Holeman's Greg Best on Brain Freezes, Brunch, and Bars

Holeman and Finch's Greg Best reveals where he likes to cool down and eat up in Southern Living's Atlanta Guide to Summer in the South. The co-owner and bartender was New York-born but has since made Atlanta his home. He'll be making appearances at the Food & Wine Festival this weekend to lead classes like Southern Chemistry and the Build-a-Bar Workshop as well as fulfilling his role as one of the top mixologists in the country by repping the cocktail culture of Atlanta in the Cocktail Throwdown Saturday evening.

Best calls Zesto the "chain restaurant that never became a chain," and would suffer through a brainfreeze for the spot's chocolate malt shake any day. He mentions the oft-lauded Octane but recs the coffeehouse's alcoholic drinks for happy hour, not its pour-over or French press. H. Harper Station is the place to go for brunch (get the biscuits), while The Porter Beer Bar is good for lunch, and Pura Vida's tapas have him hooked. People looking to drink later in the day should try Leon's Full Service, and Laura Creasy's Pimm's Cup at JCT Kitchen is Best's favorite "summer thirst-quencher."
· Summer in the South: Atlanta, GA [Southern Living]
[Photo via Star Chefs]