The Sophisticated Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Wine
  • Culinary Travels
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
The Sophisticated Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Wine
  • Culinary Travels
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
The Sophisticated Life
No Result
View All Result
Home Atlanta

For Foodies:Nadeen’s Current Atlanta Restaurant Picks Part 1: Upscale Eateries!

by Nadeen
September 19, 2019
A A

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

For Foodies: Nadeen’s Current Atlanta Restaurant Picks! Part 1-Upscale Eateries.

Anyone who knows me knows I love to eat. And not just the same things all the time but different things anytime. Since traveling the world at a moment’s notice and eating fresh local cuisines is a dream not yet realized, I am lucky to live in a metropolitan city that offers me a wide variety of choices to quench my international palate. Many people may think of Atlanta as being home to mostly Southern cuisine but do not be fooled.  Having lived in the NYC, Washington DC, and Miami areas, I have been amazed and inspired by the culinary scene here. At the time of my first article on the Atlanta food scene I was fairly new to the city. Therefore, I asked resident foodies their opinions of their favorite eating establishments. That article was entitled Atlanta Favorites.

But, for this article, after being on the prowl for 1 ½ years in search of the best this city has to offer, I have decided to write my own thoughts on my current favorites. I think you will find something to tempt and satisfy your own palates. The first part of this series will focus on upscale eateries. Be sure to follow along in Part 2, 3 and 4 as I discuss International Flavors, Brunch, and Comfort foods!

Upscale Eateries

King+Duke.

If you live in Atlanta you have probably heard of chef and restaurateur Ford Fry. If you have not, you have probably eaten at one of his many fabulous restaurants here including The Optimist that was voted one of the best new restaurants in America in 2013, JCT Kitchen&Bar, No.246 and his newest addition St.Cecilia. King+Duke was one of the most talked about openings last year and before I was able to get dine there I was able to sample a lunch bag at their pop up in West Midtown last summer. It included a smoked turkey sandwich on multigrain bread with spicy mayo, their crispy potato chips and a watermelon punch with fresh watermelon. DELICIOUS! (And I don’t even like watermelon). The restaurant itself, located in Buckhead, reminded me of The Optimist. Chic but warm and cozy at the same time. There is a front lounge area, a long bar which overlooks a 24 foot open hearth, which is the restaurant’s centerpiece, and both indoor and outdoor seating. I personally cannot wait to go back in the summertime since there is a large outdoor area with several bars and as much seating as the indoor space. ffkingpatio

ffhearth

The menu is based on characters in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. The food is cooked over the open fire and the menu changes seasonally. I have been to King+Duke twice and it’s great for both drinks with your girlfriends in the lounge area or at the bar and for a romantic date with that special someone. First of all, I thought the drinks were very unique and so did my dining companions to the point of us trying to take pictures of the ingredients! The food menu has traditional items such as trout, chicken and lamb but also roasted bone marrow, rabbit and liver toast!

ffkingking

 

For meat lovers try “The King” a dry-aged, bone-in ribeye. In addition, there are vegetarian options such as wood roasted vegetables and grilledffking eggplant. Also, for those that like to celebrity watch, this is a known hot spot in the city. I was actually eating there the same night as the actress Jessica Alba but had no idea until I had left the restaurant!

 

 

 

 

No.246

Ahhhhh “il suo romantic”. It’s so romantic! No.246 is located in downtown Decatur named after the plot of land on which the restaurant sits-dating back to the 1900s! The restaurant specializes in blending local products and seasonal ingredients with the culinary techniques of Italy. The interior is a gorgeous contemporary design. The Chef’s counter in particular had been recommended to me by a coworker for quite some time and I decided to finally try it with my boyfriend for our 1 year anniversary. Although she had described being seated there several times with another couple, we had the entire area to ourselves.

ff246signThe chef’s counter consists of a five course tasting menu overlooking the open hearth and costs $50 per person. Once we sat at the counter, the chef introduced himself and asked if we had any dietary restrictions. He informed us that their pasta is made on site (nice) and tastings would include many fall flavors based on their seasonal menu and ingredients. For the chef’s counter there was no menu to choose from and no waitress to wait for since we had our own server that frequented our counter.ff246chef

We were able to watch most of the dishes being prepared and as they were served the chef and sous chef described each meal and their ingredients. The prawns, the homemade pasta, the pumpkin ravioli… these were not “tastings” people! I was quite full by the third dish!! But of course I still had to eat the decadent dessert since it consisted of an Italian chocolate mousse. My meal ended with a piping hot cappuccino. Perfection. I highly suggest you treat yourself to a chef’s counter experience, specifically at No.246.

ff246pastaff246

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLT Steak.

Bistro Laurent Tourondel Steak is located in the W Atlanta Downtown and Chef Tourondel is behind the helm of this American steakhouse. The website describes “BLT Steak integrates traditional elements of the French bistro with an American steakhouse…” It also has a full raw bar. I had heard mixed reviews about BLT steak and as a Yelper (someone who heavily relies on my Yelp app for choosing everything from restaurants to nail salons) I was a bit skeptical since it only has a 3 ½/5 star ranking. But, since I was staying at The W hotel for New Years Eve I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised. The prices are typical for most steakhouses in the area and of course everything is a la carte. The bread was original- large fluffy “poppers” as they are called served with sea salt and butter. My appetizer was my favorite course-a lobster cobb salad filled with large plentiful juicy chunks of lobster as in they were not stingy with the portions of lobster. ffblt

My steak, ordered medium well was more medium (even though it had a little flag sticking out of it indicating it was supposed to be cooked to medium well).  However, before I could even mention it to my waitress, a manager walked by asking how we were doing. I mentioned the steak, he took one look at it and told me I would not be charged and offered to have a new one done.ffbltsteak

Good service-always a plus. The sides of grits with gorgonzola and sautéed mushrooms were also very tasty. The meal ended with  cheesecake served with fruit flavored sorbet, a new and different delicious twist, as well as complimentary chocolate petit fours. All in all it was a pleasant experience. If you are in the downtown Atlanta area and looking for an upscale steakhouse experience, give BLT steak a try.

 

South City Kitchen

This has become one of my favorite restaurants in the area and is a perfect place to take out of towners for an upscale southern meal in the heart of midtown. There is also a location in the suburbs in Smyrna. Celebrities are known to frequent here as well  so again if you are into that-be on the look out! Barry Manilow was actually standing behind me at my table once but I didn’t know he was there. OK, back to the food. It is hot, flavorful and filling!. They have traditional favorites such as fried chicken, shrimp and grits and fried green tomatoes but also have nightly specials of seasonal items.

ffsouthcitychickenffsouthcitykitcken

My personally favorite is their whole trout served with spicy collard greens. And before your meal even arrives you are greeted with a warm basket of corn bread and biscuits with butter. ffsouthcity

Of course for dessert you have choices such as warm pecan pie with vanilla ice cream or bread pudding. The restaurant stays packed even on weekdays so I suggest reservations unless you are willing to eat at the bar or outside patio area.

So what’s next for me on my list? From “the list” of restaurants that I started on my phone prior to even moving here that keeps getting longer?!! I have heard Bones steakhouse in Buckhead is a must, Cakes& Ale in Decatur, Kevin Gillespie’s Gunshow, the supper club Pushstart Kitchen turned restaurant- Better Half.

Have you been to any of the above establishments? Tell us your thoughts! What is your favorite upscale eatery in Atlanta? Stay tuned for my review of the above and for Part 2 in this series-International Flavors.

 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Sign up to learn about luxury travel with food + wine experts all over the world.

Curated small group trips where all you have to do is pack your bag, relax & enjoy!

+ Receive my free packing & to-do lists for International travel!

Thank you! Check your email for your checklists!

Tags: AtlantaBLT SteakFoodFoodiegeorgiaKing+DukeNo.246RestaurantsSouth City Kitchenusa
Previous Post

Heading to Puerto Rico? Eat your way through Historic Old San Juan!

Next Post

Romare Bearden: The Black Man behind the Art!

Nadeen

Nadeen

Dr. Nadeen White is a "Blogger by Day, Physician by Night". She is an award-winning travel blogger, Amazon bestselling author and speaker. The Sophisticated Life Blog covers affordable luxury travel, culinary travel and wine. Her domestic and international travel guides gets people to the destinations of their dreams. So, if you are living the sophisticated life or desire to do so, this is the blog for you!

Related Posts

san francisco golden gate bridge, most romantic cities in the us, valentines day
Travel

The Most Romantic Cities in the US for Getaways.

February 12, 2023
culinary travels, culinary travels by the sophisticated life, culinary tours, culinary tourism, group travel, food and wine tasting
Blog

Introducing Culinary Travels by The Sophisticated Life!

November 25, 2023
black owned brunch spots in atlanta, black owned restaurants in atlanta, brunch in atlanta
Food

Black-Owned Brunch Spots in Atlanta

April 27, 2022
photo by Adam chandler courtesy of charleston wine and food festival
Wine

2022 Charleston Wine + Food Festival-Recap!

March 31, 2022
sonoma county wineries and restaurants, sonoma, california wine region, sonoma wines, wine tasting
Wine

Sonoma County Wineries & Restaurants.

December 13, 2021
things to do in malibu california, malibu restaurants, wine tasting in malibu, malibu beaches, shopping in malibu
Travel

Things to do in Malibu California this Weekend.

March 21, 2022
Next Post

Romare Bearden: The Black Man behind the Art!

Let The Trumpet Sound: Coverage of the 2014 Trumpet Awards!

Comments 2

  1. Valla says:
    11 years ago

    I’m always looking for new places to eat and I’m glad I came across your post and I can’t wait to give one of these places a try.

  2. K. Elizabeth @ YUMMommy says:
    11 years ago

    I actually had the pleasure of eating at BLT Steak and it was delicious. They did not disappoint. Will be visiting them again next time I am in Atlanta.

Black-Owned Businesses

black-owned businesses in asheville north carolina, hood huggers tours, black-owned business in asheville, asheville north carolina, black-owned restaurants in Asheville, downtown Asheville,

Black-Owned Businesses in Asheville, North Carolina.

September 22, 2021
black-owned rosé wine brands to sip on this summer, rosé wines, black-owned wines, rosé wines, summer wines, black-owned wines, black-owned wineries, mcbride wines, black girl magic wines, brown estate wines,

Black-Owned Rosé Wine Brands to Sip on this Summer.

April 27, 2022
atlanta black-owned restaurants, black-owned restaurants in atlanta, atlanta restaurants, brunch in atlanta, atlanta restaurants

45+ Black-Owned Restaurants in Atlanta You Should Support!

May 15, 2022
black-owned wineries, black-owned businesses, black-owned wines, black winemakers, black wines, black owned wines, black owned wineries, black podcasts, wine, wineries, winemakers. wine regions, napa valley, wine tasting

50+ Black-Owned Wineries & Businesses You Should Follow & Support.

March 15, 2022

Explore the U.S.A

san francisco golden gate bridge, most romantic cities in the us, valentines day

The Most Romantic Cities in the US for Getaways.

February 12, 2023
photo by Adam chandler courtesy of charleston wine and food festival

2022 Charleston Wine + Food Festival-Recap!

March 31, 2022
sonoma county wineries and restaurants, sonoma, california wine region, sonoma wines, wine tasting

Sonoma County Wineries & Restaurants.

December 13, 2021
things to do in malibu california, malibu restaurants, wine tasting in malibu, malibu beaches, shopping in malibu

Things to do in Malibu California this Weekend.

March 21, 2022
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
15 fun facts about quebec city canada, travel to canada, canadian

15 Fun Quebec City Facts

April 12, 2023
Myrtle Beach Restaurant Guide for Foodies!

The Best Myrtle Beach Restaurants: A Guide for Foodies!

April 12, 2023
Dubai Trip

Dubai Travel Guide for First Time Visitors!

April 12, 2023
Diner en Blanc Guide for First-Timers! Everything you need to know to attend this magical event! Includes information on purchasing tickets, preparing for the event, costs and what to expect at Diner en Blanc!

Diner en Blanc Guide for First-Timers!

September 19, 2019
Dubai Trip

Dubai Travel Guide for First Time Visitors!

How I spent 5 Days in Dubai and Abu Dhabi! A Desert Safari, Camel rides, Burj Khalifa, High Tea at Burj Al Arab, Shopping in Souks, Visiting the Grand Mosque and so much more!!

How I Spent 5 Days in Dubai and Abu Dhabi!

Visit Jamaica: Land I Love!

Cruising the Mediterranean Sea on Norwegian Epic!

marrakech, 2 day itinerary marrakech, marrakech morocco, best things to do in marrakech

2 day Marrakech Itinerary-things you must do!

February 23, 2024
morocco travel planning guide, morocco travel guide, morocco first time visitors guide, merzouga, the sahara, glamping

Planning a trip to Morocco: First-Timer’s Visitor Guide

July 29, 2023
luxury cruise lines, cruises, cruising, top cruise lines,

Top Rated Luxury Cruise Lines!

June 27, 2023
napa valley sign, black-owned wineries in napa and sonoma

Black-Owned Wineries in Napa and Sonoma.

June 19, 2023
The Sophisicated Life

  • About
  • Travel
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 The Sophisticated Life

The Sophisicated Life

  • About
  • Travel
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Travel
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2020 The Sophisticated Life

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Wine
  • Culinary Travels
  • Work With Me
  • Contact

© 2020 The Sophisticated Life