RARE

Soul food is the fabric of Atlanta,” explains Lorenzo Wyche, creator of the restaurant Rare.

“For lack of a better term, it’s comfort food, the food we grew up with at Sunday dinner. But we challenge the palate a little bit.” Ready for that challenge, we kick back, cozy on upholstered “beds,” watching vintage cartoons projected on a blank wall (no sound, just memories). The food begins to arrive. First and favorite―lobster mac and cheese, creamy with white Cheddar béchamel. Next: a BLT salad, featuring lightly fried green tomatoes. Then teeny versions of chicken and waffles; Jamaican jerk-spiced tilapia; and pot stickers filled with collard greens, wild mushrooms, and fresh ginger.

The concept is tapas, a series of small plates you share.

Lorenzo loves to start Atlanta restaurants. His Harlem Bar serves traditional soul food,and The Social House cooks farm-to-table breakfasts. His next vision: a restaurant for pure African-inspired recipes.