We're already learning where Atlanta chefs like to eat in our Go-To Guide. Now we're also finding out where our favorite bartenders love to drink (and eat) when they're off the clock. Welcome to the Boozin' Go-To Guide. Cheers!
Tiffanie Barriere at One Flew South. [Photo: Christopher Watkins]
Since opening day in 2008, Louisiana native Tiffanie Barriere has run the show at One Flew South, the best bar in the world's busiest airport, if not the best bar in any airport (according to the likes of Forbes, GQ, Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, just to name a few). Her Southern take on classic cocktails (from the 1880s to 1940s) includes a penchant for seasonal, fresh ingredients, and she's earned respect not just from high-falutin' media types, but also from peers like Arianne Fielder, who calls Barriere a "cocktail goddess." We figure she's got to have charms to get everything she needs past the TSA and to keep happy just about every kind of traveler that pulls up a chair coming or going (some lucky enough to be regulars). Here are the places you might spot her when she's not taking care of the jet-set.
Late-night spot:
Midway Pub, Augustine's, Seven Lamps, or Mother on Edgewood.
Dive bar:
Joystick Gamebar or Midway Pub get my loyalty—great prices, outstanding people-watching, and a plethora of spirits.
Happy hour bar/lounge:
I'm a bartender, so I'm not with "happy hour" fun. We call that volume in our world. I work in the airport, so from open to close is happy hour for us. I have no clue what happy spots are out there. However, on a play day back in the day I'd jump into McCormick & Schmick's and have a blast; great service, amazing prices, and a beautifully put together wine and cocktail list.
Brunch (hungover vs. not):
Atlanta LOVES brunch! Hungover or not, Ria's Bluebird wins hands down. The only hang-up is no drinking at Ria's, which saves your body. Cafe 640 and The General Muir also have fabulous cocktails and some great brunch menus.
Place for drinking and dining:
Kimball House, Empire State South, and Seven Lamps are perfection. The cocktails are built around the chef's vision. That's my style of dining, drinking, and working.
Bar where you're a regular:
Joystick Gamebar, Augustine's, and Noni's are my "Cheers." The bartenders are my saviors and friends.
Top three bars not mentioned above:
Holeman & Finch, Bourbon Bar, One Flew South
Out-of-town fave (regional):
French 75 in New Orleans with Chris Hannah. He's a joy to watch.
Out-of-town fave (national):
Anvil in Houston offers craft, speed, and quality every time!
Out-of-the-whole-country fave (if you've got one):
Not yet, however I keep eyes on LAB in London.
Last but certainly not least, go-to cocktail order:
Negroni. It's equal parts [sweet vermouth, Campari, gin] and not hard to balance. I grade a bar by the garnish, glassware, and vermouth.
· All Go-To Guide Coverage [-EATL-]
· All Tiffanie Barriere Coverage [-EATL-]
