ESS all the way. While The Spence is good, ESS is much better. Having the 4yr old at either restaurant would not be a problem.

Going to have to agree with Ted on this one. Fat Matt's is horrible BBQ, I would have preferred that he had gone to Heirloom, Fox Bro's, or Community Q. Those are the current 3 standards of BBQ in Atlanta while Fat Matt's is not even BBQ but rather parboiled ribs slathered in sauce.....

I've eaten at both numerous times and currently Gu's is my preferred restaurant. Tasty China and Peter Chang's (Tasty China II) are both excellent but to me Gu's has a better sense of flavoring, better moderation of the heat so that it doesn't impact flavor, and no MSG.

Rcburli provides an excellent list. I would add a couple of places as well.

Empire State South as suggested below.
4th & Swift
Gu's Bistro if you are feeling adventurous and love authentic Chinese food.
Iberian Pig
Cakes and Ale
Abbatoir - can be loud but the food did not disappoint.

Also, the "fall off the bone", leave the meat on the plate when you pick up a rib is not a well cooked rib. It means the rib has been horrifically over cooked. Perfectly done ribs should have a little pull to them when you take them off the bone, not just strip away and fall apart. Anyone who cooks a fall off the bone rib (I know, popular at a lot of chain restos that do baby back ribs) is not doing good BBQ, ask any professional judge.

Now, while I will not debate the fact that you do not like Kreutz, etc. is due to personal taste and I can appreciate that. I personally love any and all BBQ that is good, no matter the local preferences for sauces, rubs, etc. but one thing I cannot abide is when an establishment boils the ribs, finishes them on a grill and then calls it BBQ. Sorry, you braised them (using that term loosely) and then slathered them with sauce.

I will agree with you though, Fox Bro's has gone down hill a little in recent months. Community Q and Heirloom are better.

Veni Vidi Vici - very good italian but pricey.

Cucina Asellina - quite good and less expensive than Veni.

Both are short cab rides from the Omni/CNN center.

I would scrap Mary Mac's and go to Colonnade or Carvers. Both are superior.

For burgers, I would go to Farm Burger over Flip, more burger for your buck and the burgers are generally better. Grass fed, no hormone, no antibiotic beef is just plain amazing.

Cafe Alsace in downtown Decatur sells their house pate. It is extremely good and I would highly recommend you pick some up. One of my favorites in the city.

Agree with you whole heartedly. It, like Mary Mac's, has been surviving on reputation alone for a while now. I would recommend many other spots over it. Silver Skillet, West Egg, Gladys Knight's, Fox Bros., the list goes on and on.

Great suggestion but not on the way to Florida unless heading to the panhandle as it is down I-85 instead of I-75. If you're heading to the panhandle, then by all means stay here. Excellent restaurant and the accommodations are probably 5 star instead of 3 or 4 star.

Not sure you're going to find a 3 or 4 star hotel south of the city. For good grub, I would stop in at Buckner's near Jackson, GA. Just take exit 201, turn right and then at the light take a right onto Bucksnort Rd. It is down a bit but you will not be disappointed. Excellent southern food, served on lazy susans, all you can eat style. Not fine dining by any means but very tasty and it is where we stop on the way to or from Florida.

Further south, past Macon is Yoder's. Amish place. Excellent food.

Livingston is awful. Avoid.

Baraonda is fine, not exemplary but fine.

I would personally go to Empire State South or 4th & Swift and then drive the 5 minutes or so it takes to get from them to the Fox and park. Much better food for all concerned.

McKendrick's is a very good steakhouse right next to Perimeter Mall. It is about the only noteworthy spot I can think of near there.

Near Dunwoody square is Oscar's Villa Caprese. I haven't been in a while but the last time I was there, it was excellent italian.

About it for the area that will not be chains.

As travel is no problem, I would go to Gu's, The Iberian Pig and Community Q or Heirloom BBQ. Also be sure to hit up the Silver Skillet for breakfast and the West Egg. If your in town on Sunday, brunch at Local 3 or Murphy's. I prefer Local 3 but Murphy's is the old school standard.

The Iberian Pig is very good. If you go, be sure to order the Huevos Con Trufa, the pork cheek tacos, the tocino con manzana, and the iberian ham.

Also, if you enjoy beer, The Brickstore is right on the square as well. Around 400+ beer selections primarily from Belgium. It is my favorite bar/pub hangout in the city.

Hope this helps.

I would just go to One Flew South in the E concourse. Excellent food for an airport and they do have good seafood. It is South African cuisine. Also, I think there are some new restaurants in the F concourse but I do not know anything about them, etc.

Empire State South does do breakfast and it is quite good as well. Another spot was mentioned below and I highly recommend that as well is the Silver Skillet.

If money is no object you need to decide between the following two restaurants for plain fantastic:

Bacchanalia or Eugene. Probably the top 2 restaurants in the city at the moment and I would personally give the nod to Eugene.

Unique to Atlanta, I would have to go with Empire State South. Very unique take on southern cuisine by a nationally recognized chef, Hugh Acheson. On the plus side, this is within walking distance of the Midtown W.

Breakfast/Brunch - Local 3 for Sunday brunch. End of story.

There is nothing subjective about what I was saying. Fat Matt's does not smoke their ribs but boils them instead and finishes them over direct heat by slathering on BBQ sauce. There is no smoke, only sweet sauce and tons of grease. BBQ, by definition, requires low and slow cooking through either direct or indirect heat with smoke. So, yes, Fat Matt's is not good BBQ. People might enjoy the food, something I do not hold against them as the sauce is tasty but the BBQ itself is awful.

Gu's Bistro on Buford Highway right outside the Perimeter (OTP for those of us from the ATL) fits the bill nicely as being similar to Tasty China. I have eaten at both multiple times and while Tasty is damn good, personally, I think Gu's is better and more refined. It isn't quite as punch you in the face with spice and MSG as Tasty is.

For dinner, I would recommend Empire State South, Leons or more of a beer place than dining option, The Brickstore. Decent food, very casual and laid back and has around 400+ beers to choose from.

If traveling is no problem, I would go to Gu's Bistro on Buford Highway. Probably the best Chinese in the city.

Other spots to look at would be Leons, Cakes and Ale, and The Iberian Pig in Decatur.

Similar to Empire State South are 4th & Swift, JCT Kitchen and Local 3.

For BBQ, I would go to Heirloom BBQ, Community Q or Fox Brothers in that order of preference. Additionally, if people suggest Fat Matt's, hit them with something and run....they do not know what good BBQ is and it is not good at Fat Matt's. Something, regrettably, that most tourists and a lot of Atlantans do not understand.

Hope this helps and if I think of more, I will post them.

Empire State South is excellent and the online menu is a sample menu as the menu changes very regularly depending on what is available. As for price point, Woodfire is considerably higher.

Another couple of spots are JCT Kitchen and 4th & Swift. Similar to ESS in that they are new Southern Cuisine.

Abattoir is interesting but loud. In Decatur there is Leons as someone mentioned, Cakes and Ale and the Iberian Pig.

Hope this helps.

My one caveat to going to Chops, Bones, et al. is that they are a considerably longer drive through Atlanta rush hour traffic (assuming going to a show on Friday night at 7:30 or 8) and therefore would cut into time at dinner, etc. Chops/Bones are probably 25 minutes with good traffic conditions and 45+ in bad. Rathbuns depending on the route can take up to 25 minutes.

While I highly recommend Bones and Rathbun's Steak (I would avoid Rathbun's, too salty), another option might be STK on Peachtree. It has received very high reviews but I have not tried it yet. It is also similar in distance to ESS from the Fox.

Empire State South or 4th & Swift would fit the bill nicely. Both are very good New Southern Cuisine restaurants. Additionally, both are probably only 10 minute drives (at the most) from the Fox.

Hope this helps.

Southern Sweets in Decatur does great cakes and pies.

On Thursdays go to the Food truck park at 12th and Peachtree. You will find a large number of trucks there. I would go with the Yumbi Truck, Tamale Queen, and a couple of others that I cannot remember the names of.

I did not like the Slider truck at all as an aside.

No. 246, Cakes & Ale or The Iberian Pig are all good choices and on MARTA. One Eared Stag was decent but not in the same orbit as the three mentioned above.

Another choice could be Empire State South, it is in Midtown and a short walk from the MARTA station.

Let us know what you choose.

Your best bet will be either Buford Highway at one of the many markets there or YDFM (Your Dekalb Farmers Market) on Ponce near Decatur. Hope those aren't too far for you.

Sawicki's in downtown Decatur has some good butchering.

For pork, I would go with Pine Street Market in Avondale Estates.

I will think of more and let you know as I am currently drawing a blank on anything else, although I do know there are some out there.

Zyka and Bhojanic are two very good places ITP. Both in the Decatur/Emory area.

Looking for a restaurant for Saturday night. Price isn't much of a problem as we are there for a friend's 40th B-day. 4 guys who will be primarily playing poker before dinner and hitting the bars afterwards. We are looking for very good seafood/Cajun/Creole but a casual dress code (sorry Galatoire's et al.)

Any help is appreciated!