A sampling of great eats in and around Buckhead!
5CHURCH BUCKHEAD
5Church Buckhead, a funky upscale restaurant on Peachtree, offers helpful servers, modern local art, a 21+ sunroom patio and selfie-ready spaces. Menu items meld Southern roots and global influences. Addictive baked oysters boast a texture akin to pasta and a parade of earthy and spicy flavors. Sushi tots contrast crunchy/soft textures and sweet/spicy flavors in each bite. The lamb burger tops meat with red onion marmalade, gorgonzola, arugula and a secret sauce, a combination that marries earthy and tangy notes. The shrimp and grits has a great sauce-to-grits ratio, so each forkful carries sophisticated, spicy flavor without losing the stone-ground grits’ creamy texture. Grilled salmon is cooked to order and available on the brunch, lunch and dinner menus with some variations. Chicken and waffles reigns at brunch for good reason, pairing fluffy ricotta waffles with crisp, juicy, fried chicken. Desserts are sinfully good.
Cocktails: $6-18 • Starters: $14-28 • Salads: $12-33 • Entrees: $14-39 • Prime steaks: $51- 160 • Sides: $4-20 • Desserts: $4-13
ANIS CAFÉ & BISTRO
Anis is everything you’d hope to find in a French bistro, without having to buy a plane ticket: traditional Provençal dishes, relaxed patio dining and often a small congregation of French-speaking diners to help set the mood. Grilled North African-style Merguez sausage, coquilles St. Jacques or a bright, crisp salade d’Arnaud (named after the owner) are all winning starters. Entrées of truite meunière, poulet rôti and boeuf au poivre are sure to bring you back to that quaint Provençal village square. Best-inclass items are the croque monsieur, salade Niçoise, moules marinières and not-to-bemissed chocolate mousse.
Lunch: $8-$19 • Dinner: $8-$35
CANOE
Dining at Canoe feels like a vacation. Nestled on the shores of the Chattahoochee River, it serves upscale food and pampering service surrounded by manicured gardens, flowing water and birds. Celebrating its 27th anniversary in 2022, Canoe offers more than 300 bottles of wine, 40 by the glass. Beers range from well-known international brands to local craft brews. Creative cocktails are updated often and include riffs on classics. The food menu is driven by ingredients at the peak of flavor, so changes are frequent. While salmon, steak, chicken, rabbit and kangaroo are menu constants, presentations vary. Meats are cooked to perfection and paired with impressive sides such as tender brie ravioli, crusty vegetable tart, savory bread pudding or other creations. The signature dessert is popcorn-flavored ice cream layered with peanut Cracker Jack, Chantilly cream and salted caramel sauce for a satisfying combination of textures and flavors.
Cocktails: $9-15 • Appetizers: $9-22 Burgers & Sandwiches: $14-19 • Entrees: $16-48 • Desserts: $11
CHIDO & PADRE’S
Chido & Padre’s beguiles with lavish decor, delectable aromas and scrumptious fare. At brunch or dinner, refreshing margaritas range from spicy to tart, sweet to crisp. Guacamole and chips make for satisfying nibbles. Corn tamales stuffed with veggies arrive with a spicy red sauce (save a few chips to scoop up every drop). Enchilada rojas boast sublime smoky, peppery and umami flavors. Chicken mole is crowned with a velvety smooth sauce layered with complex notes. Carne asada makes a meal of juicy skirt steak with black beans, cilantro rice, fresh avocado, corn salsa, vibrant sauces and warm tortillas. Mexican street corn is so scrumptious you may gobble it down in record speed. Brunch heroes include huevos rancheros and breakfast tacos, both offering a tongue-tingling good morning. For dessert, consider tres leches, an ultra-light three milk cake layered with fluffy frosting and berries. Fresh Baja Mex fare and vibes await on East Andrews.
Appetizers: $5-18 • Salads: $10-12 Traditional dishes: $14-18 • Large plates: $22- 30 • Sides: $3-6 • Desserts: $8-9 Cocktails: $11-14; happy hour margaritas, $8 Brunch: $14-22
ECCO BUCKHEAD
Meals at Ecco in Buckhead have the elegance and spontaneity of a spin around the dance floor, thanks to the hyper-seasonal approach to the menu. The kitchen shines in creative interpretations of European cuisine with dishes such as Spanish octopus with Castelvetrano olives, grilled pork tenderloin with beet top risotto, and tortellini stuffed with butternut squash and mascarpone. Perennial favorites such as fried goat cheese with honey and cracked black pepper and the Allora flatbread (with its San Marzano tomato sauce, still bubbling mozzarella, hot sopressata and pepperoni) don’t fail to impress. Paired with expert service, a nicely curated wine list and an atmosphere that’s at once sleek and cozy, this Phipps Plazaadjacent eatery warrants a visit. Bottom line: If you find something you crave, visit soon to get it before it’s gone.
Small plates: $9-$18 • Flatbreads: $15-$21 Pasta and mains: $19-$36 • Sides: $7-$12 Desserts: $6-$9
HEARTH PIZZA TAVERN
Sandy Springs is lucky to be home to Hearth Pizza Tavern, where world-class pie is served up in a cozy corner of the Exchange at Hammond. Pizzas such as the Ring of Fire and The Cure would earn three Michelin stars if there were a pizza rating, and other menu items aren’t far behind. If you’re eating carb-free, go for the Tavern chopped salad, piled high with Italian meats and cheeses, or dig in to hot, crispy Brussels sprouts or zesty roasted cauliflower. If those don’t tempt you, then the steaming bowl of PEI mussels or an oozing, medium-rare Angus beef burger will be your best bet.
Openers and salads: $6-$12 Burgers and sandwiches: $10-$12 Pizzas: $7-$19
LUCIAN BOOKS AND WINE
Whatever you order, bet on stunning presentations and delicious flavors at this Buckhead Village-adjacent eatery. The concept combines the owners’ passions of art, books, wine and hospitality. Executive Chef Jason Paolini helms the fine dining kitchen. Harmonious flavors, contrasting textures, sophisticated preparations and artful plating are running themes. Seasonal produce drives the menu, so options evolve. From starters through desserts, all plates are easy to share, though you may envy every bite your dining companion takes. More than 400 wines are featured on the drinks menu, including some rare finds. The stunning cases are packed with books for sale; all non-fiction, they’re primarily about art, design, fashion, food and wine. Reservations are strongly encouraged: Lunch reservations are for 90 minutes, dinner for two hours. Call or book via Resy with a credit card; no-shows and late cancellations trigger a $50 per person fee. Lucian validates parking for two hours in the building’s underground lot.
Small plates: $6-25 • Medium plates: $16-29 Mains: $38-48 • Desserts: $12-18 Wines: $16-34/glass; $50-990/bottle
OAXACA
Photo-ready dishes pop out of the open kitchen at Oaxaca (wah-hah-kah) in Chamblee. Vibrant colors and abundant garnishes advertise the robust aromas and flavors packed into each creation. Rooted in Oaxaca, Mexico’s indigenous culinary traditions, a variety of moles and salsas dot the food menu while mezcal reigns over the cocktail list. The popular Agave Rising Sun pairs tequila with crisp cucumber, sweet pineapple and tart lime juices. Guacamole arrives studded with herbs, flowers, nuts and radishes. Tetela de pato showcases duck confit, black beans and Oaxaca cheese in a triangular masa nestled atop tamarind mole. Enchiladas divorciadas smother its chicken-stuffed tortillas in green and red sauces divided by a stripe of sour cream. Green mole pipian covers braised wagyu short rib in an herb-nut sauce. The restaurant’s modern decor has an outdoorsy vibe, and high-volume music pumps up the energy; the aesthetic flows from the dining room onto a covered patio.
Drinks: $5-16 • Tacos: $7-8 • Starters: $8-19 Entrees: $17-45 • Sides: $7-10 • Desserts: $15
THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN
Both Southern food newbies and aficionados will take to this sexy gastropub, as smooth and easy as the finish of one of its primo bourbons. (If you’re old school, go for the gloriously icy Resurgens mint julep; if not, there’s no shortage of cocktail possibilities.) When your whistle’s wet, dig in to favorite starters of spicy charred okra and PEI mussels in a whiskey cream sauce. Both will leave you smitten. Classics such as the shrimp boil, Springer Mountain half fried chicken and shrimp and grits with New Orleans barbecue sauce are all mouthwatering. And it wouldn’t be Southern if there weren’t sweets to make your toes curl in delight. Leave room for a nibble or two of brown butter cake or the favorite at our table—almond nougat semifreddo.
Small plates: $6-$12 • Salads and sandwiches: $6-$13 • Large plates (including brunch entrees): $13-$28
ZAFRON
If you’re like us, the minute you hear Persian foodie buzzwords such as mirza ghasemi, hummus and kabob, your mouth starts watering, and you’ve got one foot out the door. If you’re smart, you’ll head directly to Zafron in Sandy Springs. Once seated, a beaming server will bring a complimentary sabzi plate and pita from the wood-burning oven. That extra-mile hospitality spills over into all areas, especially the food: world-class lamb kabob, fire-roasted salmon and the “Zafron special” made with chile, mango and eggplant. Plenty of classic small plates and rice dishes are joined with a few East-meets-West treats such as spicy Zafron chicken wings and tiramisu.
Starters and salads: $5- $9 • Wraps (lunch only): $12 • Entrees: $12-$32 Sides and rice: $3-$7 • Desserts: $5-$7
persianrestaurantsandysprings.com
Note: Prices and menu items may have changed since original publication.
BY: Wendell Brock, Rebecca Cha, Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Angela Hansberger, Hope S. Philbrick
PHOTOS: Madelynne Grace, Erik Meadows
