Atlanta restaurant suggestions 97

On Mon, 04 Aug 1997 18:07:20 GMT, [email removed] (Trebor Nibot) wrote:

>Hi all
>
>I found a few places for good upscale dining in an older (1995) post
>to this group.  Wondered if anyone can make suggestions for an
>upcoming trip to Atlanta from Aug 9 to 15th.
>
>Italian, Mexican, Chinese, steak house etc.
>
>Here's some that I've found mentioned several times - are these places
>still good and in business?

I'll throw some recommendations into the pot, but it would be easier if you told us what type of food you prefer, price range, location, etc.

>Jason Lau's Orient Express, The desert place, Beasleys

I've either never heard of them (1) and (3) or lack sufficient knowledge to recommend or reject.

>Buckhead Diner

Pretty good, but the food quality isn't what it used to be.  Still, an enjoyable dining experience.

>Pricci's

OK, but I've been put off by the service, the noise, and the staggering level of salt in the food the last few times I've been there, and it ain't cheap.  I prefer Abruzzi.

Among the Buckhead Life Group, I visited Nava a few weeks ago and was very impressed by the quality of the food across the board.  It lacks authenticity as a Southwestern restauarant and is expensive, but worth the cost.  I view it more as modern American with Southwestern influences, and it pulls that off brilliantly, if my experience reflects the norm there.

Other expensive Buckhead restaurants worth the money and effort to visit:  Bacchanalia, Brasserie Le Coze, The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton (very, very expensive), and Bone's and the Palm for steaks.  Downtown, I'm very fond of the City Grill.

Staying in town and toning the price level down a notch, I find the Colannade to be hard to beat for Southern food, Sundown Cafe has good Southwestern, Havanna Sandwich Shop offers outstanding and inexpensive Cuban food, Everybody's offers good pizza for Atlanta, and Thai Chilli is the best Thai in town.

Moving northward, Dick and Harry's, in Roswell, is currently serving food that matches the best new American in the city, at prices to match.  Van Gogh's, also in Roswell, has been highly recommended to me, but I haven't been there.

Along the Peachtree Industrial corridor, Cafe Renaissance does a new American/continental blend that offers the finest dining value in the metro area, IMO.  Kurt's River Manor, the best restaurant in Gwinnett County, seems to be slipping in service and the prices have gone up, making it less a value than it used to be.

Finally, Houston's has restaurants dotting the area and they are the masters of the bar/grill type, rising above the sea of mediocrity that populates the genre, like Bennigan's, Applebee's, etc.  The waits tend to be excessive, to say the least, however.