Food Tour: From Reynoldstown to Grant Park along Memorial Drive

Firepit Pizza Tavern in Grant Park serves grilled chicken pizza with a white sauce base. Beverages include beer, cocktails and some 20 wines by the glass. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

Firepit Pizza Tavern in Grant Park serves grilled chicken pizza with a white sauce base. Beverages include beer, cocktails and some 20 wines by the glass. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

As anyone who lives in Reynoldstown, Cabbagetown or Grant Park will tell you, the section of Memorial Drive that borders those three neighborhoods is booming with new developments.

But beyond the hassles of construction detours and traffic jams, there’s an enticing new wave of bars and restaurants to discover along a roughly mile-and-a-half stretch between Bill Kennedy Way and Hill Street.

Here’s a glimpse of five to try:

From Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall owner Michael Lennox, this tidy counter service space at the edge of the Beltline opened in October 2017 in the front of a former railroad depot. Serving up coffee and "California cuisine," and sporting a sunny Los Angeles look that stirred up a bit of controversy, it's quickly become an all-day destination.

Tacos are one of the reasons to check out Muchacho on Memorial Drive. CONTRIBUTED BY JENNI GIRTMAN / ATLANTA EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Vietnamese Grain Bowl is among the offerings at Muchacho. CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREW THOMAS LEE

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904 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta. 404-748-9254, muchachoatl.com.

The horseshoe-shaped bar at Golden Eagle is bathed in warm light, creating an immersive experience. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

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Right behind the back wall of Muchacho, Lennox opened a second, more ambitious concept, Golden Eagle Diner's Club, serving a retro menu focused on cocktails and "throwback continental classics." The room itself may be the biggest draw, with the dark and comfy ambiance of the kind of 1960s supper club the Rat Pack might have enjoyed.

Tavern steak au poivre with onion rings at Golden Eagle, served on kitschy china befitting the restaurant’s theme. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

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Eat: Tavern steak au poivre with onion rings served on thrift store china is the de facto signature dish. But the likes of garlic knots, crab Rangoon, charbroiled oysters, and duck confit are go-to, too. And the 5-7 p.m. "Golden Hour" menu offers $5 bar snacks such as the "fancy cheese plate."

The meat-substitute Impossible Burger, Dixie Style, with sweet potato fries and a beer at Grindhouse Kiiller Burgers on Memorial Drive. Dixie Style means it comes with pimento cheese, fried green tomato, Carolina coleslaw, and chipotle ranch. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

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Some eight years ago, Alex Brounstein opened the first of his retro burger bars inside the historic Sweet Auburn Curb Market. Since then, Grindhouse has become a fixture on the Atlanta dining scene, with locations on Piedmont Avenue and in Decatur and Athens, plus two franchise locations at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

There’s a dog-friendly patio at the newest Grindhouse Killer Burgers on Memorial Drive. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

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701 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta. 404-228-3722, grindhouseburgers.com.

Petit Chou’s Sarah-Witch reflects the bistro’s “French Southern Style.” CONTRIBUTED BY MIA YAKEL

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Billed as "French Southern Style," Petit Chou opened at the edge of Cabbagetown in March 2017. The coffee shop and breakfast-to-lunch bistro has a distinctive neighborhood vibe. The dining room is centered on a see and be seen rectangular bar, where busy baristas work the espresso machine, and servers stir up botanical-tinged house-made sodas.

The meaty porchetta sandwich pairs well with a brew at Firepit Pizza Tavern. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

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Opened in early June by chef Leslie Cohen, an Atlanta native and winner of the Food Network's "Cutthroat Kitchen," Firepit Pizza Tavern is part of the still-growing the Larkin mixed-use development. The menu is built around brick oven pizza, but as the name implies, the casual atmosphere and hearty food favor good times spent with friends and family.

The dining room at Firepit Pizza Tavern, located in the new Grant Park development called the Larkin. CONTRIBUTED BY HENRI HOLLIS

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