When it’s raw outside, nothing thaws hands and mellows the soul like a bowl of steaming hot soup. Join us as we lift lids and peek into stockpots to see what’s simmering at, stewing around metro Atlanta.
Blow off downtown’s wind chill by ducking into JP Atlanta and savoring a bowl of onion soup “1967” served au gratin ($12) -- a starter on the All-Day Dining menu.
Looking for a rosy glow in Midtown? It’s found in Article 14’s lycopene-rich tomato bisque with whipped crème fraîche and basil ($7).
Zucca, may rhyme with Bazooka, but the golden butternut squash soup with winter pesto and mascarpone ($5) at Bellina Alimentari in Ponce City Market is oh so much more satisfying and good for you.
Brace yourself with homestyle chili dolloped with sour cream and cheddar ($5) at Chick-a-Biddy before total immersion in an adrenaline-pumping movie or shopping at Atlantic Station.
Expect a heated debate over which Vietnamese soup is best when slurping with friends at Le Fat in Midtown. Three top competitors: Le Fat Pho (beef noodle, $12), Pho Ga (chicken noodle, $10) or Bún Bo Hue (spicy beef, $12).
A cup or bowl of tomato bisque ($4.95/$6.95) at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern hits home after a brisk walk or jog around Piedmont Park. Even better, order the grilled cheese and tomato bisque combo ($11.95) sporting a sandwich oozing havarti, Parmesan and fontina cheeses for dunking.
Pining for that something smoky in a bowl, not on a bun? Get stoked for vegetarian smoked tomato bisque at 10th & Piedmont ($4/$6) with buttermilk biscuit croutons, Parmesan cheese and fried basil. A gluten-free option is available.
At Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar in Midtown, enjoy a bowl of butternut squash soup with chicharrones (pork rinds), lemon and cilantro ($6) before sharing a board laden with locally made cheese or charcuterie.
In Virginia-Highland, Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar OKs “playing with your food,” i.e., toying around with the crisp garlic croutons floating atop their creamy tomato basil soup ($3/$5).
Like everything about Aria in Buckhead, creamless celery root soup with Umbrian black truffles and Parmigiano-Reggiano reflects pure elegance in every detail ($12).
True Southerners chowing down at Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead can’t pass up a meaty bowl of Brunswick stew with house-made crackers for crumbling or dipping ($4.50).
When you’re craving a bit of soothing FlexMex mojo, stop by the closest Tin Lizzy’s Cantina for a cup of chicken tortilla soup, seasoned tomato broth dancing with chicken breast, corn, jack cheese, tortilla strips, avocado and chopped cilantro ($2.69).
Scuba-doobie-do dive into Caribbean lobster bisque at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill in Buckhead or Roswell. Each cup or bowl of this slightly sweet and island-spicy bisque swims with lobster and blue crab in a tomato sea ($4.95/$6.95).
Heady roast chicken and vegetable stew, available at all Bantam + Biddy locations, sustains souls for the long haul with fresh herbs, tender potatoes and a cheery cheddar biscuit topper ($12.50).
Even if “Burrito” is your middle name, tortilla soup calls out at Willy's Mexicana Grill locations. A favorite by the bowl ($4.75) or as an entrée add-on ($2.95).
Sushi may be on your mind at Roswell’s Aqua blue but don’t overlook the miso soup rich with fresh vegetables, tofu and mushrooms for $5. Hearty soup du jour choices alternate between loaded baked potato soup and clam chowder ($5).
Spoon into a cup or bowl of seafood gumbo with white rice ($7/$9) at Ray’s on the River and watch the Chattahoochee carry your cares away.
Across the river in East Cobb, Seed Kitchen & Bar spikes its nourishing roasted butternut squash soup with maple cream and sprinkles on toasted pumpkin seeds for a crunchy contrast ($7.95).
Holiday excesses propel desires for new year successes. Perhaps that involves de-cluttering closets and desktops, hitting the gym, unrolling the yoga mat -- and cleaning up your plate. Atlanta restaurant menus prove mindful eating doesn’t mean monastic. Break from those push-ups and take a look at these healthier choices.
An invigorating stroll through Virginia-Highland leads to a savory square meal at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar. Focus on every tender morsel of the herb-roasted Springer Mountain Farms chicken, dried cranberry and Brussels leaf salad, and creamed corn mashed potatoes ($16).
In Poncey-Highland, Café Highlands does a makeover on that faithful friend, falafel on warm pita. Their recipe uses black-eyed peas instead of garbanzos and adds a fried green tomato, cucumber and za'atar-yogurt dressing. Served with fries; we won’t tell if you sneak a few ($9).
Ormsby’s on Atlanta’s Westside plates an heirloom beet salad guaranteed to reboot your resolve to eat more veggies with its vibrant palette of arugula, Brussels sprouts, hearts of palm and tangy citrus vinaigrette ($9).
At FLIP burger boutique in Buckhead and West Midtown (as well as Birmingham and Nashville) simply request lettuce wrapping a favorite burger to “leaf” the bun carbs behind. More power packers: the turkey burger with Monterey Jack cheese, crushed avocado, pomegranate ketchup, tomato and alfalfa sprouts ($8); raw tuna tartare patty with Asian pear, pine nuts, compressed veggies, mango sphere and avocado purée ($14); and the seared chicken-topped, veggie-loaded FLIP salad with pickled cukes, cauliflower and red onion ($10).
Pasta has its place on Italian tables, equally so, the fresh, crisp insalata di bietola at Bellina Alimentari in Midtown’s Ponce City Market. The colorful salad of roasted beets, escarole hearts and ricotta salata is punctuated by red wine vinegar dressing ($8).
Follow a power walk through Piedmont Park with the Mother Nature Salad at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern in Midtown. Grains and veggie gains are yours in this mix of quinoa, cucumber, edamame, avocado, garbanzos, tomatoes, pickled onions, cranberries, candied pecans and HOBNOB basil vinaigrette ($11.50).
Tipping toward tapas in Midtown? 10th & Piedmont’s coconut scallop ceviche kicks blah days to the curb and jazzes taste buds with coconut, cilantro, spicy pepper, avocado and tortilla chips ($7.50).
Pulling up to Guy Wong’s Le Fat in West Midtown for a Vietnamese fix won’t weigh you down. Opt for Goi Cuon/summer rolls ($6), Goi Du Du/papaya salad ($10), Cai Xoan/kale salad with mango chickpea dressing ($7) or Bún/chilled vermicelli bowl with herb salad, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, crushed peanut and crispy spring roll and choice of sliced pork, chicken, shrimp or lemongrass beef ($16).
At Midtown’s Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar, choose a healthy Moroccan couscous with Israeli pearls and squash in harissa broth ($14) -- or achieve that goal of trying more locally sourced charcuterie meats and cheeses.
Check off the salad and seafood boxes on the “eat more” list at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill in Buckhead and Roswell. The Mediterranean quinoa bowl with Meyer lemon vinaigrette and the tropical salad with toasted macadamia nuts, tropical fruit salsa and Key lime mango dressing are consummate salad choices, and guests can opt in on healthier blackened or grilled cooking methods for salmon, mahi-mahi, grouper and ahi tuna.
Lighter side tapas at Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead won’t derail your diet plans. Try piquillo pepper hummus with carrots, celery and house-made crackers ($6.50), gluten-free and vegan jalapeño-cornbread cakes ($7.50) or chilled farro and green bean salad ($4.95). Smokebelly’s “skinny fixin’s” menu has even more options.
In The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, Gypsy Kitchen power plays tapas and snacks to eat solo or share including pickled beets ($6), marinated octopus salad with citrus and fennel ($8), roasted cauliflower and quinoa salad ($6) and grilled Spanish octopus ($15). Neighbor The Southern Gentleman knows there’s no sleeping on the job. Stay alert with lunch choices such as Boston bibb lettuce salad with pickled shrimp ($12) and roasted kabocha squash salad with Georgia pecans and onion vinaigrette ($10).
Jogging by one of the 27 Willy’s Mexicana Grill locations in Atlanta (or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)? The Southwest chicken salad recharges the weary with crisp greens, chargrilled chicken, black beans, pico de gallo, corn salsa, Jack cheese, homemade guacamole and tortilla strips ($7.75).
She’s your biggest fan. She cheers, she
chauffeurs, she chefs. She chooses what she feels is best for you. Now you can
choose some of Atlanta’s best brunch and dinner spots to honor her on Mother’s
Day, Sunday, May 10.
Stroll Piedmont Park’s paths and gardens then sit down for Sunday brunch at G’s Midtown or 10th & Piedmont from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The two Midtown eateries serve
both hot and cold brunch specialties such as challah bread French toast and
chilled house-smoked salmon. Brunch is $34.95 per person. Reservations:
404-602-5510.
A big heart deserves a big feast, and Aqua
blue in Roswell comes through with $15 bottomless mimosas
and a brunch buffet from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tempt taste buds with eggs
Benedict, blackened fish with lobster sauce, dessert favorites like a chocolate
fountain and loads more. $34.95 for adults and $9.95 for children ages 4 to 12.
Children under 4 eat free. Rather do dinner? Aqua blue will serve its à la
carte menu from 5-9 p.m. Reservations: 770-643-8886.
A tad north of Atlanta in historic Crabapple, Milton’s
Cuisine & Cocktails executive chef Derek
Dollar presents prix fixe Mother’s Day brunch and dinner menus. Brunch is $32
for adults; $16 for children 12 and under. Featured selections include French
toast with fresh berries and smoked bacon or sausage, prosciutto eggs Benedict
and blackened salmon. If afternoon activities knock brunch out of the ballpark,
reserve a table for dinner -- $38 for adults, $19 for children -- and enjoy
shrimp and grits, Southern fried chicken breast or an eight-ounce New York
strip. The regular kids menu also will be available. Reservations: 770-817-0161
or OpenTable.
Ray’s
on the River in Sandy Springs is offering its award-winning buffet
from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. with brunch, lunch or dinner options as the day progresses.
$42.95 for adults; $21.95 for children ages 5 to 10. For preferred seating,
call 770-955-1187. In Alpharetta, Ray’s
at Killer Creek is serving a buffet
from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. $34.95 for adults; $17.95 for children ages 5 to 10. For
preferred seating, call 770-649-0064. A downtown outing must-do is Ray’s
in the City where a Mother’s Day buffet pleases all from 10
a.m.-3:30 p.m. ($34.95 adults; $17.95 children ages 5 to 10), and the regular à
la carte menu service kicks in from 5- 9 p.m. For preferred seating, call
404-524-9224.
Mom is special every day. Mother’s Day or any day, these Atlanta-area brunch
spots are her cup of tea.
Atkins
Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland
serves classics like deviled eggs and more stylish options such as chorizo and
egg tacos.
It’s mom’s lucky day! Aria, usually closed on Sunday evenings, will be open and
serving dinner beginning at 5 p.m. Sophisticated Aria pampers like no other.
Make reservations online.
All four Bantam
+ Biddy locations (Ansley, Crescent, Lenox Square, Avalon) are offering
their regular brunch menus, loaded with mom’s favorites (and she might share
her chicken and waffles if you’re sweet).
Brunch and dinner are in the cards at The
Southern Gentleman, open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Mother’s Day. The day
begins with morning and midday fare such as fried soft-shell crab Benedict, a
traditional Monte Cristo, Gulf red snapper and cornmeal and ricotta pancakes
served 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Dinner selections are available 4 – 7 p.m., including carbonara
pasta, duck and dumplings, roasted Carolina mountain trout, pepper-crusted New
York strip, and buttermilk-poached Grassroots Farm chicken breast. Shrimp and
grits plus starters of jumbo lump crab risotto with country ham, salt and sugar
cured green tomatoes and warmed Gulf oysters grace both à la carte menus. Make reservations online.
All moms visiting any Willy's
Mexicana Grill location on May 9 or May 10 will receive a coupon for $5
off any order of $15 or more for their next visit.
Welcome weekend leisure time by taking mom to Atlantic Station for Chick-a-Biddy’s brunch of signature
chicken and waffles with traditional flavors or twists like red velvet.
In Midtown, HOBNOB
Neighborhood Tavern serves breakfast
pizza, healthy frittatas and fresh farmer's omelets to power up her day.
Marlow’s
Tavern is the perfect neighborhood spot for classic American
brunch fare with an upscale twist. Find a Marlow’slocation near and dear to Mom’s heart.
