Quinones

The Place Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano, who preach the Alice Waters gospel, recently opened Quinones (1198 Howell Mill Rd., Westside; 404/365-0410; dinner for two $144), a 36-seat salon below their main restaurant, Bacchanalia. Here, they dream up refined—but not fussy—10-course tasting menus composed of heirloom produce from their farm. New Southern Cooking doesn’t get any tastier.

The Scene Moguls who own private jets and romantic couples who can’t decide whether to dote on each other or on their buttercream-frosted tea cakes (cupcakes for grown-ups). Hits We loved every single dish on the prix fixe menu, from the Virginia wild striped bass highlighted with slivers of Meyer lemon to the pheasant galantine with a smear of foie gras mousse and cherry jus.

T+L Tip Raid Quatrano’s adjacent shop, Star Provisions, stocked with interesting edibles—grab the Fossier rose biscuits—and whimsical tableware.

Table 1280

The Place Part of the new $124 million Renzo Piano extension to the Woodruff Arts Center, Table 1280 (1280 Peachtree St.; 404/897-1280; lunch for two $45) is a showcase of elegant minimalism: two soaring, light-drenched white rooms with little in the way of embellishment but a pair of striking art installations. Though chef Todd Immel, who trained under the great Gunther Seeger, one of the top toques in the United States, plays it safe here, the setting alone is worth the price of a meal.

The Scene By day, cashmere-draped ladies who lunch; culture vultures at dinner, when the menu gets more ambitious and the space resembles a fantastical glowing aquarium.

Hits Soulful braised short ribs enlivened with horseradish and salsa verde; an imaginative white-chocolate cake with exotic hints of fennel.

Krogbar

The Place Everything is just right about Krogbar (112 Krog St.; 404/524-1618; dinner for two $40), a pocket-size wine bar from the owners of Rathbun’s next door: the amber lighting and the chic log-cabin feel; the careful sourcing behind the anchovies, salumi, and cheeses; and the infectious enthusiasm of sommelier Jon Allen (he’ll pour you a taste of any of his 50 wines by the glass).

The Scene Preppy Inman Park loft owners cozy up under patio heaters while sharing plates of bresaola and Valdeon blue and trading notes on this Rueda versus that Viognier.

Hits Lemony roasted artichokes; braised pork with caramelized onions; dainty almond butter, goat cheese, and apple tramezzini.

Rolling Bones

The Place Housed in a converted Art Deco gas station, Rolling Bones (377 Edgewood Ave.; 404/222-2324; lunch for two $25) is a cheery blue and white box of a barbecue joint with a cool retro sign. On the menu: awesome dry-rubbed, pit-smoked, Texas-style ‘cue that’s developed a cult following even among Atlantans who insist barbecue should be Southern.

The Scene Ravenous nurses from the nearby hospital, politicians, and tourists fresh from a visit to the Martin Luther King Center a few blocks away. Everyone is squeezed behind shiny aluminum tables, devouring mesquite-suffused hunks of animal protein.

Hits The succulent brisket, and the chicken—simultaneously grilled and smoked—with moist flesh beneath crackling skin. And a side of mustard greens, please.

T+L Tip After lunch, drop by Sweet Auburn Curb Market (209 Edgewood Ave.; 404/659-1665) to admire the display of chitterlings and taste fantastic sweet-potato pie and strawberry cake from Red’s Bakery.

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