Omnivore - Best Bets: 5 places to peach it up in ATL

Gonna eat a lot of peaches...

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  • Zeb Stevenson
  • Watershed’s peaches wrapped in lard with market vegetables



Technically summer begins with the solstice — June 21 at 12:38 p.m. to be exact — but there is something special about a ripe peach that screams summer. Nothing tastes quite as summery as biting into a perfectly ripe peach. The fuzzy stone fruit was recently spotted at these five Atlanta restaurants:

Where better to head for peaches than Peachtree Street? Empire State South has a delicate plate on the menu with lush Pearson peaches, honeycomb, and sacred basil ($14). Chef Joshua Hopkins’ dish is both sweet and savory with the addition of tangy sheep’s milk cheese, Brebis. Fried bits of sourdough add buttery crunch. Wine director Steven Grubbs says a glass of Naveran Brut cava would be pair perfectly. 999 Peachtree St. Midtown. 404-541-1105. empirestatesouth.com


So long strawberry, hello peaches. Table and Main has a dish that offers a taste of summer in every bite, and it’s called peach shortcake. Chef Ted Lahey always keeps it simple, seasonal, and Southern at this quaint Roswell eatery. Buttermilk biscuits blanketed in a peach ginger compote sounds like the embodiment of summer down south. You can even order it on a porch! 1028 Canton St., Roswell. 678-869-5178. tableandmain.com

At Jarrett Stieber’s Eat Me Speak Me Pop-up held Fridays-Sunday’s in Candler Park’s Gato, the menu changes based on what farmers are harvesting. And thank goodness they are reaping this glorious sun-kissed fuzz fruit. A recent menu (and remember his menu is always changing) EMSM is showing off grilled Pearson peaches with a chicken drumstick ($10), frilly and bitter escarole, shiitakes, sesame, hot mustard, and a swirl of pickled ginger puree. For dessert he even has a buttermilk marinated peach panna cotta ($5). It even comes with gold sprinkles. Sprinkles!
1660 McLendon Ave. Candler park. eatmespeakme.com

Watershed co-owner (along with business partner Ross Jones) Emily Saliers sings the Indigo Girls’ lyric “there’s something ‘bout the Southland in the springtime ... the peach trees stitched across the land.” It’s pretty great to eat a peach on her expansive patio on Peachtree Road. Chef Zeb Stevenson currently has a dish as pretty as it is tasty. Sweet peaches are draped in thin slices of melting lardo along with savory rice pudding, tender cuts of market vegetables, and a bright minty creme fraiche ($12).
1820 Peachtree Road. 404-809-3561. watershedrestaurant.com

Sobban has extensive gardens growing around the Emory-area Korean/Southern diner but no peaches. They are on the menu, however with a full-flavored salad of sorts. The spread includes wedges of peaches, peppery arugula, jalepeno, crunch pecan pieces, and a drizzle of honey. Prosciutto from sister restaurant, Heirloom Market, clings to the luscious fruit. This would pair perfectly with those big, crunchy Korean fried chicken wings. 1788 Clairmont Road., Decatur. 678-705-4233. sobban.com

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated since its original publication