When It Tastes Good Its All Comfort Food

Atlanta appeals to the palette in many ways, from five star restaurants to hole-in-the wall dives, the city has a cuisine for every taste bud. Metro Atlanta is comprised of 28 counties, the largest region of its kind in the nation, and every county has something unique to offer. While the typical chain restaurants and fast-food joints are always busy, there is also a heavy following to several eateries unique to the city.

A new restaurant is always cropping up in the city, but Atlanta is also known for a few of its long-standing restaurant icons. Paschal’s, known for the “history, hospitality, and home-cooking”, has served the city for six decades and was a meeting place for Dr. Martin Luther King and other leaders of the Civil Rights movement during the 60’s to plan key marches. Also known as a southern staple for sixty years, is Mary Mac’s Tea Room whose doors first opened in 1945 when Mary McKinsey decided to use her good Southern cooking to make money in the tough post-World War II days and has served some of the most notable entertainers, politicians, and business people. The location has stayed the same (although expanded) and the food remains nearly identical to what it was over sixty years ago. But no trip to Atlanta is complete without visiting the Varsity and hearing the servers yell at you, “What’ll ya have? What’ll ya have? What’ll ya have?” An Atlanta icon for more than eighty years, this place still holds on to the past with car hops who meet you at the curb rather than the now popular drive-thrus.

Once your comfort food craving has been satisfied, there are a multitude of restaurants to meet all of your other cravings. Whether you barbeque and blues at Fat Matt’s where the line wraps around the small building on a Saturday evening or award winning sushi creations in MF Sushibar’s sleek and sophisticated atmosphere, Atlanta will please the palette and fill the tummy. If burgers are your fancy, the Vortex offers a burger menu that will make your moth water and your mind race. Their specialty burgers are all made with a half-pound of beef and have great names such as the new Elvis Burger, Spanish Fly, or the ridiculously huge Double Bypass Burger! This short-order kitchen has a menu with rules though, so pay special attention to the section on “No Whining” and “Tip or Die”. The Vortex is a little unorthodox in appearance and service, but well worth a visit.

Another note-worthy restaurant in the city is The Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View which sits atop the Westin Hotel. This restaurant is a tri-level dining complex featuring a revolving upscale restaurant, a rotating cocktail lounge and an observatory view level offering a breathtaking 360-degree panorama of the magnificent Atlanta skyline. An Atlanta tradition, thousands of locals and tourists board the scenic glass elevators each year to climb the hotel’s 73 stories to The Sun Dial for its unbeatable views, classic cuisine, live jazz and relaxing ambiance.