In Pursuit of Local Fare... Citizen Soul of Alpharetta

This post was originally going to be an addition to a "Linger Moments" post, but after writing it, I decided it deserved its own place.  So, get cozy and prepare to get hungry as you read about Alpharetta's new offering, Citizen Soul.

Just when you thought Alpharetta didn't need another restaurant, along comes one that makes you realize what's been missing all along.  Citizen Soul is situated on South Main Street, Alpharetta, directly in front of the new Alpharetta City Hall.

Don't let their Northern Californian pub-style fare conjure up images of dark, seedy pubs.  Instead, think refined comfort food with a cozy yet bright atmosphere.

Unique furnishings include a glass-case meat cooler and wine cellar.  Their menu changes seasonally to spotlight in-season produce, and even boasts a gluten-free fried chicken.  Their charcuterie and fromage plates are an absolute must, and their remarkable wine list has something for everyone.

Executive Chef, Asheville native Sean Clark (former executive chef of Aspens Steakhouse and mentor to head chefs at multiple Alpharetta restaurants) brings it home by giving us one more reason to skip the downtown traffic and stay in Alpharetta.

Linger Moments No. 8

lin·ger

/ˈliNGɡər/

verb

to stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave.

You know those moments: the ones often catching you by surprise, causing you to pause a little longer than perhaps intended.  Whether your upcoming weekend is one filled with activities or has the promise of being a relaxing weekend, you are invited to take a moment to linger before heading to the end of the week.

1. Flora Forager

I stumbled across this Instagram account a few years ago and completely fell in love!  Bridget Beth Collins is a floral artist that used flowers, foliage, sticks, twigs, moss, mushrooms, and so forth to create magically whimsical art.  Some of my favorite creations of hers are her castles, her mermaids, and her winter scenes.  Check out her books and prints on her website and definitely follow her Instagram account for daily doses of beauty and magic.  Thank you to Bridget for the use of the above picture!

2. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's FREE Concert at Piedmont Park!

The first outdoor concert of ASO's I heard was years ago when Chris and I were dating.  They had come all the way to Alpharetta to play at Will's Park.  We packed a picnic of Rachael Ray grilled swordfish and tuna steaks and set off to watch these world-class, Grammy-winning musicians play in a covered horse arena (that is also used for rodeos).  This year, ASO offers another FREE concert at Piedmont Park on Thursday, June 14, 2018, at 7:30.  If you've followed my Instagram account, you know how in love I am with our orchestra and their music.  They will be performing Bernstein's Overture to Candide and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.  Additionally, some "crowd favorites" (my favorites, as well!) of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, Variations on a Rococo Theme, and the 1812 Overture.

3. Gourmet Sandwich Company Premier Catering

Speaking of sandwiches... y'all, this one has my vote as the best sandwich in Alpharetta/Roswell/Milton area.  Heck, it has my vote for the best salad, too!  At this point, I've had the Gourmet Sandwich Company cater at least a dozen music teacher events and we have never been left wanting.  My favorite sandwich that is offered is definitely the "Lab Experiment."  Founder/Owner Travis puts turkey, bacon, tomatoes, gouda, and avocado on a JALAPEÑO-cornmeal bread.  It is ahhhh-maz-ing.   

Linger Moments ~ No. 4

lin·ger

/ˈliNGɡər/

verb

1. to stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave.
2. 
   
3. 
   
   
4. You know those moments: the ones often catching you by surprise, causing you to pause a little longer than perhaps intended.  Whether your upcoming weekend is one filled with activities or a weekend in which the only thing on the agenda is relaxation, you are invited to take a moment to linger before heading to the end of the week.

1. Ceviche: The Best Mexican Restaurant You're Not Eating At.

I know, I know.  Ceviche's Roswell location has been there for quite a while.  I've even been there a few times for margaritas.  Honestly, I didn't put two and two together (that it was the same restaurant) until after we had our Sunday lunch at the Alpharetta location.  Guys, this place was SO good.  SO. Good.  I was told by our server that anything on the menu bearing the name "Poblano" was highly recommended so I went with the chicken poblano tacos.  If that was the only thing on the menu, I'd keep going back.  ALSO, they have the NFL Sunday Ticket.  So there's that.  

2. Donald Davis's TedX "How the Story Transforms the Teller" 

Donald Davis is an amazing story teller and has been featured at the National Story-Telling Festival.  While perusing online for one of his stories we listened to as children, I found this TedX talk he gave in 2014 and was once again instantly sucked in.  Take a listen and be transported.

3. May Designs Rise Art Collection

The Rise Art Collection of May Book covers gets an update just in time for Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  Four new covers were created by students of the Rise School in Austin and are available for the wide variety of books offered (from standard date books to fitness and nutrition journals).  100% of the proceeds from this collection goes to raise awareness and provide better education for children with special needs!  You can read even more about the process in creating these beautiful covers here. Special thanks to May Designs for allowing me to use the above picture :)  

What's caught your attention lately, causing you to slow down and linger?  I'd love to hear from you!

ALSO- Make sure to join the GIVEAWAY in celebration of the blog's 10,000 all time page views!!!

In Pursuit of Community: Fat Land Farm CSA

The experience every culture has in common is eating a meal together.  Think about it: meals are the cornerstone of nearly every celebration, regardless of race, religion, or origin.  As you can probably tell by my previous posts, I love food.  I thoroughly enjoy shopping for my family's food, I love cooking, and entertaining is an art that is ingrained into not only myself, but also my husband.  So when we met a family that was starting a CSA within walking distance of our home, you can bet your beets we signed up.

You may be asking, "What the heck is a CSA?"  It's pretty simple: Community Supported Agriculture.  Over the past 25 years, Community Supported Agriculture has become a popular way for consumers to purchase local, seasonal food directly from farmers.  Basically,

1. A Farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public.
2. Interested consumers purchase a "share" (think: subscription).
3. Consumers receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

So back to our local CSA... Fat Land Farm is located on 3 acres in the middle of Roswell, Georgia.  Owned and farmed by Gary and Barrett Walker, the CSA started its fourth season Summer 2016.  We met the Walkers a few years ago through church, but just recently I had the chance to sit down with Gary and ask questions about his history in farming.

Gary's interest in farming goes back to his childhood when his family owned a vineyard in Sonoma, California.  The 5 acre vineyard produced Jam (and surprisingly not wine) and was eventually sold.  Gary continued to have an interest in farming and food quality and over the years became very passionate about eating well and knowing where his food came from.  

Once married, Gary and Barrett continued gardening on their patio, bringing in organic soil and even raising chickens in the middle of the city!  When they weren't tending their container gardens, they were filling up their Mercedes with Corn Oil.

On their current Roswell farm sits a 1933 (recently renovated) farm house whose original owners were the Colemans (Fellow Roswellites may recognize "Coleman Road"- that sweet little cut-through from downtown Roswell over to East Cobb.).  The home was purchased by Barrett's family from the Colemans and has been in the family ever since.

I really enjoyed picking Gary's brain about what he's learned about farming.

"It's physically demanding!  There's so much involved from organizing all aspects of farming, marketing, and scheduling crops.  Come February, after a short two months off, you're starting your seedlings fro April's crops to be harvested for the first CSA pick up in April."

He goes on to say that people tend to over-complicate farming.  That anyone can really do it.  One of Gary's favorite parts?  Composting.  He says it's a great example of how everything works together creating food that makes things grow.  

"Everything serves a purpose and it's great to have a hand in that process."

Weekly "shares" from Fat Land Farm contain in-season non-GMO produce (also chemical and pesticide-free) ranging from hearty greens (Kale, Swiss Chard, Collards) to potatoes and squash to bouquets of freshly harvested herbs.  Many more crops boast bountiful harvests throughout the seasons- some common household favorites and others less common that we've come to know and love.  In all this diversity of crops, Gary's favorite to grow?

"Tomatoes,"

Gary says, not thinking twice.  Quit coincidently, that's our family's favorite crop to gather around the table to eat.  And the fact that it's grown walking distance from our home absolutely makes them that much sweeter.

In Pursuit of Flexibility

This past week was CA-RAZY!  Between meetings, birthdays, group lessons, and a broken dryer, my normal household cleaning schedule was almost non-existent.  In the past, this would have driven me completely bonkers and I would have spent every day rushing to "catch up" on the previous day's chores.  Fortunately for me (and everyone else in my household), I decided about this time last year to choose grace over perfection.  Don't get me wrong, there is something very deep in me that loves perfection and wants to strive towards it.  It's a battle I frequently have to fight with myself. Occasionally, perfection wins.  More and more, however, it's grace that wins.

Eliot's First Ride on the Carousel!

While the desire for perfection has been in me for as long as I can remember, the true effects of striving towards it became very clear to me after we had been in our new home for about a year.  I would diligently clean all the floors by sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping them.  I would then sit back and just wait for someone to track something in from outside.  The anxiety that gripped me was crazy!  However, it was the anxiety that helped me see my idea of perfectionism was so out of wack: in my mind, if the floors were perfectly cleaned, then everyone would be happy because clean floors make everyone happy.  In reality, no one cared about the clean floors except for me and really it was just the idea of perfection that gave me the illusion of happiness.  What really made me happy was watching my children playing outside then welcoming them back inside with hugs and kisses.

Celebrating Fiona's Birthday at Mittie's Cafe on Main

So when our week turned topsy-turvy, I decided to embrace it along with all of the wonderful things the week brought.   I strongly believe that because I had firmly stuck to my cleaning schedule for several weeks, it really made the messes easier.  For instance, when our dryer broke towards the end of the week, we didn't run out of clean clothes!  I had stayed on top of our laundry schedule up until it broke, so pushing our next laundry day back until the dryer was fixed was no biggie.  Knowing that some weeks are going to be crazy and being flexible when those weeks come is so important to keeping a positive attitude and cheery spirit.  Sticking to your own chore schedule before and after those crazy weeks certainly helps as well.

SOOOO Excited for her Big-Girl Bike!

I would love to know- have you developed a chore schedule?  How to you handle crazy weeks?

ALWAYS make time for Gelato!

In Pursuit of Travel- Dallas 2015

When I was little, I decided I loved Texas and wanted to move there.  So, as I would do with any new fascination, I tried to learn everything I could about the Lone Star State.  I took out all of our "T" encyclopedias, had the "Texas" pages marked, and kept the glowing Fisher-Price globe and Discovery map nearby.  Remember these?

Fast-forward a few years... even though my fascination with Texas has worn off quite a bit, we still talk about "Someday" moving there.  Perhaps moving to Waco and finishing my Master's.  Letting Chip and Joanna Gaines have a go at finding us a "Fixer-Upper."  Or maybe just moving to Dallas to be close to family.  It's still just a thought.  In the meantime, we try to make it out there at least once  a year to visit my sister-in-law and her husband.

We normally head out there with no set plans.  Our normally short stay is spent visiting, catching up, and laughing until we cry.  This time around, we were able to accomplish all of those goals, plus were there long enough to fit in a few additional plans.

 Similar to the rest of America, Chris and I have fallen for Chip and Joanna Gaines.  We stumbled upon their show while at my brother's house and spend an entire Sunday watching episode after episode.  Our thoughts of moving to Texas quickly resurfaced and we knew the next time we headed out there, we would definitely need to keep a day-trip to Waco in the plans.  Our first stop in Waco was the Magnolia Market.  We went on a Thursday around noon and it felt packed!  We later learned from the staff (who was SO incredibly friendly!) that the day we were there was actually somewhat slow.

 Joanna was one step ahead of us in deciding where to go next, and had a map of her favorite Waco spots waiting for us on the check-out counter.  We were able to make it to Harp Design Studio (which happened to be RIGHT next door to Clint's very own Fixer-Upper... don't worry, as much as we wanted to, we did not walk over and pose for pictures on his porch), Schmaltz's Deli, and even got to check out the then-Future Home of the Magnolia Silos.  As you can imagine, it was so fun to explore this little town all while keeping our eyes peeled for the Gaines.

That evening we got about as rowdy as we [four adults who have to get up with a one-year-old who has no clue different time zones exist] could possibly get at Tacos and Tequila with an infused tequila shots flight, my favorite of which was the Puro Verde.  This is one of my sister-in-law's favorites out in Dallas and apparently there are locations in Georgia, too.  Definitely would like to try them out here and see how they compare.

The next day was a pretty chill day while both my sister-in-law and her husband worked.  The girls did manage to make it out to Scardello Artisan Cheese, a "cut-to-order" cheese shop that featured over a hundred American, Texas, and European cheeses.  We were able to  purchase a cheese plate and bottle of wine to enjoy in the store.  Of course, we also had to take an array of cheeses home to share with the men.  Our cheese plate consisted of Flory's Cheddar from Milton Creamery (Missouri), L'Amuse Gouda from Holland, and Delice de Bourgogne, a creamy Brie from France.  

My lovely sister-in-law, Marlene

One cheese that I just had to take home was a Camembert-style cheese called Mt. Alice from the von Trapp Farmstead in Vermont.  As soon as the cheese salesman said "von Trapp," I was sold!  He informed us that yes, in fact, it was the same von Trapps from the movie and that Werner von Trapp (known in the movie as "Kurt") had moved to this farmstead in Vermont in 1959 with his wife, Erika.

A von Trapp Farmstead Cow!

Saturday was spent shopping around town and visiting my sister-in-law and husband's new home for a final inspection.  It was a lovely home and we followed the visit with a dinner at Mia's Tex-Mex, which was quite delicious.  Sunday morning, Chris and I strolled over to the local wine bar-turned coffee shop for some heavenly brew and got a quick lesson on how the coffee was roasted and brewed to make it so delectable.  Check out State Street Coffee and definitely try to stop by next time you're in Dallas.  

Say, "Cheese!" Cheeses and Mary's Grand Opening in Milton

Imagine the most genuine, graceful, welcoming person you know.  Now add CHEESE.  What could possibly be finer than cheese?  Enter Mary Mayer.  Mary takes Cheese to a whole other level and she recently opened a shop in Milton, Georgia, where you can sample and purchase these delectable cheeses from happy goats, sheep, and cows.  

Mary offers a collection of Georgia artisanal and farmstead cheeses along with a peck of complimentary locally prepared products (think Gourmet Wine Gelée, Sweet Heat Jalapeños, Georgia Grinders Almond Flour).  But back to the cheese...

If you sneak a peek into Mary's back office (aka, the kitchen), you see pictures of the goats that produce the milk for some of her cheeses. You can go on her facebook page and see pictures of her visiting different creameries.  Something happens when we go to the source for the food we eat and see that it's responsibly sourced.  It makes us happier.  

You know what else makes me happy?  The name of Mary's cheese shop:

Please stop by her new shop, sample some cheese, and say hello!  I promise you will be inspired!

12220 Birmingham Highway

Braeburn Village, Building 80, Suite 102

Milton, Georgia 30004

And please like her on Facebook!

Update:  Mary's Website is www.cheesesandmary.com!

Craft Kitchen and Brew, Roswell

You know that feeling you get when you drive by someplace you've driven by a hundred times and think, "We have GOT to try that place!"?  Enter Craft Kitchen and Brew (formally knowns as Belly's Pizza).  This place is close to one of my frequented shopping marts, and every time I would pass it, I would wonder why Chris and I had not tried it out yet.  Probably because we didn't necessarily go to that part of town except for the sole purpose of grocery shopping.  And who wants to stop to get pizza when you have milk in the car?

It so happened one Sunday after church we had driven over to that part of town to get some BBQ.  Luckily for us, the BBQ place was closed.  I am so happy I remembered there was a "Craft" place nearby  (don't judge- buzz words are suppose to work) that also had the word "Brew" in the name- a perfect fit for Chris and I.  We walked into a little pizza joint that reminded us of hole-in-the-wall places we used to frequent before we had children.  

We were seated and opened the menu to find the restaurant was true to its name.  While they did have 5 standard pizzas (the term "standard" being used very loosely), they featured 14 Craft Pizzas.  It was tough to choose, but we finally decided to settled on the Pawley Island Pizza.  Ohh.  Emm.  Gee.  This thing was incredible.  It was described as their "twist on a southern coastal classical with grilled green tomatoes, hickory smoked bacon, and [their in-house made] pimento cheese."  The tanginess of the green tomatoes intermixed with the slight kick of the pimento cheese and the sweetness of the bacon in such a way that made us go back for seconds thirds.  

I spoke to one of the owners and he informed me that the Pawley Island was one he was especially proud of.  Pawley Island is located about an hour and half north of Charleston and apparently has these amazing sandwiches with the same ingredients.  The owner was inspired by the ingredients and started "messing around" after returning from the beach and the Pawley Island Pizza was the result.  

After doing a bit more research, I discovered all of their specialty Craft Pizzas can be made with glutton-free crust.  They offer four (good) beers on draft: Sweet Water 420, Terrapin Hopsacutioner, Bells 2 Hearted Ale, and (my personal fav) Bluemoon.  They have weekday lunch specials 11-4 and Team Trivia on Wednesdays,   Their large pizza is a few more bucks than other nearby pizzerias, but their fresh ingredients ingeniously paired as so worth it.  Plus, their beer is cheaper, so you'll end up spending the same amount for a much superior pizza.

550 West Crossville Road

Roswell, GA

Give them some Facebook love, too :)

UPDATE: AUGUST 17, 2016

Craft Pizza and Brew is now Carlisle's Pizza Tavern in Downtown Roswell!  Their new address is 

1132 Canton Street

Roswell, GA 30075

Check out their NEW Facebook Page!