It’s been a long winter, hasn’t it? But spring is finally here, and along with seasonal strawberries and sexy sandals, that means we all soon will be able to escape — for lunch or dinner, anyway — to enjoy dining outside. You can add to this list of al fresco favorites and vote for your picks all weekend as part of Access Atlanta’s Best of the Big A.
French American Brasserie
30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Suite 125, Atlanta, 404-266-1440, www.fabatlanta.com
Step onto the elevator and take a magic ride to Fabrice Vergez’s fabulous calling card atop his French brasserie, FAB. “On the roof” never sounded so sweet: Light and breezy, FAB’s rooftop dining offers an elegant view of the city’s downtown scene, plus all the accoutrements from the kitchen, from champagne to oysters and more. Escape factor: 10
Pure Taqueria
103 Roswell St., Alpharetta, 678-240-0023, www.puretaqueria.com
Chris and Michele Sedgwick’s fondness for Mexican culture and food shows in their laid-back taqueria. The original in Alpharetta offers an open-air dining room (there’s no spot without a delicious breeze) and feels like a day at a Mexican beach. There’s a short list of favorites, from excellent salsas and warm chips to queso fundido, fish tacos, ceviche and mean margaritas. If you’re looking for casual outdoor dining, this is the place to sip and sit. Escape factor: 10
Canoe
4199 Paces Ferry Road S.E., Atlanta, 770-432-2663, www.canoeatl.com
Don’t let the abrupt closing of this Atlanta institution stop you: Canoe is back. The dining room is completely refinished to look exactly as it did, Carvel Grant Gould’s kitchen is back in full swing, and the gardens destroyed in last fall’s flood will soon bloom anew. No list of al fresco dining in Atlanta would be complete without the inclusion of this riverside wonder. After more than 10 years, the view of the ’Hooch and soon-to-be sprawling gardens from the terraced dining room is still a marvel. Escape factor: 10
Craft
3376 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, 404-995-7580, www.craftrestaurant.com
In addition to a well-crafted, seasonal menu designed by “Top Chef” star Tom Colicchio and executed beautifully by chef de cuisine Kevin Maxey, Craft sports a wonderful patio that gives a real sense of Atlanta’s newfound big-city vibe. Peachtree Road sprawls before you, and the menu offers the new season’s best veggies and cocktails. Escape factor: 9
Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft
1745 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, 678-539-6181, www.tuktukatl.com
Traditional Thai favorites — mostly street food — are fun and tasty to explore at this hip eatery in the former Taurus space. The scene is fun, too, and reflects owners Deedee Niyomkul and Thaddeus Keefe’s youthful style, from the namesake “tuk tuk” taxi in the restaurant’s foyer (in the summer, I hope they offer rides) to the whimsical wall of Thai cookies, biscuits and candies stacked in glass-and-tin boxes. And the wrap-around patio sports one of the city’s coolest sunsets and views of the downtown skyline. Escape factor: 9
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