IN SEARCH OF
Food prize winners, nominees, and their restaurants
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Film honors, everyone knows, are called Oscars. In theater, an aspiring ingenue wants to grab a Tony. But in food, there’s only one name that matters when it comes to awards: Beard. James Beard. Dubbed the “Oscars of the food world” and presented this year on Monday, the 2009 nominees boast two Georgia chefs. Others in the ATL who have won the coveted medallion? Guenter Seeger, of now-closed Seeger’s in Buckhead; Joël Antunes, formerly of Joël — still in Buckhead, but without him as chef; Scott Peacock of Decatur’s Watershed; and Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison of Bacchanalia. Celebrate with them at their restaurants, starting with this year’s nominees, Linton Hopkins and Hugh Acheson. The awards will be announced Monday.
Joey Ivansco/File
Five And Ten’s Frogmore stew has shrimp, potatoes, corn and andouille sausage.
Five And Ten 
1653 S. Lumpkin St., Athens. 706-546-7300, www.fiveandten.com
Let’s hope the third time’s the charm for talented chef-owner Hugh Acheson, this year nominated for best chef Southeast for the third time in a row. His funky spot, a short walk from the UGA campus and just over an hour from Atlanta, is how the term “destination” began to get bandied about in relation to restaurants. Acheson is pretty darned perfect — he cooks with energy and invention, and values ingredients above all else. He’s also not afraid to make mistakes. The restaurant thrives on a low-key Southern vibe with an edgy, seasonal take on freshness in dishes such as Frogmore stew, loaded with fat Tybee Island shrimp, fingerling potatoes, corn and spicy andouille in a soulful tomato broth, or the marvel of an old-fashioned pickle plate made in-house.
Restaurant Eugene
2277 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-355-0321, www.restauranteugene.com
Chef-owner Linton Hopkins was nominated for best chef Southeast last year, too — and his lovely Buckhead gem with its lively, old-fashioned cocktail list, house-made pickles and well-sourced meats and vegetables is the proof of that pudding. The menu recently changed to include smaller portions of favorites such as his local vegetable plate with polenta-style grits, and his cooking still goes by the creed all chefs should: fresh, local, seasonal. The menu changes often to reflect the seasons, but no matter what time of year, the food always cultivates a genteel Southern accent.
Bacchanalia 
1198 Howell Mill Road N.W., Atlanta. 404-365-0410, Ext. 22, starprovisions.com
Bacchanalia is the most celebrated restaurant in Atlanta, a rare five-star gem that has garnered national and international attention for its elegant yet easygoing attitude. One bite will tell you why: beautifully sourced ingredients (many from the chef-owners’ own Summerland Farm in Cartersville), well-procured meats prepared in-house, the finest larder of cheese in the city and fresh fish make for rare and formidable finds on your dinner plate. Amid modern, warm tones and warehouse chic, chef-owners Clifford Harrison and Anne Quatrano, along with chefs Daniel Porubiansky and Joshua Hopkins (soon to be exec chef at Abattoir), cook with easygoing personality and an understated sense of flair.
Watershed
406 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-378-4900, www.watershedrestaurant.com
Executive chef Scott Peacock’s upscale Southern classics conjure after-church-on-Sunday food, the kind we sat around the table and said grace over, and a blessed reminder of how important cooking used to be to all of us. The vegetable plate is among the best in the city, and Peacock’s fried chicken (only on Tuesdays) has become national legend. Finishing the evening with a slice of wholesome chocolate cake or a plateful of warm cookies is like visiting Grandma’s house without having to help with the dishes.
KEY TO RATINGS Outstanding: Sets the standard for fine dining in the region. Excellent: One of the best in the Atlanta area. 
Very good: Merits a drive if you’re looking for this kind of dining. 
Good: A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss. 
Fair: The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated Poor.
