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The Colonnade on Cheshire Bridge Road turned 90 years old in 2017.

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Atlanta’s Food Editors Name Their 2017 Restaurant Standbys

Their go-to spots to dine when off duty

The year is drawing to a close and, as is tradition, Eater Atlanta has surveyed a handful of Atlanta’s food editors on everything from where they love to eat when not in pursuit of a story to their best meal to the biggest dining grievance in 2017. Responses are cut, pasted, and (mostly) unedited. Here, the city’s food editors name their restaurant standbys for dining when off duty.


Julia Bainbridge, Atlanta Magazine food editor

The combination of this being my first year in Atlanta and having the job I do meant that 2017 was spent doing a lot of getting-to-know-you dining while simultaneously trying out new openings. There wasn't a lot of time for repeat action, or even for by-choice dining. That said, I basically lived at The Colonnade for a couple months while I was working on a feature story about the restaurant, and I came to crave that kind of homestyle Southern food. (I'm sure much of my fondness for the place has to do with the wonderful staff, though, to be honest.) I also found myself returning to Kimball House's bar again and again. Miles Macquarrie has developed a killer cocktail program over KH's four years, and the same goes for Bryan Rackley and the oysters. (I appreciate Rackley's dedication to the development of oyster farming in Georgia.) Otherwise, I hope to spend a lot more time in Duluth in the coming months; Atlanta's "Koreatown," if you can call it that, did not come to play.

Hilary Cadigan, Creative Loafing food editor

I moved to Downtown Decatur, so, I've been rediscovering the greatness of the unsung old faithfuls around here, like Cafe Lily, Cafe Alsace, and Wahoo! Grill. Oh, and Arepa Mia, which just relocated down the street to Avondale. I could eat there every day.

Mike Jordan, Thrillist Atlanta editor, Southern Kitchen associate editor

Little Trouble, Muss & Turner, Superica, South City Kitchen Buckhead, B's Cracklin Barbeque, Watershed, Kimball House, Ticonderoga Club, Bellina Alimentari, Simply Thai Dunwoody, Argosy, and Richard's Southern Fried. I gained weight.

Christopher Hassiotis, Zagat Atlanta food editor

I'm more often checking out new restaurants than I am circling back to my favorites, which is an admittedly nice problem to deal with, but these are the places I wish I ate at more frequently. I try to point people toward Better Half as much as I can, where Zach Meloy's food is smart, creative, good-looking, and fun. My favorite breakfasts (or breakfasts for lunch) are at Java Jive and Empire State South. Both Atlas and Aria, upscale and with top-notch food, drink, and, especially service, are reliable splurges for a night out in Buckhead. I always think everyone should eat at The Colonnade, and Tempo Doeloe has never done me wrong by serving the comforting Indonesian food I grew up eating. And, 2017 also saw chef Spencer Gomez really revitalize Holeman & Finch's food.

Beth McKibben, Eater Atlanta editor

Off duty, you’ll often find me at places that feel like an extension of my home like Ticonderoga Club and Bread & Butterfly or the bars at Kimball House and Ration and Dram. Petit Chou has become a regular Saturday breakfast stop. I also frequent Nam Phuong, We Suki Suki, Gaja, Dish Dive, Chrome Yellow Trading Co., and Brash Coffee.

Atlas

88 West Paces Ferry Road Northwest, , GA 30305 (404) 600-6471 Visit Website

Little Trouble

, , TX 78644 (512) 995-6333 Visit Website

Ticonderoga Club

99 Krog Street Northeast, , GA 30307 (404) 458-4534 Visit Website

Better Half

349 14th Street Northwest, , GA 30363 (404) 695-4547 Visit Website

Superica

605 Overton Street, , TN 37203 (615) 709-3148 Visit Website

Gaja

491-A Flat Shoals Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 (404) 835-2126 Visit Website

Java Jive

790 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30306 (404) 876-6161 Visit Website

Cafe Alsace

121 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, , GA 30030 (404) 373-5622 Visit Website

Dish Dive

2233 College Avenue Northeast, , GA 30317 (404) 957-7918 Visit Website

Chrome Yellow Trading Co.

501 Edgewood Avenue Southeast, , GA 30312 (470) 355-1340 Visit Website

Aria

490 East Paces Ferry Road Northeast, , GA 30305 (404) 233-7673 Visit Website

Ration and Dram

130 Arizona Avenue Northeast, , GA 30307 (678) 974-8380 Visit Website

Bread & Butterfly

290 Elizabeth Street Northeast, , GA 30307 (678) 515-4536 Visit Website

We Suki Suki

479-B Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 (404) 430-7613 Visit Website

Bellina Alimentari

675 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, , GA 30308 (404) 330-9933 Visit Website

Petit Chou

662 Memorial Drive Southeast, , GA 30312 (470) 270-8996 Visit Website

BRASH Coffee

1168 Howell Mill Road, , GA 30318 (404) 829-4389 Visit Website

Kimball House

303 East Howard Avenue, , GA 30030 (404) 378-3502 Visit Website

Empire State South

999 Peachtree Street Northeast, , GA 30309 (404) 541-1105 Visit Website

Watershed

1820 Peachtree Road, , GA 30309 (404) 809-3561 Visit Website

South City Kitchen

1144 Crescent Avenue Northeast, , GA 30309 (404) 873-7358 Visit Website

Argosy

470 Flat Shoals Avenue Southeast, , GA 30316 (404) 577-0407 Visit Website
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