Good Eats
Our critics' guide to Atlanta restaurants
Inside Perimeter
Buckhead/Brookhaven
Aria, 490 E. Paces Ferry Road, 404-233-7673. A Buckhead-casual hangout for young, hot entrepreneurs and similarly questing fast-trackers. Gerry Klaskala's accomplished American cuisine -- slow-cooked chicken and beef, soups, grilled meats -- and Kathryn King's dreamy desserts more than make up for the half-baked, weirdly erotic decor by Bill Johnson Studio. D $$$$
Atlanta Fish Market, 265 Pharr Road, 404-262-3165. Size does matter at Buckhead's popular seafood spot, from the giant copper fish out front to the massive but hospitable dining room, designed after a Savannah train station. Seek out the lump crab cake or pecan-crusted swordfish, but if you can't make up your mind, fall back on the kind of fried platter you might find at Red Lobster, only here prepared to perfection. L, D $$$$
Bone's, 3130 Piedmont Road, 404-237-2663. The essential Buckhead spot where Atlanta's bullish businessmen carve out deals and carve up steaks with equal gusto. Carnivores will delight at any of the melt-in-your mouth cuts of beef or the massive, lip-smacking lamb chops, and hoop-sized onion rings and salt-crusted baked potatoes stand at the ready. With crisp linens, red leather chairs and unctuous service, the atmosphere is pure, unapologetic men's club. L, D $$$$
Bridgetown Grill, 3316 Piedmont Road, 404-266-1500. The last Bridgetown venue standing serves island grub to a cheerful reggae beat. Try the rack of tangy guava ribs and the zesty jerk chicken with raspberry coulis dipping sauce. $$
Buckhead Bread Company/ Corner Cafe, 3070 Piedmont Road, 404-240-1978. Breads, muffins, pastries and service are better than ever. Sandwiches (egg salad, chicken club, portobello mushroom) are among the city's overstuffed best. Opens early for breakfast. B, L $
Ca Dao Vietnamese Restaurant, 4166 Buford Hwy., 404-982-0700. The cold weather requires soup. My favorite ethnic soup is the Vietnamese pho. Usually made with beef stock, to which rice noodles, herbs, chilies, lime and a variety of meats are added. Buford Highway is lined with pho restaurants, including Ca Dao, which probably serves the best pho in the city. L, D $
Chopstix, 4279 Roswell Road, 404-255-4868. You'll find no clichés of chop suey house cuisine or decor at Buckhead's impeccably appointed Chinese restaurant, which draws culinary inspiration from around the globe. Chopstix's kitchen can turn you into a lifelong fan of such sides as crispy spinach or glazed pine nuts, and an addict for seafood dishes like bird nest prawn, jumbo sea scallop or wok-fried black pepper oysters. $$$
Dining Room, Ritz Carlton, 3434 Peachtree Road, 404-240-7035. Ignore the country club adornments and prepare to be seduced by some of the city's most stellar food and service. Chef Bruno Menard's haute French aesthetic is augmented by sublime Asian touches that enliven his creations rather than confuse them. Wine pairings are subtle and sumptuous. With advance notice, vegetarians are treated exceptionally well. D $$$$
Eclipse di Luna, 764 Miami Circle, 404-846-0449. Lunch features delicious sandwiches, soups and quiches; evenings offer a tapas menu that is the best in town. Little Spanish-style marinated ribs, grilled octopus, skewered prawns and luscious Manilla clams are among the offerings. $$$
La Fonda Latina, 2813 Peachtree Road, 404-816-8311. You can't be in a bad mood at any of La Fonda's locations, where the tropical color schemes and upbeat salsa music never fail to raise spirits. The pork chops, Cuban Reuben sandwich and big, generous quesadillas are all exquisite. If you've never been, try the paella, a mouth-watering melange of seafood, sausage, rice and more served in an iron skillet. L, D $
La Grotta Ristorante Italiano, 2637 Peachtree Road, 404-231-1368. An Atlanta institution for Northern Italian/continental cuisine, La Grotta's original Buckhead location has gotten a partial update but remains the ideal place to squire older relatives with reasons to celebrate. Classic dishes such as the homemade ravioli, the black and white linguini and the veal loin scallopine can leave you kissing your fingers, or the chef's. D $$$$
Monty's Stone Crab Seafood Restaurant, 3400 Woodale Drive, 404-495-9115. Local unit of Coconut Grove, Fla., original specializes in coastal cuisine, especially fresh stone crab claws flown in from Mexico. Sweet and lobster-like in flavor and price, the tender claw meat is an easily acquired taste for anyone with Bill Gates' bank account. Conch, snapper, tuna steaks, chowder and serious salads round out the worthwhile offerings. Valet parking, reservations and full bar. D $$$$
Nava, 3060 Peachtree Road, 404-240-1984. Kevin Rathburn's Nava carries Southwestern chic to the nth degree, with the Hispanic, Western and Native American flourishes of the Buckhead restaurant's decor proving so fanciful as to nearly suggest a Georgia O'Keeffe fever dream. Dishes such as the green chile lobster soft tacos, the iron skillet mussels in chipotle broth and the ancho chili cured lamb are intoxicating but user-friendly examples of the Southwestern fusion style. L, D $$$$
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