City Guide: Atlanta
Where to eat in the South's massive metropolis
Atlanta rarely gets the credit it deserves as a food city. If the South retains a hold over the American culinary imagination broadly, Atlanta specifically has largely been left out of that mix. It is distinguished perhaps by what it is not: it is not the shrimp & grits Lowcountry, nor the cornbread and collard green loving Appalachia, nor the Bayou of Louisiana, with its gumbo and po’boys and etouffee. Atlanta is something different from these places, with few culinary staples of its own we can point to. Yet, as the megacity of the region and one with an incredible amount of diversity, Atlanta contains something from all of these subregions, and a whole lot more.
An Atlanta based journalist at the James Beard Foundation’s media awards last year declared the city to be the next big thing in the American food scene, and the one we all need to turn our attentions toward. The Michelin guide agrees, at least enough to have added Atlanta to its guide in the last two years. I’ve spent an increasing amount of time there over the last few years and am not sure I’d go as far as to tell you Atlanta has the best food in the country right now, but I would certainly tell you it shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s not actually fine dining restaurants that intrigue me here–though to be fair I’ve only been to a couple–it’s the quality of the provisions. Southerners have long prided themselves on a well-stocked larder of jams and pickles and preserves, and in the modern Atlanta that’s expanded to curtidos and salsas, fantastic cured meats and cheeses, sambals and chutneys. Below is a guide of my favorite places in the city to eat simply, and eat quite well.
Osono Bread: the best bakery in Atlanta isn’t a storefront. It’s a farmers market stand. I’m a bit biased, the owner Betsy being one of my best friends, but you’ll find an astonishing array of products from her at the Grant Park Farmers Market that’s largely unheard of for a small cottage bakery. Sourdough breads featuring southern grains are always a hit, and her pastry selection has expanded greatly in recent years. Make sure to try the doughnuts, which are light as a feather, and buy a slice of crumb cake or pie to take home for later.
Tan Brown Coffee: Another small producer doing big things in the city. Marissa and Elyse are turning the spotlight on specialty Asian coffees, from Myanmar to Indonesia and beyond, offering customers and retail shops a chance to experience some coffee regions that are often overlooked. That said, they also will showcase coffees from Costa Rica, Colombia, and beyond from time to time to celebrate friendships they’ve forged with growers over their many years in the industry. You can find them at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market on Saturdays, the Grant Park Farmers Market (right next to Osono Bread!) every other Sunday, or buy their products online.
Little Tart/Big Softie: Little Tart deserves a lot of praise, as a great small bakery that has made waves in the city and now has a few different locations. Here you’ll find terrific breads, comforting pastries, and inventive beverages. But as someone that’s been around a lot of great baked goods, it’s really Big Softie, Little Tart’s soft serve ice cream shop, I can’t get over. Few things feel better on a humid Atlanta evening than a matcha swirl made with local dairy. Try the different hard shells–especially the passionfruit if it’s available.
Gene’s: There is a lot going on at Gene’s, and a lot to love. The thing here is BBQ, but what that looks spans nearly the global gamut of smoked meat and fish. Snacks include wood fired oysters and fish sauce caramel chicken wings. Plates have brisket and pulled pork and boudin and more, and are accompanied by tortillas. A sneaky good list of sides plus a banana pudding for dessert round out the menu. I’ve been here just once, and there were a couple things that were just OK, as you might imagine for a restaurant trying to do so much, but on the whole it was an impressive assortment of great BBQ.
Talat Market: Talat is one of the hotter restaurants in the city right now, part of a wave of hipper, modern Thai restaurants in the States that offer a whole lot more than Pad Thai and what I’ve heard jokingly called the Stoplight Curries (red, yellow, green). The menu changes constantly, but generally offers some lesser known regional specialties from Thailand in addition to whole fish, roast chicken, big ribeye, or whatever proteins they’ve gotten in that week. There’s a reason Parnass Savang was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Southeast last year.
Chai Pani/Botiwalla: Decatur, a neighborhood a bit NE of downtown, is home to a large Indian population, and the fact that many of them adore Chai Pani should be enough of a reason for you to check it out yourself. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Chai Pani’s Asheville location won the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant award in 2022. You’ll find lots of classic central Indian dishes on the menu here, and if you head over to Botiwalla, their stand in Ponce de Leon Market, you can expect a wide variety of terrific Indian street foods. A pro tip: try anything with the paneer, which is made by a local producer and is amazingly tender and delicious.
Miller Union: this place is an institution in Atlanta. A deep look at the cuisine of the region reveals that the South is a cuisine centered around plants first and foremost, but you wouldn’t have seen that reflected on most menus in 2009, when Miller Union opened its doors. Stephen Satterfield started a kitchen here then that was centered around seasonal ingredients and traditional Southern techniques, but one that also wasn’t afraid to modernize and adapt. The result is one of Atlanta’s longest-standing, beloved restaurants, and one that laid the foundation for all the great food work to emerge in the city since. There’s ample great local meat and fish for the non-vegetarians, too.
Lottafrutta: If I lived in Atlanta I’d be here every other day. It would be dangerous; all my income would be spent on fruit cups and smoothies. I love love love a place where you can eat fruit all day long, a reason I’ve spent a lot of time in Hawaii and Colombia and Ecuador and beyond, and Lottafrutta scratches that itch just west of Inman Park. Fruit cups are a delight, and the coconut whip on top is an absolute must. Smoothies are large, and delicious. Or, do what my friends say to do: build your own fruit cup, drown it in orange juice, add the whip, and experience bliss.
Kamayan: A half day trip idea for you: eating your way down Buford Highway, a paradise for those seeking out just about any cuisine from overseas, but especially for all sorts of Asian cuisines. At the top of your itinerary should be Kamayan, a phenomenal Filipino restaurant that plays all the hits and then some: lumpia and pancit and adobo are great here, but so are the eggplant curry and beef, peanut, and green bean stew. Save room for the ube cheesecake at the end.
Ticonderoga Club: fun fun fun fun. Much like how much of LA’s best food can be found in strip malls, or how some of Portland’s shining stars are food carts, there’s a surprising amount of good food and drink to be found in Atlanta’s food halls. Ponce De Leon Market is home to the aforementioned Botiwalla, and a trip to Krog Street Market will reveal a Little Tart location as well as a dimly lit bar tucked into the back corner of the building, where you might not expect to find of the city’s better food and drink menus. It’s a smart and simple bar menu layered with more depth than meets the eye: the salad is fantastic, the veg small plate is a must (the best dish of the night when I went was this fun lil eggplant number), and there’s almost always some nice larger plates of chicken or fish available. The wine list is killer, and the cocktails are beloved–it’s hard to go wrong here.
Heirloom Market: this one is at the top of my list for next time I’m in town, as it’s hard to think of a more appealing combination: Southern BBQ meets Korean BBQ. Your pulled pork can come with kimchi, your ribs glazed with gochujang, that sort of thing. It’s extremely popular in its Marietta neighborhood, so try to go on off hours or just be prepared to stand in line.
Oaxaca: I’ve tagged this one on my list of must-stops for my next visit. It’s not often you find a Tlayuda stateside, nor a Oaxacan-style quesadilla with zucchini flowers, and the carne asada lunch seems a little too good to be true. If anyone gets there before I do, please report back.
Spotted Trotter: An incredible array of cured meats can be found here, in many different styles, plus cheeses and crackers and more. It’s not a restaurant, just a great butcher, and a worthwhile stop if you’re stocking up on provisions or heading out for a picnic. The spiced salamis are great, but I’m a particularly big fan of the Rosette de Lyon, a more subtly spiced French style sausage that’s hard to find stateside, and one that really lets the quality of the meat shine. For a brush with the sublime, try the duck prosciutto.