Cuisine of Atlanta

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The cuisine of Atlanta reflects both Southern and much broader influences. The city is home to a mix of high-end chef-driven restaurants receiving praise at the national level, an ethnic restaurant scene along Buford Highway, and traditional Southern eateries.

Contents

Atlanta is the birthplace of Coca-Cola. [1] The fast food chain Chick-fil-A originated in Hapeville, a suburb of Atlanta. [2]

Historic restaurants

The city's first restaurant was a tiny establishment manned by a Frenchman named Toney Maquino, who served ham, eggs, and oysters when the city was still known as Marthasville. After the Civil War, R.G. Thompson opened the city's first fine dining restaurant, named Thompson's, which served high-end fare, including steaks and oysters. Henry Durand became the most prominent restaurateur in the Reconstruction time period. [3]

By the 1920s, the restaurant business in Atlanta was thriving with notable locations starting in the city including the Varsity, Mary Mac's Tea Room, Waffle House, Chik-fil-A, and many others which have influenced the nation's cuisine.

High-end chef-driven restaurants

Since the turn of the 21st century, Atlanta has emerged as a sophisticated restaurant town. [4] Many restaurants opened in the city's gentrifying neighborhoods have received praise at the national level, including Bocado, Bacchanalia, Flip Burger Boutique, and Miller Union in West Midtown, Empire State South in Midtown; and Two Urban Licks, Parish, and Rathbun's on the east side. [5] [6] [7] [8] The New York Times in 2011 characterized Empire State South and Miller Union as reflecting "a new kind of sophisticated Southern sensibility centered on the farm but experienced in the city". [9]

Celebrity chefs

Atlanta is home to a number of celebrity chefs who have appeared on food reality television series such as Top Chef .

ChefAtlanta-area restaurant(s)
(past and present)		Food reality series
Anne Quatrano Bacchanalia, Quinones, Star Provisions, Floataway Cafe (all together with Cliff Harrison) Chefs A' Field
Hugh Acheson Empire State South; 5&10 (Athens, Georgia) Top Chef
Jeffrey GardnerSouth City Kitchen Midtown Chopped
Justin BurdettMiller Union Chopped
Kevin Gillespie Woodfire Grill, Gunshow, Cold Beer Top Chef
Kevin Rathbun Rathbun's, Kevin Rathbun Steak, KR Steakbar, NAVA, Bluepointe, Buckhead Life GroupChopped & Iron Chef America
Sean TeloNoon Midtown (closed) Chopped

Other renowned chefs without food reality TV appearances include:

Ethnic restaurants

Buford Highway, stretching from near Buckhead to Gwinnett County, is the area's international food destination. There, the million-plus immigrants who make Atlanta home have established various authentic ethnic restaurants, ranging from Vietnamese, Indian, Cuban, Korean, Salvadoran, Mexican, Colombian, Dominican, Japanese and Chinese, to Ethiopian. [10] [11] [12] [13]

Traditional landmarks

Local landmarks include The Varsity, opened in 1928 and the world's largest drive-in restaurant, [14] and Mary Mac's Tea Room, opened in 1945, a traditional destination for Southern food. Paschal's and the Busy Bee Cafe have been soul food favorites since the 1940s; the Busy Bee and Paschal's became meeting places for civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Hosea Williams. [15] [16] [17] [18] The Busy Bee according to Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta, is "as well known for its role in the civil rights movement as it is for its fried chicken."

[19]

Restaurant districts

Restaurant districts include Buckhead, Virginia-Highland, [20] and the Luckie-Marietta District downtown. [21]

Current avant-garde culinary districts are the Old Fourth Ward, particularly Edgewood Avenue, [22] and West Midtown, home to Atlanta's two top Zagat-rated restaurants, Bacchanalia and the Quinones Room. [23]

Related Research Articles

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The Varsity is a restaurant chain in Atlanta, Georgia. The main branch of the chain was the largest drive-in fast food restaurant in the world taking up two city blocks and can accommodate 800 diners. The main location ended car-side service in 2020. There are now six other branches across metropolitan Atlanta.

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References

  1. ↑ Birthplace of Coca-Cola
  2. ↑ Chick-fil-A
  3. ↑ McConnell, Akila Sankar (May 20, 2019). "A Culinary History of Atlanta". Arcadia Publishing.
  4. ↑ "Frommer's best bets for dining in Atlanta – Travel – 24-Hour Layover – 24-Hour Layover: Atlanta". NBC News. May 30, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  5. ↑ Martin, Timothy W. (April 16, 2011). "The New New South". The Wall Street Journal.
  6. ↑ "TWO urban licks". TWO urban licks. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Details Magazine – Official Site". Kevinrathbun.com. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  8. ↑ "America's Hottest New Restaurants". The Daily Beast. November 18, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  9. ↑ Kim Severson, "Atlanta serves sophisticated Southern", May 6, 2011
  10. ↑ Stuart, Gwynedd (June 24, 2004). "Highway to heaven | Cover Story | Creative Loafing Atlanta". Clatl.com. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  11. ↑ "28 Restaurants to Try Along Buford Highway in Metro Atlanta". 24 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "Buford Highway Dining Guide".
  13. ↑ "The 12 best restaurants on Atlanta's Buford Highway".
  14. ↑ "The Varsity: What'll Ya Have". The Varsity. Retrieved July 7, 2007.
  15. ↑ "Announcing the 2022 America's Classics Winners | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  16. ↑ King, Michael (6 February 2023). "Atlanta history and Black history are intertwined in many ways". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  17. ↑ Douglas, Deborah D. (2021-01-12). Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail: A Traveler's Guide to the People, Places, and Events that Made the Movement. Avalon Publishing. ISBN   978-1-64049-916-4.
  18. ↑ Plumb, Amanda (2021-05-15). Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta. Reedy Press LLC. ISBN   978-1-68106-314-0.
  19. ↑ Plumb, Amanda (2021-05-15). Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta. Reedy Press LLC. ISBN   978-1-68106-314-0.
  20. ↑ "Restaurants in Atlanta", Frommers
  21. ↑ Exploring the Luckie-Marietta District -- Downtown Atlanta's New Hot Spot", Daniel J. Jones, Huffington Post, 2013-08-02
  22. ↑ "Revitalization of Edgewood Avenue brings new restaurants, bars to the area", Atlanta magazine, 2014-04-30 Archived August 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ "Best Atlanta Food Restaurants". Zagat. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
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