[MadIvan]

I think the basic problem is lack of local knowledge.

That's precisely it, I don't know about Atlanta, so I'd make the same mistakes you might make in London. I find when I'm in a foreign city, I have to ask the concierge at the hotel, "Look, where do YOU eat?" ;)

Regards, Ivan

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, next time we come over I will FReepmail you for a list! My daughter will probably be studying in Spain next summer, and if so we will take advantage of that to meet her over there for a couple of weeks in Britain. The beauties of London, rural Sussex, Devon, the Western Highlands, and Edinburgh outweigh ANY food considerations - I'll eat husks like the Prodigal Son if I can just listen to Evensong in St. Paul's . . . :-D

And of course, if you ever find your way to Atlanta give me a buzz. We'll make sure you eat well, whether you prefer old-fashioned Southern cooking or the haute-est of the haute cuisine. Of course, there's always Chez An American Mother . . . I learned from my father, who is practically a professional (my mother on the other hand could burn water) and my company-cooking bibles are Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Marcella Hazan's Classic Italian Cooking. (For day-to-day I rely on the old Irma Rombauer Joy of Cooking. There is no better basic cookbook.)