Atlanta Gourmet Restaurants

by Contributing Writer

The home of Georgia Tech, the Atlanta Braves and the Fernbank Museum and Science Center, Atlanta, Georgia, is a cultural and educational mecca. The city saw a revival in 1996 with the arrival of the Olympic games; its downtown Centennial Olympic Park saw expansions and improvements to commemorate the historic event. Visitors to Atlanta can enjoy fine dining in one of the city's numerous gourmet restaurants.

Atlanta skyline

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Blue Pointe

Blue Pointe, a member of the gourmet Buckhead Restaurant Group, serves contemporary Asian-fusion fare in a sleek setting. A backlit bar with revolving pastel lights beckons thirsty restaurant-goers, and a number of booths and high-top tables await diners. The evening starts off with an appetizer like the tuna tartare or golden and red beet salad, and continues on with small plates such as beef wontons or shrimp dumplings. Main dishes include seared skate wing with ginger, vegetable pad thai, crispy duck steak and caramel garlic lamb loin. The geisha roll with daikon wrapped salmon and the Flamethrower lobster-beef roll are among the sushi specialties. A molten chocolate souffle cake or blueberry mascarpone spring roll tops off the evening. Blue Pointe is open seven days a week. Blue Pointe 3455 Peachtree Road Atlanta, GA 30326 404-237 9070 buckheadrestaurants.com/bp.html

Sun Dial

A jewel atop the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, the Sun Dial restaurant delights discerning diners with magnificent views of the Atlanta skyline and gourmet dishes. Atlanta landmarks such as the Center for Puppetry Arts, the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Georgia Dome are visible from the Sun Dial observatory. Appetizers include wild mushroom fritters and smoked trout spread. Gruyere cauliflower bisque and the poached pear with blue cheese salad are among the soup and salad offerings. Main dishes include roasted Ashley Farms chicken florentine, grilled beef tenderloin with kale and pan-seared salmon with mussels. Sun Dial is open seven days a week. Sun Dial 210 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA 30303 404-589-7506 sundialrestaurant.com
South City Kitchen Midtown

Nestled in a historic brick building on Crescent Avenue, South City Kitchen Midtown serves Southern classics with a modern flair. Popular soup and salad options at South City consist of Old Charleston she-crab soup, cane syrup-roasted beet salad and the harvest salad with butternut squash. Appetizers like pan-fried chicken livers and fried green tomatoes start off the meal, which continues with gourmet Southern specialties seafood jambalaya and chicken and dumplings. The evening finishes with pecan pie or double chocolate bread pudding. South City Kitchen is open seven days a week. South City Kitchen Midtown 1144 Crescent Ave Atlanta, Georgia 30309 404-873 7358 southcitykitchen.com/midtown