2005 Index of Winners

With Canton House just emerging from renovation and Oriental Pearl transformed into a buffet, it might seem that CHINA DELIGHT would win the dim sum race by default alone. Yet just one visit and you’ll see that this spot does dim sum as the finest houses in Hong Kong do. In a glittery setting, servers push carts loaded with steamed scallop dumplings, flaky taro cakes, creamy rice porridge and turnip cakes studded with sausage and griddled crisp. Don’t miss out on the magical tofu pudding, a custardy bowl of quavering tofu doused with a ginger-laced syrup.
2390 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Doraville. 770-986-0898.

How can you tell where the power brokers dine? Check out a restaurant’s parking lot around noon. If the cheapest car on the blacktop is a 3-year-old Mercedes Benz, you’ve got a mergers-and-acquisitions-over-lunch winner. The cars driven off by the valet look mighty shiny at NAN THAI FINE DINING, where Midtown movers and shakers rub Brooks Brothers-suited shoulders over lovely Thai cuisine. Prices are the same day and night, with entrees running up to $32. Elegantly understated yet thoroughly royal, Nan’s dining room is the perfect spot for those who like to make people listen by whispering, not shouting.
1350 Spring St. 404-870-9933.

Although its name has changed and the interior has undergone a much-needed redecoration, ALI’S MEDITERRANEAN is still a one-man operation run by owner Fakhir Ali. Crunchy, earthy and deeply spiced, Ali’s falafel gained a devoted following when the restaurant was formerly known as Sub & Shish Kabob. Cram your pita with the shaped and fried-to-order falafel, lettuce and hummus or baba ghanoush and you will be amazed by just how glorious the seemingly lowly chickpea can be.
2825 E. College Ave., Avondale Estates. 404-297-0029.

French fries are hot right now, have you noticed? And not just at the city’s burgeoning burger joints: Every serious eatery around seems to be slicing potatoes into sticks and cranking up the deep fryer. But we can eat Michael Tuohy’s meaty, crispy/floppy pommes frites at WOODFIRE GRILL by the fistfuls (and have, unfortunately). Though typically served with his succulent roasted chicken and steel pan greens, if you ask nicely the staff will bring you a side of frites and a bit of aioli for dipping. Somehow they seem to complement most everything on Tuohy’s kaleidoscopically seasonal menu.
1782 Cheshire Bridge Road. 404-347-9055. www.woodfiregrill.com.

We’re blessed with some irresistible ice cream and gelato shops, but ever since we tasted the rose-petal ice cream at HANK’S last Valentine’s Day, we’ve been returning to this tiny shop across from Zoo Atlanta. Run by people who treat children with amazing patience — and there are always children at the shop — Hank’s is as big-hearted as it is generous with portions. Caramel-pecan is our routine selection. We didn’t know it was possible to get so many pecan halves in one scoop of ice cream. The banana-nut is also heavenly, though the butter-pecan seems to be everyone’s fave.
753-A Cherokee Ave. 404-622-0007.

The beer list at Decatur’s BRICK STORE PUB is so extensive that you have to download a PDF file to view it online. The outstanding pub offers no less than 215 beers — 188 in bottles and 27 draught. A recently finished upstairs Belgian bar, with potent brews on tap like Delirium Tremens and Biere de Boucanier, is cozy and inviting. Don’t be intimidated by the vast selection. The menu’s beer descriptions are humorous and approachable, and the service is so friendly, no one will look you askance if you simply order a bottle of Sweetwater 420.
125 E. Court Square, Decatur. 404-687-0990.

TERRAPIN RYE PALE ALE was first introduced in Athens in April 2002 at the Classic City Brew Fest. Later that year, it won an American Pale Ale Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival. Suddenly, everyone wanted a taste of Terrapin. The beer’s distinctive flavor comes from rye added to the hops and malts in the brewing process. The result is a fruity, refreshing brew. You can’t find Terrapin everywhere — only a handful of Atlanta spots carry it, the Vortex, Meehan’s and Smith’s Olde Bar among them — but it’s worth hunting for.
www.terrapinbeer.com.

The gosh-wow handsome brothers who own THOMPSON BROTHERS BARBECUE take your order, chop the saucy pork and ring you up with flawless, heartfelt smiles. Although their addictive smoked bologna surely has its legions of male fans, this place is pure eye candy for the ladies. Photos of the charming brothers adorn the walls, providing fodder for countless fantasies. One Thompson brother stands ready by an Air Force plane, zipped into a flight suit; another, muscles rippling, commands the field in a UGA football match. Denzel hasn’t got a chance.
2445 Cobb Parkway, Smyrna. 770-818-9098.

As if the Cuban drink-of-the-moment didn’t go down easily enough in its classic mint-and-rum incarnation, the passion fruit mojito at the PARK 75 LOUNGE AND TERRACE is an addictive wonder. The refreshing elixir features passion fruit puree, dark rum, mint and soda for one of the best combinations since vodka, limes and tonic. Smooth as they may be, the mojitos are also deceptively potent. Best to take delicate sips of this heavenly nectar while seeing and being seen at the Four Seasons’ swanky, newly remodeled lounge.
Four Seasons, 75 14 St. 404-881-9898. www.fourseasons.com.