The Resy Hit List: Where In Atlanta You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Let’s get meta for a moment and flash back to the Resy Rewind dinner chefs Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter were recently invited to host. It’s a perfect example of how this James Beard-nominated former pop-up is still as scrappy, self-challenging, and experimental as ever, even beyond the daily changing menu worth stalking their Instagram story to learn. While that Resy Event was about the Midwest in the ’80s, the rest of the year is a wild flight to Thailand fueled by Georgia ingredients. Grab a seat against the vivid street-style mural for dishes like Issan-style chicken laap, the daily curry with their signature housemade coconut cream, and the beloved Crispy Rice Salad. And if you’re lucky, you might just get a teaser to their next concept, Some Luck, the night of your Resy.

In this window-walled, moody former industrial space — shared with casual, counter-service sister Star Provisions — Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison’s award-winning 1993 legend only keeps growing better. Take that as a metaphorical and literal reference to their local farm, Summerland, whose production continues to guide their farm-to-table approach making their four-course prix fixe format the only constant as courses vary daily. You might find eggs made remarkable with sherry maple gastrique, a cheese course that turns Comte into a souffle with tomato jam, and an herbaceous Tomato ‘Tini with garden herbs to sip. A beverage journal takes the guesswork out for wine pairings, but with so many by the glass and half-bottle, it’s easy to say yes to adventure once that Notify comes through.

“Last bite, best bite” has gone from saying to promise at celebrated pastry chef Claudia Martinez’s stylish late-night dessert bar, where plating is sophisticated and cocktails are upscale, but the vibe is industry-edgy, Afro-Latin-Caribbean cool, and accessibly warm. In this cozy courtyard-inspired, intimate space, seasonally inspired sweets (her signature style) are made with indulgent ingredients and presented as modern art. For example, Araguani chocolate cake bites with passionfruit ganache and mole crunch with pomegranate arils or apple spice cake with tamarind caramel and dulce de leche cremeaux might be enjoyed solo or as part of a tasting. Treats, pastries, and exquisite housemade ice creams are complemented by Recuerdos crafted coffee drinks by day for sun-up to sun-down verve that just doesn’t quit.

Downtown by the stadiums have been in hot preparation for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, and the newly built Hotel Phoenix in Centennial Yards is playing for keeps. Continental and Southern classics are getting some brasserie shine under former FORTH Hotel  pastry chef Carelys Vazquez, now cooking in a savory pivot. Expect carb accompaniments to be excellent: biscuits with country fried steak and Croque Monsieur with mornay and cheddar during brunch; cornbread with tomme cheese, bacon, and Tabasco butter, pillowy Parker House rolls for the spicy fried chicken for two platter for dinner. And while indulgent steaks have their place on the Shaun Hergatt-designed menu, approachable standards — classic Lyonnaise salad to tuna or steak tartare and simple pastas — keep it a relaxed affair.

A local favorite not just for their frequent, cheeky Resy Experiences and namesake much-missed mascot (whose shoes are now filled by foster fail Diego), this three-time Bib Gourmand winner has proven that Atlanta has a taste for sass and no need for frills. Chef-owner Jarrett Steiber’s revolving menu taps into Jewish, Chinese, hyperlocal Southern (95% of ingredients are from nearby) influences, and quite honestly, whatever he feels tells his story that season. Right now, that’s dishes like butternut squash congee with squash seed dukkah and chicken thigh with apple amba and numbing onion skin. Pro Tip: go Dealer’s Choice for the “just f* me up, fam” four-course prix fixe, which is a surprise every time, or the XL Meat Du Jour, also TBD at time of order.

You may have seen pictures of this newcomer’s big tiger mural by now, and surely you’ve heard the buzz about this Thai concept by a trio of first-time restaurateurs. As we mentioned recently, the dining room was meant to highlight historic features of the building, but its furnishings and color scheme are jungle made elegant with wickers, woods, and dark trim. The indoor space is brightened up by a convivial spirit — an intentional result of interesting drinks, bar bites, and family-style plates all meant to be shared. The menu is personal, with flavors the owners have enjoyed out with friends in Thailand and Atlanta. For instance, chile jam clams are served with local grilled sourdough and lemongrass wings come with bourbon peach sriracha.

The Woodruff Arts Center was already well-rounded with its performance and visual art venues, but our Rundown tells how Craig Richards of Lyla Lila now adds culinary dazzle to the campus. A dining room swathed in wine-red fabrics and another under an enormous modernist-style abstract by Tommy Taylor provides a serene, hushed haven to enjoy flavors that lean French and Italian but with a distinctly Richards throughline. For instance, refreshing crudos under “A Breeze,” bright bites called “A Touch of Sun,” and his fresh pasta magic. Also exceptional: spiced, cured duck with fermented blackberry and halibut with field peas, ginger buerre blanc, and caviar. Pro tip: Valet parking’s available, but self-parking is cheapest at the Promenade deck and closest at the Boys & Girls Club garage.

Food hall giant chef Akhtar Nawab turns his talent back into the kitchen with his contemporary French brasserie in the new The Peacherie food hall. The ambience of this all-day hub fits right in with a day at the nearby art museums — elegant, but not stuffy, and warm enough to linger in with your laptop and a coffee or friend and a cocktail. Pair the former with invigorating pastries as a snack or with puffy ricotta pancakes or traditional omelette with Boursin for brunch. Weekday dining makes “lunner” at Lundi a bridge between appetites. Then, Croque Madames and French dips ease into heavier mains including roasted salmon, chicken paillard, and steak frites as sunlit bites dim into lively nights.

With a name that means “by hand,” a certain level of craftsmanship is not only implied, but expected. You’ll see it in the rough-hewn beams of the patios, the bar, the partitions that separate booths in the bustling dining room. But most importantly, it’s experienced through the pastas and breads made with care, and craft cocktails, too. While time-tested dishes like bucatini Bolognese and carbonara appear, the menu is modern and interesting, including a wine list that leans toward natural selections. The Harvest Cloud mixes a burrata-washed mezcal with spiced pear, apricot, and pumpkin; the chicken Parm is a panko-crusted thigh; and mussels are accented by Calabrian chile and green onion pistou. Pro tip: Lunchtime Resys unlock sandwiches, different pastas, and weekly specials.

Celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie is more often found at Hit List favorite Nàdair these days than his original game-changer, but that matters little. With chef de cuisine Cody Chassar at the helm, Gunshow continues to be recognized as one of the most critically acclaimed, dynamic restaurants in Atlanta. Innovation is the key premise, thanks to a unique format where chefs from the open kitchen personally hawk their latest creations to diners at their tables. Pushed to adapt their dishes hyper-seasonally and with an emphasis on local ingredients, the menu is unpredictable in style and content. One week may feature crispy chicken skin and chicken liver mousse as a cannolo; the next might highlight crab from Alabama with bacon from Tennessee and rice from the Carolinas; maybe even both. 

The aroma of open-flame grilling rises all the way from the kitchen to the mezzanine dining area and high, floral-festooned rafters of this Persian favorite. Expect bold, meaty flavors enhanced by marinades and spices, like saffron on thick skin-on salmon fillets, chicken made golden with citrus, and juicy hunks of lamb that’s rich yet not gamey. Order family-style and as many different types of the fabulous rices as possible. The orange, barberry, pistachio, and almond shirin polo is superb; the selection goes on to include sour cherry, green beans and beef, fava beans with dill, and more. But before you get there, start with a refreshing Tipsy Sabzi with lime, cucumber, and herbs, or Hafez’s Last Word, a tropical red wine float.

Chef Brian Lewis became legendary for his burger, but here, it’s wood-fired pizza that sits at the top of the food chain. Just look at any of the pushed-together tables of the always-full pocket-sized dining room — a space actually smaller than the generous bar optimized for casual counter dining — as you chat your way through wines by the glass. Peek over to see Neapolitan-style rounds topped with combos like wilted kale and housemade sausage, wild local mushrooms with bechamel, or seafood with vodka sauce. Small plates are savory and flame-kissed more often than not, and a tight menu of entrees include a couple of housemade pastas and representatives of land, air, and sea. Pro tip: Even in cooler weather, the larger covered patio tables are still solid, with heat lamps aplenty.

Chef-owner Sean Park knows that when invention’s built on technical expertise and study is when magic happens. Exhibits A: his wildly popular Okiboru ramen restaurants (a Hit List highlight) and B: the original NoriFish in Sandy Springs. The Buckhead location takes the persnickety details that make it special — fish flown in from Tosoyu, table-served omakase — and builds on it. Here, modern cocktails in combinations like chile-infused vodka and passion fruit or green curry and lemongrass match the glamorous black, red, and glittering décor. And an expanded menu with culture-crossing small plates such as Kurobuta pork belly cabbage wraps; shrimp and scallop wonton soup; and wagyu papas rellenos with bonito chile aioli and yuzu honey salad are master class examples of how informed, respectful creativity beats mere imagination any time.

Tucked into a shopping center, this is an unassuming secret indeed, with a very strong if low-key fan base. Within, gauzy curtains twinkling with fairy lights filter the sun coming through plate-glass windows while masculine accents (wood flooring that climbs up the wall to frame a wine library; blocky, dark furniture) reflect an unfussy, serious take on Southern sensibilities. Taste the region through dishes like grilled pork with sweet potato hash and cherry jus. Naturally, fried chicken and shrimp and grits are on the menu. Both are available in to-go family meal packages with sides, cheddar cornbread, salad, and buttermilk-glazed carrot cake.

While chef Brian So and Daniel Crawford’s critically beloved Spring in Marietta is temporarily closed for renovation, folks are still making the drive to Cobb County now that its scrappy, exciting, and highly personal little brother has finally opened around the corner. An unapologetic ode to the food and culture that shaped the star chef, stacked Korean groceries down the entry, neon signs, and brick-lined, patio-style dining spaces transport from the cutesy square outside. Kyung Kim joins the award-winning duo to whip up robust pajeon, tartare with gochujang and Korean pears, bulgogi and bibimbap bowls, and traditional celebratory dishes like bossam. Pro tip: Order the low-ABV Korean rice wine on tap by local distillers Minhwa Spirits, who also provide several soju options.

 No reservations. Find more info here.

After popping up with locations across the Deep South, James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence has finally made it to Atlanta, and we already can’t get enough. Dig into crumbly, extra-buttery peppery biscuits with housemade jams or as a Dirty Bird, with fried chicken, cheese, and his signature Tabasco-brown sugar bacon. Omelets are cooked the French way (a silky smooth wrap) but stuffed the Southern way (overflowing). His New Orleans and Oxford background come out in strong chicory coffee and a perfect cornmeal crust on juicy fried oysters and plump shrimp. The flapjacks are temptingly airy and vanilla-scented, but try the Atlanta-only peach blueberry coffee cake instead. Also exclusive to Buckhead is the Shiitake on a Shingle, an egg and mushroom gravy on toast dish.  

No reservations. Find more info here.