“To me, I’m proud of this, because it shows Atlanta as a metropolitan city.” — Richard Blais, Winner of Top Chef All Stars, on Buford Farmers Market

Anthony Bourdain is an author, chef, and food show host. He is known for travelling the world and showing viewers not just food, but the stories and culture that go along with it. He has a casual, honest, edgy, sometimes raunchy mode of expression. There’s a show called the Layover where he spends between 24 and 48 hours in a city to explore that town’s (food) scene.

In the 43 minute episode below, we go to the Empire State of the south, Georgia, and explore Atlanta, a city I’ve always been fascinated with for its rich history going from Confederate South to key battleground in the the Civil Rights Movement, to now burgeoning metropolis with people from all over the world who have come seeking opportunity and are making it happen.

Some things of interest:

(1) Highway 285 forms a perimeter around the city and divides the city’s population into those who are OTP (outside the perimeter) and those who are ITP (inside the perimeter). Members of the two groups generally keep to their area and ITP is pretty much where the action is.

(2) Buford Highway: a six mile long stretch known to be Atlanta’s international zone. It’s home to the famous Buford Highway Farmers Market, a massive 100,000 square foot grocery store housing ingredients from all over the planet.

(3) Southern Hospitality is apparently all over the place. One really just needs to go to know for sure.

(4) Tailgates on Gameday

(5) Holeman & Finch, Home Grown, and Northern China Eatery all look like amazing places to eat.

Holeman & Finch Public House in Buckhead
Image Credit: Holeman & Finch / Beall & Thomas

Home Grown in Reynoldstown

Northern China Eatery on Buford Highway

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