• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 664 0

more than one person has called the world’s greatest burger. “I love Ms Ann,” says Peacock. “I can’t tell you it’s the best burger ever, but it has Ms Ann. She’s stern. I’m always a little nervous when I go in there – everything is on her terms. I love it when the food is an expression of someone like that.” If you can actually finish this bad boy, you’ll want to stop reading here.

To get a sense of Peacock’s palette, a stop in his own restaurant, Watershed, in downtown Decatur – a hip sort of suburb of Atlanta with a small-town bohemian feel – is in order. Inside a former mechanic’s garage, Peacock and Indigo Girl Emily Saliers have been serving up juiced-up versions of seasonal Southern classics since “Galileo” was on the radio. Pimento and cheese made with two-year-old Grafton cheddar is a favorite, as are the outrageously tasty sandwiches. A table on fried-chicken Tuesdays is a coveted thing indeed.

* * *

TIME

4 days

BEST TIME TO GO

Mar – May

START

Atlanta, GA

END

Atlanta, GA

ALSO GOOD FOR

* * *

Across the street from Watershed, Peacock loves Taqueria del Sol, as do most Atlantans you speak to. Cheap tacos with unpredictable fillings (pulled pork, fried chicken, Tilapia) and a ridiculously good corn chowder with shrimp are favorites here. One of Peacock’s protégés, Billy Allin, jumped shipped from Watershed to open Cakes & Ale down the street. No animosity here – Peacock loves the simplistic nature of the food, sourced locally wherever possible.

For goat tacos, Peacock heads straight to Buford Hwy, Atlanta’s most ethnically diverse street (sometimes it feels as though you need a passport and a currency exchange to drive its length). Take your pesos to El Cabrito for the chivo (goat) – they’re small, a tad greasy and taste mucho autentico. A few miles southwest, also on Buford Hwy, is 88 Tofu House, an always-open Korean diner serving up succulent BBQ and various kimchi.

Tired of eating yet? Peacock’s favorite hotel for foodies is the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, though it has lost some of its previous luster in the wake of Atlanta’s ever-expanding dining scene. “It’s getting more and more Hilton-y to me all the time, but I did used to love sitting in front of that fireplace in the wintertime, having tea with friends. I still think you can rely on it for top-end service. It’s the classic hotel in Atlanta.” Atlanta magazine recently named the restaurant at Twelve at Centennial Park the best new hotel restaurant in the city. This trendy option offers large, shotgun-style suites in a perfect downtown location near Centennial Park, the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. An excellent Buckhead option is the newer Mansion on Peachtree, home to NYC chef Tom Colicchio’s Craft restaurant and some of the most luxurious sleeps in the city.

The size of the parking lot at Manuel’s Tavern ought to clue you in on its standing among locals – you’d think you’re parking at Home Depot. It’s all about weekend brunch and greasy hangover cures at this quintessential 1956 landmark. Serious breakfast folks rise and shine at breakfast-only Java Jive. The popular gingerbread pancakes match the Leave It to Beaver decor – old ’40s and ’50s ovens and toasters fill the room like a Mayberry junkyard. Another spot stuck in time is Colonnade, wedged between seedy adult bookstores and ethnic eateries on Cheshire Bridge Rd. “The food isn’t especially great but it’s such a scene,” says Peacock. “It’s the restaurant of this low-rent motel. In the evenings, it’s 50% blue hair and 50% gay.”

A healthier option Peacock raves about is the organic Morningside Market, an artisan farmers market held every Saturday in one of Atlanta’s prettiest neighborhoods. But if you would rather learn how to cook than actually eat – after all, a break is in order by this point – Peacock suggests cooking classes at Cook’s Warehouse, where you can tap into your inner chef learning everything from southern Indian to Southern fried chicken.

Some of Atlanta’s best eats are found in little gourmet markets and corner groceries,