Ticonderoga Club
The old gang is back together again. Greg Best, Regan Smith, and a handful of other familiar faces from Holeman and Finch Public House have regrouped to launch this watering hole in Krog Street Market. Also behind the bar (as if Best isn’t enough) is Paul Calvert, formerly of Paper Plane. Not to be outdone, chef Davies Bies delivers an impressive mix of quirky and refined plates. Whole fried Ipswich clams between buttered pain de Mie (pictured) is sandwich perfection, while sauteed sweetbreads over arugula puree or slow-roasted duck with jus show off his fine-dining
pedigree. Check the “captain’s quarters” upstairs for a more private table. 99 Krog Street, 404-458-4534
Brezza Cucina
Celebrity chefs haven’t fared too well in Atlanta. Remember Tom Colicchio at Craft or Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market Atlanta? But Jonathan Waxman is poised to break the pattern. Big and breezy with an open kitchen, Brezza Cucina is the best restaurant in Ponce City Market, led by chef Adam Evans, who first won over fans at the Optimist. Standouts include a robust bucatini all’amatriciana, red snapper with olives and fennel, and Waxman’s famous roasted chicken. Also craveworthy: a brunch-only breakfast pizza with a runny farm egg. 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue, 404-724-9700
Bellina Alimentari
This expansive restaurant has a number of moving parts: a fresh pasta station, a wall of oils and imported dried pastas for purchase, and a cheese and charcuterie counter. Is it too much to pull off? Most of the food is dull—the pasta thick and doughy, and the paninis built on unwieldy bread. The best part is likely the all-Italian wine list, which gives welcome attention to orange wines. 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue, 404-330-9933
Bar Margot
The irrepressible Ford Fry just couldn’t resist stamping his name on another establishment, this time as a consulting chef for the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. Replacing Park 75 Lounge, Bar Margot would do best to emphasize the bar, considering Greg Best and Paul Calvert (see Ticonderoga Club, above) consulted on the cocktail menu. A curry-less crab kedgeree and overcooked lamb ribs distract from drinks like the herbal Copper Kettle (pictured). 75 14th Street, 404-881-5913
This article originally appeared in our January 2016 issue.
