The Doctor Is In

DR. SANJAY GUPTA’S JOB TAKES HIM AROUND THE WORLD, BUT HIS TIME AWAY DOESN’T COMPARE TO WHEN HE’S HOME IN ATLANTA.

Having traveled everywhere from Sri Lanka to interview tsunami survivors to Afghanistan to profile US military doctors, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a passport with more stamps than a local post office. When he’s not away on assignment, he makes the most of his time at home in Atlanta with his wife and three daughters. We asked the good doctor—whose newest book Cheating Death: The Doctors and Medical Miracles That Are Saving Lives Against All Odds came out late last year—to share what he loves about living in Georgia’s capital.

Where are some of your favorite places to take the family?
“My girls are big breakfast eaters, so I take them on daddy-daughter breakfasts on the weekends and give my wife the morning off to do whatever she wants. We usually go to Virginia Highlands, and it’s hard to miss us. I have a big, bright-orange jogging stroller that the two younger kids ride in, plus a 90-pound dog. If we have brunch at Rosebud, the girls know exactly what they want, and the same waitress always waits on us. It has a real community feel.”

What are some of your other go-to restaurants in the city?
“I really like Parish. The first-level outdoor seating area is covered by a giant umbrella and has several patio tables. I sometimes take my kids there to grab sandwiches, and they walk around while I read the paper and watch whatever game is on. I also enjoy the terrific food at Rathbun’s—the lobster and roasted green chili soft taco is killer. One of our favorite off-the-beaten-path restaurants is Cantina El Tesoro in Decatur. It’s a festive Mexican restaurant with a big yard and picnic-table seating in the front. It’s a great place where kids can run around without people giving you dirty stares.”  

Where do you take guests visiting Atlanta for the first time?
“The CNN studios are something people always want to see. If they’re fanatical about knowing the specifics about CNN, the building and how the station all came about, they should take the official Inside CNN Studio Tour.”

What is one of the most unusual things you’ve done in Atlanta?
“I went swimming with the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium last year as a birthday present from my wife. I was thinking about two things: ‘Wow, how neat is this? I get to swim with sharks!’ and ‘I hope they just fed them so they’re not looking at me hungrily.’ When they are swimming overhead, it’s like a school bus essentially swimming over your head. It’s such an awesome thing. Like everyone else, I had seen the whale sharks through the glass, but to swim with them is amazing.”

What do you love most about Atlanta?
“I’m a very outdoorsy kind of guy, and I like to take advantage of the green space by going to various parks and playgrounds. My friends and I bike and go hiking a lot. You also have all the trappings of a big city—great restaurants, entertainment at night, sporting events—but it’s a green city, too, which is really nice.”

ROSEBUD 1397 N Highland Ave; 404-347-9747; www.rosebudatlanta.com
PARISH 240 N Highland Ave 404-681-4434; www.parishatl.com
RATHBUN’S 112 Krog St, Ste R; 404-524-8280; www.rathbunsrestaurant.com
CANTINA EL TESORO 129 Church St, Decatur; 404-377-9797; www.eltesorodecatur.com
INSIDE CNN STUDIO TOUR One CNN Center; 404-827-2300; www.cnn.com/tour/atlanta
GEORGIA AQUARIUM 225 Baker St NW; 404-581-4000; www.georgiaaquarium.org