RSS
Home
Top 10 Atlanta Restaurant Openings of 2008
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Atlanta has been on the rise in the culinary world for years and 2008 was no different. The city has seen its share of failures and new restaurants come up this year. Here are 10 of the most covered restaurants of 2008:
Cuerno: Ricardo Ullio's latest restaurant opened up this spring with much fanfare. I read review after review of his restaurant and the bull sculpture that adorns the dining room. It wasn't long before I was adding my own opinion to the mix about this Spanish inspired restaurant.
Home Restaurant and Bar- After the season finale of last season's Top Chef, Richard Blais was on fire as returned to his home town. In a partnership with Tom Catherall, Home was opened. The restaurant offered up a new twist on Southern cuisine. Blais left the restaurant in the fall of 08 to take on new projects.
Straits: Who wouldn't love a rapper's restaurant? Hometown hero Ludacris and San Francisco chef Chris Yeo opened up Straits, an Asian inspired restaurant, in the summer of 2008.
Spice Market: With the grand re-opening of the W in Midtown came the opening of Spice Market, a restaurant with Southeastern Asian flair. The menu is complex and full of, you guessed it, spice, including interesting and exotic curries.
Holeman and Finch Public House: This spot took Atlanta restaurant reviewers to a place they had never been, the gastropub. Chef Linton Hopkins served up one of Atlanta's most popular gastropubs, including some of the best food to soak up a long night of drinking.
4th and Swift: Jay Swift, formerly of South City Kitchen, opened this restaurant early this fall in the Old Fourth Ward. Swift offers up a farm-to-table menu with a twist, he calls it, "Seasonal comfort food."
Neo at the Mansion on Peachtree: Neo has worn the award for most expensive new restaurant in Atlanta this year, if there were such an award. At this super chic Italian restaurant, one should expect to find authentic Italian cuisine and one of the top bartenders in the country, Stephanie Ruhe, and her award winning drink, "Lady Sapphire."
Chima: This Brazilian steakhouse opened up this summer not three miles apart from the beloved Fogo de Chao. Some critics were reluctant to accept the newcomer after growing so fond of Fogo de Chao, but Chima managed to maintain a presence despite some opposition. Though their salad bar isn't as extensive as Chao's, they do offer fish along with a wide selection of wood fired meats.
Flip Burger Boutique: After Richard Blais left Home, he began working on his latest project. Flip Burger Boutique, on Howell Mill Rd. offers up Blais's creative flair that Atlanta, and the nation, have come to love. Menu includes creative items such as a burger that features Foie Gras and root beer shakes.
Cakes and Ale: This new addition to Decatur offers up fresh ingredients and an array of Phatty cakes and desserts. Their philosophy: cook unassuming food using the highest quality ingredients.
