Are Atlantans Picky Eaters?

What Now, Atlanta blogger Caleb Spivak and other food writers participated in a live chat this afternoon. Here's what Spivak had to say on ethnic food and the Atlanta dining scene:

I don't know, Atlantans are very picky when it comes to food, and I just dont think [ethnic restaurants] will succeed past Buford Highway. I mean, if you look at the number of restaurants that are closing that are just typical American-style cuisine, I would be very surprised if something far out there would work in Atlanta as it does in New York or elsewhere ... Even [now closed] Cuerno, Beleza, those types of restaurants in Midtown just stray away from what Atlantans are comfortable with and then it cant survive, so they've got to go with something more Americanized. I mean, there are several examples where restaurants are venturing off out of the comfort zone and they don't survive."