This so far is my favorite restaurant in Atlanta. Incredible representation of South African cuisine and atmosphere. Part of the restaurant is an outdoor awning with design style very close to a restaurant on the Cape Town coast. Very rustic and breezy. I had the Kingclip fish, indigenous to South Africa, and it was nothing short of amazing – I’ve got to rate it up there with salmon as one of my favorites. My gf had ostrich, which seems like a stretch, but it was equally as tasty. Very fresh concept with exotic food – Love it! The Ferraris usually parked out front don’t hurt either — *****, $$

Caveau is a good escape from Long Street’s chiaroscuro of either uber-pretentious or super-scummy dives… I swear I will never set foot in Miam Miam again but Marvel also grows a little old once you tire of becoming a human bolus being masticated against the gyrating bodies of every tourist and pick-pocket in Cape Town.

Caveau is a breath of fresh air for the city centre, with an urban-rustic feel to it, combining class and elegance with a laid back environment. The design, lay out and mood leave you feeling like you’ve stepped out of Cape Town and discovered a more modern Franschoek. On the three occasions I’ve been there I’ve shared a bottle of their 2004 Spice Route Mourvedre. Accustomed to the Cape’s usual Noble varietals it’s amazing to see how well other cultivars benefit from the Cape’s rich soils. This is a nice big red that has a faint bloody-Maryesque note on the nose. It’s great to see how this Spanish wine has done - bring on Tempranillo!

I’ve had sushi in NY, San Fran, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, and I still keep coming back to Shiki Sushi. The Shiki chefs put incredible creativity and imagination into their craft - their sushi is pure aesthetic perfection with beautiful colors and display complemented by a euphoric taste experience of flavors and textures. Along with its upbeat ambience, Shiki provides the ultimate sensual satisfaction . I love all the new hybrid restaurant lounges starting up that realize dining out is about the complete sensual experience. If ever in the Research Triangle Park, NC, Shiki is a must. Oh ya, and it’s always buy 1 get 1 free! *****, $$

I’m up in NY for a long weekend to see some friends and stopped by a buddies place in Clinton, NJ last night. He took me to this little hole in the wall pizza joint called Pizza Como and I had to write about it because it’s the best pizza I’ve ever had. I grew up in the South where you always hear that the pizza doesn’t compare to up north, and no one ever believes it until they come up here. I’ve learned replicating that perfectly crispy chewy crust and use of simple fresh ingredients is a fine art that only the pizzerias of the tri-state area have mastered. Sure there’s a lot of commercial joints that don’t do it right up north, but when you find a hole in the wall spot like Pizza Como that has family history in Sicilia, Italia, you know its good. 5 stars ($)