A true New-York style deli and market? In the heart of Alpharetta? I wouldn’t have believed it until I saw it…and then I saw it, I tasted it and then I kept going back to it! The Savory Gourmet is next door to Coalition Food and Beverage on Milton Avenue and is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 – 7:00 and Sunday and Monday from 11:00 – 3:00.
(more…)Tucked away into the corner of a shopping center on Haynes Bridge is AJ’s Home Cooking. It’s honestly been several years since we’ve eaten there, but as memory serves, it was always “ok.” Perhaps the best part was the more than reasonable prices they charged for their buffet, which was pretty extensive.
This week, Fulton County Public Health reported that AJ’s Southern Cooking at 11770 Haynes Bridge Road, Suite 902 in Alpharetta received a “U” for “Unsatisfactory” in their most recent health inspection.
Read on for what AJ’s was found by the County Health office to be deficient in, as well as AJ’s response to the score, and how they will improve.
(more…)In the 90s, AMC at Mansell Crossing/North Point was one of the best theaters around. By the time it met its demise, it just couldn’t keep up with the new comfy recliners and full-service dining that other theaters came to offer. When the AMC Dine-In opened at North Point Mall a few years ago, the writing was on the wall for what would become of the old AMC theater at the corner of Mansell and North Point Parkways.
No, it wouldn’t become a Dave and Busters arcade like the old Regal (United Artist?) theater did down the road. Now, as My Alpharetta Living has learned, this location will soon be transformed into a Studio Movie Grill.
The News is out…the “oldest new neighborhood” is awakening in downtown Alpharetta! A coalition of residents and merchants along the Canton Street corridor are engaged in raising awareness of local history and art through their efforts to officially designate the downtown Alpharetta Garden Arts District. The District includes elements of the Arts Walking Tour (including the Alpharetta Arts Center and 4 of the permanent public artworks) as well as the Alpharetta History Walk (like 14 of the historic markers). Mansell House, Resthaven Cemetery, Dodd Hotel, Manning Mercantile, and the FFA Log Cabin are just a few of the notable historical destinations within the Garden Arts District. An exciting mix of unique shops and restaurants plus public amenities like Wills Park and many residential options contribute to the vibrancy of the Garden Arts District.
(more…)If you have driven through downtown over the last two weeks, you have certainly seen the pile of rubble that used to be known as the Alpharetta Cotton House. For many years, this block has served as a cornerstone of the historic downtown area, but now it is has been reduced to rubble.
There’s only one thing to ask… what is happening here?
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As any reader of this blog knows, we have a close eye on the downtown Alpharetta area. On a recent walk by Liberty Hall with our precious pup, Zoey, we found some very interesting paperwork pasted on every door to the building. This wasn’t your normal construction permit paperwork. It was a restraining order. The words were very clear “Entry by John T. Adams or anyone acting on his behalf strictly prohibited, pursuant to court order below.”
Now, our specialty here at MyAlpharettaLiving is reporting on food, not court drama, I get it. But what happens when court drama intersects with restaurant reporting? There is a duty to be performed here, and we are here to update you on one of downtown Alpharetta’s biggest buildings.
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If you don’t recognize the above location, we’ll forgive you. The above house sits at 122 Marietta Street, just behind the Alpharetta Pure Taqueria location. This property has been vacant for some time, but My Alpharetta Living has recently learned that Sedgwick Restaurant Group has recently purchased the property with plans to renovate it and open a Theo’s Brother’s Bakery.
(more…)Food has been a pretty integral part of our blog, but now we would also like to share our love for beverages with you all.
Read on for more wine goodness…
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As you guys know, the much-anticipated Botiwalla opened in City Center several weeks ago. Since their opening, we’ve been there three times.
All three times we visited them, their food has been ON POINT! Keep in mind though that this is not your typical Indian restaurant with menu items like Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala or Korma. This restaurant brings the street food of India to light. So, while you will still experience similar flavors, the dishes are not your standard Indian-fare.
Let’s start with the SPDP: it is a mouthful of goodness! Flavors of Tamarind, Mint, Cilantro, Sweet Yogurt all packaged in a fluffy and crunchy “Puri.” This is a must-have! Just remember – don’t try to take bites of it. Stick the whole thing in your mouth! You won’t regret it.
Their wraps are out of this world! I’ve now tried all three wraps – chicken, Paneer and fish – and I would order those every time I go there. The wrap itself is a delicious piece of Naan with a protein inside with a slaw for fresh flavor. You also get a side of yogurt dip (Raita) with it.
Botiwalla has not yet received their alcohol permit, and they don’t expect to have that until around August. To compensate, they do have Mango Lassi, a Tamarind drink and a couple of Indian sodas that are worth trying.
Now the one pain-point we have seen here is the line to order. All three times we have been there (at different times of day), the line to order has been at least 20-mins long. They have one register, so there is definitely a lack of efficiency there. I’d recommend that they learn from Chick-fil-A and put some mobile order folks out to walk the line, or setup self-ordering Kiosks to speed up the process because the kitchen churns out food within 7 mins of the order, but it’s the actual order that takes forever! This will likely not deter me from going there again, but it definitely makes me question their service level.
We’re already looking forward to going back for our fourth time. If you haven’t been there yet, your taste buds will thank you for going. Definitely make sure you are not in a time crunch though because those long lines can drag out what should otherwise be a quick visit.
Part of the joy of living near Downtown Alpharetta is the ability to have a short walk to the downtown area of our favorite hometown. Sometimes though, we still will take the short fraction of the mile drive downtown if we’re tired or the weather isn’t cooperating well.
One of the things I’ve always loved about Downtown Alpharetta is the abundance of free parking. We have two free parking decks (one is brand new), ample street parking, and several surface lots scattered about.
So colored me surprise when I recently found the antithesis of this abundance of free parking nestled into the heart of the downtown district in the Wells Fargo parking lot! For almost zero location advantage over the free parking the City offers, you can pay some company $3 to save no convenience or time.
That being said… at 7:30 on a Friday night, the lot was full! This means one of two things, either people prefer paid parking over free parking, or they just don’t know where to park for free.
I want to hope it’s not people just like to give away their money. If so, we can help with that here. I figure it’s some don’t know where to park for free. Fear not, we are here to help! Read on for the ultimate parking guide in Downtown Alpharetta.
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