"Chef Octavio Ruiz is behind Buckhead’s upscale Mexican restaurant, Pata Negra, which is the kind of place that makes dinner feel more like a romantic night on the town. Think matte black walls, gold accents, and sleek wood finishes—all skewing high on the canoodling scale. So don’t fight the feeling and lean into your partner while you feed each other chicken thigh tacos and sip on the namesake Pata Negra cocktail. It's a sage and lemon-infused twist on a margarita that balances herbal notes with citrusy zing. Finish with the El Duvalin, a stunning (and tasty) chocolate-hazelnut dessert crowned with fried, crispy scorpions." - nina reeder, demarco williams, juli horsford, jacinta howard