You either like them or you don't, right? To make a mark with a dish is hard enough, but to set a standard with chicken livers is altogether different. And yet each of these spots serves them up in style.
Floataway Cafe 
1123 Zonalite Road, Suite 15, Atlanta. 404-892-1414, www.starprovisions.com
Chef Drew Belline of Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison's Floataway Cafe has done to chicken livers what Rita Hayworth did for the slip: dressed them up nicely. Organic and wood-grilled, these chicken livers are served on a rosemary skewer with a sweet-tart onion jam. They'll alter all long-held opinions of how chicken livers taste (whether that opinion was good or bad).
Shaun's
1029 Edgewood Ave., N.E., Atlanta. 404-577-4358, www.shaunsrestaurant.com
Chef Shaun Doty's "East Village-style" chopped chicken livers is a mishmash of spreadable goodies, all for the taking — and smearing — over toast for an appetizer that will leave you smacking your lips and asking for more wine.
The Shed at Glenwood 
475 Bill Kennedy Way, Atlanta. 404-835-4363, www.theshed atglenwood.com
New chef Lance Gummere, who served as Shaun Doty's sous chef for more than a decade, has finally found a kitchen he can call his own. He makes his mark with fresh ingredients and straightforward cooking — and a bruschetta for smearing a creamy dollop of chopped chicken livers and bacon. It's a little more refined than Doty's version, but the Shed chef says Doty gave the dish his blessing before Gummere decided to put it on the menu. I'm glad he did.
The Colonnade
1879 Cheshire Bridge Road, N.E., Atlanta. 404-874-5642
Expect a mix of everyone from Red Hat society matriarchs to biker gays at this 77-year-old institution serving up supper (and lunch) Southern-style. After all, where else can you go for bing cherry Jell-O salad and tomato aspic? Chicken livers? They got 'em old-fashioned style: A plate of big, fat, crunchy-crusted orbs with an angioplasty on the side.
10 Degrees South 
4183 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 404-705-8870,www.10 degreessouth.com
The South African owners of this longtime Roswell Road favorite claim their chopped chicken livers are sautéed in peri peri (or piri piri) sauce, but it really lacks the fire of its Portuguese counterpart. No matter, the crock of goodie that comes to the table with slices of baguette is saucily sweet, almost relish-like in flavor, and a rich diversion with a glass of the restaurant's Pinotage.
Get into the conversation: Visit my blog at www.ajc.com/tabletalk. If your restaurant is new, closing or undergoing changes, or you have a food-related event, we want to hear from you. Send the information — including your name, phone number, e-mail and Web site if you have one — to mford@ajc.com.
