An almost comical amount of restaurants opened this year in Atlanta, and it's been difficult for us to wrap
our heads around it. Fortunately, most humans think with their stomachs (most of the time) so we’re just
gonna let our primal spirit kick in and tell you all the great new spots that have come to town in recent
months. Bring your appetite and plenty of friends -- you and that fork are gonna be busy well past the new
year.
LINTON’S
MIDTOWN
The Atlanta Botanical Garden isn’t going to let just anybody serve food inside its paradise of funky-fresh
flora. So they went to Linton Hopkins, the man-half of the couple who gave us Restaurant Eugene, Holeman
& Finch, Hop’s Chicken, and life, to establish a New American joint. Sure, you have to pay admission to the
Garden to get your classy gobble on, but you’re also getting the spectacular seasonal cuisine Linton and his
wife Gina prepare, paired with not only great cocktails, wine, Champagne, and local beer, but gorgeous
views of the ATL skyline from the rooftop bar.
8ARM
PONCEY HIGHLAND
We’ve already recommended Nhan Le and Angus Brown’s newest cephalopod-inspired restaurant, but it’s
worth repeating. The basics are that it’s a cafe by day with amazing coffee and breakfast. But then, the
anything-but-basic evening menu goes wild on you by taking a standard set of recipes, such as the
tagliatelle, and swapping out proteins to keep you guessing -- or simply admitting that these two guys are
as intelligent in the kitchen as their eight-armed muses are in maritime environments.
NOBLE FIN
NOBLE FIN
PEACHTREE CORNERS
Apparently a lot of misguided people stopped caring about 4th & Swift, the Old 4th Ward anchor spot from
Chef Jay Swift, so he took his skills and skillets OTP, and is giving people with more money and less options
all the things we city folk so desperately miss. And Fin is indeed Noble, since Swift is a well-known
supporter of sustainability in farming and procuring proteins and vegetables. Plus Swift’s son, Jeb Aldrich, is
Chef de Cuisine, so it’s a family affair that feeds you like a relative they actually love. Whether you’re in the
mood for surf (Spanish shellfish stew, pan-roasted branzino) or turf (prime NY strip, 8oz wagyu flank steak),
you’re sure to regain your tolerance for driving through crazy traffic for fine suburban dining.
CAST IRON
OLD 4TH WARD
Evan Cordes came from Cakes & Ale, Serpas True Food, and H. Harper Station just to open Cast Iron, and
smack you in the head with a Lodge pan and whatever delicious thing he decided to cook inside of it. Said
delicious thing could presumably be “half-cooked” snapper, smoked/roasted, buttermilk-marinated whole
wings, cider-brined pork ribs, or more. But not the “Goodbye Porkpie Hat,” because that's a cocktail. One
made with bourbon, lemon, maraschino, and sarsaparilla soda. And anybody who drinks and owns a castiron skillet knows you can’t get those things wet.
CITY WINERY ATLANTA
CITY WINERY
PONCE CITY MARKET
Dinner and a movie is fine. But dinner and a concert, at a winery, is so much finer. And not only does CW
have amazing Mediterranean, Italian, French, Spanish, and Middle-Eastern cuisine, but they have a secret
speakeasy for drinking and seeing great musical performances from international recording superstars as
well as beloved local vocalists like Joi (!), and hell, even The GZA did a show there recently. Wu! Tang! Wu!
Tang!!
101 STEAK
101 STEAK
VININGS
The team behind Meehan’s Public House, Food 101, and Cibo e Beve must have known that high-quality
steaks and seafood, a raw bar, and more than 100 wines by the glass were necessary on the Upper
Westside, so they were heroes and opened 101 Steak. And it’s not like Vinings didn’t already have proper
supper, but now they have a great new option for East and West Coast oysters, parmesan-crusted roasted
marrow bones, a Caribbean seafood cocktail (shrimp, octopus, lump crab), or a 32oz, 50-day dry-aged
prime “Tomahawk Chop.” You now officially have 100+ reasons to stop being vegan.
POKÉ BAR
SANDY SPRINGS
Poké, which is a raw salad with variations of tuna, salmon, albacore, shrimp, octopus, scallop, and tofu,
then different mixtures such as seaweed, onions, and kale, is big in Hawaii. Because that’s where it’s from.
But it’s now big in Atlanta, and you can try it your way by starting with a base of white or brown rice, salad,
or nachos, then add one of those proteins above, mix in some crabmeat or whatever, then dress it in
ponzu, sweet chili or wasabi mayo, and eat until you’re ready to float away to that tropical island in the sky.
Except without the unfortunate dying part.
THE FEDERAL
THE FEDERAL
MIDTOWN
Shaun Doty has done his duty when it comes to feeding us fickle ATL people. From Shaun’s in Inman Park to
YEAH! Burger, to Bantam+Biddy and now The Federal, he’s always had a great reputation. But now he’s
coming back to the kitchen to make sure people see him in all his handsome, kitchen-master glory. Partsteakhouse, part-Euro-bistro, The Fed pays homage to the other Fed (you know, the bank with all the
money) with its name, but ALSO pays homage to your taste buds with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which
could begin with oxtail French onion soup, center on West Texas venison or a hand-cut Iowa filet ($5 an
ounce), and end with a bottle of Kiona Vineyards ice wine and a fried chocolate pie for dessert. Man, we
love Shaun Doty, don’t we?
TON TON RAMEN
PONCE CITY MARKET
ATL restaurant guru Guy Wong has done great things for your appetite, but with Ton Ton he’s made
everybody’s favorite noodle available in PCM, and boy do we appreciate it. From apps like tebasaki wings to
char siu, tonkotsu, and stir-fried veggie ramen bowls, you know your soul will be fed -- as well as your
stomach. Even as you wait among the scrolled curtains in front of the restaurant.
THE RITZ-CARLTON, ATLANTA
AG
DOWNTOWN
It was called Atlanta Grill, but AG sounds like Attorney General or All Good, so they went big by going small
with the acronym. They also renovated the interior to make it less old-school and more modern with
warmer, earthier lighting, tiled and hardwood flooring, and marble tabletops (well, maybe it’s still ritzy).
Either way, you’ll be comfortable with the great service and more Southern-sourced food offerings
(including Anson Mills rice and ATL’s own Banner Butter, which is just crazy good), and the continuation of
great steaks, from the $29 10oz hanger steak to the $140 48oz tomahawk ribeye. What, you forgot you
were in the Ritz-Carlton?
SPRING
MARIETTA
Yes, you can now eat good food in Marietta Square. This comes in handy since the only other reason to be
there is because you had to pay a speeding ticket (or worse). Spring brings a neighborhood feel to the
center of the Cobb County town, and keeps the small, ever-changing menu fresh with grilled king mackerel,
roasted lamb saddle, braised oxtail ragu pappardelle, and lots of reds, whites, local beers like Jekyll
‘Merican to make you fine (after the one you just paid the courthouse).
TUPELO HONEY CAFE
TUPELO HONEY CAFE
SANDY SPRINGS
You like to be comfortable, so you eat Southern comfort food. Tupelo Honey knows this! Even though it's
originally from Asheville (and are now in seven states including... Colorado?), they know Atlanta is fat and
likes biscuits, fried chicken, and the rest. So THC opened up shop and brought their “new South flavors” to
Sandy Springs (where the money is). Rejoice, because this means you now have a go-to spot for gourmet
Appalachian Johnny cake, a fried green tomato BLT, 14-hour-roasted “Cackalackie” pulled pork, and
buttermilk fried chicken with milk gravy.
NEXTO
OLD 4TH WARD
Ramen is meant to be slurped, and these days ATL residents are slurping more of it than ever. It’s a good
thing that we have lots of it to go around, including at Nexto, where French Culinary Institute grad Mihoko
Obunai (who’s had ramen pop-ups at The Sound Table and EAV’s SoBa) runs things. Try the caramelized
garlic-soy “JFC” wings, the robata-grilled Wagyu sirloin, or a bowl of Kurobuta tonkotsu (pork belly) or Ebi
Shoyu ramen (GA white shrimp). You’ll feel good and be able to tell people you stay on that next(o) level.
And then people will laugh at your corniness and dad jokes.
COURTESY OF STORICO FRESCO ALIMENTARI E RISTORANTE
STORICO FRESCO
BUCKHEAD
Everybody who’s shopped at Peachtree Farmers Market has loved chef/sommelier Mike Patrick’s
handmade pasta for years, as he’s put “lost” Italian pasta traditions back into play and been recognized as
one of the top folks making squid ink pasta in ATL for years. Now with his retail “alimentari” and restaurant,
you can either buy it for the house or enjoy it without cooking from the Berkshire pork meatballs to the
rabbit ragu gnocchi and lasagna alla bolognese with veal, pork, beef, and bechamel.
COURTESY OF AMARA
AMARA
OLD 4TH WARD
When you mix New American food with Indian flavors, you get something that’s certainly bold in more
ways than one. That’s the idea behind Amara, which is from the folks behind Tabla (the sexiest Indian
restaurant in town), and which offers a great view of all the action on N. Highland. They also offer great
snacks like crispy pig ear chevdo, a gang of small plates including masala prawn, curry-tomato mussels, and
duck confit samosas. If you’re down to go bigger there’s vindaloo of pork shoulder, and a hanger steak with
jaggery-tamarind glaze. And yes, it DOES have the moves.
AMALFI PIZZA
AMALFI PIZZA
DOWNTOWN
You know you love Neapolitan pies, and you know you can’t bake them at home like DiGiorno. It takes
gusto, as well as two 6,000lb wood-burning brick ovens imported from Italy. The 12-inchers you get here at
Amalfi are cooked in 60 seconds at 900 degrees, and were made from recipes created by master pizzaiolos
(fancy word for pizza chefs) Stephen de Haan and Greg Grant. And really, it shouldn’t take much more
convincing for you to go eat some damn good pizza, so there you go.
SMOKE + DUCK SAUCE
CUMBERLAND
Jay-Z’s former sidekick Sauce Money once had a classic rap line that shook the whole rap game about
people trying to “duck sauce.” Well, he was right, because you and everybody else who can’t rap at all need
to go eat some Asian barbecue on the edge of Marietta. While you’ve surely tasted the tamarind-based
sauce many times, you haven’t had it like this, with your choice of smoked meat (grilled chicken, pulled
pork, brisket, rib racks), over your choice of steamed or egg fried rice... or mixed greens, and sides like
smoked brisket lima beans.
CAFÉ VENDÔME ATLANTA
CAFÉ VENDOME
BUCKHEAD
A French bakery is never a bad idea. Refined pastries and baguettes from a French/American citizen who
got his Executive MBA at Emory’s Goizueta Business School, and is not only an engineer but also a soccer
player and youth coach, is a special thing, especially when his food is legit delicious. Go there and eat the
saveurs, especially the smoked salmon “river sandwich” or tartines from curry chicken to chorizo and
peppers.
COURTESY OF BUTCHER & BREW
BUTCHER & BREW
ALPHARETTA
It’s not every day that a gastro sports bar/restaurant is proud to say it’s “located in the soul of downtown
Historic Alpharetta,” but with a name like Butcher & Brew you might consider that it's coming through to
kick ass and change things for the better. It's doing that with fresh locally baked bread, eclectic craft beers
from ATL and around the country, and a ‘50s/‘60s era street shop setup that makes you feel even better
about getting a house pastrami sammy called “The Underwood." Or the cornmeal crusted salmon
sandwich.
RICHARDS' SOUTHERN FRIED
KROG STREET MARKET
Nashville-style hot chicken is having a moment in ATL -- even Hattie B’s is moving here to make sure it
doesn’t miss the money it should be getting. That’s not to say that some people are doing it so well that
they should have a permanent license to kill when it comes to the spicy chicken dish. And Todd Richards
has earned that right. Sure, you’re spending more than $10, but when you taste those red peppered thighs
and have a seat at the bench (which invites you there by being properly setup with a placemat and all the
utensils before you even sit down), you’ll know that Nashville and ATL are soul-sisters anyway, so just go
with it.
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/atlanta/best-new-restaurants-atlanta-2016