Where to Eat in October: The Ashford, Fogon and Lions, and More

Chef Randy Lewis, original exec chef of Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman, and a New Orleans native (Falcons fans, don’t hold that against him), is the frontman for this chef-driven Dresden Drive restaurant. It’s a neighborhood-centric place, with seasonal, shareable dishes like the serrano ham flatbread with goat cheese and quince paste, plus traditional dinner plates like beef short rib with mushroom ragout, shallot confit and Vidalia soubise. The key here isn’t inventing entrees; it’s taking the innovative route with classics, while remaining approachable on purpose.

The instructions on the Instagram page direct you to take the outside stairs at Georgia Beer Garden and then “look for eternity.” You’ll find that in the form of trippy skull murals where the eye sockets are endless arched doorways, a bar that also functions as a neon altar, and even a cushioned purple casket through which you enter. This Zombie, newly opened and still a bit of a secret but likely not much longer (starting now), is all from the never-un-brilliant brains behind Joystick Gamebar plus ingenious ATL bartender Kysha Cyrus, all of whom created it to represent “the bar between this world and the next.” Here, death is something to be not feared but celebrated healthily, via communion with those who have passed on and those still in the land of the living. Latin American and Afro Caribbean are cultures celebrated on the menu.

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What is “modern Spanish-Latin” food? It is what’s for dinner in Alpharetta, thanks to this innovative spot from award-winning Puerto Rican chef Julio Delgado. Taking inspiration from his grandfather, who owned a butcher shop in Delgado’s homeland, Fogón and Lions honors his familial roots both in its design — an open kitchen with a custom 14-foot woodfire grill  — and the menu, which is grounded in Spanish, Caribbean, and Central and South American  traditions.

Stop in for citrus-marinated mussel ceviche, charcuterie that centers top-quality Cinco Jotas ham from acorn-fattened, free-range Iberian pigs, a variety of Spanish cheese (Manchego, Cabrales, Murcia, etc.), and all sorts of wood-grilled proteins, from halibut to skirt steak, whole and half chickens in amarillo, platters that combine several options, and family style seafood paella and other arroz de carbon, which feed up to four and take around 45 minutes to prepare. Don’t worry; you’ll find plenty of Spanish wine by the glass or bottle.

Though it could easily be claimed by Cabbagetown (and probably will be), Wylie & Rum also borders Edgewood and Reynoldstown. Anyone who’s driven past the location — a formerly unsexy, HR-Block-anchored strip of retail — should be quite happy to see that it’s become an island-inspired restaurant and rum bar that’s bursting with colors, textures and contours, from the angled corner patio cover to the murals, some of which feature pirate skulls and bones.

Dock here for a range of Caribbean fare: mojo pork, picadillo beef, veggie or jerk chicken tostones and empanadas, the sirloin and brisket “island” burger topped with ghost pepper cheese, garlic habanero aoili and tobacco onions, a variety of protein bowls with yellow rice, and entrees as big-time as racks of guava-barbecue-sauced baby back ribs served with Mexican street corn.

Call 404.941.7877 for more info.

You don’t have to be a member of the exclusive Summit Chase Country Club to enjoy the Kitchen, where farm-to-table cuisine is available to anyone that wants to reserve a table. It’s led by executive chef Alex Friedman, a Chopped alumni who a certain set of Atlantans will remember as the guy at sorely missed Old Fourth Ward restaurant P’cheen International Bistro & Pub. (He’s been repeatedly recognized by the Georgia Department of Agriculture for his talent with locally sourced food products grown by Georgia farmers.) Start with a peach and tomato salad (the fruit is from Pearson Farm in Fort Valley), then have the 7-ounce pub burger made with North Carolina’s Brasstown Farms beef, or almond-crusted salmon on a bed of garlic-sauteed Swiss chard, and opt in on sides made with local seasonal veggies, from the mixed green salad to herb-roasted potatoes, okra and more. 

Bellina Alimentari has consistently been one of the best restaurants in Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall since opening years ago. That continues to be good news for all of us who enjoy intensely fresh pastas and great Italian wine, along with all the other meats, pastas and dried goods you can purchase at the market and deli. The lemon-herbed Georgia shrimp pasta dish with green garlic tagliatelle topped with parmesan and breadcrumbs is a continuous standout, and it pairs well with several glasses of white on whatever you’d prefer, thanks to Bellina having possibly the most well-curated wine list in PCM.

But it’s also not a bad idea to try the Tuscan Sun, a cocktail perhaps best described as a penicillin with an added splash of Tuscan wine. Have one, and don’t forget to check if they have their chocolate truffles available for a take-home dessert before you leave —those things are simply decadent.

Walk-ins only.

Celebrating “flavor-forward” pan-Mediterranean culinary traditions, the Three Arches experience is focused on shareable Israeli, Moroccan, Turkish, and Lebanese dishes, brought to life by chef Josh Hopkins, whose resume includes Bacchanalia, Empire State South and other top-rated Atlanta restaurants.

Located in the Hyatt Centric Buckhead, its tall-curtained, bronze-arched entry guides diners into a space with plush banquettes near a glass mosaic mural, amid green marble tile and other Middle Eastern design elements. You’ll find grilled trout with pistachio pesto and preserved lemon, Moroccan meatballs with mint yogurt, cabbage, and pickled onions, and more on the debut menu, along with sides that swing the balance back toward the south, such as collard greens and Carolina Gold rice.

Canton Road in Downtown Roswell has been a solid dining strip for decades, and North End continues the run of friendly, high-quality neighborhood restaurants operated inside old houses. Their string-lit outdoor patio is perfect for our new fall weather, especially if you’re into truffle parm steak frites, pan-seared trout or honey-panko salmon on the seafood side of the menu, a seasonal veggie tray of broccolini, heirloom carrots and fried brussels, and cocktails like the spiced jalapeño pineapple mezcalita.

Sandwiches and milkshakes are the main thing at this new addition to the Tri-Cities’ electric strip of Black-owned restaurants. Specialty sandos include the chopped cheese, which is similar to a cheesesteak but with ground beef on coco bread, and a birria hoagie with slow-stewed beef, onions, cilantro, white American cheese and a side of consommé. You can also opt for a panini or build your own with a variety of breads, meats and cheeses. Be sure to try the “extreme” milkshakes, such as “Coffee & Doughnuts,” which has vanilla ice cream, hazelnut creme, Oreos and cold coffee, topped with doughnut holes and chocolate drizzle. Sounds like a lot? Thank things down a bit (but not much) with one of their waffle pops, which is exactly what it sounds like, topped with choices like Fruity Pebbles cereal.

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A contemporary American sports bar at its heart, H+H continues to draw the locals out to watch whatever games you might want to watch while enjoying lunch, brunch, dinner and drinks that are worthy of the kinds of champions who deserve better-than-average fish and chips. Still an official bar partner of Atlanta United, it’s a great place to watch the final two matches of the 2022 ATL UTD season. You won’t be the only one wearing the five stripes and pairing your those cheers with hot chicken sliders, chopped brisket sandwiches and more, daily rotating craft beers on draft, fancy cocktails like the Absinthe Minded which mixes the green fairy with rum, falernum, lime, cucumber and ginger ale, and wines both bottled and also on draft. Side note: They’ve got exceptional fries.