By Serina Patrick

Atlanta’s Westside is exploding! From new restaurants like Abattoir and Miller Union to cutting edge art galleries and futuresque furniture stores, The West Egg and Bacchanalia now have a new slew of gentrified neighbors. Bocado is the latest in the boom. ST and I visited on a Saturday night and found the place packed with a vibrant neighborhood crowd.

The space is bright, spare and fresh with dashes of spring green and deep red set against mostly white walls. Light wood tables and matching mod chairs rest upon the ubiquitous but always cool concrete floors. Only a tiny vase of fresh sage and thyme decorate each table. Stainless steel lamps hang above the central servers’ station from high ceilings with exposed ductwork. The adjacent patio mirrors the space’s simplicity and airy vibe.

Todd Ginsberg, formerly with the Concentrics Restaurants’ culinary team at Tap and Trois, serves as executive chef at Bocado. His invaluable experience at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton solidified his reputation as one of Atlanta’s hottest young chefs. Excited to head up a kitchen in this burgeoning area, Ginsberg says, “The Westside is really a culinary hotspot for new restaurants and new styles of dining, some of which are very unique to the Atlanta dining scene. The people that come to the Westside, in my opinion, have a sophisticated palate and are willing to try new things.”

As seen in the current issue of the Atlanta's Finest Dining Magazine.
Click HERE to read the entire article or pick up a copy at your local stands today!

by Amelia Sanders

For Adam Evans, naming a favorite comfort food can be likened to that unforgettable potato chip ad. It’s hard to eat just one chip—or name just one favorite. 
“It’s a tough question to answer, because I love this style of food,” says the chef de cuisine at Craftbar, which is a part of the Craft family of restaurants owned by Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio. “It’s what I was raised on, and I often crave the flavors of a nice pot of chili, fried chicken, chicken fried steak or meatloaf.” And then there’s chicken and dumplings, which Evans has fondly labeled the “ultimate Southern-style comfort food.”
“It’s so simple, but it brings back great memories of my grandma,” he adds. 
Here’s more of what Evans had to say during a recent chat with Atlanta’s Finest Dining about good food and Craftbar.
Q: Do you cook in your free time, or do you get your fill during the workday?
A: I often cook at home, because it’s relaxing. I usually make things that are simple and easy, such as soups.
Q: What is your all-time favorite dish to cook?
A: Right now, I’m trying to perfect barbecue pork ribs. After competing in Memphis as a part of the “Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe” team last year and not winning “best ribs,” I have become sort of obsessed with producing the perfect ribs.

As seen in the current issue of the Atlanta's Finest Dining Magazine.
Click HERE to read the entire article or pick up a copy at your local stands today!

by Jessica Holthaus

The first time you meet the Murphy family, you immediately get a sense that they are good people; kind people with big hearts. These qualities shine through from the moment you shake hands (or get a hug) from either parent—or any one of their 22 children.

Over the last two decades, John and Jeanette Murphy have gained notoriety as community heroes for a rather unusual cause: adopting medically fragile children with special needs. The couple came together while volunteering at a home for mentally handicapped adults, where they were saddened no one was teaching any life skills.

After they married, they came to believe a strong family environment could benefit children with mental and emotional handicaps; however, finding a group home that provided that kind of environment proved difficult. That’s when they decided to start adopting their own. And once they started with one, they kept getting phone calls about more.

Since their first adoption in 1983, John and Jeanette have opened up their hearts and home to 24 adoptees total—on top of having four biological children. “We never went out looking for more,” Jeanette explains, “But when we got a call, we both knew when to say yes.” And while sibling rivalry is common in most households, the Murphy kids have always been excited about getting a new brother or sister.

As seen in the current issue of the Piedmont Review. Click HERE to read the entire article or pick up a copy at your local stands today!