• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chef Dennis
  • Recipe Index
  • On the Road
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » On the Road

    My Tour of the Buckhead District of Atlanta #DiscoverATL

    Published: Oct 31, 2016 · Modified: Nov 15, 2021 by Chef Dennis Littley

    2.5K shares
    • Facebook2.5K
    • Yummly

    A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting Atlanta for the first time. I know what you’re saying, how could I have missed visiting one of the most traveled to city in the country? Well, truthfully as many of us have, I’d been to Atlanta on a few occasions. Unfortunately, it was only to change planes in their massive airport.

    SITSum conference in Buckhead section of Atlanta

    Thankfully the folks at Discover Atlanta invited me to visit the Buckhead section of their beautiful city and attend the SITSum Conference for travel bloggers. Not only did I get to attend, I also was asked to speak on Live Streaming.

    Hunger Games President Snow's mansion was the Swan House, #DiscoverATLSITSum conference in Buckhead section of Atlanta

    One of the first sights we were treated to was the Swan House aka President Snow’s Mansion from the Hunger Games. As part of the Atlanta History Center, it gives us a glimpse into lifestyles of the rich and famous circa 1930s era Atlanta.

    Vintage auto at the Swan House at the Atlanta History Center

    “Swan House, traditionally known as one of the most recognized and photographed landmarks in Atlanta, is an elegant, classically styled mansion built in 1928 for the Edward H. Inman family, heirs to a cotton brokerage fortune. The mansion, designed by famed Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Shutze, provides a glimpse into the lifestyle of this Atlanta family during the 1920s and 1930s. Explore the many rooms of this beautifully restored historic house and enjoy gardens, fountains and breathtaking views on the Swan House grounds. We offer a variety of experiences at the Swan House including Open House Experiences and a special Capitol Tour”

    Buford Highway Farmers Market, Buckhead Atlanta

    Walking into Atlanta’s Buford Highway Farmers Market was like walking into a Theme Park for Chefs and Home Cooks. I have never seen such a variety of unique and exotic produce, organic fruits and vegetables at any one location. There were items I’d never seen before  and a diverse meat and seafood department. Experience our world tour – we specialize in all types of authentic ingredients, traditional ethnic cuisine, and hard-to-find items.

    Buford Highway Farmers Market in Buckhead Atlanta

    There were items I’d never seen before and my head was swimming with ideas on how to use each and every one of them! The Buford Farmers Market also has a diverse meat and seafood department. They also specialize in all types of authentic ingredients, traditional ethnic cuisine, and hard-to-find items from around the world. You can find specialties from Korea, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, West Africa, Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Eastern Europe and more.

    With morning sessions, afternoon excursions and nightly dinners we made the most out of our time in Atlanta and although I saw a lot of amazing sites in the Buckhead section of town, we only began to scratch the surface of things to see and do in Atlanta.

    South City Kitchen Buckhead, Atlanta, Fried Green Tomatoes

    Speaking of dining, our group of merry travelers was treated to some best restaurants in the Buckhead section as we got to sample the menus at the ATLAS Buckhead, South City Kitchen and Del Frisco’s.   At South City Kitchen we got to enjoy two of the  Souths greatest culinary contributions, Fried Green Tomatoes and Pimento Cheese. It was a beautiful thing.

    Ponce City Market , Buckhead Atlanta

    Our next day started out with another set of sessions (one in which your’s truly presented on Live Streaming). The sessions were presented at The Ponce City Market and if you’ve never been it’s a must see destination. Once a Sears Roebuck Distribution point, this million plus square foot building has been restored and renewed as a dining and shopping destination, complete with office space, apartments, and its own rooftop amusement park.

    Ponce City Market, Buckhead Atlanta

    “The National Trust for Historic Preservation recognizes Ponce City Market as “History in the making,” and recognizes the project as part of a plan to move Atlanta forward while maintaining and emphasizing the city’s unique history and culture. “

    Ponce City Market, Buckhead Atlanta

    In early 2014, Travel + Leisure ranked Ponce City Market as one the 25 in its list of “The World’s Coolest New Tourist Attractions.”

    With outdoor dining areas like this reimagined space of the original building, it’s easy to see why it has this distinction.

    Ponce City Market Skyline Park, Buckhead Atlanta

    Then of course, there’s the rooftop amusement park, Skyline Park. The site upon which The Sears Roebuck Building was constructed in 1926 was once the site of the famed Ponce de Leon Amusement Park, which was shut down in 1923. The Sears Building still houses the spring which was discovered by Ponce de Leon on his search for the fountain of youth.

    rooftop slide at Ponce City Market, Buckhead Atlanta

    The view from the roof is not to be missed. You can even grab a ride on the slide before checking out the new rooftop bar and restaurant.

    Saint Germain , Buckhead Atlanta

    I had a delicious time trying out a few of the restaurants at lunch time and then enjoyed a backstage tour of the market. One of my favorite stops was the Saint Germain Bakery.

    apricot-danish with cappuccino at Ponce City Market, Buckhead Atlanta

    I had time to enjoy a cappuccino and this OMG delicious Apricot Danish at the Saint Germain Bakery.

    Dior at the Shoppes at Buckhead, Atlanta

    As our tour of the Buckhead section of Atlanta continued we were treated to a champagne toast at Dior located in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. And yes the ladies in our group got to try on original Dior creations.

    Doraku Sushi Buckhead Atlanta

    We ended up having dinner at Doraku Sushi, where sushi chefs capture the flavors of Latin cuisines with the sushi traditions of Japan.

    sake at Doraku Sushi Buckhead Atlanta

    Not only did we get to enjoy traditional sake with our meals, we also got a personal sushi making lesson from the chef .

    short rib sandwich with truffle fries at

    I had a delightful stay at the W Atlanta-Buckhead Hotel and enjoyed one of the best french dip sandwiches I’ve ever had with their signature Short Rib Sandwich with Truffle Fries.

    Cook Hall at W Atlanta-Buckhead

    Cook Hall is beautiful space with ah-mazingly delicious food with fast and friendly service. It’s in the downstairs area of the hotel so its easy to get to and also provides room service.

    At the end of my stay in Atlanta, not only had I been privileged to attend and speak at SITSum, I was wined and dined at some of the best Culinary destinations in Atlanta. I’ve already started planning my next trip to Atlanta and will definitely be bringing Lisa with me so we can see more of this beautiful city.

    More recipes you may enjoy

    • Rack of lamb with two chops on a white cutting board
      Garlic Herb Roasted Rack of Lamb
    • baked meatballs on a white plate.
      Best Baked Italian Meatballs
    • Banana bread sliced on a cutting board.
      Best Banana Bread Recipe
    • slice of french toast casserole with berries and syrup on white plate.
      Easy French Toast Casserole

    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Debra C.

      November 01, 2016 at 2:52 pm

      How fun all of this looks – learning and eating – what a delicious journey!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        November 01, 2016 at 7:37 pm

        It was wonderful Debra, I’m sure you would love Atlanta!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar


    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Fan Favorites

    • loaf of homemade artisan bread on a wooden cutting board
      Almost No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe
    • 2 Maryland crab cakes on a white plate
      Baked Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
    • chicken parm with pasta on a white plate
      Chicken Parmesan Recipe
    • seasoned crispy chicken legs on a foil wrapped tray
      Best Baked Chicken Legs {Drumsticks}
    • side view of slice of bee sting cake being taken out of full cake
      German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) Recipe
    • Tiramisu with a fork on a white plate
      Best Tiramisu Recipe {step by step}
    • overhead view of barbecued half racks of baby back ribs on a white platter
      Easy Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
    • overhead view of veal parm and linguine on a white plate
      Restaurant Style Veal Parm Recipe

    Featured In

    logos of all the places chef dennis has been featured

    Popular Posts

    • crispy seasoned chicken leg quarters on a white platter
      Best Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
    • cropped-Gunniess-Beef-Stew-13.jpg
      Authentic Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
    • overhead shot of baked crab imperial on a white plate with sauteed greens and roasted potatoes
      Maryland Style Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
    • close up of half a chicken salad sandwich on a white plate
      Best Chicken Salad – Deli Style
    • oysters rockefeller with a slice of lemon on a bed of rock salt on a white platter
      How to Make Restaurant Style Oysters Rockefeller
    • sliced dry rub roasted brisket with cilantro and tomatoes on on a white platter
      Easy Oven Baked Beef Brisket Recipe
    • rack of pork with end cut off
      Oven Roasted Rack of Pork {Pork Rib Roast}
    • sliced meatloaf with the rest of meatloaf on a white platter
      Best Meatloaf Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    INFO

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    SUBSCRIBE

    Sign Up Today and start getting my easy-to-make restaurant-style recipes!

    CONTACT

    • About
    • Contact
    © 2009-2023 · Ask Chef Dennis ·

    Proud Member of:
    Mediavine Publisher Network
    2.5K shares
    • 2.5K