I always want to find a fine dining restaurant when we visit a new city, and going to Atlanta was no exception. I did have a lot of options, but several of them required a dress code, and while there is enough controversy surrounding requiring dress codes in the first place, I honestly didn’t want to carry around fancy clothes on this trip, so I finally settled on Georgia Boy (as it had some great reviews plus I wouldn’t have to bring anything too nice). The head chef is Joey Ward who also is the mastermind behind another restaurant: Southern Belle. In fact, Georgia Boy is inside of it, and offers more of a multi-course, experimental tasting menu than Southern Belle. And while there was no dress code, there was a scent code which I was highly on board with.
As many tasting menus do, this one started with several smaller plates to enjoy with some fantastic sparkling wine. The first course was fun and creative, with a strawberry and goat’s cheese “candy” served in a dish with old strawberry candies (which brought back a ton of nostalgia as my parents used to sell these candies in their store). I joked about taking them, and they removed the plate before I could, but maybe just due to my lack of speed in doing so, not that I couldn’t have any. Also something to note, they work well with dietary restrictions and things people don’t like, as the goat’s cheese in a few dishes was left out because of my dining partner’s dislike of it. Another stand out dish of the starters was the “A Trip Down the Buford Highway” which was a taste of cuisines from different countries, as the Buford Highway in Georgia has many food trucks with world cuisines along it.
Another amazing plate was the salad which consisted of many, many variations of local vegetables served on a plate with dry ice to really wow the diner. Another favorite course was the “bread” course, which was Brazilian Cheese bread served with a variety of preparations of Vidalia Onions for you to mix and match as you liked. There were jams and sauces, and the whole thing worked wonders for my senses. One dish that was a superb dish in presentation and flavor was the sweet potato with bacon cotton candy, and the child sitting at the table with us had such a sense of wonder on his face and he even asked for more! A final winning course was a dessert course with a German chocolate cake “batter” stuck to a beater for you to lick off and enjoy. It definitely brought a sense of whimsy and playfulness to the meal that really did just permeate throughout the night.
The wine pairings that went along with the dishes were also fun and exciting, as they consisted of different wines from around the world that one might not generally have the opportunity to try. They all complemented the dishes spectacularly, so the meal was a treat in all aspects. As I expected, not all courses were to my liking (I have, as yet, never had a Monkfish dish that I found appealing), but the overall experience and creativity of the progression of the meal was appreciated. There were also several surprises with the dining experience in general that I won’t spoil, and they definitely added a lot of fun to the evening.
And at the end, we were provided with a selection of small sweet bites to take home (or in our case, to the hotel) and enjoy later, all of which were well flavored and well made. The service was spectacular, with the wine explained with a lot of zeal, and the chefs seemed really excited to be making the food. The whole Georgia Boy experience was a delight as most of the food and drink was spectacular, and the experience itself contained many surprises, and if Georgia was in the Michelin Guide, I’m certain that this restaurant would be included within its pages. It’s definitely worth booking in if you are visiting (or live in) Atlanta.
Score: 5/5
Recommendation: It’s a set menu, but definitely add on the wine pairings!
Georgia Boy (located inside Southern Belle)
1043 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30306
