Kyma
Bill Addison
Octopus is a hot ingredient nationally, but Atlanta has been in tentacle utopia for years thanks to Kyma. The restaurant grills it to crisp smokiness and serves it over a simple pickled red onion salad with a splash of red wine vinaigrette. Opa, y’all. Buckhead Life Restaurant Group owner Pano Karatassos opened Kyma in 2001 as a paean to his Greek heritage, and it continues to outshine all his other Buckhead ventures. This place is my immediate answer when a reader asks for a seafood recommendation. A whole fish like royal dorade (a swimmer in the bass family) is a worthy investment, but for today’s ADHD eating habits you could make a meal of the small “mezze” plates. Hawaiian herb-crusted white tuna with quinoa salad and preserved lemon wowed at a late spring meal, as did pancakelike zucchini fritters slathered with feta and spiced yogurt.