How to eat like a local in downtown Atlanta
Tuesday, June 23 — Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the table.
It’s a short and sweet “Family Meal” this week, as I’m on vacation for a few days celebrating a friend’s birthday. But I’m not leaving you hanging.
For this edition, I give you my local’s guide to dining and drinking in downtown Atlanta. It includes everything from sky-high dinners at rotating restaurant Polaris to some of the best hot pastramis in the city at Reuben’s Deli to meal options in Sweet Auburn.
This week, Jagger Suite shared a recipe for their “Pass the Mic” espresso martini, one of five on this summer’s special menu.
Cheers!
🍸 Beth
❤️ Alan Mothner knows that making art helps in making a community. That’s why he’s the CEO of Spruill Center for the Arts, a nonprofit that’s connected people in Perimeter for over 50 years. Watch this video to see what’s bringing everyone together. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Eat Like a Local in Downtown Atlanta
Whether you’re in town for business, a convention, or attending a game or concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium or State Farm Arena, downtown Atlanta includes dozens of dining and drinking options. While big brands and restaurant chains dominate the landscape in this part of the city, you’ll also find locally owned and operated restaurants, many catering to office workers, Georgia State University students, and residents living in and around the neighborhood.
🥰 Aviva by Kameel
756 W. Peachtree St.
Located in the food court at Peachtree Center, Aviva by Kameel serves halal dishes from countries throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Expect wraps stuffed with shawarma and falafel, savory soups and zesty salads, and comforting plates of 12-spice rosemary chicken with sides of hummus and grilled vegetables. Don’t be surprised if you see owner Kameel Srouji working the line, or telling his customers that he loves them, many of whom have supported Aviva by Kameel since it opened in 2012. There are also locations at the Collective at Coda in Midtown and on Piedmont Road in Buckhead.
🍳 Breakfast on Luckie
320 Luckie St.
If you find yourself Downtown during breakfast and brunch, this recent addition to the restaurant scene is all about giving folks a “Southern sunrise” meal. For breakfast, try the Buford Highway Fiesta omelet with jam, peppers, onions, jalapeños, sausage, mushrooms, and cheese, or the country-fried steak and gravy or Southern fried chicken biscuits. There’s also a hot chicken sandwich, classic burger and fries combo, and a breakfast burger topped with a fried egg, bacon, American cheese, and chipotle mayo.
🍖 The Food Shoppe
123 Luckie St.
Check out this Creole restaurant for jambalaya, gumbo, red rice and beans, or bowls of mac and cheese topped with barbecue. Add bread pudding for dessert. Need breakfast? Order a shrimp omelet with a side of Creole-spiced potatoes.
🍛 Aamar Indian Cuisine
100 Luckie St.
Serving a mostly North Indian menu, this Luckie Street restaurant offers everything from samosas and pakoras to biryani, mulligatawny soup, and lamb, goat, beef, and chicken curries and masalas. Order a mango lassi, or partake in a cocktail from the bar.
🥪 Reuben’s Deli
57 Broad St.
Longtime Atlantans know that when you’re Downtown and you want an overstuffed, New York-style sandwich, you head straight to Reuben’s Deli on Broad. This is the spot for tried-and-true Reubens, along with tuna melts, hot pastramis, turkey clubs, and a little taste of the A in the lemon pepper chicken sandwich. Grab a soup and sandwich combo here for under $11.
🇮🇪 Meehan’s Public House
200 Peachtree St.
This downtown Atlanta Irish pub has become a gathering space for soccer fans, especially on the weekends when it opens early for overseas matches. Start with an order of salt and vinegar chips, Reuben egg rolls, or pub nachos. For traditional pub fare, try the fish and chips or bangers and mash. Or grab a burger, like the mushroom Swiss burger with a side of fries and Southern slaw. Beer is the name of the game at Meehan’s, including doubling up with a half and half or black and tan.
🧑🍳Cafe Momentum
200 Peachtree St.
While the restaurant includes locations in Dallas, Denver, and Pittsburgh, the mission behind Cafe Momentum remains wholly local. As a restaurant also functioning as a nonprofit, Cafe Momentum employs local youth who have spent time in the juvenile justice system. The kitchen serves as a way for these teens to build professional skills through training and mentorship in the hospitality industry. The menu in Atlanta features everything from smoked fried chicken pho and pan-seared salmon to roasted beet niçoise tuna and a wagyu burger.
🥏 Polaris
Hyatt Regency, 265 Peachtree St.
It’s hard to miss this downtown Atlanta restaurant with its conspicuous blue dome atop the Hyatt Regency. Opened in 1967, Polaris makes a full rotation every 45 minutes and includes ties to the Civil Rights movement and famous figures like Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, and Gladys Knight. Located on the 22nd floor, Polaris offers more than just a spectacular view of Atlanta. Head here for steak Oscar or pan-roasted grouper, before indulging in desserts like a blue-tinted cocoa butter dome of chocolate mousse and caramel honey. You’ll find everyone from office workers to tourists to locals grabbing dinner and drinks at this iconic Atlanta restaurant.
🌭 Pepper’s Hotdogs
84 Peachtree St.
Gourmet hot dog pop-up Pepper’s Hotdogs, owned by Tarina Hodges, opened a permanent location at the Flatiron Building on Peachtree Street. The Downtown location features an expanded menu, including premium hot dogs, a turkey burger, melts, sides, and options for building your own hot dog. Pepper’s now serves biscuit sandwiches for breakfast.
🍻 Park Bar
150 Walton St.
Sports fans of all stripes often tailgate here before heading to The Benz or State Farm Arena to catch a game. But Park Bar is equally as popular with fans just looking to watch games on TV with food and drinks, or regulars catching up with each other at the bar. Spread out over two floors, enjoy burgers, patty melts, and entrees of New York strip steak paired with a beer or a cocktail. Park Bar also features an extensive collection of whiskey and bourbon.
🧆 Baraka Shawarma
68 Walton St.
This Fairlie-Poplar district staple serves a variety of Mediterranean fare, including kebabs, falafel, gyros, and its namesake, shawarma. Great for a quick lunch or when grabbing takeout for a hotel room picnic in the evening.
🍹 Trader Vic’s
Hilton Hotel Downtown, 255 Courtland St.
Trader Vic’s offers diners Polynesian pop culture, food, and drinks in a space that’s barely changed since opening day in 1976 at the Hilton in Downtown Atlanta. It’s the only location still associated with Hilton, and one of two locations still open in the United States. Dine on crab rangoon, volcano shrimp, and oven-smoked rack of lamb paired with tiki classics like the Mai Tai, Zombie, and Painkiller. Look for Thursday night drinks specials here.
🛸 Check out the rest of my ATLiens Downtown restaurant guide here.
Where to Find Summer Inspired Drinks in Roswel
SPONSORED BY ROSWELL INC. AND VISIT ROSWELL
🍹 Explore Roswell’s beverage scene with a summer inspired twist. Enjoy Summer Sippin’ at participating locations all around Roswell.
The beverage competition returns for its 11th year and showcases creative seasonal beverages at restaurants, coffee shops, tasting rooms and breweries.
➞ Check out the NEW interactive event guide and rate every sip you try this summer to help decide the ‘Best Sip in Roswell.’ Get you sip on.
Recipe
This week’s we’re sharing Jagger Suite’s Pass the Mic espresso martini recipe. Pass the Mic, which features freshly expressed lemon oil, is one of five espresso martinis on Jagger suite’s summer menu. Pass the Mic gets an added bit of complexity by mixing fresh espresso, rum, espresso liqueur, and fresh lemon oil.
Jagger Suite beverage director Alan Roth strongly recommends using fresh espresso. Freshly ground beans retain more oils and aromatics, which will directly translate into the cocktail’s body and crema.
👉Get the full recipe here.
❤️ Alan Mothner knows that making art helps in making a community. That’s why he’s the CEO of Spruill Center for the Arts, a nonprofit that’s connected people in Perimeter for over 50 years. Watch this video to see what’s bringing everyone together. SPONSOR MESSAGE
➡️ Get double the Atlanta food and dining coverage with “Family Meal,” edited by Beth McKibben, on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and “Side Dish,” edited by Sarra Sedghi, on Thursdays at noon. Subscribe to both here.
