From Aria chef/owner Gerry Klaskala and chef de cuisine Christopher Grossman, Atlas opens today in Buckhead's St. Regis hotel. The restaurant replaces Paces 88, which closed in 2012.
"Developing Atlas was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Klaskala said in a prepared statement. "Everyone involved on this project was guided by the same vision — to establish a chef-driven restaurant that will be a staple in Atlanta for years to come."
Atlas's menu covers various regions. The potato-leek clam chowder offers a taste of New England, and ginger-marinated black bass takes Asian inspiration. There are Southern dishes as well: braised leg of Alabama rabbit, roasted White Oak Pastures chicken, and oat-crusted Blue Ridge trout, to name a few.
"I am constantly inspired by the incredible array and quality of ingredients our local farms are producing," Grossman said. "Impeccable execution of the best ingredients available will allow us to create dishes that excite guests and keep them coming back to see what we develop next."
The food isn't the only reason to visit Atlas. Connoisseurs of art should be impressed with the collection of paintings adorning the restaurant's walls. Among the collection are works by Pablo Picasso, Chaim Soutine, Lucien Freud, Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall, and, fittingly for a restaurant, Francis Bacon.
The Atlas bar opens daily at 4:30 p.m. Dinner is served Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
