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One. Midtown Kitchen
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One. Midtown Kitchen may look like the title of a poem by e e cummings, but it's actually a sexy renovated warehouse with skyline views. No entrée tops $19, yet Chef Kevin Reilly makes earthy griddled goat cheese and whole roasted snapper taste like a million bucks. Owner Bob Amick's affordable boutique wine list hits just four price points ($18, $28, $38 and $48) and offers everything by the glass or half-glass. Gems include a floral Christian Lauverjat Sancerre and a supple '99 Larkmead Firebelle from Napa.
- Suzanne Wright
One. Midtown Kitchen, 559 Dutch Vly. Rd., Atlanta, GA; 404-892-4111.
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Nam
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Nam is a feast for the eyes. Atlanta's first upscale Vietnamese restaurant is swaddled in gossamer drapes and bathed in a ruby hue from slinky light sculptures. Servers in silvery gowns patiently coach first-timers on the proper way to eat the restaurant's signature rice flour tamales wrapped in banana leaves. The 30-bottle wine list is succinct but captivating: Clean, bright whites like Austrian grüner veltliner from Domäne Wachau and unwooded chardonnay from Australian Trevor Jones shine alongside spicy clay pot catfish and tamarind soft-shell crabs, while spicy reds like Domaine du Grand Montmirail's spunky Gigondas find a soul mate in Nam's take on the "shaking" filet mignon (made famous by San Francisco's The Slanted Door). No desserts are offered, but the tropical flavors of Vignobles Lorgeril's Viognier de Pennautier make a fine substitute at meal's end.
- Bill Addison
Nam, 931 Monroe Dr., Suite A-101, Atlanta, GA; 404-541-9997
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Sampan
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Sampan strives to take the guesswork out of pairing wine with modern Chinese cuisine. Master Sommelier Michael McNeill has coupled each entree with a precise, by-the-glass match. The easygoing, aromatic Domaine de la Terre Rouge's 2002 Enigma draws out the subtle smokiness of lobster in creamy black bean sauce. Steak in peppercorn-mushroom sauce finds a feisty partner in a tempranillo from Mapema in Argentina. With the wine puzzle solved, the other beguiling aspect of a meal at Sampan remains the dining room, a haunting collage of glass and mirrors that evokes the settings of Sean Connery-era James Bond flicks.
- Bill Addison
Sampan, 1198 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta, GA; 404-367-8333; sampanrestaurant.com
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