Photograph by Martha Williams
Capolinea
The first thing you notice when you enter Capolinea, the Italian restaurant within Signia by Hilton, is the attention to architectural detail, from the pearl-encrusted chandeliers to the floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Fortunately, this isn’t the last time Capolinea impresses.
At a recent dinner, there was plenty to ooh and aah over at the restaurant helmed by executive sous chef Jeuel Ortiz, a hotel veteran who spent time in Texas and Montana before making his way to Atlanta.
It started with the bread service. The bread itself was freshly baked, but it was the smoky, tingly housemade Calabrian chili butter that made my dinner date and me look at each other and smile (before polishing off the ramekin).
Then there was the martini trolley. I usually avoid martinis for fear that they’ll put me under the table, but I couldn’t resist the allure of a drink prepared table-side; I opted for the Sicilian, a blend of gin, vermouth, marsala, and amaretto, with an almond-stuffed olive garnish. It’s a scene-stealer, with vapor emanating from the liquid hydrogen used to make the drinks crisply cold.
Other stars of the evening included the ravioli stuffed with braised duck and the simply prepared spaghetti al pomodoro, made with housemade pasta and a bright, fresh tomato sauce. You’ll want to save room for pastry chef Daniella Lea Rada’s artful desserts, such as La Farfalla (“the butterfly”), a lavender cremeux (akin to a mousse) served alongside butterfly pea flower powder gelato in a periwinkle hue—the color deepens when it melds with the limoncello marmalade. Downtown —Lia Picard
Photograph by Martha Williams
Du Bu Gong Bang
Korean-style tofu (dubu), glorious and custardy, made in-house every morning, is the star of this Duluth newcomer. Whether plain white, fiery with kimchi, or nestled with oysters, Du Bu’s luxurious, super-silken soon du bu jji-gae (soft tofu stew) is sped to the table in a bubbling clay pot: With rice and an assortment of banchan, it’s plenty for two to share. Make it a combo, and between slurps, you can nosh on L.A. kalbi-style short ribs, classic Korean pork ’cue, or grilled mackerel. I love nibbling the sticky, sweet flanken ribs with the tiny bone in the middle—an American invention that came about when Korean cooks in Los Angeles began to source their beef from Mexican butchers. For some diners, the seafood and scallion pancake, cooked on a griddle and snipped tableside into wedges, may in fact eclipse the tofu. Duluth —Wendell Brock
Raik Mediterranean
Palestinian chef Faiq Usman’s old Cafe Raik in Duluth—long a reliable destination for textbook falafel, hummus, shawarma, and kebabs—recently reemerged as Raik Mediterranean in Suwanee. Happily, the luscious eggplant dips, pristine salads, and warm, pillowy pitas survived the move. A handsomely designed space with a full bar, Raik has a menu is full of flavors from the Palestinian region. It still offers seriously cravings-causing stuffed pitas and impeccable za’atar-sprinkled fries. Try the cutely named shawafel (only available at lunch)—that would be chicken shawarma and falafel packed in a pita pocket with all the crunchy, saucy things: fresh cucumber and tomato, pickled red cabbage, and herby green and classic blond tahinis. Or wow your table with a feast: shareable spreads; fresh greens (perhaps tabbouleh and fattoush); and a plate of smoky grilled kebabs (filet mignon, salmon, veggies, or my forever fave: a ground beef and lamb mix). Raik’s falafel, let it be said, is mandatory. Suwanee —Wendell Brock
This article appears in our September 2024 issue.
