Billy Allin’s restaurant near Decatur’s main square is a leading example of New Southern cuisine, with seasonal products and decor that wipes away proof of the space’s former life as a medical lab. Expect wood floors, cushioned booths, art lines walls and a blue-grey color scheme. Cakes & Ale is no Italian restaurant, but Chef Allin still incorporated bright citrus, fennel pollen and sharp molten Pecorino into his Arancini, which sport crispy brown panko crusts.

Billy Allin’s adjacent bakery-cafe contains banquette and counter seating and a jam packed pastry display that’s truly inspiring. I filled a box to take on the plane back to L.A., including earthy Sweet Potato Pumpkin Bar that was basically a pie in bar form, with earthy “filling,” a dollop of gooey marshmallow and candied ginger.

Three Romanian electrical engineers with a passion for coffee own this coffeehouse in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. They’ve got premium equipment at their disposal, including a La Marzocco espresso machine and four-cone pourover bar. Condesa started with Intelligentsia, but switched to Counter Culture in 2011. I tried cold brew, espresso and pourover, and my favorite sips were of the Gloria Tejada Microlot from Popayan, Colombia, a lighter, brighter pourover coffee. Since coffee is seasonal, this particular coffee may be gone by the time you visit, but based on my experience, I’m confident you’ll still get good cup.