Hello! We are Kate Hurd and Meenoo Mishra, local Atlanta public health consultants and lovers of good food! We’re excited to welcome you to Atlanta for the American Evaluation Association conference in October. Our city offers many exciting experiences and culinary delights. In this blog, we highlight our favorite neighborhoods in Atlanta and the great food you can find here.
Hot Tips: Atlanta is home to many unique neighborhood where you can find a range of delicious options. One favorite neighborhood for good ethnic eats is Buford Highway. More of a long stretch of road than a neighborhood, both sides of the highway are full of global favorites such as Mexican, Korean, Malaysian, Chinese, and Vietnamese restaurants. This is a bit of a drive, but if you have a car we recommend you don’t miss out! Some favorite picks are:
- El Rey del Taco: Mexican food
- Lee’s Bakery: Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, pho
- Mamak: Malaysian street food, noodles, nasi lemak, and seafood
- Pho Dai Loi #2: Vietnamese pho
- Sokongdong Tofu House: Korean tofu soup, seafood pancakes, barbeque, and bibimbap
- Sweet Hut Bakery and Cafe: Boba teas, cakes, pastries, and other treats. Sweet Hut is in the same shopping plaza as Mamak.
Krog Street Market in Inman Park is another fun and tasty option. It’s a collection of local food stalls, restaurants, and retail shops in a beautiful 1920s warehouse. Notable restaurants are Gu’s Dumplings, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, and Yalla for Mediterranean food. Krog Street Market is a short Uber ride away from the conference and a guaranteed good time!
There are a variety of dining options available downtown near the conference site. With more than 300 restaurants in the area, there truly is something for everyone. Here are some of our favorites!
- Alma Cocina: Contemporary Latin and Mexican cuisine
- Agatha’s – A Taste of Mystery: Murder mystery dinner
- Benihana: Teppanyaki and sushi
- Big Kahuna: Burgers, tacos, and seafood
- BLT Steak: American Steakhouse
- Game-X: A video arcade with food and drink
- Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken: fried chicken and sides
A 15-minute walk from the conference will put you at Sweet Auburn Curb Market in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. Steeped in history, The Curb Market includes produce and meat merchants, a full service bakery, a bookstore, pharmacy, and eleven eateries that includes barbeque and arepas!
Finally, Ponce City Market is a newly restored historic building located in Old Fourth Ward. It is a mixed-use development with several restaurants, a food hall, as well as boutiques and retail shops. Ponce City Market is located 1.5 miles away from the North Avenue Marta Station and there is a free shuttle bus to take you from Marta to the market.
Bon Appetit!
We’re looking forward to October and the Evaluation 2016 annual conference all this week with our colleagues in the Local Arrangements Working Group (LAWG). Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to contribute to aea365? Review the contribution guidelines and send your draft post to aea365@eval.org.