TOP FLR

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TOP FLR

674 Myrtle St.

Atlanta, GA 30308

404.685.3110

When growing up I always felt just a skosh shy of being one of the “cool” kids. I misguidedly thought I was cool, until sharing space with someone who truly was, and then my lack thereof..made obvious. There is a lassez-faire, nonchalant pulse that the truly cool possess without even knowing. A natural occurrence that when forced is soooo…uncool. TOP FLR has working for it, this “whatever goes” vibration, this energy exudes from the space, the decor, the staff, and the owners…it’s a package deal, all encompassing. Having read some of the past articles and press on TOP FLR I quickly decided to NOT use the widely abused term “hipster” in my descriptions, but I will say this favorite neighborhood hang definitely seems like a place where “everybody knows your name”…as long as your name is “wat’up” (delivered with a head nod).

Located in Midtown on Myrtle St., a block off of Ponce, this two-story end unit begins it’s ooze of cool with a clean, brick exterior. The bottom “flr” consists of two small bar rooms with a couple of tables to accommodate some drinks and/or dishes. Through the main door, between these bar rooms, rises an escalade of stairs leading to the “top flr” dining area, decorated with a mainly black and white motif accompanied by very limited green accents, occasionally strewn. The tiny kitchen, tucked away behind one of the bar rooms is ground zero to a crew of chefs, “urbaned”-up, ready to provide some of the dishes that have already gained this restaurant quite a bit of notoriety in it’s two year stint since opening. TOP FLR has joined many “top of” lists making the success of this place undeniable.

Having met with part-owner Jeff Myers for the shoot (on his day off even…how cool was that?), he described TOP FLR as a place where one could have a great meal and interesting cocktails at an affordable price, avoiding the usual overpriced, dull and stiff places. This affordability mixed with a widely liked wine list, and extended-late-food-serving hours, draws in many urbanites, depositing and withdrawing from the stashes of cool. If you are a fan of the vibe found at TOP FLR then keep your ear to the ground for a possible second venture by it’s creators.

Although time was limited and it would have been nice to photograph more dishes, I’ll have to don my “whatever… it’s cool” persona and just float the vibe. Thanks to Jeff, Shane, Will and the others at TOP FLR.