Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore
Magnolia Room Cafeteria
Decorated in the periwinkle-blue and apple-green hues of the 1950s, this Southern cafeteria is like a snapshot from the past. It was started by a former patron and several former cooks at the beloved but defunct S & S Cafeteria in Embry Hills. Pick the Magnolia Plate (one of five select entrees, plus two vegetables, bread, and a beverage)—a feast at $8.50—or go free-range among the trays of trout almondine, chicken potpie, and fried chicken livers with onions and gravy. Travel back in time with crackling cornbread, jellied cranberry or orange salads, and endless glasses of sweet iced tea at a table decorated with fresh carnations. 4450 Hugh Howell Road, Tucker, 770-864-1845
Iron Guys
Iron Guys’ innovative grilling method is all the rage in Korea, and now the Asia-based chain has opened a Suwanee location. This industrial-chic Korean barbecue restaurant uses infrared toaster oven–like tabletop grills that keep the room free of the usual smoke. Flavor suffers some in the process, but the meat—from pork belly to beef to chicken—is tender. Dip it in the hearty mixture of egg and cheese bubbling away atop the portable rotisseries. 2850 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Suwanee, 678-288-9289
Petit Chou
Chef Diana Presson Eller has created an approachable, French-ish meets Southern-ish menu: You’ll find avocado toast with Boursin, a croque monsieur, biscuits and gravy, and a bowl of grits with tomato concassé and sharp cheddar. The patio overlooking a tiny garden is part of the charm of this Cabbagetown spot. 662 Memorial Drive, 470-270-8996
Star Provisions
Much has been gained by Anne Quatrano’s move from Westside Provisions to an elegant roadhouse just a mile away. Instead of take-out sandwiches—still available inside a sliver of the old space, renamed Little Star Provisions—plated dishes are now served throughout the day. There’s antipasto salad, the most supple French omelet to ever meet a baguette, pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven, and even fried shrimp and soft veal meatballs. 1460 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard, 404-365-0410
This article originally appeared in our July 2017 issue.
