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Meet our expert restaurant
critic Jeanine Barone. This week, she reviews The Buckhead Diner in Atlanta,
Georgia, an upscale diner whose patrons include Nicole Kidman and Kim
Basinger.
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The Buckhead Diner
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3073 Piedmont Road at East Paces Ferry
Road.
-
Monday to Saturday 11AM - midnight, lunch
and dinner
-
Sat and Sun 11AM - 10PM
brunch
-
404-262-3336
-
-
Diners aren't what they used to be. There
was a time when you entered a diner and you knew what to expect: grilled
American cheese, meat loaf like Mom used to make and an overcooked pork chop.
The Buckhead Diner in Atlanta changed all that when it opened ten years ago.
It may be a diner but it's no greasy spoon.
-
-
In fact, it's unlikely you'll find a more
upscale diner. The first indication that this won't be an ordinary diner
experience is when you drive up to this gleaming, sleek restaurant
and
-
discover valet parking. The glass and chrome
exterior with pink and green neon bands jazzes up the typical diner motif.
The interior comes complete with hand-cut Italian marble floors and booths
of Italian leather and exotic hardwoods. Many compare the interior to a dining
car that you might find on the Orient Express.
-
-
The noise, which reaches high on the decibel
level, and the crowds are what first strike newcomers to the Buckhead Diner.
In fact, a two hour wait has become almost legendary. No wonder, considering
they don't take reservations. Yet many don't seem to mind the wait, particularly
if you cozy up to the granite-top bar with and dive into an order of homemade
crispy potato chips stacked high and oozing with warm Maytag blue cheese
dip. Between the cream cheese, heavy cream, Parmesan and blue cheese, this
popular appetizer is not for the weight conscious. But, the size of this
dish makes it perfect as a communal appetizers with others in your
group.
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-
Celebrity watching is another way to distract
yourself from the wait. Elton John, Kim Basinger, Alec Baldwin and Nicole
Kidman are known to drop by. The photo-lined hallway displays dozens of
celebrities who've paid a visit to this futuristic diner, whether film stars,
sports figures or politicians. Despite the company it keeps, the Buckhead
Diner has a comfortable atmosphere with many dressing casual
chic.
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You'll see the term "blue-plate special" on
the menu but don't expect an order of greasy fried chicken with plain old
mashed potatoes. Instead, you'll get basic cooking with a twist for eclectic
is the name of the game. Veal meatloaf with wild mushrooms served with perfectly
whipped celery mashed potatoes is everyone's favorite. The grilled cheese
is no ordinary one for here it's made with Cheddar and jarlsberg cheeses
as well as plum tomatoes, scallions and grainy mustard on thick slices of
three-cheese bread.
-
-
The BLT comes with grilled salmon and tarragon
mayonnaise on potato dill bread. Barbecue ribs are glazed with Thai seasonings.
Order the grilled smoked pork chop and you'll be served a thick piece along
with spinach greens, the best cheese grits in town and black-eyed pea salsa.
-
-
The breaded veal chop is also a substantial
portion served with eggplant and peppers. You can make any of these entrees
the mainstay of your dining experience here. Overall, the portions are so
huge you'll either have plenty to split with a friend or enough for tomorrow's
lunch. Yet the prices are reasonable: many entrees are under $13. If you
don't have room for desert, then order it to go but you don't want to miss
the desert that's been voted the best desert in the country by The James
Beard Foundation: white chocolate banana cream pie. This is the place to
indulge in other creative comfort foods, like upside down apple pie with
cinnamon ice cream washed down with a Coke float.
-
-
Buckhead Diner
-
3073 Piedmont Road at East Paces Ferry
Road.
-
Monday to Saturday 11AM - midnight, lunch
and dinner
-
Sat and Sun 11AM - 10PM
brunch
-
404-262-3336
-
-
Books on restaurants:
Eat Your Way Across the USA: 500 Diners, Lobster
Shacks, Buffets, Pie Palaces, and Other All-American Eateries by Jane Stern
and Michael Stern.
To
order click here.
Where the Locals Eat: A Guide to the Best
Restaurants in America by William Be. King and L. Lee Wilson.
To
order click here.
Seattle Best Places: The Most Discriminating
Guide to Seattle's Restaurants, Shops, Hotels, Nightlife, Arts, Sights and
Outings by Nancy Leson and Stephanie Irving.
To
order click here.
Robert Tolf's South Florida Restaurants: Over
600 Restaurant Reviews, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and All Surrounding
Areas by Robert
Tolf.
To order click here.
How to Open and Run a Successful Restaurant
by Christopher
Egerton-Thomas.
To order click here.
Expert Columnist
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