Seasonal fare at Staplehouse ATLANTA Located in Atlanta ’s Old Fourth Ward , Staplehouse was the product of a dream held by chef Ryan Hidinger, who passed away in 2014. Under the guidance of his sister, Kara Hidinger, and her husband, chef Ryan Smith, the restaurant opened in 2015 and was quickly revered for its seasonally driven tasting menu. In 2024, it was awarded a MICHELIN star. The restaurant has evolved in the years since opening and now serves a tasting menu at a communal table as well as lunch service in their market and cafe. For Fritchle, the tasting menu is an inspiration with its innovation and seasonal approach found in ever-changing dishes like the oyster with popcorn butter or the wagyu steak with sunchokes. If you can’t catch one of their communal dinners, plan on visiting for lunch when they serve wood-fired pizzas in creative combinations like jamón ibérico, pesto, whipped ricotta, and eight-year balsamic. Whole chicken dinner at Brochu’s Family Tradition SAVANNAH When Annie Coleman, the pastry chef behind Flora and Fauna , moved to Savannah in 2022, she was pleasantly surprised by the food scene. “It’s definitely more robust and has a lot more depth of quality and variety than I was expecting,” she says. Coleman grew up in Beaufort, South Carolina, and had visited Savannah often, but noted that Savannah has grown in the past decade. One of Coleman’s go-to dishes in the city is the chicken dinner at Brochu’s Family Tradition . Found in the Starland District , not far from Flora and Fauna, Brochu’s specializes in golden, crispy fried chicken spiced with chamomile. The whole chicken dinner includes a fried thigh, a charred breast, chicken salad, biscuits, gravy, honey butter, pickles, and a house-made sunchoke hot sauce. “I like that it’s not overly breaded,” says Coleman. “I feel like I’m biting into it and getting chicken in every bite.” 94 #EXPLOREGEORGIA FROM TOP: STAPLEHOUSE, ATLANTA | EXPLORE GEORGIA; BROCHU’S FAMILY TRADITION, SAVANNAH | EXPLORE GEORGIA
Official State Travel Guide 2026 Georgia Official State Travel Guide: Page 94
