The January Hit List: Mujō, Miller Union, The Chastain, and More

Chef Steven Satterfield is one of the city’s treasures, and still very much in charge of the kitchen of this celebrated gem in a refurbished warehouse. He and co-owner Neal McCarthy have been racking up recognition since they opened in 2009, the most recent of which include two James Beard awards for their wine program, which generously pours a dozen by the glass daily; a Beard nod for Satterfield himself and another for executive pastry chef Claudia Martinez; and a Michelin honorific for service.

But enough about their star-studded résumé. It’s their commitment to sustainability, relationships with local growers and producers, and an inventive menu that reflects both of these principles that have put Miller Union at the epicenter of Atlanta’s culinary growth. Everybody knows about the farm-baked egg in celery cream, but housemade charcuterie and dishes like roasted oysters with fennel pernod cream go just as well with fresh, local Osono Bakery sourdough. Pro tip: Martinez makes sure you finish your meal in style, with, say,  fried apple pie with butterscotch ice cream.

Just around the corner from Miller Union is J. Trent Harris’s dark, moody, and sexy-glam omakase restaurant – one of the hottest tickets in town. It’s a Notify must with only four seatings per evening, reservations for which are only released on the first of the month one month in advance. A daily-changing menu depends entirely on what’s flown in directly from Japan, which is then given a modern edomae treatment as it’s transformed into a series of small plates and progression of nigiri. But of course, this simple description is an understatement of an experience that pays such homage to the sanctity of ingredients that the chef respectfully requests guests not wear perfume or cologne, so as not to distract. Served beautifully plated on varied dinnerware that is often an equal work of art (and perhaps a foil for the stylishly severe dining room), this restaurant is one where being fully present is unavoidable.

Completing the Westside trifecta of unforgettable fine dining is what’s been called the most preeminent restaurant for Atlanta’s visibility on the national culinary stage. Most recently earning two Michelin stars – a red one for merit and a green for its eco-friendly principles – this 1993 establishment founded by Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison has shown that they’ve only kept growing better.

How could it be otherwise? Now in new(ish) digs in a light-filled, glamorous former industrial space, they continue to allow the bounty of their local farm, Summerland, to guide their farm-to-table approach to menu design, which makes staleness an impossibility. Their format of a four-course prix fixe menu is the only thing that remains the constant, even as course offerings vary each evening. Step outside the expected with starters like crab fritters made remarkable with citrus and avocado or steak tartare with a twist of lime, toasted rice, and chile. The cheese course is known for going well beyond the usual choices, and a robust dessert menu modernizes familiar flavors and textures such as coffee, sweet potatoes, and soufflés.

One running theme across the city’s top-tier restaurants is the element of seasonal surprise, served always with a side of delight. This is the case with Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips’ passion project, another Michelin winner that continues to evolve and push the envelope. Their seven-course tasting menu is a full sensory experience with elegant pairings, sumptuous ingredients, and warm, relaxed service thanks to gratuity-included pricing.

A deeply intentional menu presents time-honored ingredients in the most modern of New American ways. For instance, grilled Maine lobster gets topped with charred tomato miso; braised Wagyu beef cheek is served with “chewy carrot” and sheep’s milk yogurt. Add-on courses, wine and mocktail pairings, and caviar service invite guests to linger and live even more unhurried, per the Lazy Betty ethos.

Well into her 50^th year in a pro kitchen, Bangkok-born chef-owner Nan Niyomkul has seen every twist and turn in the evolution of Thai and Thai American cooking. On the Thai side, her native country’s Ministry of Commerce has awarded Niyomkul its Thai Select Signature certification. And Niyomkul’s expertise with hospitality and finessed décor are evident the moment you walk into the soaring, open dining room.

But more than anything, Niyomkul’s food remains a study in how classic Thai standbys can find new verve. If you love pad thai, try it with a crispy lobster tail or jumbo tiger prawns. If you’re a big fan of Panang curry, prepare to taste it in high-def with slow-braised short ribs. More modern dishes like barbecue lamb chops with papaya salad, honey glaze, and coconut sticky rice will become new favorites, while a roster of labor-intensive “secret” royal dishes like chor muang, the rose-shaped dumplings that seem too beautiful to eat, show the true caliber of the kitchen at what has become at Atlanta icon.

Call 404-870-9933 for reservations.

Surrounded by trees, set on the edge of gorgeous Chastain Park, visiting this sun- and gas lantern-lit dining room is like going to a dinner party at the fancy contemporary home of a fancy friend of a friend. Accented with dark wooden chairs and butterscotch leather booths, this feeling becomes even stronger when you find out that they have an on-site regenerative garden and actively compost on site.

Continuing on that theme, their menu is also dependent on that yield plus what’s available from local farm partners – aside from house-baked, double fermented sourdough with tangy cultured butter, which serves as a humble teaser for the excellence pastry chef Christian Castillo shows at every turn. But first, enjoy mains like crown roasted Green Circle chicken with Albufera potato gnocchi, a smoked tomahawk pork chop with pan-roasted apples and sweet potato black garlic farro, and pastas like mushroom campanelle and roasted beet agnolotti, both of which are blessedly available in half portions to help you save room for sweets – perhaps an Italian pine nut tart with meringue, pear jelly, and rosemary pignoli ice cream.

Don’t be deceived by the surface simplicity of the menu of Drew Belline and Ford Fry’s “red sauce joint” – there’s nothing understated about the flavors this kitchen pumps out to the crowds of diners that eagerly fill the narrow dining room. Small tables fill up with generous old-school portions, especially when starting with garlicky cheese bread blistered and sizzling from the wood-fired oven, or a pizza topped with fior de latte.

But don’t fill up. The housemade “macaroni” is not to be skipped. Classic spaghetti with meatballs is luscious, and the black spaghetti with Gulf shrimp fra diavolo is a dream. Chicken entrees are classic (Parmesan, Milanese, Limone, and the butteriest, most mushroom-packed Marsala) and come spread out across a platter in a show of comfortable decadence.

Call 678-399-8246 for reservations.

It’s almost a shame to be seated right away in this lofty dining room; it means less time to ogle the goodies at the little prepared food and wine market up front. That said, it might give you more time to ponder the menu — which you can do while relishing an excellent cocktail, from a drinks list as influenced by the seasons as the menu. (For winter, we agree with the aptly-named Mezcal Sounds Fun Tonight.)

The crisp Spanish octopus, accompanied by housemade chorizo and fingerling potatoes, is a returning favorite from their Roswell days, and the confit pork ribs with pickled red onions are a gluten-free dream. An excellent pasta menu also offers a gnocchetti with spicy lamb this season. Also fantastic for winter’s chill: flounder with roasted fennels and smoked mussel “chowder,” and a confit pork ossobuco, its richness cut with the sweetness of golden raisin agrodulce. No matter what you do, plan ahead for dessert – the ever-changing fruit tarts on sable crusts are outstanding – and set a Notify since weekend bookings have been known to fill up two weeks in advance.

When a menu opens with a funny anecdote about how foreign the native French founders, Luc and Danielle Beaudet, found the American concept of “French” toast, there’s no doubt that you’re in for the real Gallic deal. One bite of their oversized, buttery croissants, an exceptional croque madame on béchamel-drenched pain de mie, stuffed eclairs, gorgeous cakes whole and by the slice and – starting soon for Epiphany! – specialties like the galette des rois, and the linkage to the old country is clear.

Now under the stewardship of Melissa Ward and Jonathan St. Hilaire – who have extensive industry experience, including in French pastry – the confectionery case remains infinitely ogle-able. In fact, it’s gotten even more so with sleek new glass displays and more varieties of fresh-baked bread. The cozy but never crowded dining room has gotten a farm-chic update, too. While the wonderful green salad and some other items didn’t make the cut, much of the menu has been preserved, including the Beaudets’ answer to the French toast conundrum, involving elements of soaked brioche and crème brûlée. Any losses might be considered a fair trade for cocktails like blood orange spritzes, Apple Cider-Mosa, and a riff on an Arnold Palmer: an Arnaud, made with local Renegade lemonade and tea. Sweet of course, to match the service.

No reservations. More info here.

Tucked below a dip at the side of a nondescript building on a busy stretch of Buford Highway, this is more than a hidden gem – it’s a local treasure. The ambiance is as you’d expect from an old-school basement restaurant: wood grain floors, tablecloths protected under plate glass, drop ceilings and fluorescent lights festooned with red lanterns. But the best feature is the equivalent of Chinese nonnas deftly wrapping dumplings at rapid speed where the dining room and kitchen expo window meet. These traditional, thick-skinned jiaozi are what many trek out to Doraville for; eight varieties in generous quantities are available fried or steamed daily.

That sounds like a lot to choose from, but it’s par for the course for a menu that reads like a novel. A long list of northern specialties encompass handmade savory stuffed buns, hot pots, cumin-spiced charbroiled meats, and street food like Chinese crepes with crullers served all day. But don’t let the name fool you – they dabble in popular Sichuan and Shanghainese dishes, too. Try the mapo tofu and  crab-roe-and-pork soup dumplings, respectively, or enormous lion’s head meatballs. Friendly suggestions are offered on request; dessert isn’t.

No reservations. More info here.