Restaurants in Atlanta worth the drive

BY DAVID DANZIG @bitesnsites

Atlanta’s restaurant scene continues to reopen like a magnolia bloom, a post-pandemic blossoming replete with new restaurants making a splash, others coming down the pike and sadly, a couple of which did not survive the COVID saga.

Sitting on the patio of the new Botica in Buckhead, one might feel teleported to a table in Playa Del Carmen, a wonderful city in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Botica embodies a similar energy, the fluorescent colors, “Dia de los Muertos” designs and the sweet smell of seafood cooking over charcoal in the breeze. Tuna crudo, grilled oysters, wagyu carpaccio, Spanish octopus and wild salmon are a few of the pretty plates that are yours for the taking, each explosive with flavor. A massive Big Green Egg sits on the terrace overlooking Peachtree smoking meats like brisket for the street tacos (other taco varieties include lamb, carne asada, grilled shrimp or even falafel which is a nod to the chef’s Lebanese heritage).

For dessert don’t skip on the croissant bread pudding with salted caramel gelato. Sunday brunch includes steak and eggs, breakfast burritos and salmon Benedict with your bottomless mimosas. Botica’s fun and lively atmosphere are a spectacular accompaniment to COVID’s denouement. The patio is bustling, and the rest of the restaurant oozes positive energy.