The June Hit List: Kindred, Banshee, 5Church Buckhead, and More

Just opened in Decatur, Kindred is from the chef and partners of Oak Grove Market, who also operated Kitchen Six, whose space this modernized steakhouse concept now occupies. The menu offers an eclectic take on farm-to-table and butcher-sourced dining, in a space with colorful alfresco-styled portraits painted on the interior walls, plush turquoise banquettes, and a funky black subway-tiled bar area. Begin with burrata, beet terrine, or perhaps the chile-garlic crab claws, before beefing up with your steak choice.

Which, you’ve got three options on cut: hanger, filet and rib eye, and four styles for preparation, including “bistro” for bacon jam and blue cheese, “gaucho” for chimichurri and pickled onion, and others (including classic salt and pepper). Wines run the gamut from German pinot noir to Napa cabs, riojas and Côtes du Rhône, assuming you’re staying red. But there are also non-steak main dishes like crispy braised Springer Mountain chicken thighs, a Hatch chile bouillabaisse, and pork chops with collards, grits, and cornbread crumbles. 

Those who patronized Art Smith’s Southern Art & Bourbon Bar at the Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta will know exactly where to find the upscale hotel’s new Italian-influenced steakhouse, but things are quite different today. First, the displayed hams have disappeared in favor of sleek golden spherical chandeliers, moody dark-painted walls, and a menu that features more bovine than hog. Chef Scott Conant, a two-time Beard Award-winning chef who already has a location of The Americano running in Scottsdale, Ariz., has created a menu with starters like crispy caviar-topped fries and wagyu beef cheeks, plus hamachi crudo, daily raw oysters in prosecco mignonette, and other chilled seafood. As for those steaks, they start at the budget-friendly eight-ounce flat iron, and run up to the 45-ounce, bone-in rib eye at $155 (when available).

You’ll also find fresh pastas from potato gnocchi to the tagliatelle Bolognese, with its rich ragu made with tenderloin, wagyu, and pork. Don’t skip out on the cocktails like the All Gucci (their version of a New York sour), and the sexy Versace on the Floor, made with chile pepper-infused vodka, white balsamic, mesquite honey, and topped with an olive oil and basil foam, is a pleasantly creative surprise you won’t find anywhere else in town.

Call 404-946-9070 for reservations.

As new restaurants continue to open in the Atlanta diner-sphere, they’d be well-served to focus on setting a strong enough example of excellence to achieve the sort of loyalty that creates a dining landmark. Such is the case with Bacchanalia, where Anne Quatrano’s dining ethos unquestionably changed what many Atlantans consider fine dining, and which maintains a secure place among Atlanta’s top-tier restaurants.

The service is stellar, the space is magnificent, the offerings at each menu course are never less than impressive. You could stop at the fruits de mer or caviar service and never make it to “dinner,” although then you might miss the reason to peruse the beverage journal and know how thoughtfully the wine program was selected for pairing with your entree.

Still lovely as ever with its tall, aqua-green curtains splitting the dining room from the always-energized bar, Banshee is what you might describe as “EAV fancy,” if such a term actually existed. It’s EAV’s sophisticated siren of dining, with grounded neighborhood charm and a menu that consistently hits high notes and is never too loud. In addition to a 40-bottle wine list, there are deep-character cocktails like the Baku II, made with rye whiskey, crème de banane, and bitter and tannic Sibilla amaro. As for the tight dinner menu, the fry bread with pepperoni butter is just insanely good, and the fettuccine carbonara is an easy win if you’re looking for guidance.

The good thing about Banshee is that if you see something on the menu you think you might like, chances are good that you will indeed, so go for it. By the way, things crack off at Banshee Late Nights, so maybe drop in one evening for drinks, music, and a taller turn-up. 

Heads-up: All patrons must have proof of vaccination.

Led by executive chef Sam Davis, an Atlanta native who’s worked Gunshow, Lazy Betty, and others, G&G is a fine choice for dinner whether you’re watching the defending world champions play or otherwise. When Truist Park is hosting the Braves and an away team, you can enjoy a game-day menu with bites like boiled peanuts, pimento cheese, brats, and fried chicken sandwiches. When they’re away or off, they’ve still got those options to keep you at The Battery, plus roast pork loin, a seasonal vegetable plate, and a poached fish of the day. It’s part of the reason there are always people hanging just outside the baseball field, and will continue regardless of this season’s record. 

Founded in Hapeville in 1982, this family-owned Atlanta chain of fast-casual Greek restaurants turned 40 years old recently, and still makes some of the city’s best gyros and other Greek food inspired by founder Nick Koulouris’ Kalamata upbringing. Now spread throughout metro Atlanta in Dunwoody, Forest Park, Johns Creek, Snellville, Tucker, and Midtown, you can skip the travel visa requirements and grab a souvlaki with feta, onions, tomatoes, and Nick’s famous Grecian sauce, plates of loaded potatoes with your pick of toppings like gyro, veggies, or loukanikio sausage, and of course, Greek favorites like spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves, and a flaky baklava.

This Roswell brewpub, owned and operated by married couple Lisa and Tim Stevens, is known for approaching things with quality and balance, from the cuisine cooked by executive chef Joey Stallings (formerly of Sweet Auburn Barbecue), and brews crafted by manager Brian Lee, plus consulting from investor Kevin Rathbun and SweetWater Brewing Company co-founder Kevin McNerney. In addition to great pairings like the barbecue-marinated shrimp scampi skillet and their house South African pale ale on draft, there are constant musical performances at their Back Porch Concert Series, with tributes to AC/DC, Van Morrison, and INXS all happening this month. 

The Middle Eastern cuisine of restaurateur Fares Kargar’s Delbar in Inman Park is based on recipes learned from his grandmother and other women in his family, who are represented by the lady in Delbar’s logo. Their influences show up in the design, which is inspired by his grandmother’s northern Iranian village and includes Moroccan tile, colorful pillows, and tiles contrasting the white clay-plastered walls inside and in the sunroom patio area, and even the bathroom, where Iranian films made before the country’s revolution are projected on the walls. Kargar’s appreciation is also evident in his “love letter” menu, first in small plates like saffron honey-marinated smoked bass, cucumber yogurt, labneh, hummus, and other spreads, and plenty of a la carte meats. 

We all know there’s a particular beverage that isn’t hard to find at City Winery, but it has also earned a reputation for supporting a constantly impressive lineup of local musical talent at the performance venue. That’s particularly the case with its monthly “Sounds Like ATL” concert series, but also particularly in June, with shows ranging from a Taylor Swift tribute to Sleepy Brown — the legendary artist, Organized Noize producer, and frequent collaborator with OutKast’s Big Boi.

There’s also great brunch programming, whether you like your fried green tomatoes with straight-ahead jazz or flamboyant drag queen entertainment. Look also for a Father’s Day brunch buffet, with tickets still available for vocalist Robin Latimore singing contemporary and traditional jazz.   

After the long-awaited arrival of Buckhead’s 5Church finally happens on June 3 at 3379 Peachtree Road, those familiar with its sultry first location will notice a familiar aesthetic with a few new features. Like its Midtown version, there’s ceiling-painted text from Sun Tzu’s classic book “The Art of War” and lots of vivid art, from black and white body silhouettes to an expansive dining room mural of an African woman in vivid red attire, plus an enclosed glass sunroom with a canopy of hanging flowers.

As for the menu, you’ll find a wagyu and short rib burger topped with brie and tomato aioli on a duck fat brioche bun (with duck fat fries), sea bass with black rice and maitake mushrooms, pork chops served with blue cheese grits, and more. You’ll also see familiar 5Church cocktails like the refreshingly sour Holy Water with bourbon, mint, sweet tea, and lemon juice, and new sips like Call Me Madame!, which is essentially a Negroni made with ASW Distillery’s Winterville gin.

Call 470-819-4842 for reservations.