Things to do in Georgia
-
A
Olde Pink House
There are fancier and trendier restaurants in Savannah but this 1771 National Landmark on Reynolds Sq is rarely trumped for food or experience. The whole place epitomizes antebellum romance and you'll fall in love with the signature crispy scored flounder (though the menu is chock-full of irresistible Southern-bent delights). The service is casually flawless; the dark and cozy downstairs bar is also worthy of a cocktail pop-in. Damn near perfect.
reviewed
-
Octane
This industrial-hip coffeehouse near Georgia Tech's campus brews the joe of choice for severe caffeine junkies, following a 'direct trade' philosophy.
reviewed
-
B
Mrs Wilkes'
The line outside can begin as early as 8am at this first-come, first served, Southern comfort food institution. Once the lunch bell rings and you are seated family-style, the kitchen unloads on you: fried chicken, beef stew, meatloaf, cheese potatoes, collard greens, black-eyed peas, mac 'n' cheese, rutabaga, candied yams, squash casserole, creamed corn and biscuits. It's like Thanksgiving and the Last Supper rolled into one massive feast chased with sweet tea.
reviewed
-
C
MJQ Concourse
This club inside a former underground parking garage is now all the young indie scenester rage – you enter through a small retractable garage door in what looks like an indiscreet tool shed behind a Chipotle – I mean, where else?
reviewed
-
Miller Union
Former stockyards have been transformed into Atlanta's most exciting newcomer, a lesson in restrained subtlety disguised as sustainable New Southern gastro-science in a city obsessed with both. Chef Steven Satterfield has wooed everyone from us to Martha Stewart with his appetizer egg cooked in celery cream.
reviewed
-
Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site
The historic site commemorates the life, work and legacy of the civil rights lodestar. The center takes up several blocks. A stop by the excellent bustling visitor center will help you get oriented with a map and brochure of area sites and exhibits.
reviewed
-
Manhattan Cafe
The antithesis of most downtown Athens bars, this dive is the spot to tie one on if you don't have an 8am Psych class to concern you. It's all funky lighting, mismatched reclaimed furniture and townie attitude.
reviewed
-
Leon's Full Service
If your indie rock friends got together and dreamed up a holier-than-thou menu and beer list, this is it. Everyone here thinks they are cooler than you, but the food excels: slow-roasted beef brisket in black peppercorn gravy, killer pub frites with specialty sauces, etc. It's all the rage in Decatur rightfully so.
reviewed
-
IMAX Theater
reviewed
-
Goin' Coastal
Atlanta needs another holy ethics-toting restaurant like it needs more traffic; but great seafood is still pretty off the radar here. That changes with this casual neighborhood seafood place in the heart of the Highlands run by a bunch of good ol' fishing buddies. Fresh blackboard catches of the day supplement stunning staples such as lobster tacos ($18), coastal trout ($24) and a heap of delicious sides (creamy grits, jalapeño corn-bread pudding). It only serves eco-acceptable fish and uses hydroponic greens grown with reclaimed water from high-tech urban farms inside reused shipping containers. Futuristic, fun and fabulous.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Georgia Museum of Art
Fresh off a $20 million expansion, the state's modern, excellent art museum now boasts 16,000 sq ft of new galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden.
reviewed
-
D
Gallery Espresso
Savannah's best coffee shop; this and the Sentient are two of the South's best as well. Gallery is cozier, more conveniently located and is near-fiendish regarding its teas. There's also light fare and scrumptious desserts.
reviewed
-
Fritti
Staunchly traditional pizza Napoletana emerges from an $18,000, 13,000lb, 1100°F (593°C) Uno Forno brick oven, hand-built brick-by-brick by the Stefano Ferrara – Naples' pizza God – with 100% Italian materials including volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius. Fritti is not messing around. Cooking time: 45 seconds.
reviewed
-
Farm Burger
Southeastern sweetgrass-fed, locally farm-raised beef is the calling at this gourmet farm-to-table burger joint, the current trailblazer in an ongoing Atlanta burger war. Build your own from $6 from an unorthodox list that includes oxtail marmalade, roasted bone marrow and pimento and cheese (a Southern staple); or go for the daily-changing chalkboard special.
reviewed
-
E
Ecco
The vehemently sustainable Ecco was named America's best new restaurant in 2006 by Esquire magazine, and you can certainly have a blowout meal here. But you can also go the tapas/small bite route ($4 to $14) and leave floored with some change in your pocket. The fried goat's cheese with honey and black pepper and the chili-braised pork with garlic and homemade pappardelle are both extraordinary.
reviewed
-
F
Cathedral of St John the Baptist
Completed in 1896 but destroyed by fire two years later, this impressive cathedral, reopened in 1912, features stunning stained-glass transept windows from Austria depicting Christ's ascension into heaven as well as ornate Station of the Cross woodcarvings from Bavaria.
reviewed
-
Brick Store Pub
Beer hounds geek out on Atlanta's best beer selection, with some 17 meticulously chosen draughts (so underground, they're striking oil) and a separate Belgian beer bar upstairs. In total, nearly 200 by the bottle and a cool quotient approaching exhausting.
reviewed
-
Bocado
The name loosely translates as mouthful/morsel/bite from Spanish/Portuguese/Italian, but there's nothing little about the flavor packed into the viciously creative sandwiches and salads on offer at this West Side farm-to-table newcomer. Hello roasted poblano (a type of chili) and pimento cheese sandwich with bacon and fried green tomatoes, it's a pleasure to meet you.
reviewed
-
Atlanta Braves
The Major League Baseball (MLB) team plays at Turner Field. The MARTA/Braves shuttles to the games leave from Underground Atlanta at Steve Polk Plaza beginning 90 minutes before the first pitch.
reviewed
-
G
Angel's BBQ
Utterly low-brow and hidden down a uneventful lane, Angel's pulled-pork sandwich and sea-salted fries will leave you humbled and thoroughly satisfied – and that's before you tear through the impressive list of housemade sauces, one made with scary-hot ghost and Chiltepin chilies.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
H
Abe's on Lincoln
Ditch the tourists – drink with the locals.
reviewed
-
I
Wetbar
In a vaguely industrial stretch of Midtown (near one of Atlanta's popular strip clubs) is Wetbar, a spot with a concrete bar and concrete floor that seem to match the neighborhood's urban grit. The tank-topped bartenders will take good care of you, and the sound system will rattle your teeth.
reviewed
-
J
Mabel Francis Potter's Cupcake Emporium
How can one be sad with the aroma of fresh-baked cupcakes wafting about? This adorable cupcake boutique boasts dozens of flavors, including the local favorite: butter cream cupcake.
reviewed