accessAtlanta

Every year around this time, friends and family know to treat me with kid gloves. For the past three months, I've been dining out "round the clock" to bring you what's in these pages — the AJC's Fall Dining Guide. And the last few weeks of putting it together are always filled with fervor — fun fervor — but fervor nonetheless.

Louie Favorite/ajc staff (ENLARGE)
Chef Hugh Acheson preparing crisp cornmeal dusted skate with Red Mule grits and chard at Five and Ten in Athens.
(ENLARGE)
On our map, quickly find directions and addresses for the restaurants in our Top 50. Search by cuisine. Zoom in and pick out your favorites.
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That's because our Fall Dining Guide offers you the most comprehensive look at the best restaurants in the Atlanta area. In it, I choose my picks for Atlanta's top 50 restaurants, and each year the list gets harder and harder to winnow: We are blessed with a burgeoning restaurant scene, and from the look of what's new and notable, we're not slowing down any time soon. Also, each year the list changes, allowing new faces to get some well-deserved print while allowing our classic favorites their spot in the sun. So say goodbye for now to Casa Vieja, Canoe, D Morgan's, Krog Bar, Lobby at Twelve, Rolling Bones BBQ, So Kong Dong, Thumbs Up Diner, Vatica and Wisteria — perhaps they'll be back next year. Adios to Grape Leaf Grill and Seasons de Provence, both closed.

A big "hello, gorgeous" goes out to newcomers Banaras, Bistro VG, Blu Greek Taverna, C & S Seafood and Oyster House, the Chocolate Bar, French American Brasserie, JCT Kitchen, Kevin Rathbun Steak, Palomilla's Cuban Grill House, Rexall Grill, Shaun's and Tasty China. And welcome back to Tamarind Seed Thai Bistro, formerly called Tamarind Thai Cuisine. A big congrats goes out to Repast, which garnered four stars from three, and newly remodeled Joël, which gained a coveted fifth star this year.

In addition to the top 50 restaurants, fall always brings my pick for Restaurant of the Year — you might be pleasantly surprised to find out which of the top spots it is this year.

So sit back with a cup of joe, a glass of red, or a tall one and enjoy — we've done the footwork for you. All that's left for you to worry about is which restaurant to choose first.

Salud,

Meridith Ford

• Our Top 50 map

• See & hear: At Five and Ten

• Table Talk: What Do You Think of Restaurant of the Year?

• Find more: Get the scoop on nearly 3,000 restaurants in metro Atlanta