As the year 2022 comes to a close, Eater conducted a survey of food writers and restaurant critics in Atlanta, as well as a survey of readers, to find out everything from their favourite new restaurant or pop-up, as well as their best meal of the year, to what they hope to start seeing on the Atlanta dining scene in 2023.
The survey was conducted in accordance with tradition. We have already polled the food journalists in Atlanta as well as the readers of Eater to find out which new restaurants and pop-ups they think will be the finest in 2022. Now, they brag about the best meals they had at eateries in Atlanta in this past year.
Sara Delgado, Eater Atlanta Contributor
Mujo. I am by no means an omakase enthusiast, but when I look back on the meals I’ve eaten this year that I would cheerfully set aside money for again, Mujo is at the top of my list of restaurants that I would gladly budget for.
It is without a doubt the most memorable supper I have had all year, thanks to the spectacular presentation of each course, the impeccable wine pairings, the unrivalled hospitality, and the understated but grandiose atmosphere.
Mike Jordan, Atlanta Food And Culture Journalist And Southeast Editor At Resy
My most vivid gastronomic recollection is of the lunch that I had at St. Cecilia. Although I don’t go there very often (but that will change), I noticed that this year they expanded their lunch menu, in contrast to how most other businesses got rid of their lunch services.
I went because I needed to do something to distract myself from the gravity of the situation at that point, and I ended up having an incredible supper in the middle of the day. Everything was delicious, from the Bibb lettuce salad to the swordfish that was grilled over wood.
I had a rosé cocktail that was inspired by the French 75, in addition to a glass of white wine. Because my mom had died away so recently, I needed to surround myself with wonderful people who had positive energy, and the staff was particularly pleasant.
I believe that above and beyond the delicious lunch, what I loved the most was the outstanding, yet unpretentious, service that was provided.
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Sam Worley, Atlanta Magazine Deputy Editor
I can’t say for sure that he copied me, but I did get the blackened grouper Caesar salad at the new Kirkwood Fishmonger a week or two before Barack Obama did.
It was part of a meal that was as immaculately prepared as anything at the restaurant’s Poncey-Highland original, but with cocktails instead of coffee or tea (and now a presidential seal of approval).
Kris Martins, Eater Atlanta Contributor
At the beginning of the year, several pop-up restaurants had a “around the world dumpling night,” and I was foolish enough to order a dish from each of the participating chefs.
The spicy pork wontons made by Mighty Hans, the mandu-guk (Korean dumpling soup) made by TKO, and the pierogi ruskie made by Brave Wojtek were among the highlights of the event. That event provided such a wonderful illustration of the range of abilities present in Atlanta’s pop-up culture.
Beth McKibben, Editor Of Eater Atlanta
It has been difficult for me to pick just one meal as my favourite this year, but if I had to choose just one it would be that blackened grouper sandwich from Fishmonger. The grouper is first coated in nori butter, then dusted with a roasted ten-spice blend that contains Sichuan pepper, cumin, fennel, black pepper, cinnamon, and cloves.
Chef Brad Forsblom is responsible for preparing this dish. The fish is served on a toasted baguette that has nori butter spread on it. It is then topped with a herb salad and a sauce that has a kick to it. It’s just so darn good.
It would be inexcusable of me not to make mention of the delicious food I consumed at Redbird. That menu is filled to the brim with the most mouthwatering veggie, rice, and grain dishes thanks to Chef Zeb Stevenson. Included in this is the spicy fried rice with grilled bamboo shoots and an egg cooked to perfection in six minutes.
Eater Readers Surveyed
Eater readers that took part in the 2022 Year in Eater dining survey ranked the following restaurants as having the greatest meals overall: Just F*ck Me Up, Fam dealer’s choice at Little Bear; the KFC bowl from
TKO; soup dumplings at Xiao’s Way Noodle House; birria tacos at Pretty Little Taco (Colony Square); chicha sours, ceviche, and causa from Tio Lucho’s; miso black cod from Bully Boy; chile relleno at Tortuga y Chango; the grinder from Staplehouse
Final Words
As the year 2022 comes to a close, Eater conducted a survey of food writers and restaurant critics in Atlanta, as well as a survey of readers, to find out everything from their favourite new restaurant or pop-up, as well as their best meal of the year, to what they hope to start seeing on the Atlanta dining scene in 2023.
The survey was conducted in accordance with tradition. We have already polled the food journalists in Atlanta as well as the readers of Eater to find out which new restaurants and pop-ups they think will be the finest in 2022. Now, they brag about the best meals they had at eateries in Atlanta in this past year.
