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ATLANTA'S EVER-EXPANDING restaurant scene reminds me of the line in that old country/western song: "If you've got the money, honey, I've got the time." The city seems to never tire of opening new restaurants. The spring crop includes more steakhouses, sushi, Vietnamese and a home (finally) for some of the best barbecue in the area.

Elissa Eubanks/AJC Staff (ENLARGE)
Fox Bros. BBQ, already loved by music fans at Smith's Olde Bar, finally will have a home of its own in Little Five Points.
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HUNGRY FOR MORE? Welcome to our Spring Dining Guide See & hear it: What's so Southern about that? Southern food's high-fallutin again The seven: Savvy Southern fare Check out these homey sideshows Spring '07: Our Top 10 New places with familiar flavors Ethnic flavors in our backyard Great eats in the neighborhood

NOW OPEN

FRESH TO ORDER (f2o)
860 Peachtree St.,
Spire Building, Atlanta. 404-593-2333

Expect to see several more of this popular, fast-casual Midtown marvel — the newest location opens in John's Creek in mid-March, joining Sandy Springs and the original inside the Spire building. Partners Pierre Panos and corporate chef Jesse Gideon serve upscale dishes — roasted pork loin and fire-grilled salmon as well as custom-built salads and panini — in under 10 minutes, and (often) for less than 10 bucks. At the Midtown location, look for an array of great chocolate on your way to the counter — Belgian Côte d'Or and single-source Colombian Santander are hard to find elsewhere. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays. Brunch: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. $

POSH
111 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. 404-869-0777.
heretoserverestaurants.com

Tom Catherall is a busy man. No sooner has the Seeger's saga ended with the restaurant's abrupt closing than Catherall is busy moving in and taking over the property. At this venue, called Posh, the man who would be chef is doing something he hasn't done in years — cook. He's got help from talented chef de cuisine Ian Winslade (formerly of Bluepointe, then Catherall's Shout), and the two are serving dishes far more approachable than Seeger's ever did: Baby beet salad with goat cheese, curry-dusted monkfish and peppered beef tenderloin are hardly going to stretch anyone's gastronomic imagination. Other than moving furniture around, the restaurant looks like Seeger's, but it sure doesn't feel the same. Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Dinner: 5:30-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 5:30-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. $$$

THRIVE
101 Marietta St., Atlanta. 404-389-1000.
thriveatl.com

Just opened on the ground floor in Centennial Tower, Thrive is a quirky little spot from A.D. Allushi, formerly of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, and Jeff Safari, co-owner of Compound nightclub. The menu is mostly small bites of upcale bar goodies; the vibe is very Euro. Lunch: 11:30-2:30 Mondays-Fridays. Dinner: 5:30-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 5:30 p.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays; 5:30-10 p.m. Sundays. Sushi bar open til 1 a.m. or later most nights. $$$

TOSSED
5530 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta. 678-339-1313.
tossed.com

This franchise was a rage in Manhattan and is growing faster than a bean stalk, with the Atlanta area being its first stop outside the New York area. Custom-made salads are the draw, as well as dessert crepes and soups. Another location is to open in Decatur this spring, with many more to come. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. $

STILL TO COME

BONEFISH GRILL
11705 C Jones Bridge Road, John's Creek. 770-475-6668. bonefishgrill.com

This seafood chain specializes in market-fresh fish cooked over an oak-burning grill. Founded in St. Petersburg, Fla., the founders claim to "take the mystery out of fish." Un huh, right. Because fish is soooo mysterioh-so. The doors are slated to open March 19 in John's Creek. Other locations are planned.

CUERNO AND BELEZA
905 Juniper St., Atlanta

Riccardo Ullio's Il Mio Il Tuo restaurant group is well-known for its authentic Italian concepts Sotto Sotto and Fritti. Now he's opening two hot concepts this spring on Juniper Street, neither of which are Italian. Cuerno will focus on authentic Spanish cuisine, with classics such as paella and mariscos alla plancha as well as an all-Spanish wine list. Next door, Beleza ("beautiful" in Portuguese) will serve sexy smoothies and fresh fruit cocktails in the style of 1960s Brazil, with an emphasis on organic ingredients. Let's hope we'll be able to catch strains of Astrud Gilberto singing "The Girl From Impanema." Sounds like the perfect spot to wear that Mary Quant mini skirt ... obrigado, Mr. Ullio.

FRENCH AMERICAN BRASSERIE RESTAURANT
30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Atlanta. 404-266-1440. www.fabatlanta.com

Brasserie Le Coze fans can stop wailing about the loss of their brown buttered skate wings and mushroom soup. French American Brasserie, the new venue from Brasserie's Fabrice Vergez, will open this spring. Vergez hopes the restaurant, located in the Southern Company building downtown, will be open no later than April. Devotees can expect a larger restaurant, with rooftop dining and a private room that will seat 80 to 100. But Vergez also managed to salvage the tiles from Brasserie's famed dining room at Lenox Square and all the black-and-white photographs that adorned its walls. The menu? Chef Kaighn Raymond will prepare the favorites, plus an extended steak and seafood selection to lure conventioneers.

FOX BROS. BBQ
1238 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta. www.foxbrosbbq.com

Finally! The boys from Fort Worth, Texas (brothers Jonathan and Justin Fox), have a home of their own near Little Five Points in the old Asada location. Admittedly, the whole idea of getting barbecue this good while catching a show at Smith's Olde Bar has a certain timeliness to it, but these guys — and their incredible 'cue — deserve a spot all their own. Look for the full catering menu, plus beer and a patio, in April.

KEVIN RATHBUN STEAK
154 Krog St., Atlanta. www.kevinrathbunsteak.com

Kevin Rathbun continues to conquer his Krog Street domain with Kevin Rathbun Steak, slated to open the first week of May. Designed by the Johnson Studio, the restaurant will sport a modern speakeasy look, with dark hardwood flooring, a wood ceiling and an open kitchen. Prime and dry-aged steaks are the focus, and Rathbun is hoping to serve classic tableside favorites such as steak Diane.

LOWCOUNTRY BARBECUE OUTPOST
3455 Peachtree Parkway (Highway 141), Suite 201, Suwanee, 678-688-7678. www.outpostbbq.com

LowCountry Barbecue Inc., founded by catering legend Bennett Brown III, will be serving foods from the Lowcountry and Gullah culture, such as chicken perloo and shrimp and grits, as well as the company's famous pit-cooked barbecue and Brunswick stew. The restaurant is slated to open in Stonebridge Promenade, John's Creek area, in mid-April.

STEEL
Plaza Midtown

Set to open in the first quarter of 2007 (like, now), Steel comes to Atlanta from Dallas, where its sexy atmosphere and pan-Asian menu (translation: mostly Vietnamese with Japanese bento boxes and sushi) wooed local critics.

TAP
1180 Peachtree St., Atlanta, 404-347-2220, concentricsrestaurants.com

Bob Amick is as busy building his own version of Restaurant Monopoly. With partner Todd Rushing, he passes go and collects big time with the opening of this American "gastro" pub in the King & Spalding building where their celebrated restaurant Trois also resides. The emphasis is on the beer selection and the kind of pub grub food found in the U.K. Also from Amick's Concentrics Restaurants group comes Room (400 W. Peachtree St.), inside Twelve Centennial Park hotel, still under construction. Executive chef Nick Oltarsh, from the group's restaurant Lobby at Twelve, will create a contemporary steakhouse menu with prime meats and fish, skewered goodies cooked in a tandoori oven and some sushi, since we can never have enough raw fish and rice. Expected by late summer.

ALSO COMING ...

... are the restaurants in Terminus 100, the 27-story skyscraper at Piedmont and Peachtree, most notably a second restaurant from sushi masters Alex and Chris Kinjo of MF Sushibar. Catherall expands his empire with Lola and its Italian-inspired menu. AquaKnox, a funky fish spot inspired by Dallas chef Stephen Pyles, will open here as well as BrickTop, a casual dining concept. The building is to open in May.

Pricing code: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)