Vol. 8, No. 9 | Michelin In Atlanta

Hey Ya’ll!

I know it’s been forever since I’ve written. This summer was one of the busiest in my life. I thought about taking a photo of all of the room keys that I’d shoved in my bag and forgotten about until searching for another room key, but then I decided I just needed to get rid of them and remove some chaos from my life.

(Sidebar: I’m currently in New York and hotels that don’t allow you to adjust the temperature in the room drive me up the wall.)

I’ve traveled 2-3 times per month for the past six months. I thought about writing my newsletter but then pushed it off until the next month thinking things would calm down. When the Michelin guide for Atlanta dropped last week, it reminded me that I must write. Then some guy on Tik Tok came to Atlanta and I realized writing has to be my priority.

For today, here are my thoughts on the Michelin list (I’ll save Tik Tokkers for another time):

• They got a lot of things right and then some others really wrong. I’m not going to spend any time on the wrong ones but I’m sure I’m not the only one that thought it.

• What they got right. We were aligned (this is my new favorite corporate word) on 4 of the 5 restaurants that were awarded stars. I was also sure Fishmonger, Ticonderoga Club, Talat Market and Kimball House would be mentioned. There are a lot of others that I also agree with.

• Poor Hendrix! My favorite moment was seeing Poor Hendrix make the list for recommended restaurants. So well deserved. I’ve always said that Poor Hendrix flies very far under the radar and it was great to see this acknowledgement. I realize this means I might not be able to get a seat at my favorite neighborhood bar (it’s not in my neighborhood).

• Ok Yaki. The most notable snub for me was Ok Yaki. They’re making some of the best cocktails in Atlanta. I realize that this is a food list, but the food is just as amazing. You just don’t find great cocktails without great food in Atlanta. I was very surprised that they weren’t mentioned anywhere.

• I have to revisit BoccaLupo for cocktails. I was surprised that this received the Exceptional Cocktails award. I’ve never really gone there for cocktails so I’ll visit and form an opinion. I’m beyond curious.

• Southern National. They are too new to be mentioned this year, but I’m confident that they’ll be somewhere on this list on the next go ‘round. This has been one of my favorite new openings in a while. The food, service, and cocktails are all exceptional.

• A Mano - Since Poor Hendrix is now on the list, I’m glad I found a new favorite under-the-radar restaurant. I’ve been to the space for a pop-up, but I finally went for dinner the other night. Everything about it was great. The house wine is a steal. The service and food were amazing. They have a great bar team and I’ve never heard of them. I was seriously impressed with my entire experience. The wait time lets me know that people know about it, especially in that neighborhood. But, it’s a restaurant that no one ever mentions to me.

I hope you’re all doing well. It’s been entirely too long! Glad to be back.

Shannon

(P.S. - Jamaica is officially happening in 2024. Tickets are here.)