Atlanta Trip Report - March 21-24

You know it was never my intention to visit Atlanta - but I%26#39;m certainly glad I did! My best pal and I were supposed to visit Savannah, but our trip was shortened so she recommended a three night stay in the city.

First off, I have to rave about the welcoming and friendly nature of Atlanta natives, both in the hospitality industry and not. I%26#39;ve travelled to many US cities and by far this was the nicest city I%26#39;ve been to. Southern manners were certainly present, but I was bowled over by how people went out of their way for us time and time again. You rule, Atlanta residents!

To summarize some of the points of my visit:

Hotels:

-First night was in the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead. And shockingly, I wasn%26#39;t that impressed. I%26#39;ve stayed in many boutique and five star hotels, but this was the most disappointing. I realize it%26#39;s in an classic style, but I found a lot the decor tired and dated. The room wasn%26#39;t exceptional in any way and the bathroom was disappointing and a bit worn. However, how the Ritz separates itself from the others is the top notch service that can%26#39;t be beat. That is why it%26#39;s a top hotel - not because I found the bed to be less than comfortable. The staff were all excellent. We didn%26#39;t have time but I would have loved to have a martini in the lobby bar - it was hopping day and night.

-Other two nights were at the Embassy Suites in Buckhead as well. And call me crazy, but I loved the suites much better than the Ritz! It%26#39;s the little touches, the three sinks, lots of counter space, size of rooms, glasses, a full length mirror that made our stay much more accomodating. And guess what? The service was on par with the Ritz, if maybe a bit less attentive. I think once people found out I was a first-time visitor they went out of their way again to make my stay special. And the beds were so comfortable that one night we stayed in with a bottle of champagne. You can%26#39;t go wrong with the free drinks from 5:30 -7:30 and complimentary breakfast. Highly recommended and steal for only $130 per night that we paid!

I%26#39;ll get to food later...

Atlanta Trip Report - March 21-24

the way i was brought up hospitality shown to visiting guests whether they be first time visitors or not is not so much a matter of graciousness as it is good manners. thanks for the complimentary review and please come back to see more of what atlanta and georgia has to offer. you couldn%26#39;t possibly more than just scratched the surface of what is here. i%26#39;m glad you enjoyed your visit.

Atlanta Trip Report - March 21-24

SweetP - Funny you should mention just okay at the Ritz. You%26#39;re not the first to say that. My husband and I made reservations at the main restaurant in the Buckhead Ritz a few years back. When we arrived, they sat us at a small round cafe sized table that you would find in a bar. When we asked for the manager and told him that the table was too small to be able to enjoy dinner, we were told that it was the only table reserved for us. We were told that the other empty tables were reserved. We told them it was unacceptable and we WALKED OUT. We left the Dining Room and went to the front desk to complain before we left the hotel. Even though the Ritz was kind enough to send a letter of apology with a COMPLIMENTARY dinner certificate for 2, my husband chose not to use it. We weren%26#39;t asking for a free meal, just a normal sized table. We ended up at Ruth%26#39;s Chris Steak House that night and loved every bit of it. We%26#39;ve chosen not to go back to the Ritz. Maybe one day we will.

SweetP, I%26#39;m glad you had such a great visit! Can%26#39;t wait to hear more.

Roswellmom, that%26#39;s too bad about the Ritz. I%26#39;m glad you enjoyed Ruth%26#39;s Chris, though. I love that place!

Food:

-The night we were at the Ritz it was my best pal%26#39;s birthday. We headed over to the concierge from some dining recommendations, and Blue Pointe sounded right up our alley (and right across the street!) I must say that when I walked in I just rolled my eyes a bit and thought ';Great, another trendzoid restaurant/bar where if I don%26#39;t get the bottled water they%26#39;ll turn their noses up at us!'; Well, I really don%26#39;t mind for the most part getting the bottled water, I just hate the %26#39;tude. There was none of that though at BP. Again, we were treated like royalty. We had a few martinis, my gal pal had the sushi platter and the chocolate mousse, I had their pecan/blue cheese salad (one of my best ever!), tandori chicken and the best creme brulee of my life - sour cherry with white chocolate chopsticks! Divine! In fact, it would appear that I had the best desserts of my life in Atlanta. The food was so damn good I%26#39;m still dreaming of it. Nothing like southern comfort! And for a Tuesday night, the place as hopping. I noticed that whenever we were out for dinner all the restaurants were hopping - which was nice, cause to us it shows Atlanta residents like their good food and a good time any day of the week!

-Cafe Intermezzo for lunch. Again, another wonderful meal, wonderfully served. The place was empty, but we loved the authentic European coffeeshop atmosphere. I had a pasta dish, my pal an omelette. We shared spanakopita. And the BEST cheesecake - chocolate chip cookie dough. We both had killer martinis - peanut butter n%26#39; jelly, I had the chocolate dipped strawberry. Man oh man, can they open a branch in Toronto?

-Bones for dinner. Service was a science and our waiter was a lot of fun, but this wasn%26#39;t our top meal. Mind you, it was damn good but Atlanta had set a good standard overall for dining. I had the Bones salad, striploin with hash browns and creme brulee - all good, not exceptional. My pal had the lobster bisque, crab cakes and asparagus and shared some of my dessert. Enjoyable, but I wouldn%26#39;t return.

-Lunch: Flying Biscuit Cafe/the Varsity. You know when you are so hungover and you just want nothing but grease? We headed over the cafe and while the menu looked healthy and interesting, nothing appealed to me on that day. My pal had some scrambled eggs dish, I had some of the bean/feta patties which were good. But I wanted a big fat burger, so I made sure we drove by the downtown Varsity location. For five bucks I indulged in a cheeseburger, grilled cheese and some fries! Damn, that was great stuff. I was so pleased with the price I made sure our drive-in server got a huge tip. Let%26#39;s just say that my hangover was swiftly taken care of.

-Dinner: the Horseradish Grille. Lovely setting in Chastain Park (too bad it was pouring rain!) Had another salad with blue cheese, pal had the She-crab soup, I had the fried chicken, she the veggie plate. We shared the cookies and ice cream for dessert. Again, yum, yum, yum and dinner was improved by the fantastic and prompt service.

Other notes:

-We never found Atlanta traffic terrible. It was very easy to drive from Buckhead Downtown and Midtown. Even with all the Peachtrees, we didn%26#39;t get lost either. Although one night we did go in circles around downtown and that wasn%26#39;t very pleasant, especially when you%26#39;re at a stoplight and a bunch of men are looking at the two of us like we%26#39;re a nice plate of steaks! ;-P

-We stopped by Oakland Cemetary and was treated so well by Penny, one of the volunteers there. What a sweetie, what a beautiful setting so close to downtown.

-Auburn was so well preserved, almost charming for what was once a ';ghetto';. I thought they did a great job honouring MLK.

-We weren%26#39;t impressed with Lennox Mall. Then again, we%26#39;re more budget-conscious shoppers. We LOVED Little Five Points and picked up a few things there.

-We went out to a couple of bars/clubs Midtown and the men were polite, generous and interesting to chat with. Yes, I know it%26#39;s a sample of the population but again we were impressed by the guys we encountered during our nights out.

-The city is gorgeous - beautifully kept, clean and you can tell that you all take pride in Atlanta. What a wonderful surprise. My pal is considering moving down there from Nashville, I hope she does so I can return!

Great Post. Sounds like you had a good time and gained a few pounds. You had good advise for all your meals. I couldn%26#39;t have chosen better for you. Although the Palm across the street at the hotel that used to the Swisshotel (forgot their new name)is always our favorite meal in the Buckhead area. Y%26#39;all come back soon.

Hey SweetP- Were thinking of staying at the Embassy Suites for a girls weekend next month. Would we have to drive for some nightlife or is it in walking/short cab ride distance?

Actually, you are spoiled for dining options but not for nightlife. There were a few bars further down Peachtree towards the city/Midtown, but I didn%26#39;t see a lot other than hotels and restaurants near ES. I would suggest a cab to Midtown, which will probably run about $15 upwards. If you ask at the hotel they%26#39;ll have someone come by to take you for a fee, or ask for their recommendations.

Or I would definitely suggest Blue Pointe (walking distance) for martinis and dinner. That place was packed and happening.

Freakae - Buckhead%26#39;s bar scene has really faded in popularity. The main bar area around the intersection of Peachtree and Roswell Roads is really for the very young hip hop crowd and is no longer the safest area to be. I would suggest going out in midtown if you%26#39;re looking for dancing/clubbing or Virginia-Highland or Little Five Points if you%26#39;re looking for neighborhood bars, pubs, etc. If you have any specific ideas in mind, I%26#39;d be glad to make some suggestions.

I%26#39;ve been out of the Buckhead bar scene almost 20 years now but does anyone know if Johnny%26#39;s HideAway is still a good night club for the 20 or 30 something crowd.