Hailed for its culinary diversity and award-winning chefs, Atlanta has fast become a haven for foodies, with more than 45 restaurants opening last year alone.
Among the various cuisines, Southern cooking is clearly making a comeback with celebrated establishments like Watershed Restaurant (404.378.4900; www.watershedrestaurant.com) in Decatur, which is the collaborative creation of Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers with three women partners and renowned chef Scott Peacock. Peacock is a Southern food expert focused on using seasonal, regionally grown ingredients.
Another featured Southern-style eatery, Dogwood (404.835.1410; www.dogwoodrestaurant.com) debuted last year in Midtown.
The village of Vinings is home to a plethora of restaurants, including the second location of the popular South City Kitchen (770.435.0700; www.southcitykitchen.com). The original is located in a remodeled 1920s bungalow in Midtown and features an exhibition-style kitchen.
For groups, Canoe (770.432.2663; www.canoe-atl.com) offers one of downtown Atlanta’s most unique settings on the Chattahoochee River where Buckhead meets the Vinings area. Groups of up to 150 guests are accommodated for anything from presentation dinners to large corporate cocktail parties. Larger events can be held in the tented areas in the garden. Groups can arrange to arrive by boat along the river.
“What is so unique is they come out to enjoy an area down by the river and can be outside,” says Laurie Vance, special events manager for Canoe. “It can lighten up the atmosphere of a very serious meeting.”
Chef-owners Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, the duo behind Atlanta’s renowned Bacchanalia, recently opened Abattoir (404.892.3335; www.starprovisions.com), located in the Westside Provision District. Abattoir’s actual space is a former slaughterhouse and is appropriately dubbed a “meat-centric” eatery.
One of the city’s hottest spots, Rathbun’s (404.524.8280; www.rathbunsrestaurant.com) caters to groups. The restaurant offers a private dining room where chef Kevin Rathbun can prepare a demonstration meal that guests can taste. The modern American eatery can hold up to 40 for a dinner in the private dining room, up to 80 on its covered patio, or more in its football field-size lobby.
Ursula’s (404.876.7463; www.ursulacooks.com) has been offering cooking classes in Atlanta since 1971 and touts itself as the largest independent cooking school in the country. Ursula Knaeusel offers group cooking demonstrations for up to 40.
“They have to eat everything that I’m fixing,” Knaeusel says, adding that attendees get to sample each dish rather than get full portions. “I cannot cook for 40 people, but they always have a full meal. With nine recipes they get quite a bit.”