foodie (Atlanta, Decatur, Buford: neighborhood, restaurants, food)

[tonygeorgia]

Is Metro Atlanta considered a foodie city by national standards? (Soul food + Buford Hwy + etc)

[NYbyWAYofGA]

Tony, from what I've heard and observed, yes. On the outside looking in, Atlanta has a great reputation for good food. That reputation seems to be picking up even more these days.

[testa50]

10 years ago, not really. Back then, the scene was dominated by more traditional "nice" restaurants.

Today, yes. These days, "farm to table" has exploded in Atlanta and we've really been on the forefront of "new southern" cooking, which has become popular nationwide. Places like Decatur and West Midtown are at the forefront of this, but just about every major neighborhood has a great foodie option or two these days.

We've become a lot more well-rounded, too, with a much better cocktail scene and selection of microbrews. More fusion cuisine options and ethnic food is available, and you've got things like Atlanta Underground Market to foster creativity and inject new ideas into the scene.

I travel a lot for work, including to cities like SF and Boston, and I've gotta say Atlanta holds its own compared to these places. I often leave expensive business meals thinking that I could easily name off a dozen places in Atlanta where I could have a better meal. So many places still seem dominated by "five star" type restaurants that seem a bit passe from a foodie standpoint--then again, business travel lends itself to these sorts of places. I also go to places alone and get to choose my own food and generally don't have amazing meals, although it's tough to tell if I'm just choosing poorly; when I'm alone and on expense account I put a lot of effort into selecting a good restaurant by yelp reviews but it's hard. I'm sure I would have a hard time finding Lunacy Black Market if I were staying in Downtown Atlanta on business.

And the beer selections in a lot of cities are pretty pathetic. We're still no Portland in that regard, by any means, but if you spend time in a place like Tampa you'll notice the difference fast.

We're definitely a step below NYC and the other big boys, but Atlanta is by no means a laggard in comparison with other large metros around the country as a foodie city.

[tonygeorgia]

Nice. Im sure it our status will increase next year once KSM, PCM and BA opens. I think nationally Atlanta may be underrated in this aspect