A Buckhead hotel gets a 5-star rating, another gets a new chef, and more from Atlanta’s dining scene

One major Atlanta hotel achieved a prestigious rating, another kicked off a year of 50th anniversary celebrations downtown, an iconic piece of Georgia produce got its own day at the ballpark and more from the metro area dining scene.

The pool plaza and grand terrace staircase at the St. Regis Atlanta. (Courtesy of the St. Regis Atlanta)

Five stars for St. Regis Buckhead, Atlas

The St. Regis Buckhead and its primary restaurant, Atlas, were each given five-star ratings in the Forbes Travel Guide released this week. The publication, which is similar to the Michelin Guide but focused first on hotels, is the oldest travel guide in the U.S. and considered one of the hospitality world’s most prestigious rating systems.

A five-star rating implies that a hotel or restaurant is one of the best in the country. The St. Regis Atlanta was the only hotel in the metro area to achieve the rating; the Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead and the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, both earned four stars.

Chefs plating dishes at Atlas, rated one of Atlanta's 50 best restaurants by the AJC in 2025. (Credit: Thomas Espinoza, courtesy of Atlas)

Atlas also earned a five-star restaurant rating. Bacchanalia was the only other Atlanta restaurant rated by the guide, earning four stars. Atlas made The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s 50 best restaurants list in 2025, while Bacchanalia was an honorable mention.

The double-five-star pairing of the St. Regis Atlanta and Atlas makes the property just one of 14 in the world where both a hotel and its restaurant earned top honors, according to a news release from the Tavistock Group, which owns the property.

Those who would like a taste of such five-star luxury might be interested in the St. Regis Atlanta’s Champagne and caviar chef’s table dinner later this month. The event is a collaboration with Chef Okan Kizilbayir of Salt at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, along with Paramount Caviar and well-respected Champagne house Louis Roederer. Tickets to the Feb. 26 event cost $250, and guests will leave with their own caviar spoon. Reservations are available on the hotel’s website.

Todd Richards, executive chef at the Waldorf Astoria Buckhead Atlanta. (Courtesy of the Waldorf Astoria Buckhead Atlanta)

In other hotel news...

Todd Richards was named executive chef at the Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead, where he will oversee culinary operations at the hotel’s primary restaurant, Brassica, as well as banquets, room service and the property’s long-running tea service, according to a news release.

Richards has long been an influential figure in the Atlanta restaurant scene, first rising to prominence as the opening chef at One Flew South at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Under his leadership, One Flew South became the first airport restaurant to be nominated for a James Beard Award; it was nominated twice for outstanding service.

Chef Todd Richards will combine local, seasonal ingredients and classic French technique at Brassica in the Waldorf Astoria Buckhead Atlanta. (Courtesy of the Waldorf Astoria Buckhead Atlanta)

Though Richards has worked in standalone restaurants in recent years, he started his career in luxury hospitality at the Four Seasons Atlanta before moving along to the Ritz-Carlton and others. Richards’ culinary program will blend local, seasonal ingredients with classic French technique, the news release said.

The logo for the Columbus Clingstones.

A peachy day in double-A

Pearson Farm, the Fort Valley orchard that produces some of the state’s best peaches, will partner with the Atlanta Braves’ new double-A affiliate, the Columbus Clingstones, this spring, the team announced.

Together, Pearson Farm and the Clingstones will celebrate the first-ever Clingstone Peach Awareness Day on April 19. The Sunday matinee game will feature clingstone peach-inspired food, educational information about the peach category and a peach baseball giveaway to the first 1,000 fans.

According to the Pearson Farm website, clingstone peaches are a category of the fruit in which the flesh remains attached to the pit. In contrast, freestone peaches have pits that are easily removed, sometimes even falling out of the fruit once it’s sliced. Freestones tend to be better to eat fresh, while clingstones are more suitable for baking and canning, the website said.

A server at J. Alexander's. (Credit: Bert White, courtesy of J. Alexander's)

Other items of interest

J. Alexander’s is on track to open its third Atlanta-area restaurant at the Battery this year, but first, the restaurant is hiring 90-100 positions at its new location, restaurant representatives said. The hiring site is open at 800 Battery Ave. SE, suite 120, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday — Friday, as well as 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Anyone interested may apply at jobs.jalexanders.com.

455 Legends Place, Atlanta. 470-361-0644, jalexanders.com

Commune, the wine bar and listening room in Avondale Estates, is pivoting away from full dinner service, the restaurant announced on social media. The menu will be pared back to lighter bar bites while the drink list will expand, and the space will focus more on music, late-night dancing and live DJ performances.

6 Olive St., Avondale Estates. 914-471-5526, communeatl.com

Smorgasburg Atlanta will reopen March 7 for its spring season, the weekend food festival announced on social media. The weekly event will feature more than 40 food vendors, a full bar and free entry each Saturday from 11 a.m. — 7 p.m.

140 Forsyth St., Atlanta. 917-336-2520, smorgasburgatlanta.com

The Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park kicked off is 50-year anniversary celebration this week, according to a news release. Throughout the year, the hotel will celebrate with throwbacks to its opening year — 1976. Events will include an “April in Paris” dining experience and retro cocktails, with 1970s-era pricing, at the property’s cocktail bar, Vues.

190 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. 404-659-0000, omnihotels.com

The Woodall will celebrate five years in Atlanta’s Bolton neighborhood next month with a special event, restaurant representatives said. On March 5, the restaurant will host a party with $5 bar bites during golden hour, the news release said.

2260 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta. 404-343-4424, thewoodallwestside.com

New restaurant announcements

White Windmill, a Korean bakery chain, will hold a grand opening at its newest location in Midtown on Feb. 20, the restaurant announced on Instagram.

1331 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. 770-209-2557, whitewbakerycafe.com

Jagger Suite, a new rooftop bar at the Moxy Downtown Atlanta hotel, will soon open, the restaurant announced on social media with the help of ATL Bucket List.

329 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. jaggersuite.com

Local officials, including Tucker mayor Anne Lerner, were on hand for the ribbon-"torching" at a new Jim 'N Nick's location on Briarcliff Road. (Credit: William Stephenson, courtesy of Jim 'N Nick's)

Restaurant openings

Jim ‘N Nick’s, the chain barbecue restaurant, opened in Tucker on Feb. 11. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was assisted by Tucker mayor Anne Lerner.

4860 Briarcliff Road NE, Tucker. 678-250-5990, jimnnicks.com

The Junction sandwich shop, previously known as Subs & Salads Junction, reopened in South Downtown this week, the development announced on Instagram. Owner Jasmine Jamil has operated the shop in the same location for more than 30 years with the help of her son, Shafi.

66 Forsyth St. SW, Atlanta. 404-524-1400.