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Dubbed the disappearing chef, last year Peter Chang was the subject of lengthy pieces by Calvin Trillin in the New Yorker and Todd Kilman in the Oxford American. Trillin and Kilman are participant-observers of the cult of “Changians” — fans who’ve followed the peripatetic Chang from an unassuming strip center spot in Fairfax, Va.

First Look: Ponce gets a new tavern, with hearty starters, burgers & entress, and a well-curated list of craft beers.

Deckard’s Kitchen & Kegs on Ponce de Leon Avenue is the brainchild of Matt Deckard, longtime executive chef for Taco Mac and the creator of the bar menu at The Fred, the Sandy Springs underground speakeasy. Deckard’s Taco Mac ties are evident in a tavern-style menu that features hearty starters, burgers, sandwiches and entrees, and a well-curated list of craft beers, value wines and culinary cocktails.

Rosa’s Pizza in Johns Creek is the newest spinoff of the popular, family-owned joints in Atlanta and Marietta. Thin crust, New York-style pizza served by the slice or whole pie at budget-friendly prices has made the downtown location a favorite for more than 20 years.

Like Houston’s, a similar upscale casual chain that specializes in steaks and other classic American fare, Village Tavern seems to be riding out the vexations of the current economy in fine fashion. On a recent weeknight, the Alpharetta location (metro Atlanta’s one and only) was so crowded and cacophonous that bartenders, servers and customers in the bar section had to shout to be heard above the din.

Serving up spicy Trinidad and Tobago cuisine, Tassa Roti Shop has found a loyal following among Marietta residents with Caribbean roots. But chef-owner Ria Edoo says people come from all over metro Atlanta, and as far away as Tennessee, to sample her righteous cooking.

In a recent Best of the Big A vote, Mamas’s Pizza in Alpharetta was the readers' choice for best pizza in metro Atlanta, beating out such big buzz spots as Antico Pizza Napoletana and Varasano’s Pizzeria. A surprise, maybe. But those who consider it tops cite Mama’s old school New York-style pies, simple mom-and-pop atmosphere and budget prices.

The name conjures a welcoming mom-and-pop place that serves budget-priced Caribbean food. And that’s pretty much what Cuban Diner in Marietta is all about.

Lucky’s Burger & Brew has been open for just a little more than a month, but it already has the friendly feel of a neighborhood hangout. The inexpensive menu is mostly bar food, simply cooked and presented with a bit of fun. And the atmosphere strikes a balance between contemporary and comfortable.

That much-abused word, eclectic, is one way to describe Isabella’s Cafe, a casual new lunch and dinner eatery at the edge of the Oakhurst community. Truth be told, though, it’s difficult to get a fix on exactly where the cuisine and scene are aimed. The cooking is informed by the spirit of the owner’s Kenyan roots.

On a recent episode of "Mad Men," Don Draper takes a date to a Benihana Japanese steakhouse in New York City and asks her to school him in the proper use of chopsticks. A long way from '60s Manhattan, the cultural confusions of a trip to Iron Age in Duluth are more like entering into the surreal realm of a Chan-wook Park film.

Cheeky has all the signs of a successful franchise in the making. The Latin-meets-sports bar concept boasts clever branding, affordable prices, friendly, efficient servers, and a fun atmosphere. But the fresh, spicy food is the most pleasant surprise.

Essex Bagels & Deli in Johns Creek features fat, hand-rolled and kettle-boiled bagels similar to the style baked at BB's Bagels & Diner in Alpharetta. In fact, BB's owner Eddie Siino helped Essex owners Marian and Jerry Davidson develop their bagel-making process.

Cangelosi’s Pizzeria is much more than just a pizzeria. Like so many neighborhood restaurant owners these days, Tom Cangelosi is taking on the tough economy by offering his customers multiple choices. Appetizers, salads, pasta dinners and even hot dogs and New York deli-style sandwiches are on the Powder Springs parlor’s lengthy menu, along with the expected pizza, calzones and oven-baked subs.

There’s a lot going on at Thirsty Dog Tavern in South Buckhead. The freestanding Peachtree Road space has been home to a string of restaurants of various persuasions, including Mick’s and, most recently, Vita. But Thirsty Dog is really different, something like a mongrel mash-up of a sports pub, Italian red sauce joint and dog park.

Think of Cuzi Fresh Cafe in Alpharetta as something akin to Atlanta Bread Co. (or Panera Bread Co.) and you probably won’t be disappointed. Breakfast served all day, soups, salads, sandwiches and a wide variety of baked goods, desserts and espresso drinks are all on the menu at this family owned bakery/cafe on Old Milton Parkway.

Aldo Ramirez, owner of The Crazy Cuban on 14th Street, is upfront about it: His sandwich shop was inspired by the much loved but now defunct Kool Korners, which was located just a few blocks away and closed in 2008. As at Kool Korners, the specialty of the house at The Crazy Cuban is the Cuban, that dressed and pressed Latin version of a hot ham and cheese.

Meehan’s Public House Downtown opened in March, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, and quickly became a lively destination, breathing new life into the old Macy’s building on Peachtree Street. The Irish theme tavern is owned by Atlanta-based 101 Concepts Restaurant Group, with two more Meehan’s locations in Sandy Springs and Vinings, plus Food 101 in Sandy Springs.

Woody Allen opens his iconic film, “Annie Hall,” with an old joke: “Two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of them says, ‘Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.’ The other one says, ‘Yeah, I know; and such small portions.

News of a talented, trained chef opening a burger joint or a taqueria isn’t exactly a big surprise nowadays -- it’s the economy, stupid. Still, finding Jose Rego in the kitchen at Taco Rancho in Forest Park seems just a tad unlikely. Rego, a native of Portugal and a culinary graduate of Johnson & Wales University, is a veteran of Riccardo Ullio’s Sotto Sotto and Fritti.

Nostalgia for red sauce Italian joints never seems to wane. Since 2002, Rosaria’s Italian & Pizza has been pleasing crowds around Kennesaw and Acworth with an array of gooey pasta dishes, fresh dough pizzas and oven-baked sandwiches. Family style The restaurant is a family business, originally opened by Joanne Pecoraro, who was born in Palermo, Sicily.

The inaugural Atlanta Beer Week, which ran May 16-22, highlighted how many great beer bars have opened around town. One of the smartest examples of the latest wave, Young Augustine’s debuted in February in the location formerly occupied by the Standard.

The original Noche Tequila and Tapas Bar in Virginia-Highland has become a perennially popular singles spot, with flirting fueled by cheap drink specials. The food, it seems, is beside the point. Ditto the second Noche location in Vinings, which opened last year, transforming the formerly sleepy La Madeleine space into a high energy hangout, frequented most nights by a party hearty crowd.

The historic Sweet Auburn Curb Market has become a much more lively dining destination lately, thanks in no small part to the success of Grindhouse Killer Burgers. One of the market’s newest food stalls, the Greek Gyros and Pizza, has some of the same retro appeal as Grindhouse.

Enchiladas come in more than a dozen a la carte versions at Pura Enchilada in Lawrenceville, each deftly rolled in delicate, house-made corn tortillas. But there are many more superfresh dishes to savor, from a starter of pan-fried tamales with mole sauce to a meaty sampler platter, laden with grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, chorizo, bacon and pork ribs, plus quesadillas, and black beans and rice.