Restaurants in Gainesville

The sound of fire. The igniting exhalation before the steady breath of the flame sustains. The heat pulsing steadily outward from the steel grill—you feel it on your glowing face. But the chef looks cool. He’s a master, after all; a flat, metal spatula in one hand and an enormous, sharp knife in the other. Kani House’s teppanyaki tables are no strangers to the action of hibachi, where these chefs entertain their guests before plating seared steak and scallops alongside fresh, sautéed vegetables. The steady sushi masters may not share their compatriots’ outward exuberance, but their work is just as delicious. From behind their long bar, they assemble maki cylinders with tender cuts of fatty tuna and bright salmon, artfully arranging cuts of more than 50 specialty rolls in the shape of gentle caterpillars or fearsome members of the Japanese Diet. Bright bamboo panels and natural stone add to the vibrant ambiance, surrounding diners with dark-wood and nuanced accents that keep the focus on the beauty of excellent cuisine.

Hailing from opposite ends of the country, Chef McDowell from Los Angeles and local culinary guru Chef Raffi team up to craft their Mediterranean menu amid warm, golden hues and live weekend entertainment. Using regional ingredients in many of their dishes, the duo layers flavors to bring their guests a taste of the Mediterranean's signatures, including lamb, polenta, kebabs, and a variety of seafood. As belly dancers shimmy and sparkle between tables each Saturday evening, diners sip wines such as Chateau Ste. Michelle's cabernet sauvignon from the eatery's carefully compiled wine list while savoring a tapas plate of crispy, caramelized pork or an entree of baked, boneless roasted lamb. For special occasions or a simple get-together with friends, the restaurant's patio invites groups to partake in the indulgence of a hookah while relishing the open-air ambiance and cheshire grins of mischievous squirrels.

At Buckhead Pizza Co.'s three locations kitchens bustle as chefs simmer house-made sauce and bake Atlanta-style thin-crust pizzas to a golden brown in 500-degree ovens. They toss fresh regular, whole-wheat, and gluten-free dough and make each pie to order before covering it in signature toppings such as Atlanta steak with caramelized onions and blue cheese. The charming pizzeria also fills cherry-wood tables with crispy flatbreads, calzones, and bubbling pans of lasagna. Diners take a break from the sun and his unreasonable demands for pizza sacrifices under the outdoor patio's awning, enjoying breezy sunset dinners or cocktail hours filled with frosty brews and red and white wines from the full bar.

Since founding Riverside Pizza in Lawrenceville in 1999, Al and Sandy Thompson have expanded their pizzeria business to a total of nine locations across the Atlanta area. The Thompsons oversee each shop, ensuring that pizza chefs top the day's dough with homemade sauce and real cheese grated by real cows. Besides loading pizzas with everything from sausage and mushrooms to barbecue chicken, the Riverside crew assembles roast beef, club, and Italian–style sandwiches alongside caesar and greek salads.

Azar's Natural Foods caravans the Mediterranean to bring back healthy recipes drawing from Spanish, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, and Moroccan lands. The menu includes a vast variety including ample vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and seafood dishes. An earthy and relaxing décor sets the tone to dine on dishes such as maza—an appetizer plate overflowing with hummus, baba gannouj, tabbuli, stuffed grape leaves, plus dip-worthy olives, tomatoes, pickles, pita bread, ($12.95)—and stuffed eggplant, which encapsulates ground beef, pine nuts, and onions under a smooth tomato sauce ($13.95). Other delectable edibles include kebab dinners consisting of two skewers threaded through grilled vegetables ($8.95), chicken ($13.95), beef ($14.95), or a combination of all three ($15.95).

Cheeseburger Bobby’s serves gourmet burgers, fries, and rich frozen custard in a family-friendly atmosphere. Its hamburgers, like all the best American Idol contestants, are fresh, never frozen, and prepared by hand. Bobby’s classic cheeseburgers ($3.99) are always cooked to order. Select your hamburger’s make and model, and then truss it up at the condiment bar, choosing from a variety of fresh veggies. The crispy and crunchy french fries are fresh-cut from Idaho’s finest twice each day. This cabin of comestibles expands potential meatsperiences with options such as the Bobby's BBQ chicken sandwich ($5.39) or jumbo beef hot dog ($2.99). Herbivores can enjoy veggie burgers ($4.89) with fries ($2.39) or onion rings ($2.69).