I've only been to Atlanta Fish Market once and have no intention of ever going back. Was extremely overrated imo.

That's too bad. You musta just had a bad experience. I mean, it's expensive so I don't go often, but the food has been very very good the few times I've gone, and everyone that I went with also really enjoyed it. It's a valuable commodity in Atlanta to get really fresh fish (besides trout), so I'm happy to pay a little extra for it as a treat on occasion.

Just got back from the fish market and it was really good again. Definitely pricey. We both got the sea bass, one seared and one Hong Kong style, and both were awesome. Unfortunately that was their priciest fish selection and I was a bit surprised how much more it was than others like halibut, but still worth it when you want a nice fish meal

any big recording studio's in ATL ?? i got some sht to level up

25 spring dishes from todays AJC go guide

http://m.accessatlanta.com/gallery/e...-guide-/gCJ7G/

OMG, Jerusalem Bakery is soooo good. It's the one thing I miss about working in Alpharetta.

When in Atlanta a couple of years back I had a great meal at Empire State South. Well worth a look, I reckon.

Some new recs:

King & Duke had some issues when it opened, but I've been twice recently, and it's been very very good both times. Pork belly is incredible as is the cornbread and pretty much everything else. I think I'm seeing why it's winning so many awards.

Establishment has stolen a couple bartenders from Prohibition and has opened a really nice cocktail bar. Right by Loco's and 'The Big Three' in Buckhead, this place has a great drink list and some of the best bartenders in ATL. Also, the wait staff is all models as I think the place is owned by a guy who owns a modeling agency. So, there's that. Go on a weeknight though, this place isn't equipped to handle weekend Buckhead crowds.

E 48th St Market I don't know what took me so long to finally go here, but holy **** is this place great. I'm hooked on a weekly lunch trek here now. It feels like a real NY deli, and you can either order in lunch or have them cut up some meats for you to take home for the week. Everything I've had is good

Does anyone know of a authentic German bakery in the area? Moving there in a few weeks.

Lusca is solid, from the Octopus Bar guys

Interesting. Sounds promising and if I go it will definitely be on a week night.

I had never heard of this before, but all the reviews sound amazing. Will check out.

I'm not sure exactly what a German bakery entails. The only thing I know of is a bakery that is owned by Germans but that's way down in Fayetteville and may be more desert-y than you're looking for.

On a semi-related note, there's a 24-hour French bakery going on near the intersection of Marietta and Northside where the Acoustix Jazz place was. Also soon to be added to that area are a Delia's Chicken Sausage and Bartaco (casual concept from the people who do Barcelona Wine Bar) so my walkable lunch options are blowing up.

Nice. Haven't been there yet but it's on the list.

Tonight's episode of Bizarre Foods on Travel featured Atlanta

Buford, octopus, heirloom among others

On again at midnight

Korean/American BBQ is considered a bizarre food?

Does anyone know a place to get a soft serve cone dipped in butterscotch?

Probably by Atlanta standards

Not me.

But if you want ice cream go to Jeni's, Morelli's or Jake's (best to 3rd best)

Friends, Countrymen, Lend me your ears!

But seriously...the ladyfriend (fiancee) and myself will be taking a trip to Atlanta over the holidays to escape family.

I would love to get some restaurant recs from anyone that is nice enough to do so, also some 'can't miss' things to do if those exist?

Mostly we just hang out, eat, drink, relax. For food, everything is on the table, but of course bbq or any good southern cooking should go to the top of the list. We will flying in on Christmas Day to avoid any sort of rush, and I'm sure we'll have some problems finding stuff to do but since I'm Jew maybe we'll just hit up a movie.

Thanks in advance!

nwolfe- i'd recommend Gunshow if you want a different yet southern experience. What part of town are you staying in?

Staying in Buckhead? That's a thing, right?

Yeah Buckhead is a fairly happening spot. Most of the stuff up there is more trendy/chain type stuff though. You'll have a lot of very high end restaurants with recognizable names from other cities. You have a car, right? I'd just check out this thread- mmbt0ne is probably our most knowledgeable guy. Eater Atlanta website has a pretty solid list of the top restaurants.

http://atlanta.eater.com/maps/atlant...-pho-dai-loi-2

I do have a car thankfully. Gunshow looks like a good spot, but reservations appear to be impossible. Walk-ins?

Would rather stay away from the chain stuff, unless it's something I need to hit. We're the type that enjoys local places, good breakfast, and oddities. Also the stuff we can't get in the Union, ya know?

Any other help is much appreciated, obvious first time in Atlanta is obvious.

Just eat at Fogo every meal.

I can't imagine Gunshow being too hard to get into after 9 pm. Seems like most places in Atlanta are like that.

I'm only going to recommend places I have been, but know there are a TONNNN of great restaurants I haven't been to so this isn't a comprehensive list. Also, pretty much every one of the nicer places have good drink lists so I would consider taking uber and imbibing.

Basic/Easy Meals and Lunch

Traditional Southern: Mary Mac's Tea Room-one of the most famous and most traditionally southern restaurants in the city. If you don't like Southern dishes then don't go here because you won't like anything on the menu, but if you do then everything is good. http://www.marymacs.com/

Pizza: Antico Pizza-locally famous authentic(?) Italian pizzas. Only con is they do not take reservations and it is all seat yourself with many big tables so expect to share a table with someone you don't know a lot of the time. http://littleitalia.com/antico_menu.pdf

BBQ: Fox Bros. BBQ-there is a lot of debate about the best BBQ in town, but this is my favorite. I'd recommend splitting the Everything Plate and if you're still hungry then get an order of whichever meat you liked most. Sides are delicious. If you go on a weekend expect to wait even at lunch unless you eat at an odd hour. However, I have never waited anywhere near as long as quoted time. They often quote like 1.5 hrs and seat you in 30-40 min. http://www.foxbrosbbq.com/index.html

Burritos: Bell Street Burritos-Its an order at the counter burrito place. The burritos are really ****ing good, but at the end of the day it is what it is. If you want a really quick lunch or find yourself in a time crunch one day then its a very good option though. Ask them to grill your burrito, you won't be sorry. http://www.bellstreetburritos.com/be...tburritos.html

Burgers: The Vortex-by far the best burgers in ATL imo (some will say Holeman and Finch is better, but I disagree). A unique atmosphere that is quite a bit different than anything else around. I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu so long as it is a burger or some other form of sandwich. The 5 Points location is the original and has a little more of the authentic flair, but the Midtown one is a little less crowded. Both will be packed at dinnertime on weekend. http://www.thevortexbarandgrill.com/

Fast Food: The Varisty-I'd be lying if I said that it was particularly good or anything like that, but it is quite famous and something worth experiencing if you have a meal that you're willing to more or less throw away. Only go if you can go to the one on North Ave. I'd just get a hot dog, burger, and frosted orange. http://www.thevarsity.com/

Burgers: Flip Burger-a boutique burger bar with good, unique burgers. You'll need to share an appetizer or two and get a milkshake to make it a whole meal, but the food is good. I recommend it highly, but The Vortex is a much more unique experience and I like the burgers there better if you only want to do one burger meal. This would make a solid lunch option though whereas I would go to The Vortex for dinner. https://www.flipburgerboutique.com/#/top


Nicer dining
Spanish/Tapas: Iberian Pig-Spanish style tapas, cured meats, cheeses, small plates restaurant. I have only been here twice, but both times in large groups with dozens of plates floating around the table. I never tried anything I didn't like. The cocktails are also fantastic. http://www.theiberianpigatl.com/index. If you like beer then you should plan to go have a drink at brickstore pub after dinner. It is right across the street and has the best beer list in town, bar none. Its a cool place to check out even if you don't like beer. The food is fine, but no reason to specifically eat a meal there. http://www.brickstorepub.com/#home-section

Farm to Table Southern: JCT Kitchen-Traditional southern meats and sides, but prepared very well. Not "traditional" in the sense that you'll get a lot of fried food, but all the options will have a southern flair to them. Go early for dinner as they often sell out of the most popular dishes during the night. The bar area upstairs is pretty cool for either a pre or post meal drink. http://www.jctkitchen.com/

Mediterranean/Italian: St. Cecilia-Fantastic Mediterranean and Italian food. The bulk of the menu is pastas and seafood and the handful of things I have tried are all very good. Get a few apps, a pasta, and a main to share. Also very good cocktails here. http://stceciliaatl.com/

Standard Fare: King and Duke-From the same chef/owner of the above two restaurants. Fun atmosphere and a fairly straightforward menu. http://www.kinganddukeatl.com/?section=about.

Seafood: The Optimist is probably the most renowned of this chef's 4 restaurants, but was my least favorite though I have only been once. The meal there was not bad, but I would rank them St. Cecilia>King+Duke>>JCT>>>The Optimist on a pure food ranking. I like seafood and pastas more than most and southern fare less than most though so if your preferences are for Southern Fare JCT has a strong argument for #1. http://theoptimistrestaurant.com/

Traditional American: Murphy's-maybe a little bit of a southern flair, but a pretty standard menu executed well. A different part of town than the others on this list so one more place to walk around and check out a couple bars. http://www.murphys-atlanta-restaurant.com/

Steakhouses: Chops (http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/chops-lobster-bar/) and Bones (http://www.bonesrestaurant.com/) are both good, high end steakhouses. You can't go wrong with either one.

Sushi: Umi-ok, this is the only one I am putting on the list without having been to. I know enough people who have been and called it the best sushi in ATL to be willing to recommend it. My understanding is its $$$$, but worth it. http://umiatlanta.com/

If you want good bbq you could also go to heirloom bbq. A bit closer to buckhead than fox bros. it's just a shack tho, no dining room- you stand outside.

Lusca is a good new modern southern place too - with a sushi bar