Rathbun's

From the restauranteur who brought Atlanta's foodie scene to the mainstream
Talk of the town: Chef Kevin Rathbun defeated Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America back in 2008 with an elk dish. He was the first Georgian to win.

You know how they say never to trust a skinny cook? Chef Rathbun is a big, big, jolly man who has become something of a celebrity in Atlanta, and the praise is well-founded.
Rathbun's eponymous restaurant is housed in an industrial grit-turned-glam space that is modern and noisy. But you'll be too focused on your food to care what your neighbor is saying. Go for anything meaty and fatty (read: pork belly) or that sounds like it was made with a lot of butter or cream (country ham grits are a good bet). Plus, people have great things to say about his trout, and the man essentially introduced Atlanta to raw crudo.