Every month, the Rough Draft dining team of Beth McKibben and Sarra Sedghi share where they’ve been eating, along with standout dishes, cocktails, and drinks you should put on your restaurant radar. Beth and Sarra’s favorites from each month appear first in their weekly dining newsletters, “Family Meal” (Tuesday) and “Side Dish” (Thursday).
Check out Beth and Sarra’s best bites and sips from March.
Beth’s Best Dishes
Hamachi tiradito at Casa Coya in Reynoldstown ($$-$$$)
From the March 10 edition of Family Meal
Billed as a steakhouse, Casa Coya in Reynoldstown also offers traditional Peruvian, Chinese-Peruvian, and Japanese-Peruvian (Nikkei) dishes. And it’s those latter two categories where the kitchen really shines.
Chinese and Japanese immigrants began arriving in Peru as contract laborers in the mid-19th century, influencing the country’s cuisine, which already relied heavily on seafood in dishes like ceviche, along with staple ingredients like sweet potatoes and onions. As communities and cultures melded, new dishes emerged, like chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) and tiradito, paper-thin slices of raw fish prepared similarly to sashimi, marinated in citrusy sauces such as leche de tigre (tiger’s milk).
Casa Coya’s hamachi tiradito ($26) is a stunner, with charred avocado, chalaquita onions (red onions), and crispy sweet potatoes muddled together in zesty leche de tigre. Bright and fresh, with pops of salinity, anchored by starchy sweet potatoes and avocado, the hamachi tiradito at Casa Coya deftly syncs flavors and textures.
Magic Tacos at Da Cocinita food truck in Kirkwood ($-$$)
From the March 17 edition of Family Meal
The words “Magic Taco” pop from the front of the Da Cocinita food truck parked at a Texaco on the corner of Clifton Street and Memorial in Kirkwood. These two simple words urge you to turn in and pull up because for $10, you get three generous tacos and can experience the “magic” for yourself in that parking lot.
Soft-shell tortillas are coated in griddled-to-perfection crunchy mozzarella cheese and come stuffed with proteins like chicken, shrimp, or steak, cilantro, pico de gallo, and more cheese drizzled with sour cream. I ordered a trio of chicken, steak, and shrimp ($3 extra, and my favorite). It would be a shame not to also order Da Cocinita’s homemade peach lemonade studded with mango cubes ($3).
Check out Beth’s Rough Cut (first impressions) on Da Cocinita’s magic tacos at our Instagram page.
Southern National cocktail at Southern National in Summerhill ($$$)
From the March 24 edition of Family Meal
Longtime followers of Navarro Carr already know his reputation as one of Atlanta’s best barmen. You may remember Carr from his days behind the stick at The Sound Table, whipping up mezcal and whiskey cocktails that tempted people away from the music on the dance floor just to drink.
A man of few words and quiet confidence, Carr once said his favorite drinks to make are the ones that “fit my guests at the moment.” Carr takes pride in his craft, as well as the science behind creating memorable cocktails that last well beyond that final sip.
Now Carr imparts his cocktail knowledge, mad drinks-making skills, and love for hospitality managing the bar at Chef Duane Nutter’s restaurant, Southern National. I encourage you to find your way to the bar at this Summerhill restaurant.
The restaurant’s namesake cocktail – first created by Paul Calvert and Greg Best as part of the opening menu for their good buddy Duane – remains a perennial favorite of mine. Made with a blend of bourbon and rye, sweet and blanc vermouths, and bitters, it’s not just a prime Manhattan riff, but one of the city’s top-choice cocktails, carefully looked after by Carr and his Southern National bar team.
Related stories:
• Best dishes from January 2026
• Best dishes from February 2026
• Best new Atlanta restaurants of 2025
Sarra’s Best Dishes
Snacks menu at The Westwood in Westview ($-$$)
From the March 5 edition of Side Dish
I finally made my way to The Westwood in Westview this month, and the bar is already a strong contender for one of my favorite openings of 2026.
I enjoyed the appetizers, especially the pimento cheese, egg rolls, and adult Lunchables (think pre-packaged, snack-sized charcuterie and cheese). But most of all, I’m taken by the aura at The Westwood: the Donna Summer hits playing in the background, the green checkerboard floors, the option to have Cheerwine from the fountain (or as a Jell-o shot). I also loved watching people trickle in on a Wednesday night and recognize each other and Westwood regulars.
If I had to describe a neighborhood bar without using words, I’d simply open the door to The Westwood and walk right in any night of the week.
Oysters at Fontaine’s in Virginia-Highland ($$)
From the March 19 edition of Side Dish
I feel like Fontaine’s is one of the few unpretentious, charmingly gritty places left in Virginia-Highland. On a recent visit, I ordered half a pound of hot peel-and-eat shrimp and a half dozen oysters, then another half dozen.
I already prefer Gulf and East Coast oysters, so I’ve never disliked Fontaine’s house oysters. In fact, I’ve spent many Tuesday evenings here taking advantage of the oyster happy hour deal. And maybe it’s because we’re in a month that contains an “r,” but that evening’s oysters at Fontaine’s were among the best I’ve ever had there. These bivalves were plump, juicy, perfectly salty, and most of all, restorative.
A dozen oysters for $22 and warm shrimp for $10 isn’t half bad either.
Black Forest dacquoise at Brush in Buckhead ($$$$)
From the March 26 edition of Side Dish
It’s no secret that ChingYao Wang is a gifted pastry chef. And her talents were on full display during Brush Sushi’s 10th anniversary party in March.
While there, I encountered a pastry that changed my life: Black Forest dacquoise. It’s a heavenly combination of whipped cherry and dark chocolate ganache, cherry jam, chocolate pearls, and chocolate shavings sandwiched between spongy almond cakes. Black Forest cake is such an underrated flavor combination – and if done well, it’s unstoppable.
We sampled mini versions at the party, but you can order the full dacquoise dining at Brush.