Atlanta eating

We only had time to go to four restaurants in Atlanta, but they were all great.

The big splurge was The Spence with Top Chef winner Richard Blais. He really can cook and every dish we had at the table was top quality and very tasty. Though this is small plates, the plates aren't too small as a rule (though the desserts were bizarrely small). The baby kale Caesar was very ample, and we split it. I ordered one of the dishes set apart as a full entree -- rolled pork belly with baked chickpeas. We got a couple of orders of the signature fried Brussels sprouts for the table, and the fried three times French fries -- both excellent. The moderately priced Coteaux de Languedoc was a great pairing for most of the meal.

The overall ambiance of the place was good, though it was very loud as people tried to talk over the background music. Service was mostly good, though our waiter was a bit erratic in his attention. There was an open kitchen and though I've never cared one or the other about this I have to admit that watching a pimply-faced kid with a ponytail and arms covered with tattoos flipping a saute pan doesn't do much to enhance my enjoyment of the meal. Blais himself, dressed in a white T-shirt with an apron (but thankfully no tattoos), made the rounds of the tables, including ours, and that made many people very happy. As to my dish -- the pork belly came out lukewarm so I sent it back and it tasted much better when it was hot. The baked chickpeas were actually just a chickpea version of Boston baked beans -- not the happiest taste innovation of the night. But honestly, overall, I enjoyed the restaurant.

My pleasure was more unalloyed with our brunch at Gladys Knight's Signature Chicken and Waffles -- four jumbo chicken wings served hot and juicy with a waffle and all the trimmings (butter and maple syrup). That will hold you for the better part of the day. That evening we went to Fritti's, an upscale pizzeria in Inman Park and it was very pleasant. We would have tried the nearby Barcelona tapas bar but it was fully booked due to Mother's Day. For lunch after the graduation ceremony, we went to the Highland Bakery, where I passed on the signature peanut butter French toast but had a truly delicious chicken fried steak Benedict, which was pretty much as the name would indicate -- sinful and satisfying.