New Season, New Delights at Atkins Park in Virginia Highland

Spring's gorgeous days have us hankering for fresh new tastes to match the season.  Who can get enough tender asparagus this time of year? Always obliging, Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland pops up with new brunch, lunch and dinner menu items to satiate spring equinox-driven cravings.  Blooming on all menus are the chilled asparagus salad with house pancetta, shaved Parmesan, sherry vinaigrette and a soft-poached farm egg ($8) and a Southern classic cheese plate topped with Flat Creek cheddar, Sweet Grass Asher Blue, Sweet Grass Green Hill, local honey, house preserves and grilled bread ($12).  

A spring lunch fave is the chicken salad sandwich on toasted sourdough ($10).  More lunch and dinner offerings include a pan-fried crab cake with mashed potatoes, asparagus and tomato jam ($12 lunch/$18 dinner), lemon-rosemary roasted natural chicken with preserved lemon and roasted new potatoes ($11 lunch/$16 dinner), grilled hanger steak ($12 lunch/$18 dinner) and farm egg carbonara with spring peas ($10 lunch/$14 dinner). Dinner adds a grilled Painted Hills New York strip steak ($22) and lamb two ways -- grilled porterhouse and sausage ($20).   

A weekend stroll leads to new brunch offerings of Kentucky hot brown ($6); bruschetta of spring peas, ricotta, local radish and garden mint ($6); biscuits and gravy ($6); chorizo potato hash with asparagus, roasted peppers and poached eggs ($10); fried egg sandwich with house bacon, avocado and tomato jam ($10); flank steak Benedict ($12), fried green tomato Benedict ($9); and the Highland brunch of three eggs any style, applewood smoked bacon or house-made pork sausage ($8).  

And about that brunch, it's one of Open Table's Diners' Choice "Top 10"  places to go for brunch in Atlanta on the reservation-taking website.  Pop open your laptop to take a look-see and reserve your seat!