Atlanta

Persian Immersion

If you've never tried Persian food before, you're missing a whole world of flavor. Even if you're the meat-and-potatoes-type, Rumi's Kitchen serves food infused with a warm blend of spices that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Saffron, anyone? Good stuff. For starters, make a reservation. This place will get packed, especially on weekends. On a similar note, this is fine dining, so do everyone a favor and trade in your jeans and fleece for some nicer frocks. Once you're seated at the table, order up the staple helping of hummus (known here as Rumi's dip) and try the Dolmeh. Meat=good. Warm grape leaves=why not? Sweet and sour pomegranate sauce=yes, please! Seriously, the main courses are delicious, but they are undoubtedly outshined by the incredibly delectable array of appetizers. So take a few bites of your Cornish hen or rack of lamb and save half (plus the pound of Basmati rice that it's served with) for lunch tomorrow, because you cannot bypass dessert. Saffron ice cream with pistachios is pure delight; there's a reason they don't sell this for $3.95 a gallon at Publix. Rumi's is elegant indulgence in its purest form.

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Restaurants • Sandy Springs (North)

Break Out the (Kosher) Bubbly

A decent tax return. Your in-laws moving to Boca. A colonoscopy with good results. There's pretty much always a reason to celebrate. And why not rejoice the way our starving ancestors did--with food. That's right, a good ol' festive meal with your choice of bagel or Bubbe. Bagel Break is Sandy Springs' resident kosher eatery. Any day of the week (with the natural exception of Friday, sundown to Saturday, sundown) you'll rub elbows with a local Rabbi, Uncle Sy, or perhaps even the Reillys (they've recently converted). Sundays are especially packed around brunch, and you may have to wait a while for your nova with capers. So why eat here? Where else in Atlanta are you going to go for golden-fried latkes and a sweet taste of rugelach? New York is a two-hour plane ride away.

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Restaurants • Sandy Springs (North)

Sushi, Insurmountable!

Veterans and amateurs of the wonderful world of nigiri and sashimi will appreciate the ultimate freshness and raw goodness of Sushi Mio. To the untrained eye, this quiet restaurant is easily missed amongst the franchises that have taken over Roswell Road. But to the seeker of sake, this sushi spot is a must. While the covered windows and neon sign give off an uncanny resemblance to Johnny Hideaway's, the presentation and quality of the bento boxes and rice bowls are sure to impress. For those with a raw fish phobia, Sushi Mio will please your palette with a plethora of fully cooked teriyaki and stir-fry dishes. But seriously, if you're craving cooked food, stay home and order in from your local takeout. This is as fresh and delicious as sushi gets... when you're four hours from the nearest ocean. And though they may serve some of the best in Atlanta, their math skills are a little below par. So check your tab carefully as you nibble on that last lingering piece of ginger. An error caught may be as fresh as the fish.

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Restaurants • Sandy Springs (North)

Fit For A Sultan

For most Persian cuisine, you’ll pay a pretty penny. Thankfully, we can now spare the pricey fare and still indulge in Iranian delights at Persepolis’ lunch buffet. For $11.99, it’s an all-you-can-eat extravaganza of salads, rice, stews, kebabs, and the ever-omnipresent meat-of-choice… lamb. While the obvious route would be to stock up your stomach on the shanks and skewers of meat, don’t skip out on the rice. This isn’t your everyday make-in-a-minute recipe. These basmati dishes are strategically crafted with vegetables, spices, and berries that tickly your tongue with a warm and unexpected taste. The hot flatbread with feta cheese and mint is also not to be missed. Or the sticky goodness of the baklava. You know what–just keep refilling your plate. Everything is good. And while you might not know what you’re eating, Zimmern’s law states that if it looks good, eat it.

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Restaurants • Sandy Springs (North)

Get Your Persi-an. Get It? PURR-ZHAN.

Belly dancing and loud music, what more you could you ask for in the heart of Sandy Springs? Refined, affordable, and full of Persians, Mirage offers dishes fit for a Persian prince/king/slave, what have you. For the best possible experience, follow this five-step dinner plan: • The Flatbread comes with butter. Go beyond–a little feta and some fresh mint leaves go a long way down flavor lane. • Beef. It’s the other red meat. Here, lamb rules the menu from the mighty shank to the team of juicy kebabs. • Shireen Polo mixed rice dish–basmati at its best. • Savor the flavor–wait for it–there’s always more than one. • The more the merrier–order several dishes for your table to share. You’ll never run out of rice options, and the full experience requires that you engage your full palette.

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Restaurants • Sandy Springs (North)

2 Nail Chicks

When my dogs get to barking, there is no place in the city that can cure my little puppies like the ladies at 2 Nail Chicks. Please don’t get it twisted, this is not your average, run of the mill strip mall nail “shop”. This is a nail salon or better yet, a nail SPA, that transforms you from the inside out, one little piggy and bitten off fingernail at a time. Space is limited but intimate so that each experience is personal and fun. The owners and nail technicians, Tracey Manor and Nakia Williams treat every customer like long lost sisters (or brothers). If you are ready for a retreat for your feet, and a zinger to your fingers, you need to go see 2 Nail Chicks.

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Shopping • Sandy Springs (North)

Naked Clay Studio

Ever had a case of the artistic itch? It doesn’t rear its head as frequently as the common cold, and usually this condition is only contracted a couple of times a year, primarily on rainy Sunday afternoons. To cure symptoms, simply head over to Naked Clay Studio and paint yourself into a better and, well…itch-free. Deprived of the artistic bone or think your goldfish could paint with more skill? No worries. This isn’t the Sistine Chapel—it’s a palace of pre-fired pieces ranging from uniquely shaped plates to scary-happy puppies that merely require a few coats of paint. Actually, your goldfish probably could demonstrate some mad skills here. So relax, pick a nice color, and even if it does suck, odds are, to the naked eye it’ll still be considered art.

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Shopping • Sandy Springs (North)

The Punchline

Atlanta The Punchline has consistently been Atlanta’s best spot for stand-up comedy. Located off Roswell Road, I highly recommend checking the local papers or the website to find out which act is playing before you decide to go. The club almost always has a headlining performer, and is also nationally known as the ‘Atlanta stop’ on the tour circuit. Don’t be fooled by the dilapidated look of the building (which is somewhere between a strip club and a closed-down restaurant). Jerry Seinfeld played there. So did David Cross and Lewis Black. Although shows start late occasionally, the seating is at weird angles, so arrive early (unless you’re resigned to watching the act through a video monitor). There’s plenty of parking and I’ve never been disappointed by the showcase. The Punchline makes a great date spot, as well as a memorable weekend diversion. Additionally, it can be inexpensive compared to some of Atlanta’s other weekend comedy venues, but you may end up drinking more than you bargain for once you see the bar’s surprisingly reasonable beer prices.

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Nightlife • Sandy Springs (North)