Tag: Highland Tap

Martinis certainly seem to be having a Renaissance around Atlanta. For some, like Branham Bolt, bartender at Chops in Buckhead, martinis are always top of mind. “Martinis are probably the number one thing people order at the bar,” he says.

“Virginia-Highland just got stale; it needed a refresh,” says Gene Kansas, a cultural developer and founder of Gene Kansas Commercial Real Estate. “Atlantans wanted current places to go on dates and take their children. [Virginia-Highland] didn’t have what they wanted and needed, so the community went elsewhere.”

In a dimly lit cellar below the bustle of Virginia-Highland, old-hat bartenders have been pouring stiff drinks since 1989.

Pancakes are finally having a moment in Atlanta. Crepes aren't there—yet. Also, we're worried about Virginia-Highland becoming a mediocre dining spot.

Who wants to eat steak while smelling fish? I like the cocktails at Amer, but must the entire bar smell like a grilled cheese? Please, get a better vent hood. Plus, I worry that we’re overlooking chef Allen Suh, who has a knack for turning Asian food on its head.

“Location, location, location”—preferably with street visibility and plenty of parking—is one of the tenets of restaurant success. Ideally, though, a city should also have secret haunts where urbanites can hide from the maddening congestion and cruel glare.