Midtown Dining Delights (2/4)

Hip and sophisticated, Midtown Atlanta provides one of the most authentic urban experiences in the city. Delivering the perfect blend of commercial enterprise, arts and cultural attractions, higher education, residential living and greenspace, it has a lot to offer. And now you can add “dining destination” to that list. As Atlanta has made its mark on the international culinary map, many of the city’s most innovative and acclaimed restaurants can be found right in Midtown. From burgers to farm-to-table eats to fine dining, there are more than 150 restaurants packed into its 3.8± square miles, with more popping up all the time.

Whether you are taking in shows at the fabulous Fox or Alliance Theatre, visiting the High Museum of Art for an exhibit or attending a music festival, conference or the Peachtree Road Race, here are just a few Midtown dining suggestions worth checking out that are sure to tantalize your taste buds.
 
Momonoki – Located on the corner of 8th and Williams, Chef Jason Liang and John Chen of Brush Sushi Izakaya opened Momonoki in 2018. This counter-service restaurant delivers casual Japanese comfort fare, including sandos, poke bowls and tonkotsu ramen, along with tsukemen (“dipping ramen”) with noodles served in a separate bowl. After your meal, be sure to stop into the restaurant’s coffee shop, Momo Cafe, next door, for matcha and coffee drinks and Japanese pastries. You will not be disappointed.
 
The Lawrence – For classic American fare in a casual environment, give The Lawrence a try. Named after the patron saint of chefs, The Lawrence was born out of Dinner Party Atlanta, an underground supper club pioneered by Darren Carr. After several years of successful, guerilla-style dinner events sprinkled throughout the city, a location was secured in the Midtown niche for a thoughtful reinterpretation of the American bistro/brasserie that reflected the people it aimed to serve. Offering guests highly crafted cocktails and delicious brunch and dinner options, the beverage and food menus change seasonally to offer fresh perspectives and the opportunity to partner with local produce & protein vendors in the South. Grab a table inside with modern decor or outside on the patio. It’s the perfect spot for date night, or any night for that matter!
 
South City Kitchen – Serving Southern classics with a sophisticated spin from an iconic bungalow on Crescent Avenue, South City Kitchen combines the energy of Atlanta with the warmth of a Southern home. Chef John Spotkill keeps its trailblazing kitchen on the cutting edge of modern cuisine, bringing his culinary craft to both the classics and new inventive dishes. Dine on favorites such as shrimp and grits, buttermilk fried chicken, she-crab soup, fried green tomatoes and banana pudding while enjoying the view of the exhibition kitchen or the city skyline on one of the best patios in the city.
 
Campagnolo – A comfortable and casual neighborhood trattoria located in the heart of Midtown, Campagnolo is an Italian paradise. Featuring a rustic menu that draws influences from all parts of Italy and its Mediterranean neighbors, its delicious fare is complemented by a cocktail menu of Old World specialties and an outstanding wine selection. With an intimate interior and a warm bar, Campagnolo is also home to one of Midtown’s most thriving patios and an ideal spot for people-watching. Mouth-watering favorites to try include the pappardelle with duck confit and the fettuccine capricciose with wild mushrooms and arugula topped with pecorino cheese.
 
Ecco – Featuring an inviting European atmosphere, Ecco welcomes guests to enjoy a wide variety of meats and cheeses, homemade pasta, wood-fired pizzas and exquisite wine and desserts. With an outdoor patio, oversized bar and stunningly European interior, Ecco accommodates those looking for a romantic dinner, group dining or even a casual night out. Its unique European flare and mouth-watering food served in courses make Ecco one of the best dining experiences in the Atlanta area. Start off with a board of cured meat and cheeses or the mouth-watering smoked trout. Then, explore mains like swordfish, steak or striped bass. With almost two decades of culinary experience, you can trust chef Alan Chandonia to take care of you.
 
The Collective Food Hall @ Coda – Part of the redevelopment of Tech Square, this mini food hall is a dining destination brought together by some of Atlanta’s best chefs in an effort to offer a variety of culturally rich options for eating and drinking in the heart of Midtown. Comprising 25,000± square feet of street-level restaurant vendors offering both food and drinks, it wraps the historic Crum & Forster building. Offering a vast range of cuisines and flavors found from around the world, this food hall is a true “foodie oasis .”Serving as the home for one of Poke Burri’s three metro area food hall stalls, it also features Mediterranean fare from Aviva by Kameel, the Mexican cantina El Burro Pollo, chef-driven sandwich shop Humble Mumble and the newly opened Smoq’n Hot Grill, which dishes out a mashup of lower East Side deli and smoked rural Georgia barbecue. Rounding things out is  By Weight and Measure, a science-driven cocktail bar that pours alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
 
Lure – Who says you can’t have incredible seafood in the middle of Georgia? Atlanta may be an urban city, but you can still find fresh seafood in a coastal atmosphere at Lure. Inspired by classic American and global coastal traditions, Lure delivers the freshest fish in the heart of Midtown in a restored 1920s bungalow on Crescent Avenue. Offering a sophisticated but casual vibe, it fluidly bridges the gap between a weathered seaside eatery and a fine-dining seafood restaurant. Start off with an expansive oyster menu, both cold water and char. After a few slides down, move on to divine apps and mains like tuna tartar, shrimp tagliatelle and pan-seared gulf sea bass. This is a great spot for any seafood lovers looking to treat themselves.
 
Saints + Council – Located in the popular Colony Square, Saints + Council’s culinary vision is based upon delivering a focused, seasonally appropriate menu that connects with local farmers and is produced in a chef-driven environment. Center to the concept’s culinary strategy is the “Dutch Baby,” a German egg pancake, which rises in the oven. Whether savory or sweet, this unique menu item brings something unique to Atlanta’s culinary scene. From the minute guests walk in, they are entranced by the stately vaulted ceilings and contemporary décor, including a mixture of seating from dining room tables and booths to stylish living room pods, a crackling fireplace and warm energy, all surrounding a central island bar. It is a place for friends to enjoy the daily bread of camaraderie, craft cocktails and scratch food for the seasons.

Rumi’s Kitchen – Named after one of the most famous and well-read poets in the world, Jelaluddin Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet whose visions, words, and life teach us how to reach inner peace, happiness, and love, Rumi’s Kitchen at Colony Square in Midtown is the newest of several locations serving up delicious Persian cuisine in metro Atlanta. With a menu of fresh, healthy food and a heaping portion of attentive Persian hospitality in an atmosphere filled with love, Rumi’s Kitchen delivers an elegant dining experience paired with wines from countries throughout the Mediterranean region and Middle East. And like the other Rumi’s restaurants, the Colony Square location offers menu favorites that run the gamut from labne and falafel to stews and kabob options served with lentils and fragrant basmati rice. But it also has a vegetable section not found at the other locations with some unique items, including charred romaine with sekanjabin (a sweet and sour syrup), chermoula eggplant with date molasses and corn “ribs” with black seed dukkah and jalapeno butter. 

A Few Midtown Listings