hey, I need recommendations for nice restaurants in close vicinity of the Georgia World Congress Center. Cuisine can be anything, this is going to be something we'd be taking clients to. we've already been looking at

Pleasant Peasant (American)
Veni Vidi Vici (Italian)
Spice (Asian)
Dailey’s (Steakhouse)

The GWC is not exactly in prime position for reccomendations (as it is located in an area where very few people live.

I have not dined at those restaurants but I have heard good things about Spice and Pleasant Peasant.

I would check out the Creative Loafing website and look at their best of 2005 list for restaurants.

Hold out for Derris / Yail etc. They'll know better than I.

i ate at a restaurant that tried sooooo hard to be cool and "hard"

they had a whole list of things explaining why they were assholes.


but they did have decent food and booze selection.

I hate resturants with attitudes.

its' one thing to have an attitude, it's a whole new level of douchebaggery to feel the need to explain it.

I didn't spend enough time going to nice resturaunts when I lived there, but I left town after highschool, so I have an excuse I guess.

Was it the Vortex? I've been there... and that list on the menu is stuff that all servers want to say, but at most places can't...

it might have been Vortex.
that sounds familiar.

If it *was* the Vortex, the one in Little 5 Points is much cooler than the one in midtown.

I bet Club Cheetah has good surf n turf.

Had to be the Vortex. I've only been to the one in L5P, but it's a quality place. The attitude isn't *entirely* a put-on. Every Thursday a shitload of bikers congregate there. Also, the servers there have always been really nice and accomodating every time I've been there.

As for the original question, I've only ever heard of Veni Vidi Vici, but I think I heard good things about it.

Some other good places in the midtown area:

Fritti/Sotto Sotto - Italian places next door to each other between downtown and the Highlands (not that close, but very easily accessible from downtown). Fritti is the more casual and less expensive of the two, but still classy enough, I would think. Sotto Sotto is great, but very pricey.

Pura Vida - tapas place a little closer to the Highlands, just down the road from the above two. I've actually never eaten there, but everyone I now loves it.

That's all off the top of my head. I'll see what I can think of later.

I endorse all of these, but they aren't too near the GWC per se. PM Derris, he can probably tell you the most.


Pleasers got DAT BUFFET!!

thanks for the input, dudes

Pleasant Peasant (American)

this place fucking blows...I took my prom date here.

just take them to a dim sum place off of buford hwy.

Well shit, if you're gonna go to Buford Highway, there are some awesome places you could go, most of them inexpensive.

Both of these are pretty inconspicuously located in strip malls:

Com Grill - small, Vietnamese place, very non-Asian friendly (unlike a lot of places around there where menu explanations are poorly written/translated) and they provide silverware and give chopsticks upon request rather than vice-versa. (Though I'm pretty chopstick-handy, myself.)

Hae Woon Dae - great Korean BBQ place. Meat is cooked on a grill in the middle of the table & you make lettuce wraps with it.

There are some other really good Korean places, but I don't know the names of them. Also, most of the Vietnamese places I've been to with "Pho" in their name are pretty good (although I don't really care for pho), but they're a big zero in the atmosphere department.

I've only been to one dim sum place there and was pretty unimpressed.

Not that anyone was really considering going out to Buford Highway,

There's a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse down there by the GWC; migh be the bast bet close by for clients. Pricey.

Gimme a minute and I'll look up more. That was just the first thing that popped in that area.

My wife and I absolutely loved Fuego Grill. Spanish Tapas joint, with superb food and decor. The food was so good we called the head Chef out to take a photo with him.

They've also got a Wine Flight. You can try any 4 wines from their massive selection for $14. Full glasses.

Here's their site: www.fuegocafe.com

Couple questions:

1) Do you need to walk to the restaurant?
2) What is your price limit?
3) What sort of atmosphere are you looking for? Will you be talking biz or just socializing/schmoozing(sp?)

If you don't mind taking a short cab ride ($5-$6 each) I can give a shitload of places. That would open you up to the Virginia Highlands area and Midtown area.

If not I can sugges a few that are within walking distance. All of these are downtown and walking distance from Congress center

Chains:

Ruth's Chris- pricey but I've never left that place unsatisfied. Worth every penny if you ask me.
McCormick and Schmicks- Steaks and Seafood right there at CNN center. Decent for the money. The most "chainey" of these.
Ted's Montana Grill - a bit more chill and not as pricey but damn good beef entrees and unique Buffalo entrees.

Non-Chains:

Westin Peachtree Sun Dial restaurant: top of the hotel. Pricey and not necessarily the best food in town but absolutley a unique Atlanta experience. The whole restaurant revolves 360 degrees and allows you to see the whole city. Make a reservation for a table by the window.

Azio - great local Italian place. White linen dining and consistently among the top Italian in the city.


Other than that there isn't much nice dining down there. There are some sports bars and cafes but not much else within walking distance.

Let me know what the answer is about the cabs and I can suggest you some other shit. There is a lot real close just not walking distance. I LOVE to eat out. I won't steer you wrong.

Places I like NOT near GWC

Fritti - Gourmet Pizza
Fontaines - Oyster Bar w/ sweet patio
Two Urban Licks - Fusion (whatever the fuck that means)
Vortex L5P - Best Burgers
Eclipse de Luna - Tapas
Agave - Southwestern

Plus every dollar you spend there helps out the Yail Bloor Family Fund.

Actually they have some damn good steaks too. (the beef NY Strip & Filet are kickass and they have Prime Rib on Fridays)

There's another new place down there that is supposed to be good, but I'm blank.

cool. thanks dudes. these are good choices.