Restaurants in contention opened between Oct. 1, 2024, and Oct. 1, 2025 and reside within Rough Draft’s coverage zones in the cities of Atlanta, Brookhaven, Tucker, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody, along with a few from greater metro Atlanta.

This year’s award winners brought something extra special to the Atlanta dining scene. Your next favorite dish might come from a sandwich shop doubling as a community hub, a fine dining establishment leaning into Alpine ingredients, a strip mall spot dedicated to an Italian grandmother’s legacy, or a tiny counter-service restaurant whipping up made-to-order meals perfect for a dinner party.

Introducing Rough Draft’s Best New Restaurants of 2025, along with the winners of our inaugural Readers’ Choice Awards and a trio of special awards for Best New Bar, Best Collaboration, and Community Spirit.

Jump to: Readers’ Choice | Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Tucker | Best New Bar | Best Collaboration | Community Spirit Award

Overall Winners

Avize
956 Brady Ave., Westside Atlanta

Avize is a culinary exploration of Chef Karl Gorline’s Bavarian heritage and the Alpine-bordering countries of Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy. For Gorline, Avize isn’t a literal interpretation of Alpine food traditions. Instead, the menu pays homage to these cuisines through foraged ingredients, such as serviceberries, and vegetables, grains, and herbs harvested weekly from the restaurant’s Bremen, GA farm. The only physical indication Avize leans Alpine is in the dining room, where a taxidermied white mountain goat named “Truffles” is given pride of place.

Gorline gussies up rustic dishes of venison, duck, and schnitzel, whipping gamey proteins, fish, and root vegetables into elegantly presented plates that are almost too pretty to eat.

Begin with the dandelion greens salad studded with seasonal citrus, or the venison tartare. Gorline gets cheeky with his lemon pepper wet riff on frog legs. For the main event, order hay-smoked duck, fermented carrot Bolognese, or the fallow deer crusted with black sesame atop a serviceberry jus accompanied by eggplant and chicory. 

While wine pairing suggestions come listed with each dish, tap in Avize Director of Hospitality and sommelier, Taurean Philpott, for further advice. As with the food, wine at Avize favors Alpine producers. 

Moody and cozy, with a playlist jockeying between 1980s New Wave and old and new-school hip hop, Avize makes fine dining fun and approachable. With the more casual vibes of Bar Avize next door, serving martinis on silver plates and everything from fries and oysters, to adult chicken nuggets topped with caviar, this Brady Avenue restaurant is the total package. 

Danbi Seasonal Kitchen
3432 Clairmont Road, Brookhaven

Don’t be fooled by Danbi Seasonal Kitchen’s appearance — this Brookhaven strip mall spot offers far more than meets the eye. Although the sleek, technology-forward interior, minimal staff, and no-tipping policy suggest a standard fast-casual operation, the actual product is on the same caliber as finer dining institutions. Chef Jack Kim has worked a wide range of restaurant jobs, and it shows. 

With the exception of the cookies and brownies on the counter (those are baked ahead of opening hours), Kim makes everything to order. The menu’s foundation on healthy, seasonal ingredients proves that food can be good for you and taste good, too. The smoothies, for example, don’t contain an excess amount of sugar, instead highlighting the god-given flavors in each ingredient. The frothy beet smoothie gets its sweetness from Fuji apples and maple syrup, with the main ingredient’s earthy flavor at the forefront. 

Everything is good here, but the Guajillo coconut salmon especially shines. (This is one case where you do want to order salmon at a restaurant.) The fish itself maintains that ideal doneness with just a hint of medium-rare, and the accompanying curry-like sauce, Brussels sprouts, and miso-glazed kabocha sauce almost outshine the main dish. 

If you’re feeding a large party, order everything to go and serve it at home. 

Madeira Park
640 N. Highland Ave., Poncey-Highland

It’s been 16 years since Steven Satterfield opened Miller Union, now a Michelin-recognized restaurant for the James Beard-award-winning chef. But in 2025, Satterfield and Miller Union partner Neal McCarthy, and Dive Wine founder Tim Willard, opened Madeira Park in Poncey-Highland. 

They transformed the former cafe at the old Highland Inn into a lively wine bar where people pack the dining room and patio nightly.

The wine list–a constantly evolving project for Willard and sommelier and General Manager Jade Palmer–features familiar favorites, boundary-pushing vintages, and collector wines. Pro tip: Ask for the “book” – an off-menu, hand-written list of limited-run and rare wines curated by Palmer. 

Fortified wine lovers will find a healthy selection of vermouth, sherry, port, and Madeira, including bottled-aged pours of Terrantez dating back to 1899 and a century-old Sercial. And while Philip Weltner keeps cocktails low-ABV by dialing into fortified wines (try the Bijou with sweet potato shochu, vermouth, and sherry), heavy hitters like the Sazerac and Rob Roy round out his drinks list.

Bar snacks include salads, oysters, ham and cheese beignets, and beef tartare, with entrees featuring the seasonality of ingredients for which Satterfield is known. Led by Chef Ollie Honderd, order a bistro steak with crowder peas and caponata, or the daily fish en papillote seared in brown butter complemented with French filet beans. 

Sammy’s
565 Northside Dr., Adair Park

Jason Furst and Chef Sam Pinner have created a buzzy community hub in Sammy’s, a compact coffee and sandwich shop at Abrams Fixtures in Adair Park. Lines form early for coffee and bacon, egg, and cheeses in the morning. In the afternoon, the lines return for sandwiches chock-full of ingredients. 

You’ll meet Furst at the counter, greeting you with his sterling smile. Hospitality courses through his veins, and through his long, flowing locks and full beard. Pinner works the smoker out front, tending to the pork butts for Uncle Sam’s sandwich and the Miami Sami served on bread sourced from Pan American Bakery. For the Reuben, Pinner brines the pastrami and finishes it on the smoker, topping the sandwich with Southern-style coleslaw, based on his mother’s recipe.

Every Friday evening, Sammy’s transforms into a bar teeming with people ordering High Life ponies and martinis from Furst paired with smashburgers, whole smoked wings, and barbecue specials from Pinner. 

Sammy’s already feels like it’s been around for years in Adair Park, with people huddled around tables, sometimes with small stockpiles of sandwiches. (Yes, they’re just that good.) It can be hard to find a seat at peak hours–even outside–an indication that Furst and Pinner must be doing something right. 

Season Marietta
301 Lemon St., Marietta

You would have no idea Season just celebrated its first anniversary. Situated in a standalone building on Lemon Street, the breakfast and brunch restaurant has the aura of a place that’s been open for decades. The restaurant runs like an extremely well-oiled machine, with an attentive staff thrumming at both the back and front of the house. 

There’s a smaller, separate coffee menu for diners who can’t function sans-caffeine. The specialty and seasonal drinks are just as detailed and visually impressive as items from a neighborhood coffee shop. You also won’t go wrong just ordering a French pressed coffee.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that everything on Season’s food menu makes for a solid meal. The savory dishes like the chorizo chilaquiles and tamale huevos rancheros truly shine here. Chef Nick Jennings makes Season’s red chorizo in house, and sausage lovers who don’t try it are quite frankly doing themselves a disservice. 

Those whose tastes steer sweeter should opt for the maduros-stuffed buttermilk pancakes, or French toast served with blueberry compote, duck ham, Virginia maple syrup, and cinnamon sugar. Other must-orders include the pork belly grilled cheese, croque madame, and selection of biscuit sandwiches. 

Come early, or make reservations. If not, be prepared to wait for a table. A meal at Season, however, is worth it. 

Tipsy Thaiger
605 Atlanta St., Roswell

Birdie Niyomkun, Phudith Pattharakositkul, and Candi Lee want Tipsy Thaiger to reflect their love for entertaining. Here you’ll find homestyle Thai staples mingling with Thai street foods and finer dining Thai dishes within the cozy environs of one of Roswell’s most historic dining rooms. 

Kicking off with a cocktail is the move, including with the gin-based Green Curry Sour, or Thaiger Martini mixed with vodka and yellow rice sake. The Mango & Sticky Rice mixes rum with clarified mango and a float of salted coconut foam. 

With a food menu divided into gab-glaam (bar bites, small plates) and gab-kao (shareable entrees served with rice), order everything family style, starting with the jackfruit dip and Thaiger salad comprising beets, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs tossed in Thai dressing with fried shallots. The unctuous chili jam clams are a must, which sees middleneck clams coaxed open as they’re quickly stir-fried in a creamy, sweet and spicy sauce. 

Never skip ordering she-crab fried rice for the table to complement entrees of 36-hour braised Hung-Le short rib or the daily market fish, which can come fried, poached, or seared. For a decadent dessert, opt for the Thai tea toast – a hunk of toasted brioche covered in Thai tea cream and peanut crumbles served with coconut ice cream to cut the sweetness.  

Tipsy Thaiger gently nudges you out of your Thai food comfort zone–and that’s a good thing–while also introducing you to the depth and breadth of Thailand’s foodways and hospitality traditions. In other words, it’s a triumph.

Top Five Readers’ Choice Winners (overall)

1. Tipsy Thaiger (Roswell)
2. Enso Izakaya (Avondale Estates)
3. Lucky Star (Star Metals)
4. Brasserie Margot (Midtown)
5. Madeira Park (Poncey-Highland)

Best of Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, and Tucker

Brookhaven

Danbi Seasonal Kitchen
3432 Clairmont Road, Brookhaven

Don’t be fooled by Danbi Seasonal Kitchen’s appearance — this Brookhaven strip mall spot offers far more than meets the eye. Although the sleek, technology-forward interior, minimal staff, and no-tipping policy suggest a standard fast-casual operation, the actual product is on the same caliber as finer dining institutions. Chef Jack Kim has worked a wide range of restaurant jobs, and it shows. 

With the exception of the cookies and brownies on the counter (those are baked ahead of opening hours), Kim makes everything to order. The menu’s foundation on healthy, seasonal ingredients proves that food can be good for you and taste good, too. The smoothies, for example, don’t contain an excess amount of sugar, instead highlighting the god-given flavors in each ingredient. The frothy beet smoothie gets its sweetness from Fuji apples and maple syrup, with the main ingredient’s earthy flavor at the forefront. 

Everything is good here, but the Guajillo coconut salmon especially shines. (This is one case where you do want to order salmon at a restaurant.) The fish itself maintains that ideal doneness with just a hint of medium-rare, and the accompanying curry-like sauce, Brussels sprouts, and miso-glazed kabocha sauce almost outshine the main dish. 

If you’re feeding a large party, order everything to go and serve it at home. 

Brookhaven Readers’ Choice: Confab Kitchen & Bar 

Dunwoody

Yaba’s Bagels
4780 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody

Lena Abdallah and Ahmed Nashif bet on Atlantans’ affinity for bagels when they opened Yaba’s Bagels this summer. Yaba means “father” in Arabic. For Abdallah, the Dunwoody bagel shop is more than just a business, it also serves as an homage to her father, who used to own bakeries in New York. 

Abdallah grew up understanding that a good “water” bagel depends on the precisely timed kettle boiling process to bring about the signature textures: crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Yaba’s respect for the bagel-making process, which includes boiling the dough twice before baking, comes through in the first bite.

But Yaba’s Bagels isn’t your standard New York-style bagel shop. Sure, you can get staples like bagels and lox, or a bacon, egg, and cheese, but the signature bagels infused with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors and ingredients are the real move at Yaba’s. 

Based on Abdallah’s father’s recipes, order the Levantine za’atar bagel with a thick spread of labneh drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar. The Souk sees your bagel of choice (we suggest sesame) topped with a spread of tahini and date syrup garnished with dates and toasted walnuts. For a little sweet and savory action, the Yaffa on an onion or salt bagel piles on grilled halloumi, arugula, and tomato. It’s finished with pomegranate molasses.

Bagels aren’t the only shining stars at Yaba’s. The deli sandwiches are every bit as good, including the Reuben stuffed with hot pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. Order this sandwich on a za’atar bagel. Grab one of Abdallah’s cheese danishes or apple turnovers for the road. 

Dunwoody Readers’ Choice: Cuddlefish 

Sandy Springs

Nonna Dora Italian Eatery
1100 Hammond Dr., Sandy Springs

When you find yourself sipping on Parmigiana sauce from a spoon like it’s a luxurious stew or bisque, you know you’re in the midst of a transcendent dining experience. Thank Nonna Dora for that, whose namesake shaped chef-owner Patrizio Alaia’s childhood and cooking philosophy. Every menu item, from the cheesy frittatine to the 100-percent beef meatballs, carries his grandmother’s influence. 

Antipasti and pasta make up most of the menu. It’s hard to go wrong here, but if you’re not into tomato-based sauces, opt for the pesto, Parmigiana, or ultra-rich mushroom lasagna. There’s also a small selection of pizzas, salads, and meat and fish-based main courses (branzino, saltimbocca, and a breaded chicken cutlet). 

Denying yourself a post-dinner cannoli, frolla (Neapolitan pastry stuffed with ricotta and candied orange cubes), or tiramisu is a criminal offense. Make the meal feel extra European by pairing it with an Italian soda.

Come in on Saturdays and Sundays for brunch, including for lemon ricotta pancakes, polenta and shrimp, and an Italian version of an English breakfast. 

Sandy Springs Readers’ Choice: Mister 01 Pizza

Tucker

Nicky’s Undefeated
2316 Main St., Tucker

Greater Philadelphian-owned Nicky’s Undefeated brought yet another strong tenant to Tucker’s Main Street in 2025. It’s a restaurant and bar serving top-rate sandwiches, cheesesteaks (don’t ask for a Philly), wings, and pizza that also doubles as a Philadelphia Eagles hub. 

The hoagies and melts come served on super-soft Liscio’s rolls straight from South Jersey, so no sharp corners will distract your mouth from the pile of meat and cheese inside. Bring a crowd, because the menu at Nicky’s is best divided and conquered. 

Order garlic parmesan wings, cheesesteak egg rolls, and mozzarella squares for the table. Then split a sandwich. Hoagies and cheesesteaks are the name of the game here. But we also recommend Nicky’s fried chicken cutlet sandwiches like the Rocky Balboa (chicken Parmesan), Crazy Betty (Buffalo chicken with mozzarella and more Buffalo sauce), and Meadow Soprano (a fried chicken and kale Caesar hybrid blessed with Pecorino Romano). The slow-roasted Italian pork sandwich with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe and a couple of jumbo pizza slices (more accurately described as quarters) also get the job done. Save room for dessert, including Via Veneto Italian ice, Bassetts ice cream, or pistachio ricotta cake.

There’s no “vibes” at Nicky’s, just a clean, well-lighted place with a good attitude, huge portions, and a modest bill. It works and, frankly, shouldn’t be questioned.

Stop by Sunday and Monday nights to catch NFL games on one of the big-screens. Non-Eagles fans are welcome at Nicky’s, but probably shouldn’t vocalize that fact, or take offense to the anti-Packers and Chiefs art taped to the counter window. 

Tucker Readers’ Choice: Nicky’s Undefeated

Jump to: Readers’ Choice | Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Tucker | Best New Bar | Best Collaboration | Community Spirit Award

Best New Bar

Lucky Star
1055 Howell Mill Road, Star Metals

Lucky Star became the latest restaurant from Chef Jason Liang (Momonoki, Cuddlefish, Brush, Michelin-starred O by Brush) when it opened at Star Metals. As a breakfast to happy hour, and beyond, kind of place, Liang returns to his Taiwanese roots at this restaurant and the comforting street foods of his childhood. 

While you should absolutely come for Liang’s food (try the beef noodle soup and gan mian dry noodles), stay for cocktails from beverage director Kirk Gibson.

You might recognize Gibson from his days at The Pinewood in Decatur and Cardinal in Grant Park. Maybe you attended one of his pop-ups years ago at Brush, or in Candler Park during Little Bear chef Jarrett Stieber’s Eat Me Speak Me days. 

At Lucky Star, Gibson lets loose his bartending skills and passion for cocktail science and experimentation. He goes all in on techniques like fat-washing and clarification, or using a sous vide machine or liquid nitrogen to extract the flavors and textures he’s after for drinks. Cocktails come mixed with syrups and tinctures made from seasonal and foraged ingredients. 

Look for cocktails like a painkiller made with freshly juiced white corn, a coconut-washed rum Manhattan, or a Sidecar made with yuzu juice and salted yuzu syrup. For Lucky Star’s clarified espresso martini, Gibson distills down cold brew steeped in vodka in a Buchi Rotavapor, which boils off the alcohol, leaving behind the roasted floral notes of the coffee. Gibson then re-dilutes the cold brew mixture to 80 proof and finishes the cocktail with white creme de cacao and creme de peche.

With everything batched and ready to go, cocktails arrive within minutes of ordering, even if the ingredients comprising these drinks took hours or days to create. Gibson and his team make cocktails at Lucky Star seem effortless.

Gibson has definitely hit his stride here. A word to Atlanta cocktail enthusiasts: prioritize grabbing a seat at the bar to geek out with Gibson and his cohorts during one of the weekly cocktail omakase services. You’ll thank us later.

Best Collaboration

The New South
Various locations

Yes, please do believe the hype around Black chef collective The New South. Current members include Robert Butts, Demetrius Brown, Gary Caldwell, Carlos Granderson, India Johnson, Chryssie Lewis, Dene Lynn, Jon’nae “Jae” Smith, Rodney Smith, Charmain Ware, and Christan Willis. 

Independently, each member is already impressive — since forming in 2024, these chefs have headlined food festivals, competed on food television shows, announced new restaurants, and hosted ticketed dinners. When The New South works in tandem, however, its chefs produce something that’s hard to replicate.

You can catch The New South in action at one of the collective’s quarterly, eight-course dinners, where you’ll find bites such as infused sweet watermelon juice “hard cups,” or sofrito braised lamb with plantain gnocchi, pickled fresno, lamb demi glaze, microgreens, and charred onion dust, or dukkah smoked Kobe beef with broccoli, onion puree, and pickled green tomatoes.

Since there are more chefs now than courses, not all of The New South members contribute to a meal. But you’ll find many of them attending New South dinners to support and infuse the event with infectious positive energy. And even when they’re not hosting dinners together, this collective shouts out members making strides on their own. In other words, it’s impossible not to root for The New South and its chefs.

Community Spirit Award

Minhwa Spirits
2421 Van Fleet Cir., Doraville

Part distillery, part coffee shop, and part tavern, Minhwa Spirits’ greatest asset might be the commitment to metro Atlanta chefs and food producers.

In addition to cocktails incorporating the distillery’s award-winning soju, chai-infused gin, and makgeolli, owners Ming Han Chung and James Kim have cultivated a community of collaboration at Minhwa. 

You’ll find resident chefs doing stints in the kitchen, including Lino Yi (TKO Korean, Lazy Betty), who currently handles lunch, dinner, and brunch. There’s regular coffee service from Postern Coffee and pastries from small-batch bakery Sugar Plus Air. 

Minhwa also hosts numerous collaborative events throughout the year, ranging from pop-up nights with Dhaba BBQ, Karly’s Kitchen, Mighty Hans, Salty Smiles, and Soupbelly, to dumpling and makgeolli (Korean rice wine) workshops, to regular makers’ markets and K-pop bingo nights. (Resident cat, Hoshi, was even named after a K-pop singer known for his feline appearance.) 

Chung and Kim see Minhwa Spirits as a sort of jumak, a Korean tavern that provided lodging, nourishment, and alcohol to travelers during the Joseon Dynasty. Serving the community lies at the heart of everything on offer at Minhwa Spirits, right down to always providing space and opportunities to support local chefs, bartenders, and artists.

Jump to: Readers’ Choice | Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Tucker | Best New Bar | Best Collaboration | Community Spirit Award

The post Rough Draft Atlanta’s Best New Restaurants of 2025 appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

On June 18, Chef Joseph Harrison will take over the kitchen at Aria, ushering in a new era for the Buckhead restaurant institution, founded by Chef Gerry Klaskala 25 years ago. 

Klaskala announced his retirement from the restaurant industry after 55 years back in April, handing ownership of Aria over to long-tenured general manager and sommelier Andrés Loaiza. 

Klaskala’s final service at Aria takes place on June 14, the day before he and Loaiza head to Chicago to attend the James Beard Awards on June 16. Aria is a finalist for Outstanding Service.

Aria’s successful 25-year run comes down to a willingness to evolve with the times, Klaskala said. Part of that evolutionary arc included his stepping down and bringing in a new executive chef to lead the lauded kitchen, which has springboarded the careers of Chef Christopher Grossman of The Chastain, Lazy Betty chef de cuisine Austin Goetzman, and The Deer and The Dove chef de cuisine Alan Byers. 

Loaiza set a goal for himself to hire a chef from outside the Aria family – a chef who wasn’t so close to the restaurant and could come in with a fresh perspective on ways to improve it. 

The search took Loaiza to Savannah last year and to Common Thread, where Harrison was working as one of the restaurant’s executive chefs. Harrison, a Covington, GA, native and 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, said Loaiza secretly dined twice at Common Thread, impressed with dishes like the berbere-spiced North Carolina flounder and redfish with a jalapeño emulsion and pickled green tomatoes.

Related stories:
• Chef Gerry Klaskala talks the future of Aria in Buckhead
• Aria will represent Atlanta (and Georgia) at the 2025 James Beard Awards
• Andre Blanchard says ‘keep showing up’ to your favorite restaurants

“Andrés was visiting Savannah in 2024 and ended up at Common Thread. He enjoyed it so much, he made it a point to come back,” Harrison said. “Gerry has some history in Savannah. His first restaurant was there. He reached out to some friends of his, speaking to old mentors of mine and doing his research on me before he reached out to me.”

One day last December, Harrison received a text from Klaskala out of the blue. At first, he didn’t think the text was real. But after confirming with a colleague acquainted with the Atlanta chef that the number was authentic, Harrison called Klaskala back

Four months later, Harrison was in the kitchen at Aria cooking alongside Klaskala and getting to know the staff he would eventually lead. 

Atlanta’s dining scene isn’t unfamiliar territory for Harrison. He got his start in restaurants working at Dairy Queen as a teenager, and later at Mystic Grill in Covington. He would go on to work for notable Atlanta restaurants, including Lazy Betty and Cooks & Soldiers, before moving to Savannah in 2021 for his job at Common Thread. 

If you’re a regular at Aria, you’re likely already familiar with Harrison. Loaiza and Klaskala have introduced him to many of the restaurant’s weekly regulars since coming on board in April. 

Harrison has also introduced a couple of new dishes to the Aria menu, like the Clem’s carrots and another preparation of the duck breast. 

“The carrots are used in a few ways in the dish. Some are pureed, some blanched and roasted, some pickled [with jalapenos]. The flavor profiles that come together are really delicious, and it’s the perfect time of year for carrots,” Harrison said. “I try to build a ladder and take ingredients like carrots when they’re at their peak and then set some aside to preserve and use in other ways.”

For the duck breast, Harrison prepares a blackberry agrodolce (Italian sour and sweet sauce) for it to sit atop. The duck comes accompanied by hard-seared and roasted cabbage dressed with tahini, fresh blackberries, and pickled green strawberries. 

But Harrison knows some dishes on the Aria menu are untouchable – at least for now. That includes the bistro steak and the oft-ordered short rib, the restaurant’s most popular entree. Earlier this year, Loaiza and Klaskala calculated that Aria has served more than a quarter of a million pounds of short rib since it opened 25 years ago. 

While respecting the dishes people cherish at Aria, however, Harrison and Loaiza also recognize that to keep Aria moving forward, some dishes will need to evolve. 

“The essence of certain dishes should not be changed, but we may change up what accompanies a dish or even a bit of the preparation over time,” Harrison said. “I’m being thoughtful about these dishes that people have been coming here for years to eat. The last thing I want to do is rip the tablecloth off the table. I want to earn everyone’s trust.”

He points to subtle changes he plans to make, like alternating the cut of beef used for the bistro steak.

“It’ll be much more of an organic change, something that feels natural,” Harrison said. “Gerry told me that he doesn’t want Aria to become a museum, that when he comes back to eat, he hopes it’s different.”

As for Loaiza, he plans to spend the next several weeks sprucing up Aria. The restaurant will receive a fresh coat of paint outside, along with new landscaping and decorative lighting. Loaiza will upgrade Aria’s glassware and china and commission some minor repairs inside. 

Like Klaskala and Loaiza, Harrison and Loaiza are on the same page when it comes to securing the future of Aria and keeping the restaurant relevant.

Hospitality has been a core tenet at Aria, something that will continue under the duo of Loaiza and Harrison, and a tenet now recognized by the James Beard Foundation.  

“I’m building on a legacy started by Gerry, a legend of a chef in Atlanta,” Harrison said, who sees tickets coming into the kitchen every night from regulars asking to see Klaskala before they head home.

“Andrés has been very enthusiastic in helping introduce me to tables and to begin building that same relationship with our guests. I want to carry that on. That’s part of moving Aria forward,” he added.

Aria, 490 East Paces Ferry, Buckhead. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 5:30 p.m. Gerry Klaskala’s last dinner service takes place June 14. Reservations are highly recommended. 

The post Meet Aria’s new executive chef, Joseph Harrison appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

After 55 years in restaurants, acclaimed Atlanta chef Gerry Klaskala announced his retirement last month. This includes stepping down as owner and chef of Aria, the Buckhead restaurant he opened in 2000 inside a converted house on East Paces Ferry Road. 

But Aria isn’t closing. 

Instead, Klaskala and his business partners turned the keys to the Buckhead fine dining institution over to Aria’s long-tenured general manager and sommelier Andrés Loaiza. Klaskala, who will concentrate on his love of drawing and painting in retirement, will continue to lead the kitchen while Loaiza conducts a nationwide search for Aria’s next head chef. 

Speaking with Klaskala and Loaiza, it becomes clear that the two men have great respect for each other, both professionally and personally. Loaiza’s voice cracks as he chokes back tears while describing his feelings about taking over as owner of Aria and how grateful he is to Klaskala and his business partners for the opportunity. 

Asking Loaiza to step into the ownership role at Aria–a plan set in motion months ago–was just the right thing to do, Klaskala said. 

“I’ve worked with thousands of people in my career. That’s not an exaggeration. Andrés is a very, very special individual and it was evident upon first meeting him,” Klaskala said of hiring Loaiza 18 years ago when Aria was still a relatively new Atlanta restaurant. “He’s done nothing but develop and shine and embraced our mission for hospitality and the restaurant since the beginning.”

Klaskala likens his working relationship with Loaiza to being the parents of Aria, united in cultivating talent at the restaurant and providing an unwavering and consistent service experience for guests. Klaskala handles back-of-house staff and operations, while Loaiza leads the front-of-house. It’s a balancing act of hospitality that should feel seamless and natural to Aria diners, as if they’re attending a big dinner party they don’t want to end. 

“I’m on the floor all the time, so I know everybody who comes through the door,” Loaiza said. “The floor is my second home. It’s my happy place. There’s nothing like that rush of energy of seeing people come in to dine or seeing our regulars every night. It’s like a party every night.”  

Loaiza knows the dynamic at Aria will change slightly with Klaskala’s departure and taking on more responsibilities as its owner. 

Related stories:
• Aria pastry chef starts jewelry line
• Atlantan Andre Blanchard says ‘keep showing up’ to your favorite restaurants
• All Buckhead coverage

But after five decades in the industry, Klaskala wants to move on from the harried life of restaurants. He admits the adjustment will be difficult at first. It’s a rare day when Klaskala isn’t at Aria, joking that his car knows the way to and from the restaurant and basically drives itself. He’s looking forward to slowing down and focusing on painting and drawing again.

At 17, Klaskala abandoned his plans to become an artist and enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America. Having worked in hotel restaurants for several years in Boston and Savannah, Klaskala moved to Atlanta in 1987 to become the opening chef and managing partner of the legendary Buckhead Diner. In 1995, Klaskala struck out on his own, co-founding Canoe in Vinings, followed by Aria in Buckhead five years later with business partners George McKerrow and Ron San Martin. 

Here, Klaskala cemented his status as one of Atlanta’s most revered chefs and transformed Aria into one of the city’s most celebrated restaurants. Aria is a perennial on local and national “best restaurants” lists for Atlanta, garnering numerous awards and accolades over the last 25 years. In 2018, the Georgia Restaurant Association honored Klaskala with a lifetime achievement award. 

In April, the James Beard Foundation named Aria a finalist for Outstanding Hospitality, a fitting tribute to Klaskala and his fierce commitment to service. Aria is the lone Atlanta and Georgia representative at the 2025 James Beard Awards.

“We have a mantra that every day we have to get better and do things better, and that will continue under Andrés,” Klaskala said, who often makes appearances in the dining room during service, greeting regulars and guests with a hug or a handshake and a warm and welcoming smile. 

Related story: Aria will represent Atlanta (and Georgia) at the 2025 James Beard Awards

Never one to sit still for very long, Klaskala is involved with several charities, including Open Hand Atlanta, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, and the Georgia chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Harvest for a Cure. He plans to continue this work in retirement. 

Klaskala also plans to dine at as many Atlanta restaurants as possible, something he’s never been able to do with any regularity as a busy restaurant owner and chef. 

The task ahead of Loaiza now is to keep Aria fresh and in step with the times. 

A willingness to evolve the restaurant, Klaskala said, is part of why Aria made it to 25 years in business. When the restaurant was looking and feeling a little dated back in 2016, Klaskala commissioned an interior design revamp that included repainting the walls a soft gray, ordering custom tables and leather banquettes for the dining room, and opening up the bar and lounge area to allow for walk-ins. 

He saw the redesign as an opportunity to reintroduce Aria to younger diners, who prefer a much more casual approach to fine dining and eat out more often than their parents and grandparents.

The restaurant has served as an incubator and springboard for some of Atlanta’s most talented chefs, including Christopher Grossman of The Chastain, Lazy Betty chef de cuisine Austin Goetzman, and The Deer and The Dove chef de cuisine Alan Byers. The search for Aria’s next chef, likely someone from outside the restaurant, is critical to Loaiza. 

“I love what we do here at Aria and that we’ve built an experience centered around genuine hospitality that Gerry put in place. That will never change,” said Loaiza. “But there’s a lot of room to allow the restaurant to evolve further, and that includes finding a chef coming from the outside who can see things differently because they aren’t so close to the restaurant and can find ways to improve it.”

Loaiza and Klaskala recently started digging into the restaurant’s records, too, for patterns in customer feedback and Aria’s most popular dishes to ensure those remain on the menu.

“Short ribs have been on our menu since day one. And we have one customer who’s dined with us at least 250 times over the years and 249 times he’s ordered the short rib. We’re not taking that away from him. We’ve calculated that we served over a quarter of a million pounds of short rib since 2000,” Klaskala said.  

Loaiza is also looking into ways to improve the service at Aria, promising that it won’t mean reverting to servers using scripts or giving canned speeches to guests that feel forced, fake, or inauthentic. Part of what makes hospitality at Aria so special, he said, is its personable servers who pay close attention to the vibe, wants, and needs of each guest. And people will see Loaiza in the dining room as they always do, greeting guests and checking on tables.

Klaskala will miss being around Loaiza and the Aria staff after he retires. He’ll pop in from time to time for dinner and to say hello to his former employees and regulars. 

“I’ve learned over the years that you have to appreciate every person for what they bring to a restaurant. You nurture their talents and skills and encourage them,” Klaskala said. “I’m genuinely excited to see our staff when they walk in the back door. Going cold turkey would be tough, so, of course, I’ll return to eat because I’m excited to see what happens here.”

The post Announcing his retirement, Chef Gerry Klaskala talks the future of Aria in Buckhead appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Popular Middle Eastern restaurant Delbar, owned by Chef Fares Kargar, opens on Monday, Nov. 18, in Buckhead. 

Taking over the space once home to Ford Fry’s King & Duke on Peachtree Road, the Buckhead location of Delbar will serve a similar menu to the Inman Park and Alpharetta locations. However, this location does offer a handful of new dishes exclusive to Buckhead, including lamb and baghali tahchin (lamb shoulder with fava beans, yogurt, egg, and onions encased in crispy basmati rice) and a rainbow roasted carrot salad. Dessert in Buckhead also features tahini and honey soft serve and Persian tea flan.

In addition to the main dining room and bar, Delbar in Buckhead includes a covered patio with its own bar and cocktail menu, as well as two private event spaces. 

Open daily for dinner and weekend brunch, Kargar plans to launch a weekday lunch service at the Buckhead restaurant in December. 

Kargar left Iran in 2006 when he was 17. He fled to Turkey as a refugee to avoid the Iranian compulsory military service requirement. The chef eventually made his way to the United States, arriving in Atlanta and earning a degree in hospitality from Georgia State University.

The chef worked in several Atlanta restaurants before opening Delbar, including Rumi’s Kitchen in Sandy Springs. He went on to open the first location of Delbar in 2020 at Inman Quarter during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of Delbar led Kargar to open Persian street food stall Bibi at Ponce City Market two years later, followed by a second location of Delbar last year in Alpharetta.

Michelin recognized Delbar in its 2023 and 2024 guides to Atlanta. 

Related Story: Delbar chef drops details on restaurant and rooftop bar Eden

Next year, Kargar will open Eden at the Star Metals district on Howell Mill Road. The sprawling French-Mediterranean restaurant will include a rooftop bar called Garden of Eden. 

Eden will feature design aspects channeling the cosmopolitan supper clubs popular in Iranian cities like Tehran during the 1960s and early 1970s. Look for multiple indoor and outdoor spaces like a covered patio filled with greenery, a 50-seat central bar, chef’s tables, and a more intimate bar paying tribute to Iran’s film industry in its design. 

At night, the main restaurant will become an entertainment venue, too, with dancers, live performances, and DJs. Upstairs at Garden of Eden, the rooftop bar promises glimpses of the city skyline. 

Take a look at the dinner and brunch menus for Delbar in Buckhead below:

Delbar, 3060 Peachtree Road, Buckhead. Open Sunday – Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; weekend brunch, 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. 

The post Delbar Middle Eastern opens in Buckhead Nov. 18 in the former King & Duke space appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.