The bar at Tio Lucho’s, one of Atlanta’s most vibrant restaurants. Photo courtesy of Tio Lucho’s

GuidesAtlanta

How to Spend a Perfect 72 Hours Eating Your Way Through Atlanta

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Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport may not be the biggest airport in the world, but we’re pretty proud of its status as the busiest, with 105 million travelers passing through in 2023. Sure, some are just en route elsewhere, but if that’s all they’re doing, they’re doing it wrong.

With so many flights routing through ATL, it’s easy enough to plan out a long layover of … say, 72 hours? Which is just enough meals to give you a literal taste of why you should come back for a lengthier play.

Plan to arrive Thursday night and stay through Sunday for a quick weekend getaway (pro tip: we have thoughts on hotels for a perfect home base) to discover why nearly 63,000 people relocated to Atlanta just last year. Between our wealth of green spaces; our historical significance to American civil rights; the diversity of our culinary scene; access to the unexpected, like exceptional seafood; and all of the amenities of a big city with a lower cost of dining out than other notable hubs, we hold it down in terms of great dining. (If you need more inspo, our Atlanta Hit List is an always-on resource for terrific choices.)

And we’ve planned a perfect three-day jaunt to prove our point.

Su-Jit Lin is a rehabilitated New Yorker, former New Orleanian, and current Atlantan, in addition to being a travel, food, and lifestyle writer. She has contributed to EatingWell, HuffPost, Epicurious, The Takeout, Eater, The Kitchn, VinePair, Thrillist, Food & Wine, Serious Eats, Southern Living, and more. Follow her on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.

Saturday Lunch to Sunday Lunch

Photo courtesy of Madeira Park

Aria Buckhead Village

Photo courtesy of Aria

Supper With a Legend

After an incredible 25 years, the reins at this Atlanta institution have officially been passed from legendary chef Gerry Klaskala (of Canoe and Atlas) to longtime manager Andrés Loaiza, and what’s changed has been … nothing at all. Which is exactly the right note to end on after a full Friday exploring “New Atlanta.” Still on the menu of this intimate fine dining bastion, the creamless celery soup that has been its defining dish for years, crisped lump crab cake with pecans and basil, and mountain trout offering both sweet (grapes) and savory (spinach, snap beans) shades of green. Pastry chef Kathryn King’s signature upscale comfort sweets such as caramel ice cream sandwiches with ginger snaps and an orange reduction remain as well.

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Photo courtesy of Aria

Southern National Summerhill

Photo courtesy of Southern National

Ending On a High Note

Leaving on a Sunday? Lucky you – it’s the only day of the week that this establishment is open during the day and closed at night. Plus, it’s on the way to the airport. Led by renowned chef Duane Nutter, our advice is to let him see you off before you get to ATL, where his banner restaurant One Flew South is located. Try the duck confit hash with dried cranberries and mushrooms, smoked short ribs & grits with blue cheese, or the Original “Dirty South.” This open-faced meatloaf sandwich with pimento cheese, egg, bacon, and balsamic barbecue sauce is the same one served at OFS, which means if you’re hungry again before boarding, you have one more delicious chance to try it.

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Photo courtesy of Southern National