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Is it safe to say you’ve gotten the memo? You know, the one about Decatur being the best dining neighborhood to emerge in the metro area since meat met three? Sorry, if we’ve added our adulation a bit too frequently to the clamor. We’re just trying to keep up with the most interesting developments around town, and it seems like a lot of them do indeed happen in this small city on Atlanta’s eastern border.
Just in the past couple of years, Decatur has reached a kind of restaurant critical mass. Diners set out for town with either reservations or hopes that they’ll be able to walk into their first choice restaurants. If not, they’re willing to bop around and find a spare table elsewhere. This kind of behavior keeps good restaurants on their toes and keeps average ones from falling into mediocrity.
Meanwhile, the best restaurants on or near the downtown square do keep getting better. We love Cakes & Ale more with each visit, and we've have had increasingly good meals at perennial favorites the Iberian Pig and No. 246. But you've heard all that before.
So let’s talk instead about what a fantastic drinking destination Decatur has become. Let’s start with cocktails.
The Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier of Atlanta mixsters — Miles MacQuarrie and Paul Calvert — rattle their shakers within a few feet of each other. MacQuarrie has decamped from his longtime spot at Leon's Full Service to become a partner in the new restaurant and oyster bar Kimball House. His attention to detail shows up in the gorgeous vintage glassware and house-brined olives he uses for the Kimball House cocktail, which may best be described as a martini for nonfanatics. His sure-handed touch of mellowing sweetness brings out the best in the gin's botanicals.
Calvert, who can be found most evenings behind the bar at the not-quite-speakeasy Paper Plane, is of the new bartending school whereby a funny name (The Make Out Bandit) and a list of ephemeral ingredients (Coco Bongo, among others) combine in ways that make you unsure what you're getting yourself into. But his drinks always tell a story on your tongue — those ingredients nudge and prod one another, inviting another sip.
Cocktails remain a draw at Leon's Full Service, thanks to new co-barkeeps Kathryn DiMenichi and Shanna Mayo. Their current menu talks a fun game, with ingredients as diverse as bacon-smoked apple brandy, Czech Becherovka (an herbal digestif) and bay leaf making appearances. DiMenichi mixes a pitch-perfect rye Manhattan, so good it's hard to order anything else.
If you can't get a seat at one of these bars, head down Ponce to the Pinewood — a bar and restaurant with a moody setting that doesn't get the early crowds. Barkeep Julian Goglia doesn't get as much attention, but he plays with the big boys. He crushes hard on classic cocktails like the Sazerac and the Moscow Mule but also does wonderful things with bourbon and rye. If you like things sweet and spicy, the Day That I Die combines honey, ginger, lemon and Georgia pecan into one zingy mouthful.
Is a tall brew more your speed? Then welcome to Beer Town, Ga. You won't find a better selection of draft and bottled beer anywhere in the Southeast than at the Brick Store Pub. You also can try the house brews at Twain's or take tours of the city's two new breweries, Blue Tarp Brewing Co. and Three Taverns Brewing.
Perhaps you're more in the mood for whiskey. Mac McGee Irish Pub has a bible of brown stuff, from scotch to bourbon to Japanese whiskeys you never knew existed, and you can get a flight of three to compare.
Only wine drinkers may find reason to stick their noses in the air, despite the smart, focused lists at Cakes & Ale and the Iberian Pig
If you're not the designated driver and want to end the evening at a honky tonk bar with a decent beer or snootful of something from a well-stocked shelf, then don't overlook Big Tex — a place that grows on you because it doesn't try too hard.
Added bonus: you can order a sloppy plate of nachos or Sonoran bacon-wrapped hot dog, which you’ll need for absorption after this evening.
Kimball House
303 E. Howard Ave., Decatur. 404-378-3502, kimball-house.com.
- What to drink: Start with the Kimball House cocktail and move on from there. The bar offers a classic absinthe service, with a dozen varieties of the infamous green spirit to choose from. When it comes time to slurp oysters, the wine list features a dry white from France's Jurançon region.
- What to eat: Get there before 7 p.m. and the fine selection of oysters goes for half price. There's also a steak dinner that is getting good early word of mouth.
The Brick Store Pub
125 E. Court Square, Decatur. 404-687-0990, brickstorepub.com.
- What to drink: Head upstairs to the Belgian bar, where both imported and domestic Belgian-style ales are on draft, and a bartender beer geek pours tastes. The downstairs bar is where you'll find more English-style and German brews on tap. You also will want to spend some time exploring the encyclopedic list of bottled beers.
- What to eat: The menu has improved from its early days, when a burger or plate of fish and chips was the way to go. Check out the small plates designed to play second fiddle to the beers on tap. A panful of melted raclette cheese over potatoes and a jar of chicken rillettes offer a good place to start.
Paper Plane
340 Church St., Decatur. 404-377-9308, the-paper-plane.com.
- What to drink: Whatever Paul Calvert tells you to. Describe your preferences, your mood, your astrological sign — anything to give him an idea of what to choose from the list. This is the bar to get away from your usual martini or Manhattan.
- What to eat: The food has kind of a prim gourmet edge that may strike your fancy or not. Try the fresh fish, usually served with a seasonal salad on a beautifully composed plate. Good local cheeses also appeal.
The Pinewood
254 W. Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-373-5507, pinewoodtr.com.
- What to drink: Bourbon, rye and gin drinks rule here, while all other spirits are lumped in a list titled "B-sides." (Get it?) Julian Goglia makes a textbook perfect Sazerac. Tiki Tuesdays are the time to go for smart updates on tropical drinks at lowered prices.
- What to eat: The fried brussels sprouts with herbsaint-buttermilk dipping sauce will remind you that you are not over brussels sprouts, despite what you may think. The seared sea scallop over grits with Andouille vinaigrette is a solid choice as well.
Mac McGee Irish Pub
111 Sycamore St, Decatur. 404-377-8050, macmcgeeirishpub.com.
- What to drink: A flight of whiskeys. Try a peated Irish whiskey next to a scotch. You might find a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle behind this bar, too.
- What to eat: We're usually done with eating by the time we arrive here, but think Irish pub grub: Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, corned beef and cabbage.
Big Tex
308 W. Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-377-3939, bigtexdecatur.com.
- What to drink: Ask what beers are on tap, and you'll be surprised by some of the craft beers available. Margaritas are fine, but this place feels more like a beer bar.
- What to eat: The sloppier, the better. Frito pie, served right in the Fritos bag, or a Sonoran hot dog. You can work it off tomorrow.
