Georgia: A day in the peach state

Southern Living, Mar 1997

* Lulu's Bait Shack in Atlanta's Buckhead area has a sort of trendy good-ol'boy ambience, if you can imagine, but the food is the real thing. Try the buffalo shrimp, the gator bites, or the oyster po'boys. (404) 262-5220.

* Traditional Southern cooking reigns supreme at Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta. Fried chicken, turnip greens, and Georgia peach cobbler-yum! (404) 876-1800.

* You may have a long wait at dinner, so try Pad Thai, in Atlanta's Virginia Highlands neighborhood, for lunch instead. Both the food and the service are excellent. (404) 892-2070.

* Everyone has to try The Varsity, an old-time Georgia Tech drive-in hangout grown to gigantic proportions. The super-fast counter clerks have a language all their own, which is a big part of the fun. Go for the chili dogs, the onion rings, and the fried peach pie, and don't even think about your cholesterol. (404) 881-1706.

* Yes, you really can have fried green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. In fact, this cafe was created for the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. You'll find this former general store in Juliette, a picturesque little town with antiques shops good for browsing if you have to wait for a table. (912) 994-3670.

* Sprayberry`s Bar-B-Q in Newnan was the favorite eating place of the late humorist Lewis Grizzard. You can now choose between the original location on U.S. 29 in Newnan and the new Sprayberry's just outside town on 1-85 (Exit 9). Both offer the same great menu and are open for lunch and dinner; the new place serves breakfast. (770) 253-4421 for the original, (770) 253-5080 for the 1-85 location.

* The lunch lines form early at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House in Savannah. This is food the way your mama made it; it's served the way she served it too: You take what you want and pass it on. (912) 232-5997.

* Southern cooking has its shrine at The Blue Willow Inn Restaurant in Social Circle. A guest once asked who had baked the lemon pie because he wanted to marry her. (770) 4642131. (To page sgs)

EXPLORE THE AFTERNOON

After that nice lunch, you might want to take it easy this afternoon. Here are some relaxing but fun ideas. a The APEX Museum celebrates Atlanta's Sweet Auburn district, once one of the wealthiest African American communities in the country. A film tells of its glory days. (404) 521-2739.

* The Atlanta History Center is one of the city's jewels. Well-designed exhibits explore the history of Atlanta and the South, folk art and culture, the changing fashions of Southern women, and Gone With the Wind. "Turning Point: The American Civil War" is especially fascinating. (404) 814-4000.

* Hammonds House Galleries, in Atlanta's West End, contains a glorious collection of African American art. Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, an anesthesiologist and board member of Atlanta's High Museum of Art, lived here until his death in 1985. He acquired more than 200 pieces; the museum adds to the collection still. (404) 752-8730.

* World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta is serious about the "world" part. The most delightful part of this three-story monument to Atlanta's favorite soft drink is the Tastes of the World soda fountain. You can sample dozens of soft drink flavors marketed in other countries. (404) 676-5151.