PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK
Power breakfast
Deals aren't being done over lunch anymore. Hard-charging businessmen and women are taking their cell phones, laptops and elevator pitches out before sunrise, and starting their business daywith the power breakfast at OK Café.
"People just want to get a jump or to get an edge on the competition," says manager David Wilson.
"Most business is conducted between 9 and 5. So if you're getting in here at 7 a.m., you're getting on it two hours ahead of time."
HONORABLE MENTION: The White House
POWER LUNCH; DINNER WITH A CLIENT
When you're ready to do the deal or impress an important out-of-town client, the setting is critical. In Atlanta, that place is Bone's, which won both the power lunch and dinner with a client categories. This establishment resembles -- and bills itself as almost -- a public version of a private club.
"If you're a business person who goes to Bone's you'll find that our staff learns your name, your idiosyncrasies," said co-owner Richard Lewis. "Some people only want a certain waiter, or they want to be seated with their back to the wall, or they want their drinks prepared a certain way."
It helps that the long-serving staff has more than 400 years of cumulative restaurant experience.
HONORABLE MENTION: Power lunch: Houston's
Dinner with a client: Chops
TAKE-OUT FOR AN OFFICE MEETING OR LUNCH
In today's fast-paced business world, planning where you're going to have lunch can be almost impossible. That's why Eatzi's excels in providing catering for your office meeting as well as satisfying your personal take-out needs.
"Our convenience is that not only do we provide delivered catering and pick-up catering, but also it lies in the choice and freedom that you get with coming here," said General Manager Todd Redmon.
Eatzi's provides something for nearly every taste from Italian to Mexican to sushi. Here you can get a wide variety of freshly prepared foods ready to go back to the office for lunch or home for dinner.
HONORABLE MENTION: Take-out food for an office meeting: Harry's in A Hurry
Take-out food for lunch: Chick-fil-A
TAKE-OUT ON THE WAY, HOME FROM
Run through, pick up something quick, and voila!, dinner is served.
With five Harry's in A Hurry locations along with three Harry's Farmers Market megastores, these neighborhood-type stores have been serving Atlanta's on-the-go for seven years. It offers prepared hot and cold entrees and ready-to-bake casseroles, along with homemade soups and salad bar items. Fresh meats and fish are also available.
"I have never been afraid to season our food," says co-founder Janet Blazer. "People think our items taste splendid and have a good nutritional value."
HONORABLE MENTION: Eatzi's
IMPRESS A DATE; DINNER WITH KIDS, BLOWING THE BUDGET
Finding a cozy corner in Buckhead can be a challenge, but look no further than Chops and The Lobster Bar at Chops.
Soft lighting, mahogany wood and Italian marble add to the ambiance. So do the many tableside-prepared items including the house specialty: steak tartare.
Chops also scores with the younger set, winning the best place to splurge with kids category. Although it's best known for its adult appeal, the restaurant is not above catering to the school-age set.
"We try to cater to each and every person," said General Manager Tim Stevens. Chops doesn't have a kids menu, but the chef has been known to whip up a grilled cheese sandwich and fries.
HONORABLE MENTION: Impress a date: Pano's & Paul's
Dinner with the kids, Blowing the budget: Bone's and Houston's (tied)
BEST BAGELS
No longer do you have to travel up north for one of the most popular breakfast foods. Just go to any one of the 14 metro Atlanta Einstein Bros Bagels.
There you will find about a dozen different bagel varieties and even more cream cheese options, including reduced fat selections.
These tasty alternatives to donuts hit the Atlanta market strong in the '90s. Besides baked-fresh-each-hour bagels, Einstein's offers sandwiches, breads, tortilla wraps, soups and salads.
"There is always something on our menu you haven't tried yet," said Maurice Cohen, assistant manager at the Piedmont-Cheshire Bridge store.
HONORABLE MENTION: Goldberg's Bagle Co. & Deli
BEER SELECTION
Whether you are looking to try a Belgian beer made by monks or longing for an old standby like a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon, visit Taco Mac. Each restaurant carries a variety of bottled beers, and some locations claim to have the largest draft selection in the South.
"The options we choose for our drafts are unique," said Shannayl Connolly, general manager of the west Cobb County location.
HONORABLE MENTION: Three Dollar Cafe
EXPENSIVE CUP OF COFFEE
Today's urban professional is accessorized with a cell phone in one hand and a cup of Starbucks in the other. The Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee brand has become a status symbol of the caffeine-crazed information age. The most expensive off-the-menu-board beverage at Starbucks is the Chocolate Brownie Frappuccino: $4.15 for a "venti" -- that's Starbucks-lingo for extra-large. The cheapest caffienated beverage they sell is a tall cup of Tazo hot tea: $1.15.
HONORABLE MENTION: Caribou Coffee
DESSERT
It's 1 a.m. and Café Intermezzo's intimate tables are packed with a chattering crowd of night owls. Late-night diners know it's a great place to grab a scrumptious dessert, coffee and a nightcap until 3 or 4 a.m. This year, readers chose Café Intermezzo as their favorite place for dessert. Among the specialties are the Intermezzo Tort, a yellow sponge cake with chocolate mouse.
HONORABLE MENTION: Cheesecake Factory
ETHNIC: Chinese
Chopstix is Buckhead's answer to life's eternal question: "Where can I find a good Chinese restaurant around here?" Located at 4279 Roswell Road, in Chastain Square, Chopstix presents an elegant white-tablecloth atmosphere and a menu like no other Chinese restaurant. Peking duck and roast duck are among the specialties, but the restaurant also serves up rack of lamb, butterfly whole snapper, stir fry venison, foie gras and crispy spinach stir fry atop honey-glazed chicken. Diners might be surprised to find crawfish spring rolls and mini lobster tail from Ecuador on the menu. Warm duck soup and lamb shank are winter specials.
HONORABLE MENTION: PF Chang's
ETHNIC: Indian
The genuine tandoori oven is the secret to keeping customers returning for more of Haveli's North Indian style cuisine. Readers chose Haveli Indian Cuisine as their favorite for Indian food. From its locations in Marietta and downtown, Haveli serves chicken, lamb and seafood specialties, plenty of vegetarian dishes and homemade nan bread.
HONORABLE MENTION: Raja Indian Restaurant
ETHNIC: Italian
Maggiano's Little Italy's secret family recipe for success is simple. Take classic Italian dishes and create them to serve a lot of people.
Managing Partner Mike Grisham said Maggiano's doesn't try be anything other than an Italian restaurant catering to American taste.
"It's spaghetti and meatballs," Grisham said. "But it's good spaghetti and meatballs."
Our readers obviously relate well to it. They selected Maggiano's as their favorite for Italian food.
HONORABLE MENTION: Ippoloto's Family Style Restaurant
ETHNIC: Mexican
Customers noticed the difference when a California company bought Rio Bravo from Applebee's International Inc. in 1999. Rio Bravo returned to its "no cans in the kitchen" cooking philosophy and customers thanked them, said Brian Lyman, regional director of operations.
But when Rio Bravo on New Northside Drive became Chevys Fresh Mex in July, it heard the outcry from its regulars: Don't mess with the Rio Bravo name, Lyman said.
Instead of primarily opening more restaurants as it did while under Applebee's, the new Rio Bravo Fresh Mex has focused on quality, Lyman said.
HONORABLE MENTION: Jalisco Mexican Restaurant
ETHNIC: Thai
Nothing like the energy of a school cafeteria or military mess hall to get the creative juices flowing. That's the environment regulars enjoy at Surin of Thailand.
About 20 percent of its customers frequent the Virginia Highland restaurant once to twice a week, said Harry House, an owner. "We try to work on good value and providing pretty consistent food quality," he said. "We don't do real weird, hot stuff."
Surin takes its name from its founder, Surin Techarukpong.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tamarind Thai Cuisine
BEST FRIED CHICKEN
Ask anyone who swears by the fried chicken at Folks Southern Kitchen restaurants about the dangers of high-cholesterol foods and they'll just blow it off.
Fried chicken remains Folks' top seller. Despite medical warnings about the need to cut fat in the American diet, Folks has seen a slight increase in fried chicken sales, said Richard Pratt, the owner of the 22-year-old chain that has 19 locations in Atlanta.
What is Folks' secret? Its chicken is marinated overnight, battered and breaded and fried in pure vegetable oil.
HONORABLE MENTION: Colonnade Restaurant
BEST PIZZA
You won't find too many pizza joints that offer tofu or tempeh, a soybean product, among their topping choices. But Mellow Mushroom has been catering to vegetarians -- among other customers -- since it opened in the hippie era 26 years ago.
"When we first started offering tofu, we couldn't give it away," said Marc Weinstein, vice president. "Now we buy 30 cases a week."
Weinstein cited the restaurant's healthy ingredients, including part-skim mozzarella and whole wheat dough, as the reason for its Readers' Choice Award.
HONORABLE MENTION: Johnny's New York Style Pizza
BEST SANDWICH; BEST SOUP
Atlanta Bread Co. tries to be the upscale version of McDonald's to the average baby boomer, said President and CEO Jerry Couvaras.
Readers chose Atlanta Bread Co. as the city's top sandwich maker. Although Atlanta Bread Co. may be known for its baked goods, customers have a warm place in their hearts for the restaurant's soups. The company also won in the best soup category.
Couvaras cites the restaurant's fresh-baked-on-premises bread and freshly-prepped meat and vegetables as the reasons its made-to-order sandwiches rise above the rest. The restaurant offers a new range of unusual soups not found anywhere else, he said. "The bread comes out of the oven at 8:30, 9 o'clock for an 11:30 lunch," Courvaras said.
HONORABLE MENTION: Best sandwich: Alon's
BEST SOUP: Harry's in A Hurry
BEST SEAFOOD
In March, Atlanta Fish Market will open a bistro next door to its 265 Pharr Road location that will extend its appetizer offerings.
But it's the market's Chilean sea bass that is the most requested item. Steamed bass. Sautéed spinach. Soy sauce. Sherry wine broth.
The restaurant has a "Savannah style," which is appealing, he said. "It's a place for people to go and be seen," Carfaro said.
HONORABLE MENTION: Jim White's Half-Shell Restaurant
BEST STEAK
When it comes to the best place for steak, most people agree its Bone's.
"First of all, we only serve the finest quality steak we can possibly buy," said co-owner Richard Lewis. "People come here for the best. Price is not the issue.
Bone's also sets strict criteria for their meat, including a policy that beef must be aged three weeks. Equally important is the staff that cooks and serves it.
"Do you have a good broiler man?" Lewis said. "Are you willing to spend the money to get good people and then treat them right?"
HONORABLE MENTION: Chops
BEST SWEET TEA
The secret ingredients to Chick-fil-A's sweet tea, which readers voted tops, are real tea bags, cold water and sugar. It's just like mama used to make.
"We brew the tea in our restaurants, and we're truly brewing it fresh," said Woody Faulk, vice president of brand development at the Atlanta-based company.
Faulk said the company is beginning to use the same supplier in all its Southeast restaurants, so you'll get that same, consistently good taste.
HONORABLE MENTION: Folks Southern Kitchen
VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
The road to success has been long for Cafe Sunflower. Six months after opening their first location in Sandy Springs in 1994, owners Edward and Lin Sun and Amy Head thought they had a flop on their hands.
"When we would tell people we were a vegetarian restaurant, they would ask 'What kind of salad do you serve?'" Head said.
Things turned around after a positive restaurant review. That brought customers in the door, and Cafe Sunflower's way with vegetarian cuisine has kept them coming back.
HONORABLE MENTION: Mary Mac's Tea Room and The Soul Vegetarian Restaurant (tied)
HAPPY HOUR: 40-plus
Hal's on Old Ivy Buckhead draws a sophisticated crowd of at-least 30-something white collar professionals during its weekday happy hour. The Hal's bar is staffed with three of Atlanta's sharpest female bartenders, said owner Hal Nowak. They never forget a face or a favorite drink. Hal's features a cocktail bar with live music after 7:00 p.m. and a dining room.
"We have a lot of business people who come to entertain," Nowak said. "They'll come for cocktail hour, and then go into the dining room to have dinner."
HONORABLE MENTION: Johnny's Hideaway and The Tavern at Phipps
HAPPY HOUR: Under 40
Forget Cirque du Soleil, the real action is behind the bar at The Tavern at Phipps. If you like a man who can hold his liqueur (and balance it on his nose), take a seat if you can find one. The Tavern's bartenders are renowned for their entertaining antics and regularly draw an after-five crowd of Buckhead professionals, shoppers and tourists of all ages (see above HONORABLE MENTION). The menu features hearty tavern fare -- Po' Boys, steaks, chops and seafood -- heaping appetizers and a variety of salads.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Bluepointe is the first new restaurant opened by the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group in five years.
"The whole year has been amazing," said Manager Stevenson Rosslow. "[Bluepointe] is the busiest and most happening restaurant in town."
The restaurant was designed by Bill Johnson, the same architect that redesigned Pano's & Paul's, Buckhead Life Group's oldest Atlanta restaurant. The Bluepointe atmosphere is described as European/Japanese and very contemporary. The menu features American-style fusion cuisine and an oyster and seafood bar. The sushi bar is showcased in the large and comfortable cocktail lounge.
HONORABLE MENTION: 10th and Myrtle
ATLANTA'S BEST DELI
Goldberg's Bagel Co. & Deli owner Wayne Saxe said the biggest challenge to opening a traditional deli in the South was overcoming the learning curve.
"We've had to re-educate people on what to eat," Saxe said.
Soon after opening, Saxe succombed to consumer demands and added cheese grits to the Goldberg's menu. Goldberg's features stuffed cabbage, boiled bagels, steamed corned beef and pastrami and every variety of pickle imaginable. The new full-service deli in Buckhead is the second location for Goldberg's. The original, smaller Goldberg's Deli has been on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs for 28 years.
HONORABLE MENTION: Henri's Bakery
ENTERTAINMENT
FOR AN OUT-OF-TOWN GUEST
Maybe it's the fact Turner Field is a distinctive venue with its Olympic pedigree. Or perhaps it's because the Braves fought their way back to the top when everyone had given up on them. Then again, maybe it's the quirky charm of the Tomahawk Chop. Whichever way you look at it, the Braves are to Atlanta as apple pie and baseball are to America, and there's no better way to give visitors a sense of the city than an Atlanta Braves game.
HONORABLE MENTION: Stone Mountain Park
MOVIE THEATER
With the closing of the Toco Hills Theatre in 2000, the last of Atlanta's large single-screen cinemas, the era of a traditional night at the movies came to an end.
While Atlanta has some excellent screens, AMC Phipps Plaza 14 is the one to beat. AMC's Colonial 18 and North DeKalb Mall 16 may be newer, but watching a movie at Phipps is always a pleasure. Excellent sound, seldom if ever a projection glitch, and polite, helpful staff make for a superb venue. Plus the fact Phipps frequently shows quirky, limited release features in addition to the usual studio blockbusters. Pass the popcorn.
HONORABLE MENTION: Regal Cinemas
FOR A LAUGH
For nearly two decades The Punchline comedy club has kept Atlantans laughing. Be it a national, name performer, or a rising talent with the ability to tickle funny bones and induce belly laughs, The Punchline delivers mirth all week. Did you hear the one about the comedy club located at the Balconies shopping center, the one just north of Interstate 285?
HONORABLE MENTION: Whole World Theatre
LIVE MUSIC SETTING
Atlantans have good cause to gripe about traffic, air pollution andoverdevelopment, but one thing no one can complain about is the selection of musical acts and venues that keep the city and its citizens a movin' and a-groovin'. An evening at Chastain Park is truly magical. Between spring and fall, the attractive locale features concerts of every stripe. From the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Classic Chastain Series to the Michelob Light/Coca-Cola Series with its more beer and chicken-flavored rock acts, different tastes, including country, are catered to.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tabernacle
PRIVATE CLUB
The late, great Groucho Marx is partially famous for saying he'd never want to join a club that would have him as a member, but secretly we all crave a little exclusivity. While Atlanta's not lacking in private clubs, cachet is everything, and the Cherokee Town and Country Club has it in spades (and fore irons). With a lush green and course beloved by many a local golfer, tennis courts, a bar and restaurant set in opulent surroundings, Cherokee's the place to belong to -- if they'll have you. Groucho would approve.
HONORABLE MENTION: Piedmont Driving Club
WEEKEND VISIT
Stone Mountain Park receives more than 4 million visitors every year.
"Three generations of people can come to Stone Mountain and have a great time," said park spokesperson Joyce Harvey. "Whether you're hiking the trail to the top or coming for the laser show, there really is something for everyone."
The park's most popular attraction remains the Mountaintop Skylift where riders fly 825 feet above ground in a Swiss cable car to the top of the mountain.
For the kids, there's the Lasershow Spectacular. Saturdays from March through October, and every night from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the north square of the mountain is transformed into a 1 million-square-foot movie screen for a show.
The Confederate Memorial Carving depicting three heroes of the Civil War -- Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson -- remains a "how did they do that?" spectacle. There's also the Antebellum Plan-tation, a collection of original buildings built between 1790 and 1845, and The Scarlett O'Hara, an authentic paddleboat riverboat that takes 150 passengers on a cruise around the base of the mountain.
HONORABLE MENTION: Zoo Atlanta and Atlanta Braves games
RADIO STATION
You're stuck in traffic with only the radio to keep you sane. So many stations, so many witty DJs to choose from. What to do? The prescription for your listening pleasure is The Morning X with Barnes, Leslie and Jimmy on 99X. Stuck in the office at lunch time and feeling nostalgic? Tune in to The Steve Show for The Duplex of Retro Pleasure and get an earful of hip tunes from the '70s and '80s.
FAVORITE PLACE FOR A WALK
It's easy to forget the urban grind with a trip to the Chattahoochee River park. The series of wooded wildlife preserves running along a 48-mile stretch of river is guaranteed to calm the soul. Early spring sees a riot of color as dogwoods, redbuds and trout lilies bloom, with azaleas, asters and wild violets later in the season. Take a walk or jog along the popular three-mile Cochran Fitness Trail and you might see a beaver or muskrat emerging along the river bank.
HONORABLE MENTION: Piedmont Park
MUSEUM
If a city is only as strong as its cultural institutions, Atlanta is doing quite well. During the past decade, the High Museum of Art followed its Olympic success "Rings: Five Passions in World Art," with "Matisse," "Picasso," "Pop Art," "Impressionism," and "Norman Rockwell, Pictures for American People."
Spurred by an expanding endowment, $56 million as of last year, and a growing membership, close to 50,000 people, the High has firmly established itself as a key player in the art world.
HONORABLE MENTION: Fernbank
PUBLIC PARK
There's no better way to get away from it all than to take a walk in Piedmont Park. The 189-acre urban refuge was originally purchased in 1887 to build a harness-racing track. It wasn't until 1904 that the Atlanta City Council paid $99,000 to give the land back to the people. Piedmont Park was the site of the first intercollegiate football game in the South, Auburn vs. Georgia, in 1892. The park was also the place where Booker T. Washington delivered his famous "Cast down your buckets where you are" speech in 1895.
HONORABLE MENTION: Chattahoochee River
SPEND A RAINY DAY
Our readers' choice of "at home" as the best place to spend a rainy day should come as no surprise. With just the appearance of a few raindrops or light drizzle, even more fender-benders and bumper-to-bumper traffic jams seem to materialize magically.
It's not hard to imagine that readers would prefer staying home snuggling by the fireplace, in front of the television or curled up with a good book.
HONORABLE MENTION: At the movies
SPEND A SUNNY DAY
Atlanta was home to golf's biggest champion, Grand Slam winner Bobby Jones, and today's citizens still have a soft spot for the sport, so readers' preference for a sunny day on a golf course is no surprise. Whether teeing up at the historic Atlanta Athletic Club or at the lower-priced Bobby Jones Golf Course, as many business deals may be cut on the course as in the boardroom.
HONORABLE MENTION: Piedmont Park
HOTELS AND MEETING SPOTS
HOLD A LARGE MEETING
What better place to hold a large meeting than the sumptuous digs at The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta. While the antique furniture may add a taste of old-world class, all rooms have kept up with new business needs, offering high-speed Internet access and even a 24-hour-a-day on-call technology butler.
"I must admit that it is probably our catering and conference services managers that have sealed it for us," said Susan Kemmerer, director of public relations.
HONORABLE MENTION: Hyatt, Buckhead
BUDGET HOTEL
The Hampton Inn easily affords guests convenience without a huge drain on the bank account. Many are within walking distance of attractions, sports venues and convention sites, as well as being located near MARTA. Meeting rooms at each hotel let business travelers get some work done outside the office. And the accommodations are perfect for families on the go.
HONORABLE MENTION: Marriott Courtyard
BEST BED-AND-BREAKFAST
Sometimes it's tough to do business in another town. Enter Midtown's 22-room Ansley Inn, this year's Readers' Choice winner in the bed-and-breakfast category.
"Part of the reason is because of our proximity to the sights of Midtown and the downtown business district," said owner Morris Levy, a native Atlantan.
Ansley Inn was built in 1907 on a quiet, tree-lined street as the home of clothier George Muse. Today, the 14-year-old inn is packed with all the amenities, from parking to in-room Jacuzzis, you'd find in a grand hotel, but features the personal, family-owned, homey feel you can only get in a bed-and-breakfast.
Levy said he plans to keep his inn going in the same direction, as a great stop for touring businessmen and a pleasurable weekend getaway for couples.
WEEKEND GETAWAY
The 14,000-acre Callaway Gardens introduced a new entrance last year, opening up acres of new natural forest to be explored. Then there's a resort hotel, golf course and Robin Lake Beach with summer live concerts and performances by the Florida State University "Flying High Circus." Labor Day brings the Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival, and Christmas unfurls Fantasy in Lights. But then there are the flowers, including the world's largest collection of azaleas at the 40-acre Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl.
HONORABLE MENTION: Ch‰teau ƒlan
PLACES TO SHOP
BUSINESS ATTIRE, MEN
Since its founding in 1818, presidents, movie stars, sports greats and business executives have sought the highest quality in men's clothing. While today's shopper may or may not know that Brooks Brothers invented the ready-to-wear suit, argyle socks and cotton boxers, they are more than happy to slip into the BrooksEase blend of class and comfort.
HONORABLE MENTION: K & G Men's Center Inc.
BUSINESS ATTIRE, WOMEN
For Atlanta's busy businesswomen, the quest for the power suit takes them no further than AnnTaylor. The premiere ladies' clothier is easy to find, too, at numerous area malls and online at www.anntaylor.com. Also selling stylish evening dresses, comfortable sportswear and those must-have accessories, the look is classic, refined and sure to turn heads.
HONORABLE MENTION: Talbots
CASUAL FRIDAY WEAR, MEN
It's Friday. Relax. Be casual in clothes from K & G Men's Center Inc., the No. 1 choice among male readers. The Atlanta-based company now has more than 58 stores nationwide.With a classic high-volume, low-markup policy and discounts ranging from 29 percent to 62 percent off department store prices, plus the quality of the clothes it sells, K & G is a winner.
HONORABLE MENTION: Brooks Brothers and Men's Wearhouse
CASUAL FRIDAY WEAR, WOMEN
Casual Fridays in the workplace have become as much of an institution as Rich's department store is to Atlanta. Aside from the great range of name outfits and apparel the store has to offer, perhaps Rich's greatest appeal is the frequent one-day sales during which already competitively priced items are substantially reduced.
HONORABLE MENTION: Banana Republic
SHOES, MEN
If you haven't heard about Bennie's Shoe Store yet, you must have just moved here. "Seventy-five percent of the people walking around today are wearing the wrong size shoes," says co-owner Louie Shemaria. This full-service shoe store sells 25 percent of all the Rockport shoes sold in the state. It has been run by the Shemaria brothers (Jack, Hymie and Louie) since 1970 when they opened a store in Lindbergh Plaza -- they now have locations in Norcross and Smyrna.
HONORABLE MENTION: Florsheim
SHOES, WOMEN
For women, the winner is National Shoe Warehouse, a division of Columbus, Ohio-based Value City Department Stores. Instead of full service, the stores boast selection and low prices. The stores are large and self-service with all the merchandise on the display floor. With the slogan "We don't just have more shoes, we have your shoes," the shoe retailer features current season as well as close-outs and past-season designs.
HONORABLE MENTION: Nordstrom
HAIRCUT, MEN AND WOMEN
Our male and female readers selected Great Clips as the best place to get a haircut.