Restaurants in Alpharetta

Steve Masri is a busy man. If you followed him around for a day, you might find the chef and owner of Olive Bistro hand picking fresh salad greens and high-quality olive oil, lamb, and imported tahini to incorporate into his Old-World family recipes. Masri—who, according to a 2010 review by Meridith Ford Goldman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was born in Sardinia and raised in Israel—works hard to honor his heritage with dishes such as from-scratch hummus and fragrant rosemary chicken. But he also adds his own signature twists, including the daily ravioli special and a tomato-basil sauce that replaces traditional marinara in his moussaka and lasagna.

And Masri's dedication has paid off. His pair of intimate bistros were on CBS Atlanta's 2012 list of the Best Mediterranean Cuisine in Atlanta, and Cliff Bostock of Creative Loafing Atlanta was one of several reviewers to recommend the falafel, saying that it has "no equal in the city." The Midtown location earned three Best of Citysearch awards in 2008 for its salads, sandwiches, and small plates. The bistros' outdoor patios make ideal spots to chat with friends over shared meze and a bottle of wine, or construct a replica of the Parthenon out of sliced eggplant.

The Red Hen's menu offers an extensive array of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, classics, and exploratory creations. Breakfast (which is served all day) hatches out of eggs benedict topped with hollandaise sauce ($8.59) or crustless artichoke and cheddar quiche served with toast or an English muffin ($7.99). Griddle grub includes classic french toast (made with fresh challah bread, $6.99) or the creative sweet-potato waffles (with a dollop of whipped cinnamon butter, $6.79). For lunch, visit green pastures with a crisp salad ($6.59–$6.99) or layered sandwich such as the Red Hen club with turkey, Monterey jack, bacon, tomato, and arugula on sourdough ($8.79). Amidst the deli meat creations, there are also vegetarian options including a portabella burger ($8.59).

Natural light streams through wide, white-draped windows, dappling the open, airy space of tables and booths at Nancy G's. While relaxing in the casual and friendly atmosphere, diners can peruse the menu for brunch, lunch, and dinner fare made with a mama's love and a traveling carnival's panache. Brunch, the Minotaur of the meal universe, is a simple affair. Try the classic eggs benedict ($8.95), the buttermilk pancakes ($5.95), or two buttermilk biscuits served with sausage gravy and two eggs any style ($7.95). Because breakfast has long been an excuse to eat dessert as a meal, Nancy G's crafts a delectable, homemade blueberry topping ($1.95) made from macerated blueberries and ricotta cheese to tastefully top waffles, pancakes, and French toast.

Food 101 enters its 10th year under the leadership of Executive Chef Justin Keith, whose passage through the Scottsdale Culinary Institute has inspired a passion for beautifully articulated food creations. Test your cravings against Chef Keith's seasonally-changing dinner menu, which starts with snack-sized portions of Marcona almonds and house-made pickles ($3 each), alongside appetizer rounds of citrus-cured salmon and Sonoma duck prosciutto ($4). James River cherrystone clams with artichoke hearts and Spanish chorizo ($12) and a study of beets, a trio of raw, salt-roasted, and pickled beets in goat cheese, orange oil, and mint ($7) continue the pre-feast. The entree bell sounds to the enticing aromas and tangible tastes of Georgia wild shrimp & grits, a heaping plate complemented by andouille sausage, okra, and caramelized onions in a roasted-tomato gravy ($17), while cylindrically inclined diners can bask in the geometry of the Kobe-beef-brisket burrito with cilantro-lime slaw and queso fresco ($18).

With a no-nonsense approach to barbecue brilliance, the menu at One Star Ranch provides barbecue appetizers and barbecue sides next to barbecue meats covered in barbecue sauces. Kick off the Q with a half-tub of onion rings ($4.99) or a platter of 20 wings ($14.99); then, ignite the rib flight with a regular order of pork ribs ($11.99), a half slab of baby-back ribs ($13.99), or a heartily stacked regular plate of One Star Ranch's signature beef ribs ($16.99). Full of meaty hunkaliciousness, the generously portioned ribs allow hands and mouths to happily tug from the bone in pursuit of the napkin-laden finish line. All rib orders, barbecue chicken orders, and barbecue plates come with two sides. Side dishes include Brunswick stew, baked beans, coleslaw, green beans, corn on the cob, and jalapeño cornbread, all made daily from scratch and scientifically designed to complement the flavors of the ribbery’s mouthwatering sauce.

Begin a flavorfully peripatetic meal by meandering like Odysseus through Veranda's $5 tapas menu and slaying calamari, capsizing xtapodi (citrusy char-grilled octopus), spearing Aegean skewers (scallops, shrimp, salmon, zucchini, and plum tomatoes), mispronouncing kolokithokeftedes (two golden zucchini cakes with feta crème), and heroically defending your tongue against the onslaught of potato croketes (croquettes with melted-cheese centers). A gyro platter ($14.95) or lamb souvlaki ($13.95) keeps traditions hot. Or rewrite classics with a beefy three-skewer plate ($13.95) and a mixed-grill order (lamb and pork chops with a chicken kebab, $23.95). No trip to the Aegean would be complete without an order of baklava ($5), so take the opportunity to bestow your tongue with its Hellenic richness. This Groupon is also valid for Veranda's bountiful lunch buffet.