Little Szechuan is a perennial favorite among the ethnic restaurants that now line Buford Highway in northeast Atlanta. It's nothing fancy, but the price is right. Most of the patrons are Chinese or regulars who make it a point to seek out good ethnic food. Two Chinese restaurant clichés are pointedly absent: egg rolls and fortune cookies. When you're seated, you'll be given a small bowl of spicy sprouts to munch on while you peruse the extensive menu. And when your check arrives at the end of the meal, it will be accompanied by a piece of fresh, seasonal fruit, perhaps a slice of watermelon.

The potstickers are good for a starter, but there's also fried soft-shell crab and steamed or fried Chinese sliced roll. The standout entree is also the most expensive: fresh steamed red snapper with black bean sauce. It's best when you request it spiced up a little. (Even though the name of the restaurant would suggest otherwise, not everything on the menu is spicy Szechuan-style Chinese.) An excellent side would be the stir-fried string beans or sautéed sweet pea leaves. The wine selection is extremely limited (and the red wine has been known to arrive slightly chilled) so it's best to forget it and have an ice-cold Tsing-Tao beer.