Happy Monday. I wanted to pop in again and share a great evening I spent last week with friends.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of having dinner with some dear friends at one of Atlanta’s newest restaurants, Southern Art and Bourbon Bar, and boy was it an incredible experience.

Southern Art is located in the InterContinental Hotel and is the latest restaurant from renowned chef Art Smith. If you know anything about Art Smith, you know that he is an incredible chef with a flair for Southern inspired foods. His cooking credentials have earned him personal chef roles for Martha and Oprah and are showcased in his 4 restaurants around the country: Art & Soul in Wash. DC, Table Fifty-Two in Chicago, LYFE Kitchen in Palo Alto and Southern Art here in Atlanta.

I was so excited for the evening and it didn’t disappoint.

First let me tell you about the decor at the restaurant and then we’ll move on to the yummy food.

The decor at Southern Art is simply stunning. Very comfortable but full of high style. One of the features I loved the most were the blown glass chandeliers and artwork ceiling. Each of the chandeliers are adorned with colorful glass spheres and pendants and are flanked by commissioned pieces of artwork which are suspended face-down for the ceiling. The ceiling is so colorful and Looking up was really magical!

There were several styles of seating in the restaurant, but my favorite were these chairs. A silver-grey leather was used on the interior of the chair and a beautiful orange and grey flocked damask was on the exterior.

The wallpaper used throughout the restaurant mimicked the chair fabric with an added pop of yellow. So beautiful.

One of the most unique details of the restaurant was under foot. In the areas where carpet was used, the carpeting showcased one of Art’s recipes woven into the rug.

Here’s a look at one of the private areas within the restaurant. What a great way to spend an evening with friends.

And, here is a look at the main dining area. See the heart artwork on the left? Well, it is said that Art’s partner, a very accomplished artist, painted those on the fly when it was determined that artwork was needed for that wall. Let me tell you, they really gorgeous.

Also notice the open back balloon chairs and banquette below. The balloon chair was another chair style used in the restaurant, upholstered in a vibrant red fabric.

One of the truly custom features of Southern Art is the meat carving station. The station sits at the front of the restaurant and houses a great selection of dried meats carved on site.

Next to the meat station was the dessert bar. Each of the desserts available on the menu is showcased under beautiful glass domes.

The dessert menu is fairly extensive, so if you’re looking for a place to end an evening with dessert and coffee, this is it.

Mockingbird Cake and Banana Pudding Pie above and Chocolate Cake below (a work of art)

Cake Pops

Peanut Butter Pie

And a peek at the dessert menu.

In looking at the main menu you can see that it is a personal reflection of all the food Art Smith loves… southern inspired dishes. As a starter for the table, we were treated with Rosemary Cheddar biscuits and a mini dish of sautéed veggies. Then it was on to the main course.

My friend Shannan had the Southern Fried Chicken which was served in a stylish ceramic “bucket”.

I had the braised short ribs which were melt in your mouth yummy!

And, my friend Robyne had the New York Strip and Chris has the Catfish. We also shared a special treat at the table…Arts Mac-N-Cheese. To-die-for!

Dinner was really good, but we did save a little room for those desserts. Here’s a peek at what we shared at the table.

That Chocolate Cake with a huge chocolate fan on top. If you love chocolate it doesn’t get better than this.

Apple Pie–loaded with crisp, crunchy apples and the perfect blend of spices.

Peach Cobbler. This is what I ordered and oh my gosh was it good.

And the 12 layer Red Velvet Cake. And, if you’re wondering, each of those wafer thin layers is cut by hand, by the pastry chef.

All is all, the dinner at Southern Art was incredible. I had so much fun spending the evening with great friends, taking in all the beautiful decor and eating some of the best food Atlanta has to offer.

After dinner, I snapped a few photos of the hotel lobby. The InterContinental just changed out all the furnishing and I loved the color and details used in the space.

This balloon chair is gorgeous and the nail head detail is stunning.

The area rugs are a mix of grey, cream orange and gold.

The nail head trim is repeated on the oversized ottomans used throughout the lobby.

I hope you enjoyed the little recap of my night out with friends. If you live in Atlanta or are planning a trip here, make sure to stop by the InterContinental Hotel and enjoy a wonderful meal at Southern Art.