Known worldwide for his iconic role as Kevin Malone in The Office, Brian Baumgartner has more recently become a celebrated food enthusiast.
The unforgettable chili scene from The Office inspired his bestselling Seriously Good Chili Cookbook, and his latest Seriously Good Barbecue Cookbook features recipes from talented chefs like Jiyeon Lee of Atlanta Michelin Bib Gourmand Heirloom Market BBQ.
Beyond his cookbooks, Brian is an accomplished podcast host (Off The Beat), a New York Times bestselling author (check out his latest book The Night Before Christmas at Dunder Mifflin), and a top-ranked Hollywood golfer who often collaborates with the PGA Tour.
As a native of Atlanta who attended The Westminster Schools alongside The Office co-star Ed Helms, Brian has a deep connection to the city and frequently visits the newest spots. One day, he might even open a restaurant of his own there.
Below, Brian shares his favorite Atlanta spots and memories from his lifelong exploration of the city.
What are your favorite restaurants in Atlanta?
It's fantastic, and is a restaurant that could be in any city in the country and be celebrated as well. They do such a fantastic job. I love the environment. It's very cool and lively yet relaxed. It’s formal, but not ostentatious, and that's exactly what I like.
Fox Bros Barbecue
Best barbecue in town. They've got great ribs, the best mac and cheese. Classic barbecue, clearly they're using high quality meat there, and they just do a great job.
Tiny Lou’s in Hotel Clermont (One Michelin Key)
It feels surprising in Atlanta. It is so cool and fun. They redid it, and it definitely feels like old school Hollywood in Los Angeles. The bar upstairs, they make incredible craft cocktails, and it's just a really cool scene.
And then, the French restaurant downstairs, Tiny Lou's. It's really fun and has excellent food. Outside of Paris, you maybe can’t find steak frites like you can at Tiny Lou’s.
Bacchanalia (One Michelin Star and Michelin Green Star)
When I grew up in Atlanta, I didn't feel like the food scene in Atlanta was elevated. Not that the food was bad, it just wasn't an elevated experience in terms of being interesting and thoughtfully prepared.
If you're looking for fine dining in Atlanta, the thoughtfulness, the food preparation – you can't go wrong at Bacchanalia. Anne Quatrano, the chef who started it, is still there.
You can't talk about Atlanta food without at least mentioning them. She deserves a ton of credit for that. She started it.
Reverence in The Epicurean Hotel
In my work, often the hours are weird, long days, and when you get back to your hotel, you don't really want to venture out, but you also don't want to eat bad hotel food. Very often [at a hotel], the food is an afterthought.
The name says it all – the Epicurean Hotel. It's a hotel that's based around the food. The rooms are great, really comfortable. But more than that, at Reverence, there is a chef’s table, the kitchen is open, so you can see what's going on in there. The fresh ingredients that they choose, the thoughtfulness with which they put together the menu. I could not have enough good things to say.
As a fun side note, the bar in the Epicurean is called The Office Bar.
I have a food preference of eating farm-to table, Alice Waters type of high quality fresh ingredients made simply. Steven Satterfield does a really great job of that. He also started on the Westside of Atlanta. He pioneered and helped grow that area.
Sotto Sotto in Inman Park
Right next to my friend's house there - that is an amazing Italian restaurant in the city!
The Varsity
Elevated food – The Varsity is certainly not that, but it's an Atlanta institution. A stop there before any sporting event growing up for me was a must with the frosted orange and either the chili dog or the naked dog.
That was the game day in Athens tradition. Stopping by The Varsity, going to the game and doing the tailgate.
What was it like attending Westminster in Atlanta with The Office co-star Ed Helms? Do you have any memories or favorite restaurants from that time?
During that time, Houston's was awesome. That was a weekly staple. We spent a lot of time there, surrounding shows and performances. And OK Cafe, which was open late.
Ed and I were friends. Our parents were friends. Our families had long ties to Atlanta and the area, and we didn't live super far from each other.
We spent a lot of time together. We were both in the performing arts at Westminster, doing shows together. I found a picture of us in a show together my senior year, so he would have been a junior. He was a much better singer than I was.
My friend Adam Koplan was in my class there, and he's back there now, head of the arts department. I always go back and spend some time there with him.
Your newly released holiday book about The Office is The Night Before Christmas at Dunder Mifflin. Do you have any Christmas memories and recommendations in Atlanta?
As a kid, I remember taking drives to look at the big houses and all of the lights and trees along West Paces Ferry Road.
At Westminster, a huge tradition was the Messiah sing-along. I don't ever want to call myself a singer, but I was involved because of theater. That shaped early Christmas for me for sure, being involved in the theater at Westminster. That was one of the best community events.
What’s your favorite park in Atlanta?
By the Chattahoochee River. I grew up in Sandy Springs, and we lived not far from there.Where else is fun in Atlanta?
In addition to food, I’m a lover of sports. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is truly a world-class facility. I've had the opportunity to go to the SEC Championship Game. And the soccer team, Atlanta United FC, is really popular.I love The Fox Theatre – a great place to hear live music or to see a show.
You are famous for your chili and barbecue. What are some of your signature dishes overall?
Italian chicken. Boneless skinless chicken breast with an Italian marinade that I make with toum garlic sauce. We have that probably at least once a week. I also really enjoy making tri tip and baby back ribs.Is there a chef you would like to have on your Off The Beat podcast?
I play golf in the American Century Championship every year. This year, Bobby Flay was there. He and I got paired up and had a great time together. I really like him. He was a really genuine, great guy to spend seven hours together.Georgia is famous for its golf courses. Do you have a favorite place to play in Georgia?
East Lake and Sea Island. And really, any place I can play with Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, or Greg Maddux.Address Book
Bacchanalia
1460 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd., Atlanta, 30318
East Lake Golf Club
2575 Alston Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30317
Fox Bros Bar-B-Q
1238 DeKalb Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
Houston's
3539 Northside Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA 30327
Marcel
1170 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta, 30318
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
1 AMB Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Miller Union
999 Brady Ave. NW, Atlanta, 30318
Morgan Falls Overlook Park near the Chattahoochee River
200 Morgan Falls Rd, Sandy Springs, GA 30350
OK Cafe
1284 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30327
Reverence in the Epicurean Hotel
1117 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309
Sotto Sotto
313 North Highland Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30307
The Varsity
61 North Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA 30308
Tiny Lou's at Hotel Clermont
789 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, 30306
Hero image: Adam Hendershott
Thumb image: Larissa Bahr Photography
