The Atlanta Restaurants We Loved This Month

With friends from New York visiting town…

… I decided to roll the dice on the just-opened Blackjack Bar Tapas after learning that sake sommelier Jenna Phravorachit (formerly of Omakase Table and O by Brush, two of Atlanta’s essential omakase spots) is now involved with its umbrella group, 26 Thai. And with Sean Gleason (from the now-shuttered but acclaimed Biltong Bar) at the helm of the cocktail program, I knew the odds were in my favor. And I wasn’t wrong: the cocktails impressed one after another — the savory Cucumber Salad with Tequila and sesame oil, the Roku Tonic with coffee gin and a thick microfoam, and the mango sticky rice-inspired Mango Mango with aged rum all wowed.

Poking around the space was also filled with moments of surprise and delight. The majority of the decor is sourced directly from Thailand, down to the carved teakwood dividers at the bar (inspired by Thai temples) and a dramatic birdcage. Generally, the vibe is super glam — you walk through heavy black curtains into a sexy, red-lit space — but it’s also cheeky. I loved all the little nods to Asian symbols of good fortune (and, therefore, gambling culture), from lucky knots to deities. And the black-and-red blackjack theme pops up in little touches like a delicious kimchi fried rice you should get with both chicken and steak.

— Su-Jit Lin, Atlanta Writer, Resy Editorial

Cute, easy, no frills…

… and with a reasonably priced wine list, GiGi’s is always delicious. On this most recent visit, I had the excellent campanelle Alfredo and the bitter green salad, but I need to return for the casarecce pomodoro before it’s off the menu — I love me a good pomodoro and it doesn’t look like I’ll be going to Italy this summer, so I must try this one.

— Allison Ramirez, Atlanta Writer, Resy Editorial

The native New Yorker in me can’t get over…

… how absolutely proper the bagels are at The Bronx Bagel Buggy in Chamblee. I put them on par with Brooklyn Bagel Bakery & Deli, who also hand-roll and kettle-boil their bagels, then level them up with a subtle char and put their everything seasoning everywhere, top and bottom.

— Su-Jit Lin, Atlanta Writer, Resy Editorial

My absolute favorite breakfast in Atlanta…

… is Buttermilk Kitchen. I had the pimento omelet, filled with pimento cheese, bacon, and an amazing red pepper jelly — it came with a biscuit on the side, which was perfectly light and fluffy on the inside, but slightly crunchy on the outside. The restaurant is always busy (they take very limited reservations and keep a healthy waitlist), so if you can, go during the week or come very early on weekends.

— Britney Anderson, Restaurant Success Manager

Quick, casual, and affordable is what I look for…

… in everyday eats, especially on the days I’m running around. With my heavy dining-out schedule, I especially want to eat some vegetables. So with that in mind, my boyfriend recently introduced me to Won Kitchen, a quick-serve, family-owned, counter-service Korean spot hidden in a shopping center on Peachtree Boulevard in Chamblee. The food is fresh and flavorful, astonishingly affordable, and for the indecisive (me), they’ll let you pick all manner of veggies and toppings and combine proteins and bases at no additional cost.

— Su-Jit Lin, Atlanta Writer, Resy Editorial

There’s a new and much needed wine bar in my neighborhood…

… Side Saddle in the Grant Park/Boulevard Heights area, and though I haven’t actually tried the food yet, the wine menu is oh-so fun.

— Allison Ramirez, Atlanta Writer, Resy Editorial

Bonus: A weekend worth the drive…

I recently had the pleasure of staying at Cataloochee Ranch in North Carolina, on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and while I had been looking forward to a ranch retreat, nothing could have prepared me for the exquisite dining at their restaurant, Switchback. Helmed by Jeb Aldrich, the opening chef for Atlanta’s Tiny Lou’s, the food alone is worth the visit. The menu is rife with hyperlocal ingredients whose transit time is as close to zero as you can get, from mountain-foraged ramps and mushrooms to cattle raised on the property and Mangalitsa pork from a farm in the valley.

I had the best hash of my life there, where smashed and roasted potatoes and beets were decadently topped with braised short ribs, a fried egg, and Béarnaise sauce, accompanied by buttery muffins baked by pastry chef Angie Chan. The chicken was anything but “just chicken,” it was a Green Circle chicken, snowy white and tender, except for the perfectly pan-roasted golden skin. The stream-fished trout was equally sweet and crisp as mountain air. The pistachio ice cream (housemade, of course) was a green dream that brought me back to Italy and its pistachio pignoli cookies, with roasted nuts generously studded throughout. It’s been a few weeks, but I’m still riding the flavor high of the meals I had there.

Pro tip: Schedule your visit to one of their ticketed Resy experiences, where the team creates custom menus to go with the theme. I attended a “Seed to Song” event highlighting heritage plant and grain varietals, which was a real treat of a lunch and learn.

— Su-Jit Lin, Atlanta Writer, Resy Editorial

More Atlanta staff picks, right this way.