Gunshow
First, the obvious: “Awesome name.” Second, chef/owner Kevin Gillespie’s “Brazilian churrascaria/dim sum style of eating… was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.” Each chef in the open kitchen creates one dish, which is paraded around the dining room for guests to select or reject. “I had a dish and it was this venison tartare and it was kind of nestled and covered with this foliage, so it looked like fall leaves, which were actually all edible – different variations of sweet potato and different kinds of chips. It was just magical.” gunshowatl.com
The Optimist
Chef/owner Ford Fry’s upscale seafood spot was where Brugman found “one of the best octopus dishes I’ve had in a very long time, next to Gio Osso’s.” He was also wowed by the attention to detail in the bread service. “Each loaf was wrapped in parchment and tied with butcher’s twine.” The rustic/industrial decor struck a chord: “They take these old structures and transform them into beautiful restaurants. Open kitchen, brick-lined subway panels, wood-burning fires.” theoptimistrestaurant.com
Bartaco
It’s not often that this Angeleno is impressed by a taco, but it happened – in Atlanta, of all places. “I’m a taco guy,” he says, praising the “off-the-menu tacos that they didn’t publicize. I’m always a fan of restaurants that do that. And the margaritas were amazing.” bartaco.com
