Sichuan with wonderful finesse. Well worth the drive, better than Gu's or Peter Chang or Tasty China. Better than Lao Hunan in Chicago, which IMHO is pretty damn good.

A center of au courant places is nearby in the VA Highlands, Morningside and Poncey Highlands area. Several TV chef places from burgers with toppings to pricey farm to table. Also Midtown, where Empire South seems to rule although its charms were completely lost on me.

Also nearby is Decatur with a great beer centric bar The Brickery, Cakes and Ale for small portioned and pricey but very well prepared food, 246 for loud noisy 'modern' Italian (i.e. this ain't Sabatino's).

For artisanal cocktails and bar food bites elevated to high cuisine, Holeman and Finch on Peachtree in lower-mid Buckhead.

There are a lot of choices. I'm not even getting into Mexican since you're coming from the second largest Mexican city in the Northern Hemisphere.

If I were there to show you around, I would ask what your interest is, then likely find an answer above. Just bear in mind that the further you get from fluorescent lights and linoleum floors the greater the likelihood of getting food served in little jars (the modern red flag equivalent of mozzarella sticks on a menu), ruinously priced 'artisanal' charcuterie plates and the ubiquitous thematic homegeneity of 'farm to table'.

Unfortunately, the city's greatest Italian Chef, Bruce Logue, decamped from his previous position at La Pietra Cucina and is fishing around for his next venture.

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Chicago is my spiritual chow home

...actually, all of Mexico is in the Northern Hemisphere, but even so, Chicago is probably top 5 and definitely top 2 outside Mexico..

I always enjoy Holeman & Finch, which I first tried based on your long-ago reco.

JB

The LTH Bureau of Statistics agrees re locale and geography, however, avers that Chicago is the second most populous city for Mexicans of all stripes in all of the world.

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Chicago is my spiritual chow home

Here are our choices - we can pick one (all in Virginia Highlands) :

Murphys – American/Steakhouse
$15-25
(404) 872-0904
997 Virginia Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.murphys-atlanta-restaurant.com/

La Tavola – Italian
$10-15
(404) 873-5430
992 Virginia Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.latavolatrattoria.com/

Noche – Mexican/tapas
(404) 815-9155
$10
1000 Virginia Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
http://h2sr.com/noche_brookhaven/

George's – Pub/burgers/sandwiches – trivia @ 8PM
(404) 892-3648
$10
1041 N Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.georgesbarandrestaurant.com/

Fontaine's Oyster House
(404) 872-0869
$10-15
1026 N Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.nnnwcorp.com/fontainesmainpage.html

Highland Tap – American/Burgers
$15-25
(404) 875-3673
1026 N Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.nnnwcorp.com/highlandtapmain.html

Murphy's Restaurant, Bakery, Wine Store in Atlanta, GA
http://www.murphys-atlanta-restaurant.com/
Murphy's Atlanta Restaurant, Bakery and Wine Shop, one of the best Atlanta restaurants, offers brunch, lunch, dinner in a cozy setting with friendly service. Located in Virginia Highland near Midtown.

_________________
Leek
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog.
http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

The descriptions seem accurate. My advice: eat before your flight.

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Chicago is my spiritual chow home

We ate at Highland Tap, which had decent burgers (it was 1/2 off burger night) and good tap specials. Unfortunately their tap system was hosed, but they gave us one free bottle beer for each one purchased instead, which was a pretty good deal. While their menu states they cook the burgers to Medium, they asked how we wanted ours done; several of us asked for Medium Rare, and they delivered them exactly so.

_________________
Leek
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog.
http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

Recent trip to Atlanta - went to two places in "Downtown Decatur" which seems like a cute little area, reminded me a little of downtown Highland Park, or maybe Oak Park?

Brick Store Pub
http://www.brickstorepub.com
125 East Court Square Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 687-0990
Food items seemed like upscale pub food, with a very good beer selection. It was their 15th anniversary, so they had different guest menu items from places they liked around the area each night. Crowded but not too noisy. My corned beef was shamefully overcooked (it was hard and dry), but the beer made up for it, and it was fun when the owner stepped up and talked about their history and thanked the crowd for coming on their anniversary, etc.

Twain's Billiards & Tap
http://www.twains.net
211 East Trinity Place Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 373-0063
The large billiards area gives it an "upscale biker bar" feel. Good beer, good pub grub, with some nice healthier selections, as well as excellent queso dip and chips. We went around 9:30 PM on a Sunday and lingered until 12:30, and were able to have a conversation even with people playing billiards.

_________________
Leek
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog.
http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

Having grown up in Evanston, Decatur has always reminded me of a smaller Evanston. Pretty similar demographics and politics.

The Brick Store has a great, Belgian-focused beer list. The bar upstairs has an even bigger selection than the one downstairs, IIRC. The food isn't great (though better than typical bar fare), but I've always liked the volcano, which I think is brunswick stew in a sourdough bowl. The Brick Store tends to get very crowded during the weekends.

Several former Brick Store folk (as well as a former boss of mine at a South African restaurant that came and went pretty quickly) opened a beer-focused bar in Little Five Points, The Porter. It's a loud and small place, but with an excellent beer list and very good burgers and other stuff. A great place before a show at the Variety Playhouse.

Twain's is a nice low-key spot. I think they have the shuffleboard game that some bars are wont to have, which I have always enjoyed.

Also, Morelli's down on Moreland in East Atlanta is a great spot for ice cream. Wonderful and somewhat unusual selection.