St. Cecilia

Whoa, was this once Bluepointe? The latest from Ford Fry—the hit maker behind the Optimist and King + Duke (among others)—vanquishes any memory of the nineties fusion restaurant in Buckhead’s Pinnacle Building. Gone are the wacky primary colors, the twisty light fixtures, and the curving walls. In their place are circa-now trappings that will one day also feel like anachronisms: the marble bar, the knotty hardwoods, and the white subway tiles running up wide columns. The menu draws inspiration from coastal Mediterranean cuisine but feels wholly American. Home in on pastas like housemade spaghetti tossed with Jonah crab and sprinkled with garlicky breadcrumbs, or a fiercely seared cod fillet over silky cabbage. The crowds, predictably, are relentless: Sunday may be the only night you should even consider snagging a last-minute reservation.