JK: I’m liking the “crackpot genius” theory of the ATL resto scene. I think David at Dynamic Dish could fit in that group. Best Soups Ever.

Looking forward to reading about Korean places in Gwinnett. Please have mercy, though, and try not to make them look too irresistible. Not unless you know of a plan to move Gwinnett closer to Midtown. I love me some Bibimbap and my fave place for it on BuHi closed this year.

High end food is a bit like a formula one race car. You may find it unattainable and a waste of money but there is no question that high end restaurants in an area set the tone for the entire food industry just as formula one race cars set the technology for the car you drive (where do you think turbochargers and 6+ speed paddle shift transmissions came from).

Remember that UK food was terrible until high end british chefs started dragging the culture into the modern age and suddenly the food improved accross the board. Even if you never eat in a high end Atlanta restaurant, the restaurants you do eat in are better because the high end restaurants exist.

What I find particularly stunning is the short-sightedness of the vitriolic poster who wrote this: “I want a dish that I know will be good, ESPECIALLY when i’m hungry and ESPECIALLY if you’re going to charge me $20 or $30 or $40 a plate for it! I don’t want a chef taking RISKS when it might cost my wife and I almost $100″. Wouldn’t it be great if you had someone who would scout out restaurants and tell you where to take that $100 gamble so you didn’t have to eat the same dish in the same restaurant over and over and over?

Fortunately, we have such people and they are called food critics. Yes they appear pompous when discussing food but there is a reason; unlike most people (myself included) they actually understand it. They eat substantial meals at restaurants every day, speak with the owners and chefs and the owners and chefs of competitors. The good ones are also discerning. By definition they understand what poor food is and they rightly pan it. What good would a food critic be if couldn’t identify the differences between Golden Corral, Stoney River and Chops and wasn’t willing to call a spade a spade?

It also appears people are still bent out of shape because Kessler asked where McDonald’s meat came from. Thank God someone asks where our food comes from. In particular, don’t forget that Upton Sinclair asking and answering that question revolutionized food production in America. If you aren’t asking that question on a regular basis, don’t be surprised when you inadvertantly hear the answer and don’t like what you hear.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by deanofatlanta: Sunday Column: The Atlanta Dining Scene, Then and Now: Atlanta Journal Constitution When I stopped reviewing re.. http://bit.ly/4IIMYE…