The July Hit List: B.O.T., Petite FSE, Southern National, and More

An acronym for “Bar Of Thailand,” this new, colorfully lit Thai diner opened at the end of spring, just at the corner of Piedmont Park. The lunch menu includes starters like coconut black mussels and garlic-butter-seared jumbo shrimp, and familiar entrees from green curry to silky pad se ew. Dinner skews toward the creative, with sea scallop and yellowtail carpaccio starters, and chef’s menu plates like grilled lamb chops in Thai basil sauce, pad Thai lobster and shrimp, braised Thai curry short ribs with cashews, and jumbo-lump crab fried rice.

Opening to the public on July 7 after relocating from its original location in Mobile, Alabama, the highly anticipated Atlanta arrival of chef Duane Nutter and restaurateur Reggie Washington’s well-honed Southern restaurant is here, just in time for summer. Designed with a sense of simple elegance, the dining room is a mix of warm brown and gray color patterns, from the walls to the tables and beige leather lounge chairs, giving the space a comfortable and welcoming energy — spiked by scene-stealing art like the captivating painting by artist William Downs, inspired by “The Last Supper” and featuring chef Nutter serving food to guests (cleverly hung just above the open kitchen).

Not only will feast-ready fans be happy to see the former One Flew South duo back in action, serving favorites like mussels and collards with shiitake mushrooms, along with new classics like berbere-spiced fried chicken thighs with coconut milk and jalapeño maque choux, but Ticonderoga Club drinks-masters Greg Best and Paul Calvert have signed on as partners in charge of the beverage program. It’s been a long time coming, but expect Southern National to play a big role in reminding the rest of the country where to find Atlanta on America’s elite dining map.

Get details at Southern National’s website.

Billing itself as the Southeast’s “first and only omakase steakhouse,” Prefecture steps up the stakes in a classy, moody space featuring starburst light fixtures and bright flower arrangements to surround your divine bovine dining experience. Make reservations before 9 p.m. for the eight-course tasting menu, which at $175 offers a varied sampling of premium meats, including certified A5 Miyazaki wagyu New York strip, miso pork belly, lobster rice, and a center cut of Zabuton chuck. You’ll also find à la carte tapas like truffled wagyu sliders, and until the alcohol license is cleared, they’re allowing BYOB with no corkage fees.

A long-loved Persian dining destination for Buckheadians, Divan has moved closer to the heart of ATL, and is now the next-door neighbor to The High Museum of Art at its new location inside the famed “castle” of Midtown. Importing authentic Persian ingredients while using local purveyors like Springer Mountain Farms brings out the fresh flavors in dinner dishes like saffron chicken kabob with barberries and basmati rice, as well as brunch items like the fava bean frittata with free-range eggs and labne. Be sure to check the dress code before making your reservation; jeans are cool but t-shirts and hats are not. 

You may have noticed that Atlanta is going through a sandwich boom, and one of the latest additions to the scene is located on Main Street on the city’s northwest side — a meat-friendly area known for barbecue thanks to pitmaster Bryan Furman and others. Here at Frazie’s, you’ll find lighter hand-held eats like “Mr. Pink,” a spinach wrap built around salmon, as well as sturdier bites like “The ATL Chop,” made with ground wagyu, sauteed onions and peppers, Tillamook cheddar and fancy sauce. There’s plenty more, including weekly specials like the always-changing Sunday morning “Hangover” breakfast sandwich (a recent edition was “The Pig on Pig,” with bacon, pork tenderloin, eggs, and peach jam). Also check out Frazie’s blog for lots of great tips on grilling, preparing wagyu and other things you can sink your teeth into.

Now in Atlanta after launching in Florida in 2016, and expanding to Toronto, Miami, L.A. and other major North American cities, Planta’s Krog Street arrival is the first of three planned establishments in town. Step in off the BeltLine for signatures like saucy, tempura-fried “Bang Bang Broccoli,” avocado lime tartare over sliced beets, ahi watermelon nigiri, plant-based pizzas, and more, plus sustainably crafted cocktails with and without alcohol. Reservations just opened; stop in for weekly specials such as unlimited “Maki Monday” rolls for $27 after 5 p.m., and half-priced wine bottles on Wednesdays. 

This lit brunch establishment backed by singer/songwriter Ne-Yo, which began on College Park’s “Brunch Mile,” has grown — much like our brunch appetites — to a new location on Crescent Ave. Stop in for an indulgent meal of strawberry fried biscuits, unreasonably cheesy mac and cheese, and of course the house specialty of chicken and waffles, which can be modified with your choice of waffle (buttermilk red velvet, pecan, or strawberry), and lots of chicken options, such as whole wings, tenders, thighs, breasts or legs, in flavors ranging from buffalo to barbecue and lemon pepper. It’s a “Champagne Life” after all.

Petite FSE, the awesome little market attached to Foundation Social Eatery finally opened its doors mid-June, with an amazing selection of goods including wine (bottled and canned), bread (baguettes, country loaves, etc.), jamon beurre and other sandwiches, coffee, dried pasta, tinned fish, salt-flaked chocolate chip cookies, and way more top-quality stuff to pleasantly stuff yourself with. Here’s the plan: Make your reservation at the never-not-great Foundation during Petite’s operating hours, enjoy a great meal, and take a little bit of life’s richness home with you.

Just opened at The Works off Chattahoochee, The Forum offers fancy libations and snacks seven days a week, with the aim of being a place where noble conversations are started and opinion-casting is as welcome as the warm summer weather. Order a sharable plate of brussels in lentil chimichurri, spicy shell-on shrimp, lobster frites or yuzu-marinated octopus ceviche, then get down to the business of beveraging via classics like Sazeracs and Hemingway daiquiris, or house cocktails like the “Liquid Luck,” made with Jameson, honey simple syrup, lemon, mint, and a reduced syrup made of Guinness. You’ll surely speak more freely once those settle in.

See more of The Forum on Instagram.

Mexican fusion is the main theme at this new southwest Atlanta restaurant which will specialize in birria (in both tacos and ramen), and focus heavily on hookah and turn-up vibes. Sunday brunch includes creamy “executive” grits topped with jerked salmon, and cocktails lean sweet and sour, with examples like the strawberry guava Cognac margarita. Be there on the 4th for a family-friendly block party with a bouncy house, an outdoor bar setup, face-paintings and a fire truck tour for the kids.