Feature: Top 5 restaurants in 2008
December 29th, 2008 by Besha Rodell in Restaurants
THE WHOLE HOG: Holeman and Finch encourages diners to eat head to tail
Where did the year go? The end of 2008 snuck up so quickly and stealthily, it blindsided me. One thing that helps bring me back to a relatively reasonable pace, or at least not a speed-of-light pace, is to look back the year’s restaurant openings. January might seem like yesterday when I think about the economy, but it feels like an actual year ago when I consider all the new restaurants that have opened since then. Many of those restaurants have contributed to making this otherwise sucky year a little easier to swallow. While the five on this list aren’t strictly the year’s highest rated, they are the ones that made my year better.
5. Cakes & Ale 3 stars
The wonderful thing about this Decatur spot is that it just gets better and better. When chef/owner (and former Watershed sous chef) Billy Allin opened the restaurant, he showed flashes of brilliance, especially when it came to salads and simple roasted meats. Some things seemed too simple, but Allin has since taken the reigns and perfected the tone of his cooking. This winter, root vegetables and winter squash accompany slow-roasted meats for ultimate comfort. Cakes & Ale also has one of the most intimate and enjoyable bars in town, with an eclectic wine selection to match the quirky and friendly servers. 254 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-377-7994. www.cakesandalerestaurant.com.
4. La Pietra Cucina 3 stars
There are two things that excite me about La Pietra Cucina. One is chef Bruce Logue’s cooking –- an inventive mix of classic and modern Italian that pushes all kinds of boundaries. Dishes are as simple as Proscuitto de Parma with house-made ricotta and as wild as black spaghetti, colored with squid ink and served with shrimp and highly spiced Italian sausage. The second is what the restaurant might become. Currently housed in the side room of the mammoth Midcity Cuisine space, the plan is for the restaurant to expand into a much larger operation in 2009. I can’t wait to see what an expanded menu, wine list and space will mean for Logue’s visionary cooking. 1545 Peachtree St., Suite 101. 404-888-8709.
3. Craft Atlanta. Not yet rated.
You’ll have to wait until February to read my full Craft review (although Cliff Bostock will have a First Look next week), but what I can tell you is that Tom Colicchio isn’t messing around with his Atlanta outpost of Craft. The restaurant has managed to cull some of the city’s finest service talent from other top spots, making for a seamless dining experience. And Colicchio’s aesthetic of simple, luxurious food, served family style and à la carte, is a testament to the fact that restraint can be as effective as creativity on the plate. Roasted sunchokes, anyone? Mmmmmm…. 3376 Peachtree Road. 404-995-7580. www.craftatlanta.com.
2. Sushi House Hayakawa 3 stars
Atsushi “Art” Hayakawa has managed to transform his small corner of Buford Highway into an authentic slice of Japan, from the pristine fish flown in daily to the formal, almost reverent service, to the long list of sake and sochu. Dishes such as monkfish liver in ponzu sauce are likely to convert even the less adventurous eaters in your party, and the long list of Japanese bar snacks are perfect for washing down sake at midnight (perfectly feasible, since Hayakawa is open until 2 a.m. on weekends). 5979 Buford Highway. 770-986-0010. www.atlantasushibar.com.
1. Holeman and Finch 4 stars
Holeman and Finch wasn’t the first gastropub in Atlanta, but it is the best, and it may inspire imitators for years to come. The restaurant’s dedication to alcohol is what I appreciate – all kinds of alcohol, from Greg Best’s amazing cocktails to a fantastic beer and wine selection. H&F goes beyond good booze to provide food designed to compliment booze. And it’s not just boring bar fare – the classic charcuterie plate for wine swillers, the perfect slutty hamburger for beer drinkers, and all kinds of offal that goes down well with a deftly mixed cocktail (feel free to drink and match as necessary). More than any other restaurant, Holeman and Finch helped make 2008 bearable. 277 Peachtree Road. 404-948-1175. www.holeman-finch.com.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Comments
My first visit to the recommeneded Cakes and Ale was quite disappointing. First, the room is too loud for even the most casual conversation as the accoustics in the room are unbareable. Reservations appeared to have reserved most of the room to nowhere much to sit except the bar and the best seating appears to the very front of the restaurant in the window. You must sit right next to your quest to even hear them. The service was so so and inconsistent with other 5 star grade restaurants. The chef appears to have good training with the all too famous Scott Peacock as we do not go there either as it is also too loud and slightly overrated as the Governors Chef at one time. So, for the Cakes and Ale my recommendations are to have someone consult for sound issues and train the wait staff to accomadate the patrons in a fashion we expect. Many Thanks!
January 5th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
So you list a restaurant (Craft) that has not even opened yet or been reviewed as one of the Top 5 Restaurants of 2008? Aren’t you getting ahead of your self? Just creating the hype? Do you work for Pitchfork? You’ll probably put that on your 2009 list too, huh?
January 5th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Hi Confused,
Craft has been open since late November. It has not yet been reviewed by me, but I have eaten there in preparation for an upcoming review. Since it opened in 2008, it will not be on my list for 2009.