The thing about the titular characters on Devious Maids, which returns to Lifetime for its second season on April 20, is that they’re often much better at making messes than they are at cleaning them up. Lucky for series star Edy Ganem, things seem to be looking up for Valentina, the young, love-struck maid she plays.

“There are lots of new and exciting things happening for Valentina,” she says, on a rare day in Los Angeles, where she keeps a home. “She is going to start working for a new employer, so she is not going to be working under her mom’s supervision any longer. I feel like she is growing up, becoming more decisive and definitely taking charge of her own life. She’s also going to meet a new pool boy.”

And while Devious Maids takes place in Beverly Hills, the series actually shoots in Atlanta, Georgia, a place that’s become Ganem’s second home.

“Atlanta is so different from L.A.,” she says. “I feel like it’s a slower pace for all of us, so we go there to work and we actually get to hang out a lot because we have that time. It’s nice because it brings us together and it’s exciting because we are always discovering new places.”

Here, Ganem shares some of her favorite Atlanta discoveries.

View Edy Ganem’s Guide to Atlanta in a larger map

Umi

“I just recently discovered this place. We were saying on the set how we needed to find a good sushi place, and a friend of mine from Atlanta recommended it. Everything I tried was delicious. I kept thinking I wanted to eat more, but I was already so full. The staff was really nice and it was a wonderful experience.”

3050 Peachtree Road NE, 404-841-0040, umiatlanta.com

Highland Bakery

“This place is very famous in Atlanta. It’s mostly breakfast and brunch and it’s always busy.  On a weekend if you go you will wait at least 40 minutes and you’ll see so many people waiting outside, but it’s really worth it. I go for the peanut butter French toast; when you order it, the waiter asks if you’re really a fan of peanut butter because it’s so intense. It’s so big that when they bring it to you, everyone stares. Last time I was there, a person at the table next to is was like, ‘Wow, can I take a picture of that?’”

655 Highland Ave NE, 404-586-0772, highlandbakery.com

Barcelona Wine Bar

“This is a restaurant in the Inman Park area, which is near where I live. It’s a Spanish tapas place where you can go have dinner and then it turns into a bar. It’s a cool place to hang out; it gets pretty happening at night. My favorite thing to get is the paella, but the smallest order is for two, so you get this huge plate of paella. But who cares, because it’s really delicious.”

240 North Highland Ave NE, 404-589-1010, barcelonawinebar.com

R Thomas Deluxe Grill

“I didn’t know about this place last season, but I wish I had. It seems like everybody knows about it or maybe most actors know about it because everyone in the industry is always trying to eat healthy, and in Atlanta it can be hard to find places like that. R Thomas is a natural, healthy restaurant where they have a lot of options for vegans and vegetarians and just regular organic stuff.”

1812 Peachtree St NW, 404-872-2942, rthomasdeluxegrill.net

St. Regis Bar

“This is a bit different for Atlanta. When you walk in, most people are wearing suits. It’s more formal and feels more high end and elegant. I don’t necessarily like alcohol, so I always try to order something that masks the alcohol taste.”

88 West Paces Ferry Rd NW, 404-563-7900, stregisatlanta.com

10 High

“I don’t necessarily love this place called Dark Horse Tavern, but the thing is that right there next door is a place—which is pretty much attached to Dark Horse—called 10 High. A few times a week they have something called Metalsome, which is karaoke with a live band. It’s mostly songs by band like Nirvana, the Offspring and KISS. It’s just a blast—it’s my favorite place to go in Atlanta, but I never sing. That’s one thing I’m going to put on my bucket list: I have to force myself to do it sometime because I am a chicken.”

816 North Highland Ave NE, 404-873-3607, 10highclub.com

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