The term gastropub popped into our lexicon back in the '90s to denote a public house offering food better than the usual pub grub. Now we've got gastropubs all over Atlanta — where you can have a meal (and a good time) that's more than just a beer and a basket of chicken fingers.
LEON'S FULL SERVICE (not rated)
131 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-687-0500, www.leonsfullservice.com
Ever had a rabbit tender? Tastes like chicken. And Leon's, beautifully situated in an old gas station (most recently an antiques store) in downtown Decatur, has 'em. The guys from the ever-popular Brick Store Pub, just around the corner, are going gonzo with a hip, stylish look and an ambitious menu with goodies such as carrot and cilantro hummus and pork osso bucco. Oh, and some of the best fries in the Western Hemisphere, with dipping sauces of smoky tomato mayo, masaman curry and peppercorn gravy. Plus all those beers, and a darned special cocktail selection.
1156 Euclid Ave., Atlanta. 404-223-0393,
What do you get when you mix a young couple that has a culinary résumé with a bit of panache on a very low budget? A prime spot in Little Five Points where chef Nick Rutherford and Molly Gunn serve hip bar food (think brandade, not burgers, though they have burgers, of course) and more than 100 beers.
5600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-255-5911,
Seasons has been offering selections that belong more in a Midtown bistro than a Sandy Springs brew pub for years, and the name says it all about the seasonal approach of the kitchen: Berkshire pork from Riverview Farms is turned into scrumptiously tender, off-the-bone chops with braised greens from local farmers. Shrimp comes up directly from the Gulf, encrusted in panko.
2277 Peachtree Road, Suite B, Atlanta. 404-948-1175, www.holeman-finch.com
Created by Restaurant Eugene's Linton Hopkins and four creative partners, you can call this a British gastropub with a very heavy Southern accent. Small and mod, the space is bedecked with hanging house-cured hams, salamis and pork bellies — and the menu is not for the meat meager. Small bites, all of which are heavy, include parts of meat you may have never heard of but will be very glad you tried. Come at 10 p.m., when the house-made burgers fly fast from the kitchen.
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