Atlanta Restaurants

I have had many fine meals in Atlanta, and I enjoy a great mix of cuisines. As the largest city in the state of Georgia, Atlanta has much to offer even the most discriminating palette, and Southerners in general enjoy good food. I think it's fun to seek out new restaurants, but I do have several favorites that keep me going back for more.

Quick Tips:

Thursday-Saturday nights are the busiest at most Atlanta restaurants. Try to get reservations if you can or resign yourself to a few drinks at the bar before being seated.

Best Way To Get Around:

Atlanta is a driving city, but parking can be a nightmare. Get Valet when you can or don't worry about paying for a lot. Depending on where you are eating, you might have to be patient finding a space if neither of these options is available.

By the look of the street this restaurant is on, you would never guess this is a good place to eat unless you judged such things solely by how many cars are in the parking lot (There is a lot directly in front of the restaurant and across the street that can be used by patrons.). Chattahoochee Avenue is definitely not West Paces Ferry, and there are a lot of dilapidated warehouses and manufacturing centers littered up and down the gray street. None-the-less, Nuevo Laredo Cantina is a wonderful Mexican Restaurant that has been noted as one of the best in the Atlanta area. The service is very fast and attentive even though it is hard to avoid a short wait before being seated for lunch. The thing I like best about the food is the pronounced lack of grease used to create it. The ingrediants are always fresh, and my body does not revolt on me as it sometimes is apt to do at chain mexican restaurants. The Margaritas are strong, and the portions are plentiful. The restaurant itself has two levels of seating, and since food is served quickly, the turn-over is fast. Icons of the Virgin Mary are respectively spaced throughout the place, and these testimonials to the owners' obviously deep religious attachments add a very personal touch to the environment that I find interesting. It is one of my favorite lunch restaurants, but Nuevo Laredo Cantina is also opened until 10PM in the evening if you prefer a Mexican dinner.

Dish is located in the trendy Virginia Highlands area of Atlanta. Keeping in style with the mood of that part of the city, it is a restaurant with a funky art-deco look that is memorable. It is small with tables close together on the inside though there is also an outside patio on which to dine. Because seating is limited, and the food is good, the wait can be long on date nights. If you are willing to eat dinner at the bar, however, that time can be cut in half. The last time that I ate at Dish I had a wonderful pasta/lobster special that the bartender recommended. He knew what he was talking about. All the food on the menu falls into the category of New American, and the proprietor owns other successful restaurants in the Atlanta area. With wine or drinks, appetizers and dinner, a couple can easily generate a high tab, but the meal will be memorable. The parking is very limited at Dish, but parking on the street is available as well.

I have only eaten at La Madeleine for lunch, but I really do like the food, and I think it is a great place to get a decent lunch when you just do not have a lot of extra time on your hands. You enter the restaurant and actually go through a service line like you would at an ordinary cafeteria. Of course the food you are choosing is much better than any you would find in any cafeteria I have ever known of! In some ways the presentation of the French cuisine is more tantalizing than a menu could ever be because it ALL looks (and smells) good under the glass. The line moves very quickly depite the fact that lunchtime is always busy. There are many professional people in the Atlanta area who do not have a lot of time to spend in a restaurant and thus find the quick order-system very appealing. Take-out is also available if you really have to get lunch on the run. If not, you can find a table by a fireplace in one of several small dining rooms that give the restaurant a cozy feel. A waiter or waitress will then cater to any needs you might still have. And, of course, La Madeleine is also a French Bakery, so there are many decadent pastries and pies to be had if you would like to indulge in dessert. I like the Strawberries in a white brandy sauce. Most yummy.

Genki is in the Buckhead section of Atlanta which is noted for being the biggest 'scene' in the city. The restaurant caters to young professionals in the area, and I have rarely been there when it was not crowded. I was not a big fan of Japanese cuisine until a friend took me to Genki with its hip atmosphere and amazing food. The tables on the top floor are very close together reminding me of restaurants in New York. For the claustrophobic, however, there are tables both downstairs and outside. I actually prefer sitting on the deck when it is not too warm outside. The Genki menu offers a variety of choices though I would recommend a ''bowl'' for the hungry. You can choose one of three styles of ''bowls'' so that you may have either a stirfry, rice or broth noodle mixture to accompany toppings such as grilled shrimp or fish. The waiter or waitress who will probably have a hoop or two piercing at least one part of his/her body will happily explain how concocting a bowl works. If you are an outright sushi lover, however, do not despair! The sushi bar has a wide selection and can accomodate patrons who want a simple California roll or hard-core sushi eaters who are much more daring. We often order a couple of different rolls along with an appetizer or two (the Edamame is healthy and fun!---trust me.) to accompany dinner. Leave room if you can, however, for dessert. The chocolate covered crepes are out of this world. I really love all the food at this restaurant. The one negative, however, would have to be the parking. There is very limited space, and there is a valet parker. When I have arrived at Genki in a BMW Z3, the valet has had NO problem finding space for me. When I have arrived in the family Honda Civic, however, it is not uncommon for the valet to tell me (rudely) that the lot is full. I HATE that type of elitist attitude that is, unfortunately, a part of the Buckhead area (the cost of the ''scene'', right?). Still, the staff on the INSIDE is very nice, and the food is very good!

Soho is one of my favorite restaurants because of the killer atmosphere. There are lots of bright colors in the original paintings on the walls and there is a very eclectic feel to the restaurant just as if you were South of Houston in New York. The menu is unique and delicious with rotating specials such as Pumpkin Ravioli and Elk. It is all very fusion-style cuisine. With appetizers, entrees and drinks, a couple can easily break $100, but the service is great and the dinner will be memorable.

You do not need reservations for lunch, but the place can get pretty crowded in the evenings and they will often not seat you if you are waiting for a member of your party to arrive unless you are going to start ordering appetizers. Garrisons is located in the Vinings Jubilee of shops near SOHO. The center of the restaurant is a bar, and I love the wonderful selection of martinis that are available (we can not all be like James Bond and want our drinks shaken, not stirred every time we have one. The bartender will whip you up ANY kind of vodka or gin martini concoction you can think of!). Patrons can choose to sit inside or out to dine on any of the exquisite entrees. The pork medalions are wonderful, but I often get a vegetarian medley that has portebello mushrooms and grilled vegetables wonderfully presented in a bed of mashed potatoes. It is very filling and seems healthy though it tastes so good that it has to be bad for you. When I worked in an office near the Vinings area, I often entertained clients at Garrisons because of the upscale atsmosphere coupled with food choices that are always good but not too daring. When the Shrimp Bisque is one of the soups being served, order it. It is normally quite wonderful.

The New York Pizza Exchange is a place we like to eat as a family. It is located right next to one of the busiest train tracks in Atlanta, and kids love to watch the choo-choo. To accommodate train-watchers there is an outside seating area that often has a single guitar player performing live. Of course, the tables outside fill up pretty quickly. Inside there are TVs that are normally tuned into the Atlanta Braves playing a baseball game. And the pizza is pretty good, too. You can order unique toppings such as pineapples or artichokes, and the crust is never too greasy, the service never too slow. Have a glass of wine or beer to drink with your meal. Nice thing to do when it is hot outside.

The Melting Pot is a great date restaurant. It is part of a chain, but the food is good, and it does not have the often sterile feel some large chain restaurants fall victim to. The booths are high to give you privacy, and the lights are a little low to set a good mood. At the absolute least the dining experience will be a unique one. There is a fondue pot in the middle of every table, and if you like fondue you will be in heaven. My husband and I like to order The Classic Dinner for Two Coq Au Vin Style (Mushrooms, Garlic, Spices, Burgundy Wine in Sauce). We are given skewers of shrimp, chicken, sirloin and fish that we actually cook ourselves at our table. By all means listen to the waitstaff when they tell you not to eat directly off the metal skewers you cook your food on. They get VERY hot, and I have burned my tongue before (I am not a good listener)! I also really like Cheese fondue with bread. And the strawberries dipped in chocolate fondue for dessert are to die for! Be prepared to spend a long time at the restaurant gazing into your date''s eyes, however. The service is good, but the whole meal just takes a long time to get through. By the way, The Melting Pot also has a nice wine selection, and the waitstaff will be able to help you choose a nice bottle.

Anis (pronounced A-Knee) offers a delectable menu from Provence, France. The Mediterranean cooking is wonderful, and I am the most fond of the Ravioli Au Berre (I LOVE Pasta!) which is stuffed with spinach, walnuts and reggiano cheese. There are many wonderful appetizers such as the Mussels Marinier with which to start a meal, and a great selection of wines to compliment the entire dining experience. I also enjoy a Caffe Affogato (Espresso over Ice Cream) at the end of the dinner as I imagine I am somewhere in the South of France rather than in downtown Atlanta enjoying an evening in a Bistro. The restaurant is actually nothing more than an old Buckhead home that has been charmingly renovated to accomodate patrons thus lending a more intimate feel to the atmosphere. The service can vary in quality, but anyone who has ever eaten in Paris can just chalk that up as being part of the Anis 'French Experience'. I've never had a bad meal at this restaurant.

There are several Willy's locations around Atlanta though I have only been to the one in Vinings. That Willy's looks like any number of generic Mexican Restaurants in a non-descript strip mall on Cumberland. Very nothing-special, and I had no desire to eat there until a friend dragged me one day for lunch. As I stood in line to point out which ingrediants I wanted in my burrito (I like lots of black beans and cheese, but everything from steak to chicken is available to put in your wrap.), I couldn't help but notice how busy the place seemed to be. The atmosphere was what I had expected: very fast-food with soda fountains to one side. I was soon to find out, however, that the built-as-you-like burritos served at Willy's are really something special. While the chips are always greasy (though they give you a generous handful of them), and the salsa leaves a bit to be desired, I will actually have an occassional Willy's CRAVING that will make me drive out of my way to get my burrito fix. I have never met anyone who ate at Willy's and left hungry either. The burritos are HUGE and very filling. Still, on occassion, the glutton in me likes to walk down to Planet Smoothie just a couple doors down from Willy's after lunch for a Fruit Smoothie dessert. Smoothies are THE dessert rage for health-and-fitness buffs in Atlanta. They have all the sweet dessert taste (try the Two Piece Bikini with Strawberries) without any of the bitter guilt. Both of these establishments are between Eckerd's and Home Depot on Cumberland (where Paces Ferry crosses over near the I285 entrance). Padriac's, a great Irish Pub in its own right, is a good landmark to look for.

Agatha's is a great place to go when you want something different. Appropriately located on Peachtree Street opposite the fabulous Fox Theater, Agatha's is a dinner theater in which the diners become cast members. When you enter the door, you will be assigned a name and table. There you will find a piece of paper detailing how you will contribute either a speaking part or a group activity to the night's performance as a whole. For the shy among you, don't worry. No one forces you to sing by yourself on the table (unless you really want to!).

The plays change periodically, but my husband and I were able to enjoy 'Death by Faxes' in August of 2000. This was performed by two actors who were wonderfully gifted (a unique attribute for dinner theater performers!) and very good at improv. We did not know what to expect when we sat at a table with twenty other people, but we found ourselves laughing in no time, enjoying the company (and reactions) of those around us.

The food was regular dinner theater fare---a choice of chicken, beef or fish (like on airplanes!!) but included in the price of a ticket (ticket prices vary according to day and time of performance seen but never exceed $50). The food isn't why you dine at Agatha's though you will also be served salad, soup, wine and dessert.

If you have even the tiniest bit of aspiring ACTOR aspirations, or you just want a hoot of a good time, I would suggest going to this restaurant. The novelty, good acting and witty scripts make it quite fun. If you don't like other people much and feel uncomfortable in group settings, either pass on Agatha's or, better yet, just get over it! Definitely not what you'd do every Friday night, a little mystery dinner theater shakes up a special event, makes for a fun date or contributes to a great time out with a group of friends.

FYI: A parking deck right by the theater will cost around $4.00.

Toulouse had a great write-up about it in the Atlanta paper, so we decided to check it out. It is easy to find on Peachtree, and I liked the hanging baskets of greenery spilling off the balcony where you enter the restaurant from the parking lot in the back of the building. I liked the atmosphere of the large, open room full of diners enjoying their wine. I liked the original and colorful artwork on the walls. I thought the hostess working that night was exceptionally gracious, and the service was attentive. However, I'm not sure I was that crazy about the food. The place bills itself as an American Bistro with a French menu. I had a large pasta meal that was okay but a little bland. My husband had a lamb shank that was good, but not great. The wine list was nice, however, and our waitress gave us a good recommendation on which bottle to enjoy. The coffee was good, too, as we wanted to try one of the delicious looking desserts. We settled on a bread pudding selection which was PRESENTED fabulously, but the first bite proved to be a disappointment. It was a bit too dry for my tastes. Granted I am very discriminating about bread pudding as I have a grandmother who prepares one of the best in the South, so another's review might be less harsh. Overall, I would say I enjoyed dining at Toulouse for the atmosphere, and the staff could not have been nicer. I have friends that really like this restaurant, and it has a great reputation for serving nice meals. The night we ate there, however, the food was not as memorable as I had expected it to be, so I left a little disappointed.

Canoe is one of THE restaurants people in the Atlanta area are talking about right now. It is easy to understand why. When you walk into the restaurant, there is a canoe hanging artfully upside down from the ceiling. Wrought iron is everywhere---animals in the curling designs---giving an old feel to the new style restaurant; thus the inside dining area with its red brick, wood and iron has a nice atmosphere (many of the diners were obviously couples out enjoying each other's company). However, Canoe is located next to the Chattahoochee River in Vinings on the outskirts of Buckhead. If the evening is not too warm, I would suggest eating outside overlooking a lovely garden full of Blackeyed Susans and other colorful flora. If you like the atmosphere, the food will certainly not disappoint you. As always, I chose a pasta dish---a tortellini stuffed with goat cheese---that was mouth-watering. My husband had a special that consisted of very large, tempura-fried, soft-shell crabs that he found very satisfying. My mother-in-law enjoyed a delectable grouper dish while my son dined on chicken fingers made especially for him (such kid-fare is not listed on the menu). Our waitress was very attentive without spending too much time at the table. She was also very versed in wine, and she was able to suggest a nice bottle of Stag's Leap to cater to my mother-in-law's prefrence for dry chardonnay. The food came surpringly fast which we appreciated as a child was in our company. Dessert with coffee was a good way to top off the meal. Creme Brulee was the favorite of the table.

In every way our experience was enjoyable. The Canoe staff managed to pull off fine dining without pretension, and I would highly recommend a meal to anyone looking for a good restaurant in the Atlanta area. Paces Ferry also happens to be one of the prettiest streets in Atlanta, and a drive to look at the old houses (and the govenor's mansion) either before or after dinner might be a fun thing to do for anyone visiting or new to the area.

The Cheesecake Factory is a very popular, upscale chain restaurant. The largest location in the Atlanta area is found in the heart of Buckhead. For my mother-in-law's 50th birthday, we chose to dine at the Perimeter Mall location on Ashford-Dunwoody right next to I-285 East. As is always the case, there was a long line at the front door to the restaurant. The Perimeter Cheesecake Factory does NOT take reservations over the phone. With over an hour-long wait in front of us, it was nice to have the option of shopping in some of the more upscale stores inside of Perimeter Mall.
When we were finally given a table, we found our party of six was scrunched together in a corner booth (seating for large groups seemed to be fairly limited.); fortunately, it was a 'family-love' event, and we didn't mind. We just ordered a round of drinks and settled into reviewing the BOOK of a menu. While there is not a kids' menu, there are options that are pleasing to children, and most other diners will find something appetizing in the several pages-long of choices. The interior of the Cheesecake Factory is decorated in an Egyptian motif with high, painted ceilings though the food is a mixture of everything Americans seem to love most from large and juicy hamburgers to penne pasta to carefully prepared steaks. Still, the service (while pleasant) was a little slow. After a little-longer-than-it-should've-been wait, our wonderfully hearty meals were served. All the portions were HUGE, and I found that I was happy I had decided against ordering an appetizer. I had the VERY spicy black-peppered jumbalaya shrimp with rice and black beans. It was most tasty. Pasta, meatloaf and other shrimp dishes were also ordered by our party, and everyone enjoyed the food. However, no one was able to eat everything on his or her plate. We were all saving room for dessert!
The cheesecake is what this restaurant is known for, and they have a VERY extensive list of choices. We settled on a White chocolate and macadamia nut cheesecake along with a piece of Oreo cheesecake to share among us. They were very, very scrumptious. By the time we got up to leave, I noticed that over 3 hours had gone by from the time we first arrived at the restaurant to put our name on the seating list. For this reason alone, I would choose to go back to the Cheesecake Factory for just dessert and coffee rather than a full meal. IF you are hungry, however, and want to spend a very leisurely evening enjoying your food without thought of how long the meal takes, I would recommend the Cheesecake Factory. After all, restaurants are never that busy without good reason, and you will almost certainly enjoy your meal.

After a day of shopping at Lenox or Phipps, Hashiguchi, Jr. is a close restaurant for great sushi. It is located in a strip mall right across the street from Lenox near the Swiss Hotel. When you walk in you will see the sushi bar to the right, tables in a small dining area to the left. I noticed one of the menus was written completely in Japanese. When my son needed to use the restroom, we saw that several patrons had neatly lined their shoes up against one wall and were dining barefoot! We knew the food was going to be good and authentic. We were not disappointed.

After we finished eating edamame, the rainbow roll my husband ordered was beautifully presented. He also had a broth with sudon noodles that he really liked. My son ordered his favorite: yakitori chicken with a side of rice. I would suggest this for any child who has not eaten Japanese food before. The chicken is lightly glazed in teriyaki sauce and served on a stick! A california roll (crab meat, avocado) is also a good choice for someone new to this type of cuisine.

For Japanese food, this restaurant proved to be very reasonable, too. With six diners (one of whom was a child), our tab was only $120. That was quite a bargain. My husband and I have easily spent that much by ourselves at other sushi bars eating unagi rolls and drinking sake!

I noticed Hashiguchi has another location though I have not eaten there. It is located at:
3000 Windy Hill Rd.
Suite A-5
Marietta, GA
770-955-2337

If you live in Cobb County, it might be easier to check that location out first. If the Atlanta location is any indication, I am sure the Cobb restaurant is also quite good.

La Paz is a chain (but not a franchise) of nine restaurants throughout the Southeast. Several of these locations are in the Atlanta area. I had the pleasure of eating with friends at the La Paz located in Vinings not too long ago. We had two children with us, both in elementary school, so we doubly appreciated the relaxed (but nice) atmosphere and quick service we received once seated.

I would have to say that even though we had a fairly early dinner on a Friday night, we still had to wait a little more than half an hour for a table (This is a short wait without reservations if eating AFTER 7 PM just about anywhere GOOD in the Vinings area!). We did not mind, however, because this La Paz was the ONLY La Paz with a South of La Paz Imports Store connected to it. We had great fun looking at some of the funky Mexican art (skeletons smoking cigars to honor The Day of the Dead, which was near the time of our visit), and I bought the kids inexpensive, Mexican soldier hats to help entertain them.

When we did sit down for our meal, my husband got an exceptional margarita with dinner, and all of our food proved to be very good. The menu at La Paz is extensive, and the spinach in my quesadilla was fresh and yummy. Everything was very reasonably priced, too. Especially for Atlanta. The tab for six people (Granted, two of the meals were from the cheaper, kids' menu.) was only a little over $80. I am sure I will eat at La Paz again.

On the Border is a nicer Mexican chain restaurant. I have eaten at the one in Kennesaw, but I bet they are all basically the same.

The inside of the Kennesaw location is colored an earthen orange with sombreros hanging on the walls. Margueritas are a specialty of the bar. The service was very attentive (almost too attentive) the day that we ate at On the Border, and the restaurant seemed to have a sizable waitstaff which is always good. The food was okay. It was what one expects from a chain restaurant. Good but not great. My son liked the very inexpensive kid's meal he ate, however, because it came with a chocolate Sundae!

We walked in and were seated quickly on a weeknight early in the evening. All restaurants on Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw (suburb north of Atlanta) are crowded and require a wait on the weekends. In fact, this can be said about almost all restaurants that are worth going to in the Atlanta area!

Eatzi's is sort of a restaurant, sort of a grocery store. It is a great place to go and grab a bite to eat when you are in a hurry. It is also a great place to grab an entire dinner if you have guests coming over, and you don't want to cook. Eatzi's is an upscale grocery store similar to Harry's in a Hurry. There are many prepared dishes that you may purchase and eat such as sushi or stuffed pasta shells or steamed asparagus in an alcove of the building. You may also get all of these things packaged to go with a fine bottle of wine so that you won't have to fix dinner later.

All of the food at Eatzi's is wonderful, and there is no doubt you will be able to find something that suits everyone in your family. There are choices from Greek cuisine to deli sandwiches, and no choice is a bad one.

Eatzi's can get crowded at peak times, so I do like to get food to go. The dining atmosphere, after all, is more like a cafeteria, even while some of the food you can buy tastes gourmet.

Ru Sans is a good place to go if you want some quick and reasonably priced sushi. There are three locations in the Atlanta area. I have dined at the location in Marietta. The other locations are at:

Buckhead-Tower Place
3365 Piedmont Road
Atlanta---Phone 404-239-9557

Midtown
1529 Piedmont Avenue
Atlanta---Phone 404-875-7042

All of these restaurants have been noted as having good food by reviewers in the local paper, but I can only speak for the location in Cobb County.

The Ru Sans in Marietta is located in a non-descript shopping center. When you first walk into the restaurant, you will often see various rolls displayed on a bar to give you an idea of what you'll find on the menu. The restaurant itself is split-level. On the upper level you will find grills where chefs prepare meals for a gathered party. This dining experience is exactly like those found at any other traditional Japanease steak house you might think of. In my early twenties, this is all I thought about when I considered Japanease food. Now that I know there is a lot more to this type of cuisine than onion stacks on fire and a chef flipping shrimp tails into his hat, I actually prefer dining on the sushi in the lower level of the restaurant. Still, the steakhouse section has good food and is always a hit with kids.

In the lower level of Ru Sans you may either sit at the sushi bar or at a booth or table. The menu at Ru Sans allows for just about any type of roll that you can think of. The prices range from $1.00 to over $17.00 (lobster rolls!). Of course, there are other choices on the menu besides sushi. I would say the quality of the food is good, but I have truthfully had better Japanease in Atlanta (see Genki's entry).

I like to go to Ru Sans in Marietta because there is rarely the long wait for a table that you will almost always encounter in the city. The service is decent. The atmosphere suits a family but is not too loud or obnoxiously decorated. There is a child's menu available. A good, fairly healthy meal for a fair price.

Brio Tuscan Grille is a fairly new restaurant in the Buckhead area. It is part of a chain with a "higher-end Italian concept." The restaurant has a nice atmosphere with a large dining room and an open kitchen. There are Venetian plastered walls and decorations that reminded me of the Mediterranean. The white table cloths were topped with white paper which was great for my son because he got to color while waiting for his food. In fact, we were told a lot of families dine at Brio's though we did not see any other children the evening we visited. The restaurant does, however, have a child's menu while retaining an atmosphere that an adult can enjoy, too.

As for the food, there were so many pasta dishes on the menu that looked wonderful that I ended up splitting a pasta sampler with my brother the night we dined at Brio's. There was plenty of food for two, and I enjoyed the luxury of not having to commit to any one dish for my meal. The calamari appetizer we ordered was very good as well. This is a Brio specialty. Our food was, however, slow coming out even though our waitress was attentive and kept the wine glasses full. To make up for our wait, we were comped a very nice chocolate dessert that we somehow managed to find room for!

Overall we had a very pleasant experience at Brio's, and we found our check to be very reasonable for the area. For the price and the location, Brio's is a good deal.

When you first walk into the Corner Cafe, your senses are assaulted with the pleasing aromas of coffee and freshly baked bread. To the right is the bakery where you can choose a loaf or pastry to take home. To the left is the hostess stand for the restaurant. This is a wonderful place for breakfast that the whole family will enjoy.

The large globe lights hanging from the ceiling remind me of so many full moons. The mural of the wheat farmer to the back of the restaurant ties into the art in the bakery and suits the gray stone floor. Light floods through the windows as you dine at your café-style table or booth. While you might have to wait to be seated, you won't be rushed during your meal.

The menu? Order a mimosa for brunch. The waiters will keep your white saucer cup full of coffee. Have crème brûlée French toast, sliced smoked salmon, waffles with fruit, or a fried green tomato BLT and Eggs Benedict.

Don't forget to check out the chalkboard specials by the hostess stand. I had the creamiest, parmesean-cheese-laden grits with ham that I have ever indulged in at a restaurant at the Buckhead Bread Company. Even though I was full after my bowl was only half empty, I could not help but eat every delcious spoonful of this traditional Georgia meal. Few dining establishments cook grits correctly, but these came straight from a Southerner's kitchen.

You want to stop here later in the day for food? Try the grilled portobello mushrooms and veggies, roasted rosemary lamb, or a sandwich.

Taqueria del Sol is a great place to grab a quick, inexpensive bite to eat if you enjoy Mexican. On the way to a play one evening, my husband and stopped by, got in line, and ordered our meals at the counter. The main room is as large as a small warehouse. Lamps that look like snowflakes hang from the ceiling. The tables are country style with school back chairs. Very casual. Or you may eat in a side room. It looked as if this was an open patio in the summer.

We took a seat and waited for our food. I had the Chicken Guisada. For $10, I got an amazing amount of food. My husband insisted three chicken breasts must have been cut up to give me so much meat. The chicken was served with white rice, all in a brown gravy, with tortillas on the side. It was really very yummy, but I couldn't finish it all. My husband had several fish tacos. He was a little disappointed, but he was rather spoiled when he was first introduced to fish tacos in Kauai. The fish at Taqueria del Sol was fried and placed with tartar in a soft tortilla. He wished he had tried the beef brisket taco that was listed as being served with red chile sauce, cilantro and onions. Yet the fish taco meal (with a side of refried beans) was filling and quite inexpensive. The cheese dip for the chips was good, too.

I'm not sure I would drive out of my way to eat at Taqueria del Sol, but if I lived in the Northside area of Atlanta, I would eat there often. This is a definite bang-for-the-buck kinda place with decent food that is popular with a lot of people.

Lunch
Monday-Friday 11-2
Saturday 12-3

Dinner
Tuesday-Thursday 5:30-9
Friday-Saturday 5:30-10

Pic to be added.

The Food Studio is a wonderful restaurant located in the Kings Plow Arts Center. When driving down Marietta Street, one would never guess a fine dining establishment lurks in one of the gray buildings. Actually there are several good restaurants in this industrial area, and The Food Studio is one worth seeking out. The Kings Plow Arts Center in which it is located was at one time a beehive of industrial activity. It was converted some time ago into a cultural arts center worthy of note.

The atmosphere at the Food Studio is very trendy and eclectic. One dines surrounded by red brick walls or at a table in the open courtyard. The silver bar and waitstaff dressed in black gives the restaurant a modern feel: a perfect match for the creative American menu. Classic American fare meets with fine dining in each dish served. I greatly enjoyed an eggplant and pine nut dish that was a delicious but light entree. The wonderful tangy tastes blended nicely with my glass of Stella Pinot Grigio. My dining companion greatly enjoyed the Ribeye steak with just the right amount of pink left in the center.

Reservations are recommended though not required at this restaurant. If you don't make them, however, be prepared for either a long wait or to have dinner at the full service bar. This is especially true on Saturday nights.

TIP: When making dinner reservations at the Food Studio, don't forget to check the schedule of plays running at Actor's Express also located in the Kings Plow Arts Center. This is a good company with an intimate space, so I greatly suggest topping a good meal off with an evening of dramatic entertainment. (www.actorsexpress.com) What could be a nicer date than dinner coupled with a play?

Located atop the tallest hotel in the Western hemisphere, the Sun Dial offers an incrediable view of Atlanta. Even though I have read mixed reviews about the food and service, I visited this restaurant for the first time in 22 years for sentimental reasons. Opened in 1976, the Sun Dial was quite the attraction when I was a kid. My grandmother took me up the glass elevator to the 72nd floor to drink my fill in Shirley Temples and eat dinner when I was only seven. The experience made a lasting impression and remains one of my favorite childhood memories. Of course, memories are magical things and nothing ever quite lives up to them.

I found as an adult that the Sun Dial is a very expensive way to get a great view of the city. Guests of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel and diners are able to ride to the top for free. For everyone else, there is a fee: $7.50 per adult, $4.00 per child.

After a look at the steak heavy menu, my family and I decided to order appetizers, desserts, and drinks. Without ordering a traditional dinner, we still managed to run up a bill topping $80. However, my son loved the revolving floor that rotated 360 degrees in less than an hour. The chocolate diet killer dessert was pretty yummy. While having fine dining prices, several families were enjoying meals; a childs' menu was available. And the Shirley Temples were still pretty darn good. Service was okay.

Bottom Line: The food here is pricey, but the view is memorable. I would say that this is a bit of a tourist trap, but even the local Atlantan will enjoy seeing the "city of trees" from a different perspective at least once.

Veni Vidi Vici is within a couple of blocks of the Woodruff Arts Center, so it is a good place to eat if you are going to attend an evening play at the Alliance Theater. It is also a good place to go if you want excellent service, nice atmosphere and good Italian food!

The large dining room has hardwood floors and generous spacing between tables. A very tasteful and pretty wine rack separates the main dining area from a bar to one side of the restaurant. This is a nice place to take a date or a corporate client.

The menu is full of wonderful Italian fare. Your waiter or waitress will start you off by showing you a tray of possible appetizers to share at your table. We enjoyed a small pate plate sampler. All appetizers are freshly prepared each evening. With a nice glass of Italian wine, I also enjoyed an incrediable angel hair pasta dish that was not too heavy but very delicious. A chocolate truffle dessert topped off a wonderful meal.

The thing I liked most about Veni Vidi Vici was the wonderful service. We were seated at the time for which our reservation was made (fancy that in Atlanta!). Our waitress was both pleasant and efficient. Our reasonably priced food was served quickly, and we never once had to remind anyone to refill our water glasses.... I'm sure I will eat in this restaurant again. It was a very nice dining experience.

My husband's birthday was coming up soon, and I wanted a place with nice ambiance where a few friends could easily meet for a couple of drinks to celebrate. Cafe Intermezzo fit the bill. It's located near Piedmont Hospital right on Peachtree, and it is an excellent place to go if you want a nice glass of wine, coffee or dessert.

This restaurant is known as a late night hang-out getting crowded after 10 PM, but in the early evening, it is easy to find a seat at the bar, or (with a short wait---this IS Buckhead) get a table for dining.

The walls are dark, and the feel is artsy (There was a language tape playing as elevator music in the ladies bathroom. "Hello," says the man. "Hola," says the woman. Where else can you get a foreign language lesson while putting on your lipstick?), but not brooding.

As I believe everyone should be able to choose the cake he likes the best on his birthday, Cafe Intermezzo was especially well suited for my "surprise gathering" needs. Underneath the glass of a pastry counter, there are all sorts of scrumptious desserts that will satisfy anyone's sweet tooth. My husband got an excellent piece of key lime pie, and my son enjoyed a triple chocolate piece of cake that only a child's metabolism wouldn't find scary.

In addition to decadent desserts, Cafe Intermezzo has a very well stocked bar. The drink list is extensive, and it would be hard to not find a liqueur or wine or vodka to suit your tastes. And, of course, there are a plethora of coffees to choose from....

I would say this is an excellent place to go for dessert with a date or for drinks and dessert with a small group. I do not like crowds, so I prefer this restaurant earlier in the evening.

Pricci is an upscale Italian restaurant in Buckhead. After valet parking, you enter the building to see cases of wine on either side of you. Yet the burnt orange color scheme, the framed, bright posters on the walls, and the cushy booths make the place feel unstuffy and comfortable. The service is quiet and quick, just like I like it, and the atmosphere could easily suit for either a nice night out with a significant other or a place to have a long business lunch with a client. After all, the lighting isn't too low, and the open room isn't too intimate.

And then there's the food!

I enjoyed a wonderful stuffed pasta at Pricci's in December, 2001. Ricotta cheese and spinach blended for a perfect pasta entree. Walnuts in what I think was white wine and something slightly sweet were layered on top of the pasta. Absolutely delicious! And extremely filling. Executive chef Marc Sublette deserves a hand! My dining companion just had a Caesar Salad with fresh parmesean cheese and soup, but all of the menu looked quite appetizing. I chose Pricci's per a friend's recommendation, and I wasn't disappointed with anything---good service, good wine list, good food. There was no room left for dessert, but next time I'll be sure to try some.

To get to Pricci's, follow West Paces Ferry into East Paces Ferry until it dead-ends on Piedmont. Take a right. Take another right onto Pharr road (one block down in between the BP and the Waffle House). Pricci's will be another block or two on your right.

Loca Luna is tucked into the corner of a parking lot in Midtown. With a nondescript exterior, the decor on the inside is bright and alive. Parrots are painted on the walls. A purple ceiling is enhanced with glittering stars. Angel paintings hang to one side of the main room. Most nights Atlanta singles dance to the rhythms of a live salsa band complete with trumpet and trombone. Tables are pushed close together, and weekend nights are always crazy crowded.

We saw a bachelorette party in full swing. A male stripper approached the bride-to-be during her meal and gave all the restaurant patrons an eyeful (though nothing indecent!). Several other large groups of people were obviously celebrating birthdays or special occassions. The bulk of the crowd was mid-twenties and up: singles and couples without children.

As for the food.... It is served tapas style. A Portuguese influence on the menu seems obvious. Choices include dishes such as patats bravas (spicy potatoes), brochette de galinha (marinated chicken and pineapple skeres), empanada (veggie stuffed pastries with salsa) and vegetais arco iris (seasoned and grilled fresh vegetables). Everything we tasted was excellent. I especially enjoyed the pan catalan (toasted bread with tomato and goat cheese), ensalada (salad with hearts of palm and tomato), and lula frita (fried calamari with pico de gallo).

Go to Loca Luna for a great time, but don't expect to have a quiet conversation. The portions are large, and the music is loud. From your first taste of Sangria, you'll feel as if you're part of a party! Enjoy!

Parking across the street is $5.

The Ok Cafe serves diner fare in a casual atmosphere that looks like everyone's vision of what a cafe should be: red booths, smiling waitresses in white uniforms, short-order cooks, and a menu chock full of hearty food. Kids will delight in the "money tree" that is "growing" from the middle of the floor behind a booth in the back dining room. There's also plenty of colorful art to entertain the eye. So how's the food? Good with large portions. I can't even finish an entire blueberry pancake stack! Each pancake is as big as a frying pan! A good idea here is to get a half-order, especially for children.... I also liked the cheddar cheese grits. Served as a side, they're not watery or thin.... So stop in for an early breakfast or late-night meat loaf or hamburger. The coffee is always flowing, and the service is always good.
Open Mon-Thurs 6am-12am; Friday 6am-3am; Sat-Sun 7am-12am

Travel Tip: The Atlanta History Center is just a few miles down West Paces Ferry in the direction of the Governor's Mansion. The OK is a good place to have breakfast or lunch before driving to the museum, which normally opens at 10am. Get to the restaurant a little before noon to avoid waiting. This is a popular eatery for locals on their lunch hour.

Huey's is a Cajun and Creole restaurant on Peachtree, but the best meal served here is breakfast. The casual atmosphere with its New Orleans decor is comfortable for both kids and groups, though there might be a small wait for large parties in the mornings.

Once you've gotten you're meal, you'll feel like you're in the French Quarter as you peel bites of fluffy dough off your beignets. You'll have to stop yourself from licking powdered sugar off your finger tips when you finish one of these deep-fried confections. They're so good, you might find yourself stopping in for a late night sugar-fix and coffee after dancing in Buckhead.

Operating Hours:
Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-11 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m.-5 a.m.
Saturday 9 a.m.-5 a.m.
Sunday 9 a.m.-11 p.m.

The Park Tavern is located on Piedmont Park. It has great patio dining with an awesome view of Midtown in a casual atmosphere. Even though this is certainly a nice place to eat, it isn't stuffy at all. For example, we dined with our son at the Tavern one afternoon, and he kicked a soccer ball around with a couple other kids in the grass while everyone else waited for the food. No one seemed to mind at all.

Speaking of the food...

The American menu provides a broad range of choices. The Spinach, Crab and Lobster dip is a great starter, but my husband likes the beer-battered onion rings best. For your meal you may choose anything from a portobello mushroom sandwich to Atlantic Salmon with Georgia pecan rice to a fine cut of Angus beef. The Penne Pasta Florentine with shavings of Gouda cheese is always yummy, too.

The inside of the restaurant is a little more upscale than the patio with tablecloths and sparkling, tall windows. Weddings and other special events are often catered here, and the staff will go out of the way to help with larger groups---even lighting a fire in the stone fireplace outside to accommodate star gazers who want to keep warm in the winter. With that said, whether you dine inside or out, don't expect the service to be especially fast. They always seem a bit overwhelmed to me.

My best suggestion is to order a bottle of wine (or a pitcher some of the beers brewed on the premises) and gaze across the park while you wait for dinner. You'll be rewarded with a nice meal, nice atmosphere, and reasonable bill.

Enjoy!

Hours:
Mon-Fri 4:30 p.m.-12 a.m.
Saturday 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Sunday 11 a.m.-12 a.m.

The shiny, metal exterior of the Buckhead Diner always makes me think of a restaurant you'd see on that old cartoon the Jetsons, but the inside is completely different. In a booth I feel like a person inside a fine dining car on the Orient Express. The ceilings are domed slightly like they would be inside of a train. Polished, dark wood gives everything a rich feel that goes nicely with the white table cloths and dark carpet. Yet the fact that this is a diner takes away any feelings of stuffy pretension.

Granted, instead of 50's sockhop music, classical piano makes an undercurrent of soothing sound. Instead of just rootbeer-float-type drinks, the full service bar offers a fine selection of wines. Instead of polyester uniforms, the waitstaff wears polished shoes and ties. Black and white photos of many, many celebrity customers such as Muhammod Ali and Annie Potts line the hallway near the hostess stand.

As for the food....

The menu fits the atmosphere. My husband thinks the Diner can be a little too creative with some dishes---cranberries in a tuna melt?---but the food always proves delicious. (After he ordered the tuna melt, he had to admit the small slivers of cranberry gave it an interesting zip he hadn't tasted before.) You can order a full entree or sandwich: it's all what you'd get in a regular diner with an upscale twist. I most recently enjoyed an absolutely wonderful portobella mushroom on foccacia bread sandwich served with the diner's specialty chips. Kids will like the hamburgers and fries, but I wouldn't suggest this place for very small children.

Lunch for two without alcohol is gonna run you $20+, but you'll enjoy your meal! At least eat here once. It's an Atlanta mainstay.

Located near Georgia Tech, the Kountry Kitchen dishes up Southern food the way my grandmother used to make it. The restaurant is located in a house on 14th Street. Diners can sit on the front porch and play checkers with pieces made from Coca Cola bottle tops. Once inside, the walls are decorated with old newspaper clippings, framed caricatures of Bobby and June Crowe (the owners!), bulls' horns, and lots of paraphanelia like saws and bellows that might be found on an old farm. The hardwood floors add to the rural charm, and the small rooms make you feel like you're eating in someone's home. The menu adds to this illusion as it consists of good country cooking. Expect green beans cooked with fatback, cabbage, carrots, sweet tea, biscuits, barbecue, steak, roast beef, etc.... The helpings are hearty, and the prices are reasonable. After a piece (or two) of fried chicken, dig into desserts like banana pudding and peach or apple pie.

I will say the last time I ate dessert here, the pudding was too thin, and I was disappointed. But I had to keep in mind that my grandmother's kitchen could be inconsistent, too. MOST of the time, everything is right on. And---keeping in mind, I'm from the South, so maybe that has something to do with it---I didn't mind it one bit when the staff (men and women alike) kept calling me "darlin'."

Open for breakfast, lunch and early dinner. Closed Sundays.

The Grape at Vinings is both a café and a wine store in the charming Vinings Jubilee Shops. The restaurant/café is actually only open in the evenings after 5pm Mon-Thursday. In addition to dinner, there is also a lunch hour available on Friday and Saturdays.

So, what is there to eat? All light fare--from veggie and steak sandwiches to Caesar salads to cheese plates to smoked salmon baguettes served with feta. The thing to concentrate on here is the wine. In fact, don't expect to find soda in the list of beverages. They don't serve it at The Grape!

How's the atmosphere? Very cool, modern chic with purple, red, and yellow lights hanging from the ceiling around the circular bar. There's also a patio for patrons to enjoy. Live, jazz-heavy entertainment is often featured Thursday-Saturday nights.

What's the wine store like? Operating from 10am-10pm every day of the week except Sundays, this is a fun store to peruse. The bottles on the wall aren't arranged according to region. Instead, The Grape uses a number system that lines labels up from light to fullest body. I had a great time selecting a new wine from Australia that I had not tried before called "The Four Sisters."

Not sure which bottle you'd like to buy? Stop in on Saturdays for a wine tasting (12pm-3pm).

Bottom line? This is a great place to stop if you're in love with the vine. Grab dinner in the café, then take your bottle of wine up to Splatter and Chatter--also in the Vinings Jubilee--and paint pottery with a loved one. Or how about the other way around?! How romantic of a date could that be?!?

Enjoy.

When I first walked into the Blue Ridge Grill, the smell of burning hickory wood pleasantly assaulting my senses, I immediately thought of my rich, eccentric uncle's favorite log cabin retreat in the woods---except I don't have a rich uncle (eccentric's not a problem), in the woods or otherwise....

The first thing I noticed here were the black and white drawings of faithful old friends---canines---by the hostess stand that add a homey touch to the entrance. The second thing that couldn't be missed was the giant portrait of a gray rabbit in a suit hanging above the fireplace, the lighting done in such a way that his little, hare face appears to be glowing. Indian blankets hang over wooden beams near the ceiling to add color to the upscale country decor. Glass bottles stand in the windows accented by red cafe curtains. Stuffed fish with picture lights hung over them are scattered about on the walls. Red-jacketed waiters with their names sewn onto their breast pockets are johnny-on-the-spot as soon as you sit down.

We got settled at our small table for two and perused the restaurant's extensive wine list. With over 500 different labels to choose from, we knew we could find something to suit our tastes. Then came the menu.

Welcome to fine dining old Southern style. . .enjoy everything from lemon chicken to hickory grilled whole fish like Georgia trout. Don't make up your mind until you hear the specials though. They're bound to be tempting, too. However, if you're watching your wallet, be forewarned. When you get those crab cakes for $25.95, the entree isn't served with a single side or salad. Those you order separate. However, vegetable sides like the fresh asparagus ($7.95), which we especially liked, can be enjoyed by two or more people together.

After your meal don't forget to order one of the desserts. This was the highlight of our dinner by far. The desserts are made from scratch on the premises every day, and they are out of this world. We had bourbon pecan pie with coffee, and. . .well. . .I'm still thinking about it. Yum!!!

My bottom line? The service here was excellent. The food was good, too. It's traditional, conservative fine dining, and we enjoyed our meal. It's certainly pricey. The pecan pie (and the rabbit portrait) were what made it memorable for me.

It was our anniversary, so my husband and I wanted to eat somewhere romantic. We did not, however, want to drive to fight Saturday night crowds in Atlanta. So we drove over to Roswell, a suburb far enough out to be quiet, but close enough in to offer something wonderful.

We had reservations at 8:30 but arrived a few minutes early, so we took a seat at a small table near the bar. The mirrored wall behind the bartender was lined with fine liquors, a very nice selection (though not world class). We settled into a quiet conversation, and my husband ordered a 10-year-old Laphroig while I selected a glass of white wine. We both noticed the beautiful, huge sunflower arrangement behind the hostess stand that seemed like a replica of the flowers in Van Gogh's famous painting, which the restaurant reproduced on the cocktail napkins.

After a few minutes, we were glad to escape the large party of smokers at the bar as we were escorted to our table. The restaurant is separated into several small rooms, which lends an intimate feel to the atmosphere. Lots of Impressionist art hangs on the walls, and there are rich pecan wood accents in each room. I liked the windows by our table with a view of pine trees behind the building. Fresh rose buds were in a small silver vase on the white tablecloth.

After looking over the menu, we started our meal with lobster bisque and a goat cheese salad. Van Gogh's says their food is a "work of art" and one truly can't ignore the beautiful presentation. When our entrees came--a crabcake stuffed with Israeli cous cous, spinach, and lump crabmeat, and a finely prepared filet--the waitress brought two glasses of champagne on the house to help celebrate our special occassion. We had to laugh when we got the "Anniversary" dessert plate, however, because "Happy Birthday" was scribbled in chocolate on the glass.

Our tab for two was well over a hundred bucks, but we enjoyed every bite. My husband said his steak was one of the finest he had ever eaten. So I'd highly suggest Van Gogh's for a special occassion restaurant. For other times--maybe a nice afternoon out with friends--they also serve lunch.

When driving down Peachtree, Nava is a restaurant on the corner that immediately catches your eye. Beside the outdoor patio is a giant fountain that looks like a small lake or swimming pool. Dine by these soothing waters or choose to avoid the Georgia heat by getting a table inside.

Just like the menu, the interior of this restaurant is upscale Southwestern. There are paintings on the wall with blood red coyotes on a field of black. The ceiling looks like the ceiling of a log cabin, etched with geometric designs in bright colors, and the rooms are accented by iron.

The menu is no less creative. For a start, I had pork and portabello quesadillas -- a lot of spice! -- while my husband enjoyed an excellent roasted sweet corn cheddar. I normally don't order steak as an entree, but I wasn't disappointed by the grilled flank flavored with BBQ sauce that I was served. Other delectable choices include black bean enchiladas, lamb, and salmon. It's all good, and one of the things this restaurant does best is presentation. Portions aren't huge, but artfully displayed and filling. Talk about attention to detail, I even got a kick out of the horse-shaped bread basket made of wire put on our table!

TIP: Leave room for the banana enchiladas for dessert. They're small, so don't split between more than two people -- but drizzled in caramel and stuffed with a creme-brulee-like concoction. They'll leave a sweet impression you won't want to miss. Promise.

Service was excellent. I don't know how our waitress memorized all those nightly specials! The staff here definitely make you feel like you're important and that enhances any fine dining meal.

Dante's Down the Hatch is located near Lenox Mall on Peachtree. It's been an Atlanta mainstay for decades. If you've heard it burned to the ground, you heard correctly. But a restaurant this good was bound to be rebuilt. In fact, there are now two locations with one jazz club in Underground (404/577-1800).

What's the atmosphere like?
To be honest, I did not know what to expect from Dante's. It's sorta a "theme" restaurant in that the interior is decorated like the inside of a Spanish galleon. I was frightened that the waiters would be wearing paper pirate hats! Fortunately, I listened to a friend's recommendation and decided to still check the place out. Instead of being hokey, it was fun yet upscale. We sat on the main deck of the "ship" (an extra $7/pp entertainment charge applies) so that we were right next to the jazz band. There are small rooms with booths in this area, and we were told the farther out you make your reservation, the better table you get. The piano, cello and drum players were all very good without being very loud. Even up close, my husband and I were still able to comfortably hear each other speaking.

How about the food?
This is a fondue restaurant. Start out with an appetizer of bread and apples to swirl around in a pot of melting Swiss cheese. Slowly progress to the main course as you enjoy a bottle of wine from the extensive list. (I had a half bottle of Louis Jadot, since my husband wasn't drinking.) I loved the shrimp. They were lightly breaded, and we cooked them in the provided oil for about thirty seconds each before eating them. My husband preferred the beef. We both liked the different sauces provided in which we dipped our food.

How was the service?
Outstanding.

Biggest draw?
This is a great date restaurant. Fondue takes a while to get through, and the jazz (and Georgia pecan pie) will make you want to linger.

Extra Details
Dante's doesn't open until 4pm Mon-Sat. (Sunday it opens at 5.) The band strikes up at 5pm daily. Dinner for two can easily run over $100 if you order drinks and dessert.

While you're waiting to be seated, check out the snapshots of famous people who've eaten in the restaurant. You'll find everyone from George (H.) Bush to Jimmy Carter.

Enjoy!

Opened in 1984, Ray's on the River has earned its reputation as a fine dining establishment in north Atlanta. A favorite with business executives, Ray's provides two separate dining experiences. You can sit in the main dining room that has floor to ceiling windows that look out onto the river. This is the more formal section of the restaurant, and you'll probably need reservations here. However, my husband and I like the more casual bar area (and deck) where live music is performed nightly. In July 2004 we listened to a trio of soulful musicians play Jazz/R&B fusion while we ate our meals.

So what's on the menu?
Ray's is all about seafood. Order a lobster tail from Australia or fresh salmon from Canada. Seafood is flown in daily. I had an absolutely delicious shrimp fettuccine after whetting my appetite with a calamari appetizer. My husband enjoyed the seared tuna tataki dish before his Salmon Oscar entree. Angus steak is another alternative if you're just not in the mood for fish. Leave room for dessert. We had vanilla ice cream in a crunchy praline shell. Yum!

Tip:
If you don't want a full meal, stop by the restaurant for an early happy hour. The coconut shrimp appetizer they serve at this time is scrumptious. The bar is known for the Ray's martini, served dirty. As expected of any fine dining establishment in Atlanta, there is a very extensive wine list.

Anything else?
I actually don't know if they are ducks or geese or what, but there are some... um... turkey-like birds that live on the river and walk around Ray's. They are so funny because they are obviously used to people. One waddled up to us, and I swear it wagged its little tail feathers like it was a dog! Hilarious! Save some crackers to give to one of these quackers... It's impossible not to smile when you see them.

The brightly painted Statue of Liberty in a giant flower pot in front of this restaurant gave me a small taste of its eclectic character as I drove by on busy Peachtree, but I still didn't know what to expect from my actual dining experience.

I pulled into the parking lot--the car entrance is actually two doors down, next to Huey's--on a brilliant January afternoon. I couldn't help but laugh when I was greeted by friendly whistles from talking parrots---yes, parrots---that were lined up in large cages against the building. With this little taste of the tropics setting the mood, I smiled wider at the explosion of color at the front door: wind chimes, painted whirley-gigs, a bubbling fountain, a ceramic bulldog....

Inside, vinyl tablecloths covered in flowers matched the green plastic chairs. Hot pink and blue lights seemed to just go with the hippy beads that hung from the ceiling and separated different sections of the porch.

A bit funky? Yes. Completely fun? Absolutely.

So how was the menu? From the name of the restaurant, I was expecting to eat in a sandwich/diner joint. I was way off. The first thing I noticed was the printed endorsement of a nutritionist! The owner is a big believer in healthy consumption, so you're getting organic food here.

Does that mean all vegetarian? No, but even vegans will find delicious options.

As for me, I'm a Southern girl through and through. I went for the Down Home, a "bowl" of collard greens, smashed potatoes, and corn casserole. Delicious! If my husband were with me, he might've opted for the fish tacos or the free-range beef entrée.

From all-day breakfast choices to dinners with a Southwestern flare, you're bound to find something that suits your tastes here. There's even a kid's menu!

Unforgedibles is a unique type of cafe, located just north of Atlanta's I-285 perimeter in East Cobb. Having been told by a friend that Unforgedibles is similar to Eatzi's in Atlanta, I decided to pop in one afternoon when I hadn't made plans about what to cook for dinner.

The first thing you need to know is that Unforgedibles only serves lunch for in-restaurant dining. At this time, there is a sandwich and soup menu to enjoy at one of the small cafe tables. However, dinner is all take-out, and that's the place's real schtick.

When I walked to the counter to figure out exactly what I could take out, I was met with a smile and a quick explanation. Apparently all the food here is made fresh daily and then packaged into individual servings. I simply had to go to the glass cases and "build" the meal I wanted to take home by taking out entrees and side dishes. I was advised, "Our chicken parmesean is great today, and we have a family meatloaf... or maybe you'd prefer the pecan encrusted trout?"

Now, I don't know if the four women owners who were all bustling about in the kitchen behind the counter are actually from the South in a town with so many transplants, but they've got that Southern hospitality thing down cold. Introductions were quickly made as if I'd been invited to the restaurant, and one owner cut me a dandelion as she instructed another, "Please put her some of our cheese muffins into a bag to sample. We're famous for those, you know."

So, how did the food we picked turn out? I had a chicken and mushroom dish that was cooked in a white-wine sauce that I heated up at home. It was good. It was also large. I only needed one of these entrees at $7.95 to feed two people. The fish I got for my husband was also a generous helping. And those cheese muffins? Now they were the bomb. We went back and got a baker's dozen for $4.

Bottom line? This is a good place to go and grab the fixings for a more gourmet meal when you don't have the time to put one together from scratch. You're paying for the convenience, but the cost will still be less than it would cost to eat out. Catering is offered, and the new pastry chef puts out some great desserts to top off a meal. While not an every night thing, I'll certainly go to Unforgedibles again... probably tomorrow to pick up another bag of those muffins! Yum!

With multiple locations---Chipotle is a national franchise---we stumbled into our first visit to any Chipotle on Cobb Parkway. Attached to the Longhorn Steakhouse, this restaurant is near the Galleria Mall on the north side of the city. We wanted to eat out on a Saturday night in Atlanta without reservations, and the parking lot here actually had an empty space. Sold!

With absolutely no expectations, we were pleasantly surprised by Chipotle. While going through a service line to place my order, I took a look at the casual, modern atmosphere of the dining room that's a decided step above fast food. The tables are all polished steel, and there are pressed metal sculptures that serve as art. All is blonde wood with red and black accents. We noticed several college students in Georgia Tech shirts, and then we learned that GT attire can score you some free food on game nights during basketball season. (I'm guessing this particular franchise's owner didn't go to UGA!) The seats/booths are comfortable, and the easy rock music pumping into the restaurant sets a nice mood.

So how was the food? Apparently, Chipotle was first opened by a classically trained chef who had a thing for good burritos. You go through the line and point out what you like to eat. Soft shell? Hard shell? Black beans? Rice? Chicken? Beef? Fresh tomato salsa? How about the warmer roasted chili corn to spice things up? I had a yummy vegetarian burrito, and my sister-in-law told me if I had left off the cheese and guacamole, this dish would fit nicely into the Weight Watchers points program because it's basically a healthy entrée. Now, that's a bonus!

There isn't a "kid's menu," but the staff will build any kind of taco a child wants. Our table liked the crunchy tacos better than the soft burritos here, but that's certainly a matter of taste.

A $3 margarita complemented my meal while my husband had a beer from Mexico. We also liked reading all the funny facts on the paper soft drink cups. For instance, did you know cilantro is considered an aphrodisiac in China? (Who knew?)

Bottom line? Good, quick food that's kind to your budget. I'd eat here again.

The Fickle Pickle is an absolutely adorable restaurant in the historic section of Roswell, north of Atlanta. On the front porch is a life-size pickle (!) passing away his day in a laid-back Southern way. Despite his country demeanor, you somehow know this green fellow has a bit of refinement!

Located in a charming house, the dining areas in this restaurant have small tables clustered near fireplaces and sparkling windows in a collection of small rooms. I met a friend for lunch here, and we went to a counter, behind which we could just peek into the kitchen. Homemade carrot cake cookies were on display to tempt us. (I ended up taking a half dozen of these home.) It took me a few minutes to choose what I wanted to eat.

What type of food is available? The lunch menu is sandwich-heavy: smoked turkey, smoked salmon, horseradish beef, reuben, fried green tomato, chicken salad... I opted for the Creole Cuban, a delicious creation of smoked ham and turkey, Swiss cheese, Cajun pickles, and Creole remoulade sauce on grilled sourdough. Delicious! Though my sandwich came with a side item, my friend and I also ordered a Fickle Pickle specialty, a full order of fried Cajun pickles served with Creole remoulade sauce, to share between us. These things are addictive. Sweet peach tea was the perfect beverage to wash it all down.

Bottom line? Casual with an upscale feel, this is the perfect lunch spot for the tennis-playing mom. In one word, my best description of the place? Cute.

Hours? The Fickle Pickle is open for lunch from 11am to 4pm Monday to Saturday. Dinner is offered from 5 to 8pm Tuesday through Thursday, and 5 to 9pm Friday and Saturday.

Area Notes:Roswell is a very historic little town. If you're visiting Atlanta, you might want to pop in here and see places like Bulloch Hall, the historic home in which Teddy Roosevelt's parents were married.

My husband had heard good things about Silk in Atlanta's Midtown. So, for my birthday, he bought me a new dress to wear and made reservations for dinner...

New on the Atlanta restaurant scene, Silk is the type of place I'd take my brother, who frequents restaurants in cosmopolitan New York City. With a hip, sleek feel, the decor here is upscale Asian. Think high ceilings, frosted glass panels, black chairs, and pale wood floors, rather than the typical American idea of Asian steakhouse motif. (There aren't any chefs throwing shrimp tails into their hats here!) After we were seated, two waiters introduced themselves to us. These charming young men would "tag team" our table throughout the evening, resulting in some of the best service I have ever experienced in Atlanta. They were absolutely top-rate.

So how was the food? While available, we got the impression during the presentation of the menu that sushi is not the main focus here. So we started with a small sampler of Pan-Asian tapas that included delectable chili jumbo shrimp, which were my favorite. Then I enjoyed the absolute best bowl of lobster bisque I've ever eaten! (Lobster is a specialty here.) My husband settled on the seared tuna for his entree ($22). He enjoyed this, but he did say he's had better for less... Per the recommendations of our waiters, I went out on a limb and tried the elk. I was very amused when I asked if this would taste like venison and was emphatically assured me that it would be nothing like that, no gamey flavor at all. (As a girl, I liked venison...) Anyway, the recommendation was for this dish to be served medium-rare. While it was certainly good--encrusted with a pepper-like coating that hinted at heat--I probably would have liked it a little less pink. However, this was my own fault for ordering it this way. I couldn't finish the generous portion.

Dessert? We opted for something light... sort of! We had an apple drizzled in white chocolate. Other choices like the pumpkin cheesecake looked good, too.

Bottom line? I enjoyed our meal. There were several other entrees like the chilean bass or the spicy basil vegetable tofu that looked interesting. I would also like to try their sushi. I would certainly recommend Silk to several people I know who like fine dining. With that said, since our bill reached $150 for two people after tip, I would consider this a more "special occasion" venue for me.

The first Johnny Rockets opened in 1986 in Los Angeles to pay homage to a simpler time in America. A star was born! Now, this is a thriving franchise with multiple locations all over the country including all over Atlanta. I've personally visited the busy location in East Cobb, which is smack-dab in the middle of the East Cobb Avenues shopping complex. This is a great place to eat with the kids, and it's common to see local teenagers grabbing a milkshake here at the counter.

So what's the decor like? This is a diner straight from the ‘50s. Perhaps in a nod to this metro-Atlanta location, old Coca-Cola posters adorn the walls. Red booths are casual. The waiters wear bow ties. The waitresses have red bows tied in their ponytails. When Aretha Franklin started asking for R-E-S-P-E-C-T over the jukebox, the sizable wait staff got in a line in front of the dining room and sang along with her. Kids get a kick out of these impromptu performances complete with clapping and dancing. Apart from that, there's a constant stream of ‘50s "sha-la-la-la-la" music that sets a happy tone.

So how's the food? Think typical diner fare. I like the tuna salad on sourdough, but the menu offers everything from chili dogs to double hamburgers, which have patties made with a third pound of ground beef. They bake fresh apple pies here every day. (What could be more Americana than that right?)

Bottom line? I wouldn't want to eat here every day, but it's a good place to stop with family. You can check out johnnyrockets.com to see if there is a restaurant closer to where you are staying in Atlanta.

Persepolis offers "cuisine of the Persian Empire." I enjoyed a wonderful lunch buffet here with friends of mine who lived in Iran when the Shah was still in power. They gave me guidance on the various dishes available.

So what was the atmosphere like? Stepping out of the Georgia heat into the cool dining room, I immediately thought the pale peach walls made Persepolis feel like a type of oasis. Neoclassical columns and rounded arches lend an opulent touch to the decor. Some women dine with shawls upon their hair, but no one seems overly formal. We were quickly shown to a round table that suited our large party.

So how was the food? Fabulous! The waiter suggested I try the buffet, which is served Monday to Friday from 11:30am to 3pm, so that I could get a taste of a variety of dishes. This was a wonderful strategy. Here I relied heavily on my friends to suggest what I should get. They showed me the flat bread that I would need to dip into the variety of appetizers that seemed to have a yogurt base. The different types of rice were fabulous. The Persian split peas, shallots, marinated vegetables, sweet-and-sour pomegranate sauces, and lamb made for an explosion of interesting spices and textures in my mouth. Some of the food, such as the grape leaves, reminded me greatly of food that I would enjoy in Greece. Everything was excellent.

Extras: Persepolis is open Sunday to Thursday from 11:30am to 10pm and Friday to Saturday from 11:30am to 11pm. In the Sandy Springs area on the north side of Atlanta, the restaurant is nestled amidst several antique stores that are fun to poke through before or after lunch. If you want higher-end antiques, go across the street to Red Baron, where you'll find chandeliers for as much as $26,000 hanging in the store! Enjoy!

The night we ate at the Fez, I wore slacks as I’d been instructed, but I was a little mortified (or amused) when the hostess told me to give her my shoes, which had been the only thing between the world and the big hole in the toe of one of my socks. Our hostess, who pretended not to notice my sheepish smile or chipped-polished tootsies, led us across the lavishly decorated dining room to a low table where we sat on piles of pillows propped on top of a very low bench that was practically on the floor. This type of seating allowed my husband and I to sit very close together, and we become very focused on each other’s company in the dim light. If our son had been with us, he would have thought eating on the floor was really fun. (He just wouldn't have liked how long the meal took to be served! A pre-teen would not be nearly as impatient as a young child and might really enjoy the extended novelty of the atmosphere.).

Per Moroccan custom, we had our hands bathed in warm water before we were given towels to drape over our shoulders. We were told to eat with our fingers and pieces of bread rather than with utensils before the first course of what became an over 2-hour long meal was served.

We found the food to be very good and very, very abundant. Our tab, with alcohol and gratuity, topped $100, but we also enjoyed the entertainment of belly dancers during our dessert.

One middle-aged diner who got his wife to get up and copy the dancers with him with wild abandon was as enjoyable to watch as the floor show! It all added up to a pretty memorable date.

Dave & Busters is a family favorite. It's a place built for the kid in us all, and I have taken some light-hearted clients there for work, as well as my family for a unique and good time.

The food is always good and very reasonably priced---especially at lunch---though there is nothing unique about the menu: sandwiches, pasta, and steak.

The arcade and virtual reality games one gets to play AFTER the meal are what make Dave & Busters fun. My son (and husband!) loves to ride on the motorcycles and experience Jedi Warfare in the Virtual Reality flight simulators. My personal favorite is the Lost World game where you travel through Jurassic Park trying to escape dinosaurs. I also like the fact that all the video games have ratings on them so that I can avoid any that are too graphic for my kid (like the House of the Dead game in which zombie guts actually explode across the screen).

There is a fully stocked bar available, and a group of adults can have fun racing cars, riding on Virtual Skateboards, and blowing off steam into the wee hours of the evening just as easily as any group of children can.

If you are traveling with kids, want a fun date, or are entertaining a group of people, Dave & Busters has something for just about everyone. Just don't forget your Visa! The food isn't expensive, but the entertainment quickly adds up!

Tip: This place is more family friendly early in the evening. Late at night, the smoke and a rowdy crowd will increase. (There is a bar here, after all.)

There is also a location up I-85 in Duluth-Gwinnett County.

If you go to the Carlos Museum on Emory's campus and find that you are hungry afterwards, Doc Chey's Noodle House is less than a half-mile away. In a building that used to be a laundry mat, Doc Chey's has been featured in Atlanta Magazine for one of the best meals you can get for under $25 in the metro area.

With a mixture of Thai, Japanese, and Chinese noodles, rice and soup bowls, healthy eaters will be very satisfied. The Japanese Yakiudon Bowl with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables, tossed with Udon wheat noodles and tonkatsu sauce, is very good (Tonkatsu is sweet; udon noodles are thick and chewy). The atmosphere of the place is very relaxed; the bowls are very big. You go through a line to order your food, and a waitress brings it to you. There are large tables on the inside of Doc Chey's and a patio for nice days out.

You do need to know when traveling with your family that the kids' menu does not have the traditional chicken fingers on it. Instead, there is a choice of Chinese Chicken Soup with lots of egg noodles or an order of chicken, carrots, and broccoli served over rice for the little ones. My son happens to love broccoli and rice, so this is a great and healthy alternative to the kids' fare that is so common at other restaurants. AND there is a gumbo joint (Gumbo A Go-Go!) right around the corner of Doc Chey's that serves HUGE snowballs in a variety of flavors for $1 that are bound to please the children if they eat enough of their veggies to get dessert.

ESPN Zone is a sports lover's haven. What other restaurant in the world has televisions tuned to ESPN hanging over each of the stalls in the bathrooms? This is a large restaurant and entertainment center located right in the heart of Buckhead, and the menu offers what you would want when kicking back and taking in the Georgia Tech basketball game.

On the bottom, often-crowded floor of the Zone, there is a large bar and an even larger HUGE-screen TV constantly playing (you guessed it!) sports. On the top floor, however, you will find what you want to entertain any sports-loving family once the big game is over. The arcade games at ESPN Zone are for jocks only. There is a place for the Canadian in you to shoot real pucks at a computer controlled goalie. There is a football throw game for the quarterback dreamers of the world. There is even a game for bowlers. (Is bowling considered a sport?!) Of course, I am loyal to the air hockey tables, but all of the games are fun. Plan to spend a bit of money if you visit the top floor, especially if the kids--or your glory-days-remembering husband--are with you.

Always a fun treat after dinner, I would suggest ESPN Zone to any sports junkie who wants to play but isn't in the mood to work up a big sweat.

I was planning a trip to London. My mother-in-law was in town. Visiting a tea room seemed the perfect thing to do on a summer afternoon in Georgia.

Just north of Hot-lanta's perimeter, Mittie's Tea Room and Cafe is located in Roswell's historic district near Bulloch Hall and The Smith Plantation. (These attractions are must-sees for any Georgia visitors who are interested in history and architecture. Bulloch Hall was actually owned by Teddy Roosevelt's mother's family.)

We walked into Mittie's expecting something a bit more... uh... frilly. However, it was a nice surprise to find Japanese paper lanterns hanging like full moons from the ceiling. There were no pink walls or tablecloths made of lace. Instead, the color scheme is more masculine - black and sleek. Bamboo shoots on the table further add to the Asian feel. We quickly learned that while "high tea" and the like can certainly be ordered and enjoyed here, Mittie's isn't going for an "English feel." Still, I did order a silver pot of mint tea to accompany a tuna fish salad quesadilla. (A lot of the menu here is organic.) I liked the fresh fruit that came as a side. A cup of lobster bisque was a nice appetizer. There are plenty of salads and the like, in addition to other sandwiches. Kids can order grilled cheese or a PB&J. The huge slice of carrot cake that topped off lunch was moist and delicious.

So how was service? Excellent.

Bottom line? Not at all Victorian, but still a very nice experience. After lunch, we also enjoyed walking next door to the new high-end art gallery to window-shop. It is a good lunch spot for girlfriends.

Bone's is an Atlanta institution. Known as a fine dining steakhouse, it's located in the heart of Buckhead. A favorite among the business elite, it's often full of the city's deal makers discussing their work over gin and tonics. This is the perfect kind of place to give an expense account a real workout.

So what was it like? We pulled up to the restaurant, and a polite valet quickly parked our car. We had reservations for an early dinner at 6:30pm. When the host saw the 11-year-old who was in our party, we were escorted away from the main dining room to a side hallway with brick walls, wine cabinets, a portrait of a gray dog in a bow tie and a suit (!), red chairs, and only three tables. I loved the privacy.

(Note: This is NOT a restaurant I would suggest for most kids. ONLY take well behaved children who are old enough to appreciate a $30 steak. This is a two-hour-long dining experience.)

Our waiter, in his gray jacket, looked like a tall Noah Wylie. He had an affable smile, and he was quick and efficient. He explained that the al a carte vegetables were served family style. (One order of steamed broccoli can accommodate the entire party.) The grit fritters, fried cream cheese and grits served in mouth-size balls, are a specialty of the restaurant that my son especially enjoyed. The lobster bisque was good, too, and I liked the sauteed mushrooms with the garlic mashed potatoes. For our entrees we ordered a 2.5lb. lobster ($50), a 10oz. petite filet ($30), and a 14oz. filet mignon ($36.) All was wonderful. We had to take some home because we couldn't finish the large portions! Dessert was a delectable truffle cake that gushed chocolate when we cut into it. Yum!

Bottom line? This is an upscale steakhouse to the nth degree. Our tab for three people, with tip, was $250, but we really enjoyed our meal.