Hot 'Lanta brings cool back

REFUEL

•Just the thought of a Southern diner makes us loosen our belt buckles, but Home Grown may change all that. This hipster diner in Reynoldstown lets you trade your sausage biscuit for a salmon patty and bacon for fresh fruit. The breakfast crowd includes police officers who are finishing up night shifts. 404-222-0455; homegrownga.com

•When Kevin Rathbun beat Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, he proved what Atlantans already knew: The guy can flat-out cook. At Rathbun's, his flagship restaurant in Inman Park, he wows diners with crispy duck breast with Thai risotto or Maine lobster and roasted green chile soft taco. The atmosphere is industrial-chic. The wine list is impressive, but you can bring your own without a cork fee. A caveat? Rathbun gets to have the first glass. 404-524-8280; rathbunsrestaurant.com

•Despite its chalkboard menu and rustic farmhouse tables, Cakes & Ale, in Decatur Square, has made almost every list of Atlanta's top restaurants. Perhaps it's because chef/owner Billy Allin uses only the best ingredients from sustainable farms, ranches and fisheries. His resulting dishes -- pork loin, salsa verde, giant lima beans and roasted onion and turnips -- are what make life good. If you want to eat here like a local, forgo a table and sit at the wide bar. 404-377-7994; cakesandalerestaurant.com

•This former gas station, Leon's Full Service in Decatur, has a bar opening onto a charming patio, where locals sip Allagash White beer and cool cocktails such as the Old Timer (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, sassafras, honey, angostura bitters). Fine fare includes pub frites served with one of 14 dipping sauces. Don't miss small bites such as bacon in a glass with peanut butter for dunking. 404-687-0500; leonsfullservice.com

•Scott Serpas is in the kitchen at Serpas in Old Fourth Ward. He combines Creole, Southwestern and Asian fusion. Start with pigs in a blanket with house-made andouille. Then try crispy duck confit. Finish with beignets and espresso. The atmosphere: "warehouse chic" (huge dining room with exposed pipes) with business types and pre-clubbing revelers. 404-688-0040; serpasrestaurant.com

STEP OUT

•Opened in 1910 as an actual tabernacle, this live-music venue in the heart of downtown lets you get very close to such artists as Lenny Kravitz and Counting Crows. That's because general-admission floor tickets at The Tabernacle let you elbow your way to the stage. You also can snag a seat on one of the balconies (first come, first served). 404-659-9022; tabernacleatl.com

•With more than 430 kinds of beer, this hip joint in Little Five Points has a brew for everyone, including locavores who swear by Georgia-based Terrapin ale. The Porter Beer Bar also has a decent menu of cocktails and wines. Soak up your drinks with such innovative pub grub as salt and vinegar popcorn and Georgia wild shrimp and grits. If your head hurts the next morning, return for a "hair of the dog" brunch menu. 404-223-0393; theporterbeerbar.com

•Sleeker than a bar but softer than a club, The Sound Table in Old Fourth Ward is bringing sexy back to downtown. The inventive cocktail list has four subheads: Sours and Citrus; Flips and Fizz; Strong, Rich and Strange; and Bright and Dry. If you want a late dinner, try the oxtail tacos. DJs spin retro beats at a decibel level that still allows for conversation. The long bar glows under the dimmest of pendant lights while well-heeled Atlantans make eyes at one another other. 404-835-2534; thesoundtable.com

GET CULTURED

•In Atlanta, if a drink is brown, fizzy and sweet, the only thing we call it is "Coke." What's more, we have a whole museum honoring the stuff: World of Coca-Cola. Check out the vault where Coca-Cola's secret formula is kept. Try more than 60 kinds of Coke products served around the world. Mix them together to create your own "Coke-tail." 404-676-5151; worldofcoca-cola.com

•The Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest and the city's top tourist attraction. Through the "Journey with Gentle Giants" program, anyone can snorkel (or scuba, if you're certified) in a pool with whale sharks. And during the "Beluga & Friends" program, guests can pet, feed and even hug the aquarium's four beluga whales. 404-581-4000; georgiaaquarium.org

INSIDER TIP

Atlanta deservedly gets a bad rap for its patchy public transportation options, but MARTA actually covers a lot of ground downtown. Check out MARTA's route map (itsmarta.com/rail-schedules-or-route.aspx) to see whether you can get to your destination by rail instead of driving and paying for pricey parking.