Feasting at Il Premio restaurant at the FORTH hotel in Atlanta
Matthew Williams
Atlanta’s dining scene remains busy with new openings—including a Korean offering from the team at Michelin-starred Spring and two new (and much-needed) wine bars set to open this spring. Here’s your list for where to eat now and what to plan for later this year:
Delbar (Buckhead, Inman Park, Old Milton): Middle Eastern cuisine with a modern twist sums up the delicious offerings at Delbar-which now boasts three locations. Native of Iran, owner and chef Fares Kargar, who came to the USA as a refugee, seeks to bring inspired takes on middle eastern cuisine. Dishes weave in a nice mix of ingredients we know and love with exotic spices and accoutrements—such as the starter of smoked sea bass with saffron honey and pickles or the adana kabob with taftoun bread and spicy tahina. Kabobs are excellent and large enough to share, ditto the honey harrisa chicken with kohlrabi pear slaw—and the side of saffron rice with it’s crispy crust is something you will dream about.
The bar/lounge at Il Premio
By Matthew Williams
Il Premio: White tablecloths and bustling servers clad in white jackets bring an intimate candlelight ambiance in this stunning new Italian steakhouse. Indeed, Il Premio has the vibe of a venerated Italian steakhouse that’s been in the city for decades. Yet, the menu feels fresh and modern—you won’t find sides of oversized and overpriced asparagus, but rather a thoughtful offering of raw dishes, pastas, steak and seafood. Located in the new FORTH hotel along the Beltline, the experience is sleek and fresh but distinctly old school. No one is in a rush here, in fact they encourage you to take your time, which you will need to decide between a crudo of yellowtail, capers, taggiasca olives, and calabrese chile or Wagyu beef tartare with warm mustard dressing and black garlic. The menu is divided into Caviar, Crudo, Antipasti, Pasta and Mains. Best bites are certainly the steaks— the dry aged ribeye with a side of zucchini (exquisitely prepared in wafer thin slices) is excellent, but you’ll be just as happy if you opt for the yellowedge grouper with butternut squash, saffron, and chanterelle mushrooms. The adjoining lounge with its muraled walls is a great place to start of end the night—be sure to ask about the amaro selections.
Soon-To-Open
Madeira Park: The Poncey-Highlands neighborhood will also be getting a wine bar, this one from celebrated team at Miller Union—Chef Steven Satterfield, Neal McCarthy and Dive Wine founder Tim Willard. The menu will feature a selection of small shareable plates inspired by local provender and the wine focus will feature a list of fan favorites along with a selection of older vintages, unique bottles as well as a healthy selection of port, madeira (of course), sherry and vermouth.
Fawn: James Beard award-winning chef Terry Koval (of the Deer and the Dove) will open this intimate wine bar in the former space beside Cafe Alsace in Decatur. There will be a menu (roughly six dishes) but the focus here will be on intriguing wines from volcanic regions across the world as well as a global selection of amari. Mark this one down as the place to meet up after or before dinner and linger over a special bottle of wine. Chalk this up as a wine for Atlanta, which is in desperate need of cozy wine bars with cool offerings.
Spring 2nd Branch: Chef Brian So and Daniel Crawford, the team behind the Michelin-starred Spring Restaurant in Marietta Square will open a classic Korean restaurant later this spring. Expect traditional Korean hot pots, spicy rice cakes, dolsot bibimbap and dumplings.
Elise: Another restaurant from Chef Craig Richards (of the delicious Lyla Lila), located just down the street from his popular Lyla Lila restaurant at the Woodruff Arts Center. Here, guests will find a menu that blends both French and Italian dishes—and yes, Richards’ famed from-scratch pastas will be featured.