Tour guide: BOZEMAN'S
(NEW) VISITORS' GUIDE TO ATLANTA
New Millennium Edition!
Update: January 26, 2000
Things change quickly in Atlanta (afterall, we used
to be Terminus and Marthasville and rumor has it that we will soon be renamed
The South of Buckhead), so this
guide is updated every year.
We begin with the earliest steps in
Maslow's needs hierarchy- Food. Other topics featured include bars,
places not to be missed, weird things to do in Atlanta, best places
for music, and events not to be missed.
I.
Restaurants and Victuals
Restaurants are divided by category,
somewhat idiosyncratic categories. "Best" means good food.
I add a few points if the good food is cheap, I take away a few
points if the restaurant has "ambiance."
Best Asian
Korean:
Korea Garden, Buford H.W., Doraville.
Thai:
a tie (of course) Thai Chilli, 2169
Briarcliff Rd., NE
Tamarind, 14th St.
Japanese:
Nakato, 1776 Cheshire Bridge Rd., NE [fancy]
Sushi Boulevard, Decatur [not fancy]
Faux Japanese:
Chinese:
Chopstix, 4279 Roswell Rd., NE (note: do
not confuse with wretched local chain called Chopsticks!). [fancy]
Szechwan, Buford Highway
Pung Mie, Buford Highway [Featured in A
Man in Full and cite of Bozeman-Gaughn wedding reception]
Vietnamese:
Bien Thuy, 5995, Buford H.W. Doraville
Pho 79, Oriental Mall, Buford HW (cheap eats)
Indian:
Indian Delights Vegetarian, 1707 Church
St., Decatur [best in take-out category]
Udipi Cafe (vegetarian), Scott Blvd.,
Decatur
Best Vegetarian
Moosewood Cafe, Ithaca, NY
Rainbow, 2118 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur
Best Southwestern
Nava, 3060 Peachtree Rd., NW
Best Mexican
Gringo's, Dekalb Ave. (fancy mole etc.)
Taco Veloz [tacos and Juarez ambiance]
El Pastore, Buford HW, Doraville
Best French
Alsace Cafe, W. Ponce de Leon, Decatur [not
fancy, more Alsace than French, but a family favorite]
Best Cajun
Ya-Ya's, E. Ponce Deleon, Decatur
Cajun Kitchen of the Somber Reptile (in
the process of moving from Marietta St.)
Best Middle Eastern
The Cedar Tree, 1565 N. Decatur Rd., NE
(xxxtrra cheap) Lawrence's Cafe, Buford HW (resembles King
David's on Marshall St., Syracuse NY)
Istanbul Cafe, Scott Blvd, Decatur [under new
ownership and not so cheap]
Best Cuban "Qué Sandwich Tan Rico!"
Kool Korners Grocery, 349 14th St. NW (If
you want a carry-out Cuban sandwich, this is the place to go.)
Best Ethiopian
Abbay, 3375 Buford HW (Note: there's also a
cheap movie house in the same strip mall, good place for double duty).
Go to Washington, Adams-Morgan district,
nothing exceptional in ATL
Best "Fancy"
Dining Room at Ritz Carlton, Buckhead.
(Note: check your Visa limit before you go).
City Grill, 50 Hurt Plaza
Bacchnalia, 3125 Piedmont Rd., NE [just moved,
don't have new address]
Canoe, 4199 W. Paces Ferry Rd., NW
Seeger's [voted best new restaurant by Esquire]
Best Fancy Italian
Veni, Vidi, Vici, 41 14th St.
Cosi, E. Ponce de Leon, Decatur
Italian to Remind You of Sicily or South
Syracuse, N.Y.
Benedetti's, North Decatur Road
Best Fancy New South
Kudzu Cafe, 3215 Peachtree Rd., NE
South City Kitchen, 1144 Crescent Ave, NE
Best Place to Do Business
Criteria: Really good food, but not too
noisy, and they don't try to run you off if you linger for a while.
Dinner: Babette's Cafe, 471 North Highland
Ave., NE
Lunch: Pyng Ho (Chinese),1357 Clairmont
Rd., Decatur
Breakfast: Java Jive, Ponce de Leon
(tip courtesy of Brandyn Bozeman, café manager, Ritz-Carlton)
Best Real Diner
Majestic, 1031 Ponce De Leon (homeless
people, bad service, cheap food, lots of smokers)
Best Faux Diner
Buckhead "Diner," 3073 Piedmont
Rd., NE
Best Seafood
Atlanta Fish Market, 265 Pharr Rd.
Best Places to Glimpse Atlanta's
Political Power Elite
Mary Mac's Tearoom, 224 Ponce de Leon
(chiefly Democrats)
City Grill (chiefly Republicans)
Silver Skillet, 14th St. (hard to
believe, but true)Bobby and Junes, 14th St. (Lester Maddox
administration)
1950's Atlanta
Silver Skillet
Mary Mac's Tearoom
Harold's Barbecue, 171 McDonough Blvd.
Bobby and June Country Kitchen, 375
14th St., NW [great country ham]
Burton's Grill, 1029 Edgewood
Place to See Pierced Body Parts
Vortex, Moreland Ave.
Tongue and Groove [yuk], Buckhead
Best Place for Breakfast (much
better than the Flying Biscuit where you have to wait in line
entirely too long to get an inferior breakfast)
Crescent Moon, 254 W. Ponce De Leon, Decatur
Zac's, across the street from Crescent Moon
Places to See Grazing Yuppies
Ru San (Japanese), 1529 Piedmont Ave.
Surin (Thai), 810 N. Highland Ave.
Place to See School of Public Policy Faculty
Junior's (Georgia Tech Campus)
Expresso sandwich bar, lobby, GCATT building
Bars
Manuel's Tavern, 602 North Highland Ave.
Melton's App and Tap, 2500 N. Decatur
Rd., Decatur
Best Places to Go For Good Music
Varied: Variety Playhouse (of course!)
Blues: Blind Willie's
Folk: Eddie's Attic, Decatur; Freight
Room, Decatur
Almost Jazz: Churchill Downs
Recorded Jazz and Blues: Casa de
Bozeman, Decatur; Somber Reptil
Rockabilly: Star Community Bar
II.
Places to Take Your Pick-Up Truck Where it Won't be Lonely
Stone Mt. July 4th
John Bozeman's neighborhood in
Stockbridge, also known as "Beyond the Planet of the Apes"
Giant Tractor Pull Competition and
Monster Truck Races, Georgia Dome
Buckboard's C&W Bar, Lounge and
Dance Emporium
The Pink Pony
Town of Kennesaw (look for gun rack in
rear, required by town ordinance)
III.
Events not to be Missed
Atlanta Jazz Festival (Piedmont Park)
First Night (Downtown)
Decatur Beach Party (Town Hall Square, Decatur)
Olympics (Oops! You already missed it)
CNN tour
Hawks, Braves, Yellow Jackets, Falcons, Thrashers
School of Public Policy Speaker Series
IV.
Places not to be Missed
The Margaret Mitchell House
Atlanta Zoo (better than you expect)
High Museum
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
DeKalb Farmer's Market
Chattahoochee River (raft required)
Piedmont Park
Grant Park
Inman Park (especially the tour of homes)
Kim Soo-Park (just seeing if you are
paying attention)
Decatur ("It's all happening in Decatur")
Greater Atlanta RV Show (February)
Atlanta sky line (best viewed at night
from Russ Chandler Stadium, Georgia Tech)
V.
Weird Things to Do in Metro Atlanta
Coca Cola Museum: yes, one million stuffy
journalists can be wrong; 116 different types of soft drink.
Cyclorama: a painting-in-the-round of
Civil War battle; even better than the world's largest ball of twine.
Harris Teeter: great pick-up spot,
especially the vegetable isle
The Big Chicken: Marietta isn't that
close to Atlanta, but his attraction is worth the drive. You will
think you are in California (except the Chicken isn't orange and pink).
Ride MARTA: Specifically, find one of
the many people talking to himself and engage him in conversation.
Alternatively, wear a baseball cap with an out-of-town logo and make
new friends.
Stone Mountain: Specifically, walk up
Stone Mountain on a cold December day and stand on the void. It's the
Southern spiritual equivalent of walking up Mt. Fuji.
Visit the Snellville 24-Hour Wal-Mart any time after midnight (spooky!).
Visit the Habersham Building just to
take in the paintings and sculpture (don't forget your chaps and lariat).
Vilification Tour: tour all the
neighborhoods and other sites vilified by Tom Wolfe.
King Center: Tom Wolfe antidote
Parking lot tour: former Omni Coliseum,
former Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium
Visit the North Fulton tree (quickly,
it will soon disappear)
Walking tour of I-75 (make sure to do
this during rush hour when it is safest)
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