The Atlanta Restaurants We Loved in September

Any meal at any time of the day…

… is perfect at The General Muir. Whether it be breakfast/lunch with an Avenue A bagel (avocado, grapefruit, smoked salmon, red onion, and cream cheese — still trying to perfect a homemade version), or dinner with the iconic double-stack burger, you’re in for a treat here.

— Adrien Gay-Bellile, Chief of Staff

This one’s about a gin & tonic…

… but not just any G&T; I’m specifically writing a love letter to the one at Kitty Dare in Inman Park. Served in a wine goblet the size of my face, this bright, refreshing, bubbly bev is made with Mistral rosé gin, rose liquor, lemon, orange bitters, and served with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a lemon slice. It’s an easy patio pounder, but I slowly sipped this summer drink while I dipped homemade barbari bread into light, flavorful, and freshly-made labneh. Was this combo just what summer dining dreams are made of? I think it might just be.

— Ashley Twist Cole, Contributing Writer, Resy Editorial

Still thinking about…

… a melt-in-your-mouth omelet at Lucian, which was topped with crème fraîche and caviar alongside a fresh cut of hamachi that was brightened up with some citrus.

— April Kincaid, Restaurant Success Manager

Since moving to Atlanta…

…  Kimball House has been a go-to for me. I think the best cocktails in the city are found here, and I was obsessed with the mezcal batida (mezcal, coconut, lemongrass, lime, absinthe) for quite some time.

This weekend, my friend visited from New York, and I was excited to try the Jam Jam martini with Murrell’s Row JamJam gin — it’s a limited-edition gin with macerated and distilled strawberries made just down the street — and it was delish. Food-wise, we ordered the beef tartare with tomato chips, crispy pork belly lettuce wraps, heirloom tomato salad, grilled carrots with pepper jelly, the whole trout (eyeballs and all), and the vanilla crème brûlée to finish, with a half glass of Champagne.

I love that executive chef Arturo Justo is a Mexico City native and that his dishes are consistent, yet still manage to delight and surprise. Exceptional service brings an added touch of magic to the dining experience.

— Allison Ramirez, Contributing Writer, Resy Editorial

I’ve been wowed by a dare and a ‘dair this month…

… Kitty Dare and Nàdair. I’m obsessed with both, but the only thing they have in common are great cocktail programs.

Kitty Dare is such a delightfully twisty take on what people expect of Mediterranean food, with so many influences from the southern Mediterranean infused with that of the Levant, and they’ve created flavor-packed dishes that sound like they might be risks but (literally) pan out beautifully.

And Nàdair! What a masterpiece by Kevin Gillespie. The tasting menu is phenomenal and marries Scottish and Southern cuisine in the most harmonious, nuanced ways. There wasn’t a single bite that didn’t leave me and my date impressed, and we clean-plated every course with shameless abandon. I’d put the elegance and grace of the dishes and service up against some of the top restaurants in the city right now, and highly recommend scoring a Resy here before word spreads far enough to make the seats scarce!

— Su-Jit Lin, Contributing Writer, Resy Editorial