Who will go on to the next round: Bacchanalia or the Optimist?

Voting in our Final Fork contest gives us more nail-biting competition
1000

It’s time for Round Two of our Final Fork contest, which brings us one step closer to determining Atlanta’s favorite restaurant.

Y’all weighed in last week and narrowed down our original list of sixty-four restaurants to thirty-two, and some interesting pairings have emerged. Like Holeman and Finch versus Manuel’s—one’s renowned for craft cocktails and hip crowds; the other’s a good place for a cheap beer and conversation with journalists and politicos. Or Antico versus Fogo—Atlanta’s favorite pizza spot versus its fave place to binge on meat. And Miller Union versus JCT—Steven Satterfield’s (relative) newcomer and Ford Fry’s staple.

But the face-off I’m most interested in is Bacchanalia versus the Optimist. Because this is why I love our Final Fork contest: It sets out to find our readers’ favorite restaurant. As Google Analytics have told us many a time: Y’all love our 50 Best Restaurants cover story, so each of you is probably well aware that our food editor and restaurant critic, Bill Addison, views Bacch as the best in Atlanta. It “offers the city’s most memorable dining experience,” says Addison, and Bacch “reigns as monarch” in our “decimated fine-dining terrain.” (It’s also one of those restaurants whose price tag can be a bit of a deterrent to even the most dedicated foodie. I’ve been once. I thought the meal was one the best I’ve had in the city. It also cost me a little over $200, so I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon/ever.) Could an upstart restaurant from the mind of Ford Fry serving seafood in a landlocked city beat out the “monarch”? Perhaps. Especially if Esquire deemed it the Best Restaurant of the Year (as in, in the nation) and finding a weekend reservation is damn near impossible. Is it conceivable that our Addison Approved (trademark pending) Best Restaurant in Atlanta won’t make it past Round Two?

Last week, 1,250 of our Insiders voted in Round One. The most popular restaurant that round? Holeman, which scored 849 votes. The closest battle? 5 Seasons versus Manuel’s, separated by ten votes. (An earlier version of this post incorrectly listed Woodfire Grill and Canoe—also a tight race—as the closest.) So far in Round Two, Antico is leading the charge for most-popular status (Fogo fans, show your love!). Of course, the week is still young…

Did you vote last week? Great! Vote this week too. Sure, you get to help determine the most beloved eatery in the A, but each round you vote in gives you yet another entry to win one of our sweet prizes, including a Big Green Egg, a bottle of Richland Rum, and a $100 gift certificate to the Final Fork restaurant of your choice. Learn more about the prizes here.

So vote now! If for no other reason than so we can find out if Bacchanalia has the prestige to beat out the constantly packed Optimist.

Advertisement