I just returned from a few fun-filled days on business in Atlanta. Why was it fun? Well, the people in Atlanta are some of the nicest you’ll ever meet. If you know me, I’m the first person to talk, smile and laugh with strangers — ATL and FXG are a match made in heaven.

First of all, I have to give a shout out to my friends at Spondivits — a bar where ATL Airport and airport-related employees hang out. When you add in a good mix of travelers — often those displaced due to weather or flight delays — with friends, good food — especially its seafood — and a drink, you’ve struck gold.

Did I tell you it is open ’til 4 a.m.? If you work the late shift or miss your flight and have not eaten, you can do so at 2 a.m. — like yours truly. Hopefully you are lucky enough to have Omar working the bar — one of the greatest men you’ll meet, with arms like Popeye and charisma like Gandhi.

Now on to the airport. Do you remember when airport food was terrible? I do. Chilly Ewing, Jai Ferrell and the team at ATL have put an end to those days. In the last month, I enjoyed Cat Cora’s Kitchen — my new favorite at the airport — and One Flew South, a restaurant that travelers plan to arrive at the airport with enough time to dine in.

After our tour and meetings in the city, from Delta to Mercedes-Benz, we stopped into One Flew South for a light dinner before our flight. Jason, our server, was extremely nice and welcoming — full of compliments which I immediately returned to him. I would return solely to see Jason, but the food is just too good to pass up. I sat and listened to the other patrons discussing the food they ordered and what they ordered in the past. Many of the patrons were repeat customers while others ventured in and were pleasantly pleased.

I ordered from the sushi menu: a Spicy Tuna Roll, Hamachi (yellowtail) and a lovely Tuna Hand Roll. My colleague, Steven, ordered the sliders, which he proclaimed tasty.

Get a long connection next time — it’s worth it!

— Francis X. Gallagher, publisher and chief executive officer