Local Flavor
For these Atlanta-based restaurants, place is key to craft
by Angela Hansberger
A restaurant’s profound sense of place elevates mere cooking to an art form; food feels most authentic when rooted in and redolent of a particular geography. At these restaurants in and around Atlanta, chefs are delivering global flavors through a regional lens.
Tucked away on Decatur Square, Fawn beckons with the intimate allure of a clandestine discovery. Dark and moody, it is a haven for seafood where the atmosphere feels both hushed and intensely vibrant. It’s a place for snacks and for culinary thrill seekers of the restaurant’s inventive tasting menu called the Sandbar. The succinct yet imaginative menu whispers a dialogue between Italian coastal traditions and the pristine purity of Nordic cuisine driven by relationships with local farmers and fisheries.
For his third Atlanta restaurant, Chef Terry Koval uses French techniques to interpret seafood dishes, while holding to his dedication to local ingredients and small-scale producers; photograph by Morgan Wagoner
Dry-aged fish, such as sorghum-cured salmon belly, features in carefully considered dishes. Each one is a miniature tableau, showcasing a mastery of texture and fearless exploration by James Beard Best Chef Southeast Award winner Terry Koval and Chef de Cuisine Kyle Campisi, who take eaters on a journey into the unexpected. Complementing the inventive fare is a focused list of volcanic wines, mineral-driven to enhance the briny nuances of the sea. Beverage director Matt Watkins scours the world to enhance the ever-growing amaro list that is by far the largest in the city, their flavors used in complex and balanced cocktails.
19 E Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA. fawnwineamaro.com
At fawn, experience a mastery of texture and fearless exploration by James Beard Best Chef Southeast Award winner Terry Koval and Chef de Cuisine Kyle Campisi; photography by morgan wagoner
Stepping inside this Inman Park bistro, you are easily transported to a French café with marble-topped tables and bar, blue-and-white woven bistro chairs, and the charming, tiled patio humming with conversation, lit by a neon merci sign. Yet, the spices wafting from the kitchen tell a deeper story. This is classic French technique through a vibrant African lens, specifically the soulful flavor of Haiti.
Inspired by his great-grandmother, Chef Demetrius Brown kindled his fire for cooking at an early age. He now weaves his rich heritage into the diverse flavors of Bread & Butterfly’s soulful cuisine; photograph courtesy of Bread & Butterfly
Born with Trinidadian and West African heritage, Chef Demetrius Brown’s menu is more homecoming than fusion, spanning countries and continents with dishes like djon-djon with Carolina Gold rice, peas, and local mushrooms. Epis—a flavor base made similarly to sofrito—marinates tender braised beef and oxtail in the hearty soup Joumou, the comfort bowl of Haitian resilience, which celebrates independence from France. Lush spoonfuls go well with plantain buns with whipped Georgia pecan butter. More traditional French fare covers lunch and breakfast menus, but dinnertime is when the former Heritage Supper Club chef plates a taste of the diaspora with an inviting embrace of Southern hospitality.
290 Elizabeth St, Atlanta, GA. bread-and-butterfly.com
A French café, Bread & Butterfly reflects the Trinidadian and West African background of its executive chef and co-owner, Demetrius Brown. His cocktail program includes a Haitian Mule (right); photography courtesy of bread & Butterfly
Minhwa Spirits is a soul-stirring destination where heritage and cutting-edge creativity intertwine. A word meaning “ancient Korean folk art,” used as an expression of joyous occasion and to ward off evil, Minhwa is more than a spirits business and restaurant. It’s a vibrant cultural incubator, a bridge between tradition and innovation.
Minhwa Spirits, owners Ming Han Chung (left) and James Kim (right); photograph courtesy of Minhwa Spirits
An exterior mural by Korean American artist Julia Chon welcomes visitors with a stunning depiction inspired by the Korean folklore creation story of a bear woman. The artistry stands sentinel over the restaurant’s modern culinary exploration. Created as a jumak, a Korean rest stop with alcohol, food, and storytelling, Minhwa combines the distillery’s spirits (soju, makgeolli, and gin); Postern, an Asian American coffee shop; and the bold Korean American bar food of Chef Lino Yi. Cocktails include Mama’s Backyard Garden, a clarified gem with soju, gin, cucumber lime cordial, and perilla leaf. It’s a place where every dish, from BBQ mandu to bulgogi hoagies and cold spicy somen noodles, and every spirit, tells a story. It’s a future heirloom being forged under the watchful eyes of benevolent protectors.
2421 Van Fleet Circle, Doraville, GA. minhwaspirits.com
At Minhwa Spirits, owners Ming Han Chung and James Kim craft rice-based spirits soju and makgeolli and complement them with a small menu including rice and noodle dishes along with a handhelds like a KFC sandwich; photography courtesy of Minhwa Spirits
This story appears in our Fall 2025 issue.
