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Dining in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and the Perimeter Mall area
Die-hard “foodies” (amateur gourmets who love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news) Steve and Patricia Scott are exploring Atlanta–one restaurant at a time. They live in Peachtree Corners, and at least twice a week their Acura makes its familiar trek up I-285 north. Some nights they stop at
Perimeter Mall, and on other evenings they make it on around the connector into
Sandy Springs and Dunwoody. But wherever their little car takes them, eating out in “Hotlanta,” they say, always plays the yummiest part of their always-memorable date nights.
Dunwoody Dining Delights
For lunch, Patricia’s favorite Dunwoody spot is
Villa Christina. “I love the wonderful atmosphere,” says Patricia, “the bright colors, contemporary art pieces, garden views, fresh chef-manned lunch buffets and grilled romaine salads.” If she’s in an
Asian mood, it’s Joli Kobi all the way, a
Japanese bakery and café. “The do absolutely beautiful desserts and an almond curry chicken salad that’s to die for.”
On some nights the Scotts’ trek takes them to the
Cheesecake Factory, just outside Perimeter Mall’s front promenade next to Dillards. They usually share the Thai Lettuce Wraps so they can save room for the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. (They claim that the stroll around Perimeter Mall afterwards burns off all calories collected at the Factory.) Some Sunday afternoons one can find Steve and
Patricia at Maggiano’s, where they’re enjoying bruschetta, a generous salad, and some classic Robert Mondavi private selection vinetta. “We try to stay around the $30 - $35 mark,” says
Patricia, “so we tend to share entrees and desserts whenever possible.”
Just across from Perimeter Mall is Perimeter Center Place, a shopping area similar to The Avenues and The Forum. Perimeter Center Place features a number of dining
establishments including
Outback Steakhouse, Taco Mac, Carraba's Italian, Mimi's Cafe and Fleming's.
If Patricia is with her girlfriends, they tend to stay in “downtown Dunwoody,” where for years they created special occasions in order to enjoy afternoon tea at the
Dunwoody Farmhouse, a famous landmark in the heart of town. If they just want conversation and a warm cappuccino, the Mount Vernon
Panera Bread is their Number One pick.
Other popular dining establishments in the area include Goldfish, Hudson Grille, Seasons 52, and Wildfire Steak and Chop House. Across the street from Perimeter Mall couples like the
Scotts can be seen on any given evening strolling through specialty shops and eating at classic Atlanta venues such as
Café Intermezzo, Elon’s, and Eclipse de Luna, restaurant and tapas bar.
Fun Facts about Dunwoody
Dunwoody has long intrigued North Atlantans, and its businesses and restaurants have generally held their own–even in down economic times. It doesn’t hurt that Dunwoody is the third wealthiest city in Georgia, with a median family income of $101,000. Incidentally, one just might run across one of Dunwoody’s most famous residents at a Perimeter Mall restaurant – American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.
Lying at the northern tip of DeKalb County, Dunwoody was truly “put on the map” when the Perimeter Mall district exploded. The mall and almost half of the Perimeter Community Improvement District comprise a self-taxing district of office buildings, shopping, restaurants and hotels. The tallest building in Dunwoody is the 34-story Ravinia, whose private restaurant/club and “magical gardens” have hosted many a wedding reception and formal banquet.
Savory Sandy Springs
If Steve and Patricia are up for traveling ten more minutes around the Perimeter into
Sandy Springs, they often stop at their favorite mom-and-pop restaurant,
The Brickery. Here they enjoy chatting with owners Bruce and Sally Alterman while enjoying crab cakes or the Brickery’s famous squash casserole. “We’ve been coming here for fifteen years,” says
Steve, his mouth full, “and we’ve never walked away disappointed–or hungry!” Sandy Springs has plenty to keep hungry diners satisfied. Down the road a few miles from the Brickery is
K.C. Pit Barbeque, which often touts a jazz or soul singer with a little band that entertains its multi-cultural clientele. If the
Scotts’ are in the mood for some good Mexican food, it’s right there at Roswell Road and Hammond Drive. Their favorite spot is
Uncle Julio’s Fine Mexican food, whose sopapillas are a big favorite with ex-Texans and Mexicans alike. “They’re just a little addictive,” whispers
Patricia, “but what the heck, it’s our anniversary… next month.”
Other Sandy Springs Dining
When the Scotts are in the mood to venture inside the perimeter from Sandy Springs into Buckhead, the sky is the limit on food choices. There’s food for every ethnic palate and every price range, but their favorite is an old Atlanta classic–Rays on the River. “We come here when we just want to relax, listen to a jazz band, and enjoy some brunch on the river,” says
Steve. “And the wine isn’t bad either,” adds Patricia, enjoying her third sip of her favorite sangovese.
Other Scotts’ favorites include a stop at
Whole Foods on Roswell Road on their way to an outdoor concert at
Chastain Park. “We get two healthy salads-in-a-box,” explains
Patricia, “and a bottle of merlot.” They stuff their goodies next to their candelabra in a picnic basket and enjoy the beautiful Atlanta weather at a variety of spring, summer and fall concerts.
Something Special about Sandy Springs
Named for its silty streams, Sandy Springs is an affluent North Atlanta suburb and is officially the eighth-largest city in Georgia and the third largest in the Atlanta metro area. This Fulton County city hosts numerous Fortune 500 companies, including UPS, Children’s HealthCare of Atlanta, IBM Internet Security Systems, Northside Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and Porsche Cars North America. Its business district is the Roswell Road corridor and Perimeter Center (though Perimeter Mall itself lies in adjacent DeKalb County).
Perimeter Center, known as the biggest “edge city” in Atlanta, include high rise buildings such as the Concourse Towers (or “king and queen” towers because of their crown-like top architecture.) When driving along one Perimeter Center’s busy corridors like Peachtree Dunwoody Road, commuters can spot an impressive array of businesses. First Data, Cox Enterprises, and Sumitomo Corporation all operate in the Perimeter Center/Sandy Springs area. Topping its Dunwoody neighbors, the median household income of these residents is $110,000.
Working it Off
Steve and Patricia admit that eating out a dozen times a month can be rough on the pocketbook unless there is disciplined budgeting and some
discount coupons added to the mix here and there. And to budget the calories, the Scott’s go back to Peachtree Corners and take brisk walks around the Forum–at least four times a week. If they’re really disciplined, they just might allow themselves to splurge at their favorite Forum restaurant–Grace 1720, but if they’ve overdone it a bit, they’ll grab a salad at the reasonably-priced
Jason’s Deli with its healthy salad bar bursting with veggies.
No matter what the mood or budget, North Atlanta dining has proven to be a hobby well worth the effort for Atlanta baby boomers and Gen-Xer’s ever cultivating their appreciation for remarkable cuisine.
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