Atlanta
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Atlanta
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| Atlanta has long been a favorite stop for Kentuckians. They go there for Peach Bowl games, SEC and NCAA basketball tournaments, Gone With The Wind and Civil War historical sites, and as a halfway stop en route to and from the Florida beaches, Carnival cruises and Disney World. While there, they often visit CNN (above left), Underground Atlanta, the Coca Cola Museum (above right), Cyclorama (right) and Six Flags Over Georgia. Atlanta is the largest and most vibrant city in the South and you could spend a two week vacation here seeing everything. |  |
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We recommend two extremes in lodging : small, historic, inexpensive, up on the hill from downtown, or new, cutting edge, heart of downtown. The small historic choice is the Highland Inn, intimate, well run, in a great neighborhood of restaurants and shops. "The Highlands" is how locals refer to the high hill just east of I-75. The Carter Center (named for former President Jimmy Carter) is up there, along with numerous Civil War sites. The Highland Inn's rates are quite reasonable, and the leafy highlands are a quiet break from the glass and steel buildings and traffic sounds. To access The Highland, turn off I-75 in the heart of downtown at the Carter Center / Freedom Parkway sign. As you crest the hill one mile up, and the signs begin saying turn left to Carter Center, stay to the right at the fork, curve around, veer right at Junction 42, then turn left onto North Highland Avenue. The Highland Inn, seen at left, is two blocks on the left. Parking is adjacent. 644 North Highland Avenue. |
The Highland Inn is two miles north of downtown, a 30 minute walk or short drive. As you can see in the photo above, it's a two story building with columned porch. They built an addition back in 1960, pictured at right. This is not a modern luxury hotel. It is a classic 1927 inn. The rooms are small, as seen below, with window air conditioners and steam heat. But everything is clean and quiet and the $80 a night rates beat anything downtown. There is a great restaurant, Eclipse Di Sol, nestled right along the front porch, and five more good ones down the block. Continental breakfast is served daily from 7 - 10. There's wireless hifi internet. One big advantage is the free parking adjacent to the building. Downtown, you may spend $20 a day to park, which on a three day trip adds up. And the Highlands neighborhood is a destination all to itself. There is over a mile of shops, boutiques, restaurants, and people watching. This is like a college neighborhood, with a steady stream of bikes, dogs, bookbags, artists and photographers. Unlike the big hotels, local phone calls here are free. Once you've driven or walked it a few times, the route to and from downtown is quite direct. 644 North Highland. 800-311-4307. |
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The Highland is a popular stop. Businessmen, families, veteran travelers, sports fans and students have stayed here for years as an alternative to overpriced downtown lodging. It fills up very frequently. Therefore, you need to make reservations very early, ideally a month but at least two weeks, and for big weekends, like music festivals, sporting events or holidays, it should be six weeks. One reason many long timers stay here is the music. Along North Highland Avenue, there are 20 establishments offering live bands, especially Friday and Saturday nights. You can hear every kind of music, from jazz to classic rock to country. Being able to walk half a block or a block to a good meal with music as a backdrop is an advantage the downtown area does not offer. The area between The Highland Inn and The Carter Center has historic significance, too. This is where the Confederate forces were camped during the Siege of Atlanta that is portrayed in Cyclorama. Where the Carter Center fountain is now is where the point of view of Cyclorama is located; the "camera" is theoretically stationed there. |
However, you could also make your trip memorable and stay at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. This is one of America's grandest hotels, but you can get a $130 doubles rate. You could easily justify staying here a few nights to enjoy all the downtown Atlanta sites. The hotel is an architectural tour de force and you can spend an evening walking around taking photos. The one at right, for instance, is of the lobby. Those bands circling are floors, and the elevator is riding up the edge of the middle promontory. 1-404-521-0000. 265 Peachtree Center Avenue. The Marquis is right off I-75, although the one way streets are a little tricky to navigate. Downtown Atlanta has a rich restaurant collection. There are 31 within three blocks of the Marriott, and they include every kind of historical, ethnic, food type and price range. Atlantans are proud of their history and many of their great restaurants have been there for a century. But plenty of them are brand new, cutting edge, 21st Century, so there's something for everyone. |
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Eclipse Di Sol is mandatory for at least one dinner while you're in Atlanta, especially if you're staying at The Highland Inn. This would make a good first night since you'll have a long drive to Atlanta and might be ready to park the vehicle, relax and eat right at the hotel. Sitting out on the shady patio watching the neighborhood parade by is nicely depressurizing. The menu is a creative Mediterranean - Southern Soul mix. You have to start with the Cucumber Yogurt Soup, which includes mint and basil. There's Black Eyed Pea Croquettes (served on spinach), and Shrimp With Fried Green Tomatoes in Tarragon Remoulade. If you've never tried collards, this is the place to start. The Braised Collards are served under a slab of pork. Thyme and Fennel are favorites here, flavoring most entrees. Crab Cakes On Orange & Fennel works really well. Daily specials often get interesting, with Mushroom Turnovers and such. The Grapefruit Rosewater Martini here is one of the great beverages in Atlanta. Eat early if possible. This is a popular neighborhood stop and from 7 - 9 it's hard to get a table. |
| But if you stay at the Marriott, you can still park and relax, because you have Sear Restaurant just off the lobby. This is another of Atlanta's truly great culinary experiences, beginning with the Savannah White Shrimp Corn Chowder, one of the city's 10 top soups. Other appetizers here include Grilled Flat Breads, Lamb Lollipops, and a very good Salad Bowl (mixed greens, sliced green apples, candied pecans, chick peas, carrots, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, croutons and a cider vinaigrette). Among the entrees, the star is their Low Country BBQ Shrimp & Ham Over Grits. But there's also a Grilled Vegetable Skillet, Scottish Loch Salmon, Butternut Squash Ravioli, and good old Southern Meatloaf. Their Slow Smoked Baby Back Ribs and Bone In Aged 28 Days Kansas City Strip are competitive with the best BBQ and Steak places in town. Among their sides, someone at your table must order the Collards, Three Cheese Macaroni and Sauteed Green Beans With Caramelized Vidalia Onions, and pass them around. Save room for dessert. There's a 15 Layer Chocolate Wall, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Grilled Carrot Cake and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake With Fruit Compote and White Chocolate Cream. This is one of the best restaurants in the Marriott family. |  |
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The next mandatory restaurant stop in Atlanta is Aunt Pittypat's Porch. Legend has it that after the house survived Sherman's rampage and reconstruction, when she died, they built the shell over it to keep it safe from developers and weather. It may not be the most elite or best restaurant in Atlanta, but it's the most famous. Critics complain that the food here is not cutting edge. When we eat at a Gone With The Wind restaurant, we don't want cutting edge. We want 1860 cuisine. And that's what Pittypat's provides. You start with a Mint Julep in a special Pittypat's glass. Appetizers include Shrimp Charleston, Blackeye Pea Cakes, Pecan Coated Catfish Fingers and Hot Crab Dip. But one of the two soups is mandatory : South Georgia Gumbo or Homemade Peanut Soup. Entrees include Savannah Crabcakes, Rhett's Mixed Grille, and various chicken, fish and steaks. But we urge you to resist those and order the Coastal Venison Pie, one of the great Southern dishes and one rarely available anywhere today. The Shrimp & Grits are outstanding. Desserts feature Georgia Peach Cobbler, Classic Pecan Pie and Aunt Pittypat's Pie Of The Day. The place is decorated with Gone With The Wind posters and other memorabilia. |
| Trader Vic's is not authentic Southern cuisine, but it's one of those restaurants you really need to try. It's Polynesian. The "Tiki Hut" is on the ground floor of this Hilton, a block behind the Marriott, on Courtland Avenue. You'll find yourself lost in a bizarre world of grass huts, native drums, hula skirts, coconuts, exotic music, oceangoing canoes and various Pacific Ocean artifacts. If you're into mixed drinks, you'll love the menu of 70 cocktails, most using Rum in some way. This is where they invented the Mai Tai, the most famous rum cocktail in the world, and they've added the Peachtree Punch to their list. However, it's the food you come for, and it doesn't disappoint. The cuisine here is a mix of Pacific Island and Cantonese. Appetizers include Crab Rangoon, Satays, Calamari, Egg Rolls, Pork and BBQ. The Bongo Soup is a blend of oysters, spinach and cream. Won Ton Soup contains peas, mushrooms and pork. Their Wok Page is filled with temtping entrees : Mongolian Beef (tenderloin, peppers, onions, mushrooms and noodles), Seafood Medley (lobster, scallops, prawns and fish of the day), and BBQ Vegetables (mixed smoked veggies and nuts in czechwan sauce). There are four curried items (chicken, lamb, prawns and veggies), all of which come tossed with potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, apples, pimentos, onions, sunflower seeds, raisens, banana slices, coconut chunks, chutney and tomatoes. They've got a wood fired oven back there, on which they prepare Beef, Scallops, Salmon, Lamb and Free Range Chicken. These, too, all come in a cascade of vegetables, pineapple, potatoes, mushrooms, artichokes, noodles, spices and sauces. Desserts include Citrus Raspberry Cheesecake, Rum Ice Cream, Banana Fritters, and a Chocolate Macadamia Tart. They serve French Press Kona Blend Coffee By The Pot. On weekends go early. The place is packed by 7 and stays that way until closing. |  |
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