Georgia Trend Magazine. July 2021.

On a corner of Memorial Dr. in Atlanta is an obscure sign that simply says “GD.” From the street, you can see a bustling patio with casual tables and live pop and jazz music (on the weekend). An indoor-outdoor bar opens the small space to a cozy dining room with wood tables and low seats that may remind you of sitting at a fish shack by the beach.

Inside, instead of sand, there are 3-D blue-bead floors made to look like the ocean. A nautical themed décor against dark red curtains looks off balance with a basketball game on television, but somehow works. If you imagine yourself at a beach in Asia, that is.

A large mural of an Asian girl with an octopus provides the central backdrop. The painting is a modern take on Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. The name of the restaurant – Girl Diver – pays tribute to the women who collected pearls, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and abalone from the bottom of the ocean.

Opened in December 2020, the restaurant is an exciting concept by Richard Tang (Char Korean Bar and Grill) and Chef Karl Gorline (Watershed). The colorful and unpretentious spot has an approachable seafood-forward menu, with a good mix of Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese twists.

Continue reading in July 2021 print issue of Georgia Trend Magazine.