Photograph by Wedig + Laxton
Best Expansion: Big Softie
Little Tart Bakeshop founder Sarah O’Brien launched the second location of her soft-serve ice cream shop in Poncey-Highland—the first is in Summerhill—to lines down the street. Folks clamor for her vegan oat vanilla (reminiscent of cereal milk) topped with strawberry shortcake crumble. Cue the Good Humor nostalgia!
Best Galettes: Colette Bread & Bakeshop
Sometimes sweet and sometimes savory, the galettes served from Colette’s in Poncey-Highland change with the seasons, but the flavors never fail. Light and flaky outside and filled with fresh fruit, they can be eaten for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. Tomato, apple, or pear—we crave them all!
Photograph by Andrew Thomas Lee
Best Comeback: Kevin Gillespie at Nàdair
After fighting renal cancer and shuttering multiple restaurants (Revival, Cold Beer, Slabtown), chef Kevin Gillespie returns to the kitchen at Nàdair in North Druid Hills. Here he reimagines Scottish dishes inspired by his heritage. Items on the three-course prix fixe and six-course tasting menus feature bold wood-fired flavors—the Georgia mushrooms with red wine hollandaise are no exception.
New Home: Lazy Betty
Shortly after winning a Michelin star, chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips relocated their fine-dining restaurant from Candler Park to the heart of Midtown, reinvigorating the former Empire State South space. With more room, the tasting menu spot began offering a la carte dishes, such as citrus-cured kampachi, at the bar.
Most Welcoming: “Mama Gale” Parker at Amore e Amore
Everyone who enters Amore e Amore, the Italian gem in Inman Park known for its seasonally changing themes and outrageous decorations, is treated like family. Cofounder Mama Gale spends time with each guest, learning their story and sharing her own. Even children are welcomed, never mind the white tablecloths. Come for the hospitality, and stay for such pasta dishes as rigatoni Bolognese and fettuccine Alfredo.
Photograph by Martha Williams
Best Sandwiches & More: Pure Quill Superette
One-stop shops are rare, but we have one in Pure Quill Superette (superette means “small market”) in Edgewood. Shop for produce and dry goods, and stay for a sandwich or one of the comforting rice bowls, like the fried tofu battered in pumpkin flour.
Fluffiest Pancakes: Cafe 104
Japanese-style soufflé pancakes are thicker and more cloudlike than their American counterparts, and the ones at Cafe 104 in Duluth are quintessentially jiggly. They take about 20 minutes to prepare and come with a variety of toppings, including strawberry and matcha glazes.
New Menu: Tiny Lou’s
Michelin-recommended Tiny Lou’s has a new chef in James Corwell, who brought his own Michelin background with him to the Hotel Clermont restaurant in Poncey-Highland. His menu changes seasonally, but past standouts include a braised leek and date salad and a poached halibut fillet with corn risotto. (Editor’s note: James Corwell has since left Tiny Lou’s.)
All-Around Brunch: Hen Mother Cookhouse
The recently opened Alpharetta location of Hen Mother Cookhouse offers everything you could want in a brunch place: breakfast tacos, fluffy biscuits, refreshing cocktails, and cozy vibes in a historic former home. The thick pancakes alone are worth the drive OTP.
Photograph by Martha Williams
New Neighborhood Restaurant: Ela
Fifth Group Restaurants upgraded Original El Taco in Virginia-Highland to a more modern, community-driven Mediterranean restaurant with rich meze boards, bright cocktails, and a hearty Turkish hash for brunch. For a more casual vibe, dine on the covered patio, where you’re sure to see everyone you know walk by.
New Omakase: M by Tasuku Murakami
Leave it to Umi to create another popular concept. The newest spot is M by Tasuku Murakami, an eight-seat omakase restaurant in Buckhead that’s open only three nights a week. In 17 courses, chef Tasuku Murakami, formerly of Manhattan’s The Lobster Club, showcases more interesting dishes than the reliable sushi found downstairs.
New Buford Highway Barbecue Spot: Kochi Maru Barbecue
Kochi Maru in Doraville specializes in Chinese-style barbecued skewers cooked on a unique grill set on the table. The menu has various omnivore- and vegetarian-friendly skewers that cook as they rotate over coals. Other dishes, such as vinegary pickled cucumbers with crunchy black mushrooms, are the perfect foil to grilled meats.
Best Pop-Up-to-Institution: Bomb Biscuit
Chef Erika Council got her start as a pop-up, but her cooking landed her on Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs list this year. She’s on fire, and her biscuits are the hot ticket. Though the Old Fourth Ward restaurant opened just two years ago, the chef and her biscuits are a bona fide institution.
New Soup Dumplings: Kitchen Master
Our new favorite soup dumplings—made fresh, with perfectly thin skins and a nice amount of soup—are in Suwanee at Kitchen Master. This posh restaurant specializes in xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and even has some infused with truffles. Suwanee is nearly an hour out from Atlanta, but it’s much closer than Shanghai.
Photograph courtesy of The Colonnade
Revived and Survived
What a wild ride 2024 has been for restaurateurs. Postpandemic fallout, economic struggles, water main breaks, and flat-out bad timing sabotaged establishments big and small, resulting in moves for some, closures for others.
Among those that shuttered this year were The General Muir location in Sandy Springs, Rwby in Midtown, South Main Kitchen in Alpharetta, and Elsewhere Brewing in West Midtown. For the owners of the long-standing Mi Barrio on Memorial in Grant Park, it was more personal—after more than 20 years, it just felt like it was time to retire.
Beyond that, Mother Nature wasn’t helping matters. In the spring, the roof on the institution that is Mary Mac’s Tea Room partially collapsed due to severe rains and a fallen pole. The storm happened in the early morning, and no one was hurt. Perhaps more stunning, the historic restaurant on Ponce de Leon Avenue reopened within a couple of months.
Then, further raising the anxiety levels of diners citywide, was the announcement that The Colonnade was up for sale. Generations of patrons collectively held their breath, preparing to say goodbye to the cherished staff and well-worn dining room. But business partners Paul Donahue and Lewis Jeffries of Lingering Shade Social Club on the Beltline swooped in to save the day, buying the iconic Cheshire Bridge Road establishment. They promised to not only keep the current staff (and bring back a few others) but preserve the restaurant’s essence, making only subtle improvements to freshen the decor.
Looks like the 97-year-old restaurant will actually live to see 100. That calls for icy martinis and hot fried chicken all around.
Best Solo Bar Dining: Pendolino
Unwind after work at this smart spot just off Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Start with an Italian-inspired cocktail, perhaps the rye-based Via Romana, at the elegant bar. Put aside your worries about those unanswered emails as you nibble on marinated citrus olives with pecorino cheese, followed by a wood-fired pizzetta. Indulge a bit further with spumoni, tiramisu, or an espresso martini. Why not? You’ve come this far.
New Food Truck: Ginsberg’s Refresher at Wild Heaven Beer
Talk about a welcome wagon. This newcomer to Avondale Estates rolled up in all its blue-green glory as if it were always meant to be there. Enjoy a craft brew on the patio along with Todd Ginsberg’s flavor-packed (and sensibly sized) renditions of fast-food and barroom
classics: burgers, wings, salmon dip, and much more.
Weekday Brunch: Buttermilk Biscuit
Head to College Park to add a little maple drizzle, champagne fizzle, and bacon sizzle to your workaday routine. Whether you’re sipping coffee or something stronger (we see you, TGIF-ers), stay fueled for the day with the Biscuit Trio, wings and waffles, berry-topped French toast, Cajun shrimp ‘n’ grits, or a stacked breakfast “sammich.”
New Vegan Pizza: Pizza Verdura Sincera
Craving a slice from your new favorite pizza joint in Little Five Points isn’t unusual, but when it’s from a vegan pizza joint, that takes any bona fide meat eater by surprise. We’re thinking especially of the Messicano, with spicy vegan sausage, sweet and fiery peppers, roasted corn, onions, garlic, and ginger.
New Slice of Italian Life: Bottega Italian Market & Pizza
Whether you’re Italian or not, you’ll feel like a paisan as you’re greeted at this marketplace and eatery at Marietta Square. Vino or espresso in hand, browse the imported specialty foods as well as cases filled with cheeses, olives, and cured meats. Pizza, focaccia sandwiches, caprese salad, and desserts await.
Best New Buford Highway Offshoot: Dumpling Factory
This Northern China Eatery outpost, in the Westside Paper development, offers the same authentic handmade dumplings, soups, pan-fried pot stickers, and noodle dishes that made the original BuHi location so beloved. Bonus: more room, and no waits for a table.
Photograph by Martha Williams
New Honduran Street Food: La Glorieta
Come for the breakfast plate, stay for the street food. The cheery, modest cafe off Lawrenceville Highway in Tucker offers dozens of kiosk-style foods typical of the Central American country. Start with the baleadas (tortillas filled with refried red beans, queso duro, and crema, plus add-ons like avocado, egg, chicken, or steak).
New Pop-Up: Long Snake
Nomadic chef Joshua Fryer and his pop-up Long Snake are settled in at Banshee (with a full bar) in East Atlanta Village after a residency at Pure Quill Superette. Track him, as well as
his follow-worthy food—buttermilk hoecakes, hot and numbing okra, fish congee, and muscadine cake—on Instagram.
New Food Hall: Halidom Eatery
Its splashy grand opening introduced neon-pink Miami glamour to Moreland Avenue in Southeast Atlanta. The South Beach–inspired venue offers plenty of free parking, nearly a dozen food options (from Mexican street food and Indian grilled bites to specialty waffles), a cocktail bar, themed events, and a chic patio overlooking a serene green space.
New Tofu House: Du Bu Gong Bang
The draw at this Duluth hot spot is Korean-style tofu (dubu) made in-house. It’s served in bubbling hot stews in clay pots with sides of rice and banchan bites. Order it plain, with spicy kimchi, or with oysters. It’s filling on its own, but who can resist the L.A. kalbi ribs and seafood scallion pancake?
Photograph by Martha Williams
Next-Level Plating: Auburn Angel
Auburn Angel, which opened this year in Sweet Auburn in the historic former home of Auburn Avenue Rib Shack, does many things very well. Its presentation, however, is truly superlative. Chef Robbie Pacheco’s dishes arrive on the plate with a dash of dazzle, full of vibrant colors and gravity-defying balancing acts, and pastry chef Pamela Moxley follows suit with all the ooze, drizzle, and crunch you could want from dessert. It makes a surprise out of every arrival to the table, but devouring each one is the real treat.
Resettlement at a Brick-and-Mortar: Two Fish Myanmar
During the pandemic, Yapar Shel and his wife, Roi San, refugees originally from Myanmar, offered Burmese cooking from their Clarkston home. Now they have a charming spot in the Clarkston Market complex, where they turn out jelly-layered and milky desserts, tea leaf salad, catfish soup, chicken biryani, whole spicy fish, and fragrant curries.
Best Butter Chicken: Zyka
There are many worthy renditions of butter chicken around town, but Zyka’s (in Decatur and Alpharetta) wins as the most authentic. The curry uses marinated chicken cooked in a tandoor, as is tradition, then pulled and shredded and served in a rich tomato gravy. Sop up the smoky goodness with plenty of naan.
Best Hangout for Philly Transplants: Nicky’s Undefeated
Natives insist: It’s not a Philly cheesesteak unless it’s on a Liscio’s roll, with fried onions and Cheez Whiz. Nicky’s Undefeated in Tucker has got you covered and then some. Come game time, five TVs and plenty of Victory Brewing beer fuel camaraderie (“Fly, Eagles, Fly”). It’s all that and a bag of Herr’s chips. Cherry water ice? Check.
New Barbecue: Gene’s
The new East Lake restaurant from Avery Cottrell is a ball of fun centered on Texas and Viet-Cajun barbecue. Inside, there’s folk art everywhere and a disco ball lighting up the room. Meat plates come with tortillas to fill with brisket, chicken, or pork, and pickled veggies to dunk in “Boss Saus,” a sweet barbecue sauce with red pepper flakes for the right spice. Viet-Cajun sides such as marinated crab claws and fish sauce caramel wings steal the show.
New Middle Eastern: Raik Mediterranean
Palestinian chef Faiq Usman shifts from fast-casual Middle Eastern food to upscale with his restaurant, Raik Mediterranean, in Suwanee. His menu draws on Palestinian and Lebanese specialties through elevated spreads, meze, kebabs, and mains such as lamb shank and housemade falafel. The interior is stylish, with cream-colored tiles, olive banquettes, and olive trees to pay homage to his family’s Palestinian homeland.
Photograph by Wedig + Laxton
Photograph by Wedig + Laxton
Not Your Grandpa’s Steakhouse: Casa Balam
The hacienda-inspired restaurant, which opened in Decatur this spring, offers a refreshingly cosmopolitan interpretation of the classic steakhouse. The prime cuts are all flown in from Meats by Linz in the Chicago area. At your table, the steaks arrive perfectly seared, accompanied by one of three custom butters accented by Mexican flavors. Casa Balam’s polished cocktails (which lean toward tequila and mezcal), a snappy weekend brunch menu, and a beautiful modern interior round out this sterling addition to Atlanta’s restaurant scene.
Best New Neighborhood Market: Mikkelson’s
A new outpost by Jen and Emily Chan of JenChan’s, Mikkelson’s Market combines the best of a neighborhood corner store with finely curated food and goods. It’s a diminutive space, wedged between two diagonal Reynoldstown streets, but Mikkelson’s makes use of every corner, with a cooler full of premade meals perfect for easy weekday dinners, shelves of world cuisine–roaming dry goods, and such everyday staples as toilet paper and candles; what else could a neighborhood need?
See all Best of Atlanta 2024 winners
This article appears in our December 2024 issue.
