Restaurant Eugene - Atlanta, GA

Dinner - Monday, December 30, 2013

Linton Hopkins was named the James Beard "Best Chef - Southeast" in 2012, and Restaurant Eugene is the flagship of his restaurant family (although Holeman & Finch arguably garners more press for its burger). The style here is very classical - broadly speaking, traditional French technique with Southern ingredients. Arguably not the sort of place we typically gravitate towards, but this time, the lack of information about the food here piqued our curiosity.

The Optimist - Atlanta, GA

Lunch - Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Occupying the cavernous space of a former ham-aging warehouse, The Optimist at lunchtime is a bright, airy space filled with wood and iron and rough linen. We stopped by for lunch before heading to the airport - our last meal on this short tour of the South. The food is as good as the space is beautiful.