The Optimist

This exceptional seafood restaurant has garnered awards and recognitions over the years, rightly earning the favor of Atlanta's residents. Fisherman and cook, Adam Evans is the executive chef of The Optimist, where he promotes sustainable cooking. The menu features a bevy of seafood choices from Maine lobster, fresh caught octopus, halibut, shrimp, mahi mahi, as well as West and East coast...

Inspired by the classic fish camp, although substantially upscaled, The Optimist offers a sophisticated yet casual ambience in two operations: a restaurant and an adjacent raw bar that stays open until all sated guests have departed. Here you’ll find a late plate of raw or wood-roasted oysters. Omit the fancy fixings and stick to lemon wedges. The bar's noise levels are friendlier than in the...

Atlanta native Eli Kirshtein is one of the hottest names in the city's restaurant scene right now. His French-American brasserie, The Luminary, was the first restaurant to open in Krog Street Market, and it's already filling up quickly for dinner service. As a teenager, Kirshtein spent the early days of his cooking career working under Atlanta icons such as Kevin Rathbun and Richard Blais, and...

Another day, another publication throwing praise at Atlanta's dining scene. Southern Living's Jennifer V. Cole hit the road to determine the 10 best new restaurants in the South, and Kimball House tops the list. But the Decatur favorite isn't the only local restaurant honored. Athens's Cinco y Diez comes in at No. 9, and among Cole's overall list of favorites are Bacchanalia, Empire State...

WESTSIDE — As part of the Kula Project's #ForTheFarmer campaign, on Thursday, August 14, The Optimist will donate 20 percent of its sales to a Rwandan coffee farmer and her family. Maria, the farmer, was the only child of eight in her family to survive genocide in Rwanda, and left school early during the conflict. The money raised will allow her to get a high school education in order to help...

From Maine sea scallops and whole-roasted Georgia trout to garlicky clams and fresh oysters flown in from the East and West coasts, executive chef Adam Evans serves high-quality and sustainable seafood from the country's best suppliers. An extensive selection of beer, wine, and handcrafted cocktails pair with hickory-roasted fish and raw oysters alike. Beach-food classics like hush puppies and...