As the birthplace of Chick-fil-A, the second-largest fast-food chicken restaurant
chain in the country, Atlanta is certainly well known for its poultry.
However, the city also knows its beef. Atlanta is home to world-class restaurants
that serve up some incredible steaks—tender, mouth-watering and full of
flavor. But it’s not just about the prime beef. It’s also about the atmosphere. From
a masculine, clubby eatery of which Al Pacino would approve, to a 1940s supper
club warmed by soothing vintage jazz, here’s a sampling of some steakhouses that
make Atlanta sizzle.
Bone’s
There’s no place like Bone’s, proudly serving
Atlanta for 30 years. The Zagat Survey 2008
named Bone’s the highest-rated steakhouse in
the U.S. for food and service. The look and
feel of the restaurant interior is masculine and
clubby, the kind of place you might expect to
see Robert De Niro and Al Pacino conspiring at
a table. Bone’s is known for its meaty portions
of prime beef such as the 22-ounce bone-in ribeye
or 16-ounce dry-aged NY strip or 14-ounce
bone-in filet. Bone’s has the reputation as the goto
place for business lunches and dinners. Bring
your appetite: appetizers satisfy with the crab
and lobster Napoleon with chardonnay cream,
as well as a helping of hearty soups, salads, a
nice seafood selection and large shareable a la
carte side dishes. Bone’s also boasts an impressive
10,000-bottle wine gallery sure to satisfy
even the connoisseur.
The Capital Grille
Comfortable elegance is one way to describe
The Capital Grille, with its rich tapestry of African
mahogany paneling, stuffed game heads
and warm lighting emanating from its unique
Art Deco chandeliers. Sizzling steaks and careful
wine pairings are highlights on the menu. As
a starting point, the lobster bisque is pure culinary
genius: lumps of sweet lobster are sautéed
to order and added to a velvety bisque, drizzled
with Dry Sack sherry. A steak favorite is the Kona
dry-aged sirloin, crusted with a combination of
caramelized shallots, seasonings and coffee rub.
Also classic is the porcini-rubbed Delmonico
with 12-year-aged balsamic, and a new take
on filet mignon—sliced with cippolini onions,
wild mushrooms and au jus. Popular sides are
the lobster mac-n-cheese, au gratin potatoes,
and crisply tender garden-fresh asparagus with
Hollandaise. If you can, save room for tempting
desserts, as there is an assortment of daily
handmade ice creams. The signature dessert is
fresh strawberries Capital Grille with vanilla ice
cream, ruby port and Grand Marnier sauce.
Maxim Prime
| |  |
| | Maxim Prime’s
32-ounce bone-in ribeye
with watercress salad. Photo: Harold Daniels |
Maxim Prime is an upscale, innovative dining
experience newly brought to Atlanta by restaurant
impresario Jeffrey Chodorow in partnership
with Maxim magazine. The menu redefines the
traditional steakhouse with its globally inspired
cuisine and a focus on quality organic ingredients.
The interior design is sleek and sophisticated
with elements of whimsy that also play
out on the dinner menu, with categories such as
“legs and tails” and “threesomes.” Small plates
can start off the taste experience, with truly
original choices that range from seared foie gras
“PB&J” to Moroccan spiced baby lamb chops to
“millionaire deviled eggs” with white & black
truffle and sturgeon caviar. Featured steaks are
Brandt corn-fed, hormone-free dry-aged prime
beef cuts such as filet, strip, skirt and flat-iron
for individual servings, and bone-in filet, sirloin
and ribeye that serve two. Classic surf-and-turf
takes on new meaning at Maxim Prime with creative
Japanese, Italian, Cuban and French imitations
of steak and seafood.
McKendrick’s
Claudia and Doug McKendrick, along with
seasoned restaurateur Rick Crowe, have over
25 years of fine dining experience and have
brought this to 1940s-inspired McKendrick’s,
open since 1995. The scene is clubby, with ample
lush leather seating, solid oak walls and the
sounds of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett. McKendrick’s boasts
a “mean” martini for starters and a wine list
with over 350 selections from around the globe,
which has received awards from Wine Spectator
magazine. The steakhouse serves aged centercut
USDA prime beef along with succulent veal
and lamb loin chops, fresh one-pound Australian coldwater lobster tail and meaty 10-ounce
seafood “steaks.” A long list of appetizers and
salads complements the dinner menu: favorites
include seared sea scallops with spicy peanut
sauce, tempura lobster with soy ginger; and traditionally
tasty salads such as Caesar, wedge of
iceberg with Maytag bleu cheese, and spinach
with warm walnut and bacon vinaigrette.
Wildfire
Known for its focus on quality wood-fired
steaks, chops and seafood, Wildfire is a true
1940s supper club with vintage jazz music and
photos of entertainers warming up its bar and
dining areas. Wildfire steaks are aged 21 to 28
days for maximum tenderness and taste, cooked
to temperature, and they can be ordered with
mushrooms, béarnaise sauce or one of their signature
flavored crusts: horseradish, bleu cheese,
parmesan and “double-baked” potato. The filet
medallions Oscar is wildly popular, as are the
roasted prime rib options. In addition to steaks,
the Wildfire menu boasts great variety: starters
such as wood-oven baked goat cheese with focaccia,
numerous sandwiches, salads, barbecue
ribs, rotisserie chicken and seafood dishes (cedar-
planked salmon with brown sugar-soy glaze
is a favorite).
