March 2024
Features
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The Dining Diva: Christiane Lauterbach dishes on her 40 years as Atlanta magazine’s dining critic
For 40 years, Christiane Lauterbach has been a dining critic for Atlanta magazine. A Parisian by birth, and a single mom raising two daughters, Christiane was tapped by Atlanta to take over dining coverage and reviewing duties soon after she and a group of friends debuted the monthly dining newsletter Knife & Fork in the early 1980s.
Culinary travel: Where to eat while visiting New Orleans
The best form of sensory overload is found in New Orleans, where your eyes try to take in the dizzying rainbow array of shotgun homes and you can’t walk more than one block without hearing jazz playing on the street. The vibrant city may overwhelm with humidity most days of the year, but it’s hard to resist its charms—especially if you’re a food enthusiast.
Culinary travel: Where to eat while visiting Charleston
In 2023, Charleston’s restaurant scene rebounded from a pandemic hangover, energized by longtime members of the culinary community pursuing passion projects, and new arrivals offering fresh perspectives. The growth is grounded in the essential components of Lowcountry cuisine, which occupies a unique spot in place and time.
Culinary travel: Where to eat while visiting Miami
Miami is America’s modern-day melting pot, where immigrants from South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe all exert a profound effect on the city’s culture. The restaurant scene might be the most tangible evidence. Family restaurants offer every type of Latin American and Afro-Caribbean fare, and there are fine-dining establishments that represent these eclectic cuisines. This mix of food is hard to find anywhere else in the U.S. and makes Miami a can’t-miss food destination.
Culinary travel: Where to eat while visiting Dallas/Fort Worth
The buzziest restaurants in DFW often cater to the affluent and exist mainly for being seen. But beneath the region’s soulless tangle, however, a homegrown dining scene shaped by its diverse local communities is quietly thriving. Much like a teenager finding their way in the world, Dallas does best when it stops trying to emulate others.
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The Connector
The competition is fierce for the AJC’s “Best-Dressed Lawmakers”
Maya T. Prabhu launched her “Best-Dressed Lawmakers” list in 2019, a year after joining the AJC as a legislative correspondent. “Best-Dressed Lawmakers” has since become a hotly anticipated event of the legislative session, with elected representatives elbowing fiercely for Prabhu’s favor.
Get lost in Atlanta’s small, independent museums
Small, independent museums like the Madame C.J. Walker Museum dot Atlanta, commemorating underrepresented or unique histories and art. They operate out of storefronts or houses and largely rely on a team of one, who keeps the museum afloat through donations or their day job. At the Walker Museum, Ricci de Forest charges a $7 admission, collects donations, and will sometimes cut hair right there in the museum to help keep things running.
Why is there a giant castle in Helen, Georgia?
In a place where gaps in mountaintop treelines get noticed, the residents of Northeast Georgia watched with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation as the horizon changed its silhouette. Bit by bit, a sprawling, fantastical storybook castle emerged above Helen—complete with a turret and 12 towers, one of which is eight stories high.
Why the Magnolia Open is special to Atlanta figure skaters
The Magnolia Open is one of two local U.S. Figure Skating qualifier events that the Atlanta Figure Skating Club hosts. Every March at Alpharetta’s rink, the Cooler, more than 150 skaters—most of them under 18—participate in the Magnolia Open in categories like European waltz, hoedown variation, and, of course, free skate.
The Bite
The verdict on 3 new Atlanta restaurants: Rina at Avalon, Fluffy Fluffy, and Bar Blanc
Rina takes its Israeli fare to the suburbs, internationally renowned pancakes come to Duluth, and what you’ll find at Little Sparrow’s sleek sister bar.
Things we like: A play on Dunkaroos at the Loews Atlanta Hotel
The Loews Atlanta Hotel’s prime Midtown location gives it a businesslike aura, with corporate guests milling about the lobby. The desserts served within, however, are far from serious. “My approach to desserts, really, is a big kid that’s all grown up,” says Allison Poirier, the hotel’s pastry chef. “I think people nowadays want something nostalgic that tastes good, that looks good, and you obviously eat with your eyes first.”
With the Chai Box, Monica Sunny carries on important traditions
Monica Sunny’s life revolves around the tea. “It was the first thing my mom taught me how to make in India,” she says. “From that moment, I started experimenting on my own and combining different teas and spices to come up with my own custom blends.”
The Goods
The Atlanta Center for Photography takes flight
Atlanta Celebrates Photography has recently reinvented itself, moving away from its focus on the signature festival. Rebranding as the Atlanta Center for Photography, the reimagined organization will feature a more year-round approach.
Miscellaneous
A love letter to the Emory Gamelan Ensemble
No one listens to classical gamelan music for the first time and thinks, “I’ve heard something like this before.” There’s nothing like it.
