Best Of Atlanta 2009 Oral Pleasures Large

Oral Pleasures

Best Bar Food BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

The Porter Beer Bar (Temporarily Closed)

Best Barbecue BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Rolling Bones

Best Breakfast BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

West Egg Cafe (Featured)

Best Brunch BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Holeman and Finch Public House

Best Chef BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Linton Hopkins

Best Chinese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Tasty China (Marietta) (Temporarily Closed)

Best Cocktails BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Drinkshop

Best Coffee House/Coffeeshop BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Octane Coffee (Permanently Closed)

Best Food Trend BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Offal

Best French BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Au Rendez Vous

Best Hamburger BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Holeman and Finch Public House

Best Ice Cream BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Morelli’s Ice Cream- Ormewood Plaza (Featured)

Best Japanese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Hayakawa (Where to Eat Recommendation)

Best Korean BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Honey Pig

Best Mexican BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Taquería La Oaxaqueña (Where to Eat Recommendation)

Best Middle Eastern BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Falafel Caf

Best New Restaurant BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

La Pietra Cucina

Best Overall Restaurant BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Bacchanalia

Best Pizza BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Pizzeria Fortunato

BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Shaun's (Permanently Closed)

Best Restaurant Design BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Livingston

Best Restaurant for Late-Night Dining BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

El Rey Del Taco (Featured)

Best Sandwiches BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Muss & Turner's - Smyrna (Featured)

Best Soul Food BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Busy Bee Cafe

Best Steaks BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

BLT Steak

Best Sushi BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Hayakawa (Where to Eat Recommendation)

Best Thai BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Spoon Eastside (Featured)

Best Vegetarian/Vegan BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Dynamic Dish

Best Wait Staff BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Andres Loaiza

Best Barbecue BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ (Permanently Closed)

We&#146;ve always liked ROLLING BONES, but since chef Todd Richards took over, our affections have grown. Richards has updated the &#146;cue &#150; the sandwiches are less sloppy, the meat has more of the limelight &#150; and is serving some seriously cool new items, including duck barbecue and smoked trout. Sides have also been given special consideration &#150; the creamy potato salad with Benton&#146;s bacon has just the right mix of creaminess, smoke from the bacon and celery crunch, with none of the sugary undertones of lesser potato salads. Don&#146;t miss the duck sandwich with fig preserves. 377 Edgewood Ave. 404-222-2324.www.rollingbonesbbq.com. less...

Best Bar Food BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

The Porter Beer Bar (Temporarily Closed)

Best Breakfast BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

West Egg Cafe (Featured)

Best Brunch BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Holeman and Finch (Featured)

Every night at 10, HOLEMAN AND & FINCH PUBLIC HOUSE begins serving the famous Holeman burger. Only 25 are made each day, and if you get there past, oh say, 10:02, you&#146;re likely to have missed out. People go nuts for this burger, and for good reason &#150; it hints at all the childhood comfort of a regular fast-food burger, but it&#146;s made with the best ingredients, combining the two powerful forces of nostalgia and good taste. Even if you&#146;re no night owl, there&#146;s hope for you to get your hands on one of these beauties &#150; the restaurant serves it in almost unlimited quantities at Sunday brunch, and you can even get one to go from the host. But the burger isn&#146;t the only reason to visit for brunch &#150; other Sunday fare is just as good, including the city&#146;s best (moist, hulking, flavorful) pancakes. 2277 Peachtree Road. 404-948-1175. www.holeman-finch.com. less...

Best Chef BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Restaurant Eugene (Permanently Closed)

Best Chinese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Tasty China (Marietta) (Temporarily Closed)

Like many Chinese restaurants, TASTY CHINA has gone through numerous chefs and staff changes &#151; the charmingly abrasive hostess Phuong departed this year under mysterious circumstances. But, like a phoenix, the Marietta Szechuan restaurant manages to rise triumphant from every transition. Skip the "American" menu and go straight for the good stuff &#151; anything made with Sichuan peppercorns. The french fry-like batons of dry-fried eggplant are as crispy and addictive as ever. The "Shan City chicken" &#151; a pile of boneless or bone-in chicken fried to a crisp with toasted peppercorns and dried red chilis &#151; will have your mouth tingling long after you depart. If the heat is too much to bare, dishes such as the "Slice fish and sour cabbage soup&#148; &#151; a silky and tangy broth swimming with tender pieces of white fish &#151; are mild enough for tamer palates without sacrificing any of the wow factor. 585 Franklin Road, Marietta. 770-419-9849. less...

Best Cocktails BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

DrinkShop (Temporarily Closed)

Sasha Petraske's local location of his famous New York bar, DRINKSHOP, was not immediately embraced by Atlantans; it was dismissed by some as just another hotel bar with high prices. But few of those cynics noted that Eric Simpkins &#151; an extraordinary local talent formerly mixing at Trois &#151; is tending bar at the NYC import. Simpkins may be soft-spoken, but he's a master at manipulating boutique liquors into artful cocktails that explode on the palate. While the menu is carefully crafted, your best bet is to place yourself in Simpkins' capable hands. He finds out what you're in the mood for, and then creates a progressive experience where each cocktail builds upon the last. The arm garters, ice cubes designed for certain drinks and old-fashioned stemware only make the bar a more unique destination for cocktail enthusiasts craving a little something different. 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. (inside the W Atlanta downtown). 404-582-5800. www.whotels.com/Atlanta. less...

Best Coffee House/Coffeeshop BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Octane Coffee (Permanently Closed)

Try as we might, we just can&#146;t find a better coffeehouse than the Westside&#146;s OCTANE. They&#146;ve got it all. Free Wi-Fi? Check. Cool, comfortable digs? Check. Great food? Check (love that house salad; adore that house-made granola). Friendly, community-conscious staff and owners? Check. And most importantly: Great, expertly made, quality coffee? Absolutely. Octane makes all of its brewed coffee from Counter Culture beans fresh in press pots, and the baristas are the best in town. Watch this year for a spreading of the love &#150; Octane has taken over Method near Emory, and there are more locations in the works. 1009-B Marietta St. 404-815-9886. www.octanecoffee.com. less...

Best French BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Au Rendez-Vous Bistro (Permanently Closed)

For all the upscale, high-falutin&#146; French places in town, our favorite is the decidedly homey AU RENDEZ VOUS, tucked into a residential neighborhood in Brookhaven. The cash-only, Vietnamese-owned restaurant serves exactly the kind of food you&#146;d find in a real working-class French neighborhood &#150; traditional recipes cooked with love. You won&#146;t go wrong with any of the crepe appetizers, or rich, hearty meat entrees (try the rabbit cooked with red wine). The diminutive prices and feeling of eating in someone&#146;s jumbled living room only add to the appeal. 1328 Windsor Parkway. 404-343-4983. less...

Best Wait Staff BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Aria (Featured)

The tone of a restaurant, the feel of a room, and the service you receive are usually the doing of that restaurant&#146;s general manager. And at Aria, ANDRES LOAIZA sets a perfect example &#151; warmth complemented by knowledge and professionalism. Need a wine recommendation? Loaiza is helpful without the slightest hint of snootiness. Visit the restaurant once, and two years later he's likely to remember your face, name, what you ordered and how much you liked it. His unmatched attention to detail makes him a master practitioner at the art of true service. 490 E. Paces Ferry Road. 404-233-7673. www.aria-atl.com. less...

Best Ice Cream BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Morelli’s Ice Cream- Ormewood Plaza (Featured)

In the year since opening, MORELLI&#146;S GOURMET ICE CREAM & DESSERTS has gained national attention, being listed in Bon Appetite as one of the top 10 ice cream stores in the country. And for good reason &#150; the constantly rotating list of ice creams, sorbets and now gelatos are as creative as they are delicious. Standard flavors, such as strawberry and chocolate, are fantastic, but look out for the wackier concoctions that come and go. Recent winners have been the chocolate and Guinness ice cream and the peach champagne gelato. 749 Moreland Ave. 404-622-0210.www.morellisicecream.com. less...

Best Japanese BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Hayakawa (Where to Eat Recommendation)

SUSHI HOUSE HAYAKAWA is one of those rare Japanese restaurants that does exceptionally well on two fronts: The sushi and sashimi is expertly cut, fresh and fabulous, and the hard-to-find home-style Japanese dishes and nightly specials elevate Hayakawa to destination-restaurant status. Golden-fried squid legs served with Japanese mayo, crispy croquettes with a creamy center, roasted gingko nuts, seductively slippery seaweed salads and an assortment of noodle dishes are perfect with an ice-cold carafe of sake from the restaurant's small, but excellent selection. 5979 Buford Highway. 770-986-0010. www.atlantasushibar.com. less...

Best Korean BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Honey Pig

For many years, Atlantans equated Korean barbecue with beef and only beef. But HONEY PIG changed everything. This Duluth restaurant is all about the pork &#151; especially the belly. The prices may seem high, but don't fret. That price includes a gluttonous amount of food. Instead of a regular grill grate, the servers cook the meat on a sizzling-hot cast iron dome with butter. The meat &#151; which comes with a load of side dishes and wrappers &#151; is followed by bean sprouts tossed with chili paste, mushrooms and fermented cabbage. At the end of the meal, a long piece of octopus is curled around the tip of the dome, and snipped to pieces before being tossed with a large bowl of rice and the remaining bits of meat and vegetables. Best. Fried. Rice. Ever. 3473 Old Norcross Road, Duluth. 770-476-9292. less...

Best Mexican BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Taquería La Oaxaqueña (Where to Eat Recommendation)

Dining at LA OAXAQUENA TAQUERIA used to sometimes be difficult because of the limited seating. But the restaurant has moved to an expansive new location where there&#146;s plenty of seating and parking. The salsa and condiment bar is full of the same pristine choices. The sopes have the requisite qualities of greatness &#151; a crispy crust, soft masa center and fresh toppings. And there are tacos galore. But the restaurant's famous tlayudas &#151; a specialty of Oaxaca resembling a large pizza made with a crunchy tortilla base and topped with chewy strings of Oaxacan cheese &#151; are impossible to pass up. 605 Mt. Zion Road, Jonesboro. 770-960-3010. less...

Best Middle Eastern BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Falafel Cafe (Where to Eat Recommendation)

Best New Restaurant BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

LPC (Permanently Closed)

Nothing in Atlanta restaurants has come along in the past year that's made us as excited as chef Bruce Logue's cooking at LA PIETRA CUCINA. From the dreamy pillows of house-made ricotta that accompany the Procuitto de Parma and pineapple mostarda to the outrageous black spaghetti with hot caladrese sausage and rock shrimp to perfect wood-roasted fish, Logue's bold vision of Italian is as thrilling as any genre of food happening in any restaurant in the city. 1545 Peachtree St. 404-888-8709. www.lapietracucina.com. less...

Best Pizza BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Siracusa's New York Pizzeria (Featured)

Pizza is one of the most convenient comfort foods. And like most comfort foods, people's pie loyalties are extremely personal. Consistency, however, is a common expectation. Over the past few years, PIZZERIA FORTUNATO has proven itself as a reliable and excellent New York-style pizza joint. The classic Neapolitan pizza never disappoints. They are massive, which means each person gets that trademark length and girth of a NYC street slice. The crust has the ideal balance of saltiness, sweetness, crunch and tug. The concentrated acid of tomato in the sauce and strings of chewy mozzarella cheese complete the harmony of pizza perfection. And Fortunato's passes the day-after test with flying colors &#151; chilled or room temperature. 5350 United Drive, Smyrna. 770-432-7454. www.pizzeriafortunato.com. less...

Best Restaurant Design BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Livingston Restaurant + Bar

The massive redo of the Georgian Terrace hotel gave Atlanta a chic place to stay in the heart of Midtown, but it also gave us one of the most stunningly beautiful new restaurants to come along in years. Design company the Puccini Group gave LIVINGSTON all the old-world glamour of the original space and updated it just enough to make a vintage-modern masterpiece of a dining room. High ceilings, columns, and wrought iron flank the main dining room with its comfortable, modern leather chairs. The stunning bar area is all marble and swanky velvet banquettes. And the patio, facing the Fox Theatre and decked out with fat wicker club chairs and canvas umbrellas, is the height of sophistication. 659 Peachtree St. 404-897-5000. www.livingstonatlanta.com. less...

Best Restaurant for Late-Night Dining BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

El Rey Del Taco (Featured)

Finding something to eat in the wee hours of the morning can be a tough task if greasy spoons aren&#146;t your thing. But Buford Highway has plenty of ethnic options serving food designed to soak up for a belly full of alcohol. TAQUERIA EL REY DEL TACO is one of the best taquerias in Atlanta that just so happens to be open daily from 10 to 5 a.m. Handmade tortillas, an abundance of taco fillings, large seafood cocktails and some stellar salsa with serious kick are just as good at 4 in the morning as they are at lunchtime. And the occasional group of rowdy Latina drag queens only adds to the already colorful scenery. 5288 Buford Highway, Doraville. 770-986-0032. less...

Best Food Trend BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Offal

Mmm, livers. Yuumm, tripe. Sweetbreads? Oh, yeah. More and more restaurants are jumping on the OFFAL bandwagon, and that&#146;s just fine with us. While many upscale restaurants (as well as ethnic spots) have been serving organ meats for years, the past year has seen an explosion in whole-animal cooking, most notably at Holeman & Finch Public House and at Abattoir, the new restaurant from Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison. The good news is that the public seems to be gobbling it up with gusto, meaning this is a delicious trend that&#146;s not going away anytime soon. Chicken hearts, anyone? Yes, please &#133; . less...

Best Sandwiches BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Oral Pleasures » Critics Pick

Muss & Turner's - Smyrna (Featured)

Chefs Todd Mussman and Ryan Turner have managed to do the impossible &#150; get people to drive from intown Atlanta to Smyrna for sandwiches. But the sandwiches at MUSS & TURNER&#146;S are no joke. The chefs use only the best ingredients &#151; always local when possible &#151; and cook them extremely conscientiously. The creations are playful works of art large enough for the heartiest of appetites. You'd think these guys don't take themselves too seriously with sandwich names like "Insult to Philly," but you know they mean business when you see the ingredient list. Shaved Wagyu Kamado roasted beef with an au jus that takes 60 hours to prepare? Sold. Oh, and the "Chocolate Elvis" &#151; griddled chocolate challah bread stuffed with natural peanut butter, premium chocolate and bananas &#151; is both vegetarian- and sweet-fiend friendly. 1675 Cumberland Parkway, Smyrna. 770-434-1114.www.mussandturners.com. less...

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