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Young Blood Boutique
At this Poncey-Highland gem—the retail offspring of Young Blood Gallery—you will find handcrafted greeting cards, Atlanta-centric items (illustrations, photography, maps), modern jewelry, and more. Some standouts from a recent visit: men’s shaving kits in soft leather pouches, a baby onesie that says “Made in Georgia,” and Magical Unicorn–flavored sea salt.
Plaza Theatre
The Plaza’s fortunes have risen and fallen over the decades, and this year marked another rebirth for the 1939 movie house. New owner Michael Furlinger spruced up the lobby, replaced ancient seats, and, most importantly, brought in a whole new series of programming, from this summer’s 50 Years of Bond festival to the ongoing CineProv “movie-riffing” shows (imagine a live-action version of the smart-aleck robots on Mystery Science Theater 3000).
Clermont Lounge
What was once a true dive bar has now been largely overrun by annoying hipsters, but the real strength of Atlanta’s oldest strip club is that it rejects all attempts to co-opt it. So go. Go for Blondie, the poetry-spewing ecdysiast. Go for the DJ. Go for the David Lynch lighting and the cheap beer. Who knows? You may bump into someone famous. Is that Lady Gaga over there?
Paul Calvert
Most mixologists skew heavily toward flash and fashion, but Calvert concocts libations that blend tradition and innovation with a splash of intuition. He’s the kind of bartender to whom we can say, “I’d like something interesting made with bourbon,” and he’ll hand over a liquid wonder spiked with ginger beer, citrus, and bitters that sates our cravings precisely. His 2011 summer move from rowdy Sound Table to the more relaxed (and recently renovated) bar at Pura Vida allows his talents to shine more than ever. For an easygoing introduction to Calvert’s style, start with a glass of his rummy, not-too-sweet Planter’s Punch.
HD1
The fanbase Richard Blais earned from Top Chef makes it easy for him to push iconoclastic versions of affordable comfort food. Like the Flip Burger Boutiques he oversees, HD1 concentrates on style—which, on an early visit, largely trumped substance. The dining room, formerly a location of San Francisco Coffee Roasting Co., is dark and relentlessly loud, and the community-style seating makes it a much more appealing option for a group outing than a date-night destination.
Toppings on the hot dogs and sausages are creative but can come off busy and a little weird: North African–inspired lamb merguez, for example, is dressed with minted cucumber salad and a too-sweet red currant compote. The buttery brioche rolls are delicious, at least. And starters labeled “bits” and “pieces”—spiced boiled peanuts, shrimp encased in grits and fried like corn dogs—are cheeky fun. Consider this place a work in progress.
The Real Chow Baby – Poncey-Highland
Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
With its splashy new interactive exhibits, sold-out lectures, traveling shows, and presidential artifacts such as the Nobel Prize, this museum is a local treasure. The presidential library added extra cachet a few years ago, including interactive exhibits (including on on Madeleine Albright’s pins), lectures from notables such as Tom Brokaw, and, oh yeah, artifacts like Carter’s Nobel Prize.
Pura Vida
Weekdays offer couples a mellow spot for date night, though the crowds get more rambunctious on the weekend. It’s probably those precisely muddled mojitos.
Babette’s Cafe
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