Fork In The Road Upscale in Atlanta: Terrace on Peachtree

Story and photos by Kathleen Walls

The Ellis Hotel with a view of the balcony of Terrace on Peachtree

There is lots of fine dining in downtown Atlanta but if you are looking for something just a cut above, try the Terrace on Peachtree. It's "up" in every sense of the word. Located on the second floor of the prestigious Ellis Hotel, it provides inside seating as well as terrace dining overlooking historic Peachtree Street.

The basic concept is that nutritious and healthful can also be delicious and filling. Most of the dishes are created with natural or organic foods. Even better for freshness--and the local farmers-- as much as possible is locally grown. The chef visits the local farmers market regularly. Other locally-grown food is delivered to the restaurant. The result, you get FRESH food not processed.

That special crabcake

For instance, when you order the Enchanted Springs Georgia Mountain Trout , you know that fish was swimming in a cool stream recently not sitting in some food distributor's freezer. It's served with vegetables that a nearby Georgia farmer just harvested. Or the Terrace Crab Cake which is served with Locally Grown Sweet Water Farm Baby Greens,that are grown hydroponically on a family farm,Sweetwater Growers located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's blessed with a Creole Mustard Sauce to die for. It's all prepared by an experienced chef who views each meal as a work of art.

Confort food can be pretty too

There are several upscale dishes but you can get good down-home food here too. Kettle Macaroni & Cheese served with Sparkman's Georgia Cream, Blackberry Farms Sheep's Cheese is about as comfort food as you can get. Then there is that alll-time-favorite comfort food, Preserved Organic Tomato Soup served with a small grilled cheese. How comforting is that!

That's a breakfast that will please anyone

Breakfast is just as special as dinner and lunch. You can choose from a simple Steel-Cut McCain's Irish Oatmeal With Brown Sugar and Dried Fruit or for an exotic touch, Crème Brulee French Toast kissed with a touch of real maple syrup. Even their regular bacon and eggs meal is special here. It's called Terrace American Breakfast. Your two eggs, cooked your way, are from free-roaming chickens that live on a farm not a factory. The bacon is smoked slowly over apple wood. The ham or homemade sausage is equally fantastic. The grits is another story of locally produced excellence. It comes from Logan's Turnpike Mill near Blairsville, Georgia. I've been to that mill and seen fresh grain ground with water-power turning those huge stones (See my Off the Beaten Path article for another great mill) and I'll guarantee no modern machinery produces anything like that grain. Sure you can have potatoes but this is the south. Try the grits. Of course you get toast and fresh butter to go with it.

Assistant Chef Chevis Ellis enjoys her job

So next time you are visiting downtown Atlanta and considering a fatty hamburger or a high carb sub, think again. Think Terrace on Peachtree and treat yourself to something a cut above.

Contact information:

Terrace on Peachtree
176 Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
(678) 651-2770
terrace@ellishotel.com