Book Now! – Atlanta Downtown Restaurant Week

It really doesn't matter what else is on the menu at BLT Steak as long as these popovers make an appearance. I have the recipe but haven't attempted them yet, partially out of the fear that I would break my own bread-eating record, which is an entirely unnecessary endeavor.

If I had unlimited money (and a faster metabolism) I’d go out every night of the Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week. My budget and my belly may not be able to afford that much, but I’m heading downtown for a least a few nights for these great deals.

Here’s how it works – from July 26 to August 8, close to 30 restaurants are offering three-course meals for $25 or $35. Generally it’s a set menu with a few choices for each course. It really is a fantastic way to affordably check out a new restaurant or revisit an old favorite.

I checked out the list and there are a few restaurants I’ve never heard of, including the ones in hotels. Sear is in the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and Terrace on Peachtree is in The Ellis Hotel and I know nothing about those. I imagine they are frequented primarily by out-of-town guests, as is one of the oldest, and quirkiest restaurants in Atlanta – Pittypat’s Porch.

Fans of Gone with the Wind will recognize the name of Scarlett’s fainting aunt, and will appreciate the irony of this place. She is the one who famously screeched,”Oh, dear, Yankees in Georgia! How did they ever get in?” It’s those Yankees and other visitors who keep coming back to this 43-year-old themed restaurant famed for its fried chicken and the fact that few Atlanta residents have actually heard of the place.

Somehow the fact that Concentrics Restaurant 30 Tables is no longer at The Glenn Hotel had passed me by. Looks like the restaurant there is now Glenn’s Kitchen, serving “seasonal American comfort food with a Southern flair.” No matter where you go to dinner, end your evening at 11 Stories on top of the Glenn, the best rooftop terrace in the city.

But back to food. Here are my recommendations from the list of restaurants and choice of menus:

• FAB – French-American Bistro.  French onion soup, trout amandine and warm chocolate cake. ($25)

Now I'm really torturing myself - look at this heaping plate of Southern deliciousness from Paschal's Atlanta.

• Spoon: coconut soup with chicken, softshell crabs with Panang curry sauce; chocolate chip blueberry spring rolls with peach dipping sauce. ($25)

• BLT Steak: gazpacho andalou, hanger steak, Georgia peach and almond brioche pudding and as many baskets of their insanely good popovers as I can manage. ($35)

• Il Mulino: rigatoni Bolognese, saltimbocca, Italian cheesecake. ($35)

Others I’d love to try include No Mas! Cantina, Paschal’s Atlanta,  and Sun Dial Restaurant Bar & View because no matter what the menu is, the view is the best in the city.

So check out the site, a few of the menus and book your dinner now. Please note a few of the restaurants are only participating one of the weeks.