Rookies of the Year
The Five Best New Restaurants of 2007
Published 12.26.07
By Besha Rodell
This time last year, Atlanta was buzzing with excitement about the openings of Trois and Shaun’s. If you think about all the places that have opened since then, those two restaurants almost seem like old favorites. There have been some sad losses this year, and some great revivals. Some restaurants came and went so quickly, they never even had a chance to make it on this list. If Richard Blais’ experiment had lasted of turning Midtown’s Element from a bland tapas spot into a “food lab and gastro lounge” the restaurant certainly would have been among my favorites for the year. But luckily, most of the great new spots did last, and there’s plenty of buzz to go around.
Here are our five favorites, in alphabetical order:
In a recent conversation, my friend, the wonderful AJC food columnist John Kessler, came up with the term “flexivore” for the eater who wants to dine flexibly, free from the constraints of the formal appetizer-entree-dessert restaurant experience. That’s what Top Flr is all about: the option to dine however you please, casually or more formally, early or late. The quirky, funky vibe here is a lot of fun, and chef Micke Schorn’s flexible menu is packed with fresh flavors. Desserts by Taria Camerino can be offbeat or thoughtful and precise, and sometimes both. The bar is one of the most comfortable hipster hangouts in the city. Flexivores rejoice!