2277 Peachtree Road

Tel: 404-948-1175

It's hard to decide what's best about Atlanta gastro-preneur Linton Hopkins's classy new Holeman & Finch. Is it the food, a bracing hodgepodge of Southern and neo-Southern delicacies like crawfish beignets and griddled hen-of-the-woods mushrooms with Anson Mills polenta? Or perhaps its partner Greg Best's dream team of cocktails, like the unexpectedly delicious Johnny Ryall, made with cherry liquor, Peychaud's bitters, grapefruit juice, and Miller High Life? Then again, maybe it's the fact that at 10 P.M. a bullhorn proclaims it's "burger time" and a crowd clamors to order the supremely juicy hamburgers before they sell out (about five minutes later). Actually, it's all of the above, plus the restaurant's exuberance, lack of pretension, and easy familiarity (small plates, $3–$15).
Tip: Ask the bartenders to surprise you—they will, and you'll be grateful.