Category: Food

Dozens of people crowded outside the new Five Spot Yogurt in Snellville for its opening earlier this summer. Although the fire inspector hadn’t yet checked out the sprinkler system and thus customers weren’t allowed in, there was a steady traffic of employees bringing free frozen yogurt out to customers.

Within the shop was owner David Carswell, a resident of Alpharetta, Ga. Carswell described his history of entrepreneurship. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2006 and ran an AT&T store in Watkinsville with a friend. In 2008, he became a franchisee for Little Caesars and with a business partner owned four stores.  The two of them parted company, with David inheriting the Little Caesars in Alpharetta and Duluth. It was after this that he went into the frozen yogurt business. 
”I saw a need for a good frozen yogurt shop in Snellville,” he said.
 He started working on it in September 2010. 

David found a location and started working on the design.  Jessica Mullis from UGA helped create the logo, while another friend, Nicole Morgan, helped design and furnish the interior.  He purchased the equipment and signed the lease.
When asked the difference between his shop and the other frozen yogurt shops that have exploded across Metro Atlanta recently, Carswell explained that on Monday through Thursday, the prices are capped at $5.00 regardless of the weight.  There are also comfortable leather chairs.
”We offer free WiFi,” he said.
 David said his yogurt was better-quality than many other yogurt places since it’s liquid-based.
”It’s not grainy like the other ones,” he noted.  “It’s very smooth texture.”

A sampling of the chocolate/vanilla swirl provided evidence for his claim. Unlike some frozen yogurts out there, there were no residual solids. 
Five Spot features 16 flavors and over 40 toppings. Carswell said he hadn’t introduced new flavors yet, but he did intend to provide some later, such as jelly-flavored frozen yogurt to go with the peanut-butter-flavored yogurt already there.

When asked about how he would define a Southerner in the 21st Century, he said that was someone who upholds the traditions and values of their ancestors. “The South means warm weather, family values and friendly neighbors,” he said when asked his thoughts about the region.

Five Spot is located at the far end of the shopping center containing the Borders and Carmike Cinemas. It is next to the Panera Bread.

For more information, please check out Five Spot Yogurt’s website

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prettysouthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/MattQuinn.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Matthew Quinn graduated from the University of Georgia in 2007. After nearly four years reporting for The Griffin Daily News, he became editor of The Johns Creek Herald in North Fulton. He is a published writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror and blogs at www.accordingtoquinn.com.[/author_info] [/author]

Luscious, juicy, ripe, tangy, succulent…tomatoes! Summertime finds Southerners planning picnics, reunions, barbeques and get-togethers with family and friends. Our special occasion meals often include fresh tomatoes. Generally we serve sliced red tomatoes or fried green tomatoes, but they can also be baked, stuffed, grilled, breaded, diced, pureed, or even canned for future use. Any way you slice them, we love our ‘maters!

Not only do we love eating tomatoes, many of us enjoy growing them. Whether we are seasoned experts or beginning gardeners, we delight in talking about our beautiful flowers and bountiful crops.

Here are a few gardening tips for tomatoes. Your local nursery or garden center can be helpful, too!

• I prefer starting with small plants. Two or three plants can yield a nice crop, so you don’t need a lot.
• Choose a sunny location. A small bed or corner of your yard is perfect, but tomatoes can be grown in large pots on your porch or patio if you get enough sun. They need at least 6-8 hours of sun a day.
• Prepare your soil so they have an environment in which to thrive. I use Scott’s Miracle-Grow Soil and I am liberal with mixing a good deal of it into the garden area.
• Space your plants at least two feet apart. Make sure you give the roots room to grow. Plant them deep enough to reach to the first couple of leaves. Once planted, I pinch off the very bottom leaves.
• You’ll need a tomato cage for each plant. Place firmly over the plant so it can grow up the middle, and the branches will have support. When the tomatoes get growing, the vines can get heavy. I usually keep colorful ribbons or twist ties around to keep the stray branches attached to the cages once they start getting longer. Don’t let branches fall on the ground, this invites disease or bugs.
• I like to plant one marigold between each tomato plant. They keep pests away, and they’re pretty. Basil is also a great companion plant to grow next to tomatoes because they go together in many recipes, and basil repels insects.

• For the first couple of weeks you’ll want to water plants every day. After that, water maybe twice a week. (less if you get rain) You can usually tell when plants need water because they’ll look a little wilted.
• Prune some leaves occasionally. Be careful not to pinch off the ones that have flowers. These little flowers are where your tomatoes will grow. It takes a little practice to determine where to prune. Normally the darker, tougher looking leaves are where you pinch back.
• Pick tomatoes green to fry, or leave them on the vine until they are ripe and ready to slice.
If you don’t have a recipe for fried green tomatoes, one of our most famous Southern cooks, Paula Deen has a fabulous fried green tomato recipe!

Grow well and prosper!

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prettysouthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Karen.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Pretty Southern contributing culture and lifestyle reporter Karen Hatchett is a life-long southerner and resident of Smyrna, Georgia. She’s a Marketing & PR professional, arts & music lover, jewelry designer and casual gardener.[/author_info] [/author]

Rosebud restaurant in Atlanta’s marvelous Morningside neighborhood has reached a milestone: their second anniversary! After opening in a recession which took down many food enterprises, we’re thrilled to see one of our favorite spots for Southern food has made it this far. Not only that, owner and chef Ron Eyester has opened another venture right across the street: The Family Dog.

Here’s a list of all the fun happenings y’all can find at Rosebud and The Family Dog this summer.

Wednesday, July 13 is Dine Out for the American Red Cross. Thousands of families in Georgia and the Southeast have been left homeless & suffering in the wake of this Spring’s natural disasters. Helping them is as easy as eating dinner. Rosebud will be donating 15% of their sales to help these folks. Reservations are recommended.

Thursday, July 14 is dinner with Allan Benton and a 7-course menu of dishes featuring his Smoky Mountain Country Hams pork products. Dinner starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and the cost is $48 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 404.347.9747.

Every Sunday night, in addition to their regular dinner menu Rosebud offers a Local Pasta with Sunday Gravy & Housemade Ricotta for only $15. Sunday Gravy is a traditional Italian tomato based sauce with numerous cuts of meat that Ron grew up eating in New York. Pair it with a bottomless glass of Chianti for $12!

Every Monday night, join Rosebud for brunch because sometimes pancakes are even better for dinner than they are for breakfast. Their housemade Bloody Marys will appease anyone after even the roughest Monday.

Every Wednesday is Weiners & Widespread featuring a live Widespread Panic show played on Rosebud’s DVDs and all menus can also be found on their website.

Every Thursday Rosebud’s resident “wine dude” Jeff will be doing interactive beverage tastings at The Family Dog. Drink with Jeff themes will be different each week, ranging from beer features to highlights from their extensive menu of craft spirits.

Thursday, July 14th – BBQ Wines
Thursday, July 21st – Terrapin Beers
Thursday, July 28th – Tequila

Cost is $15 to $20 per person, plus tax and gratuity, depending on the week’s theme. Join anytime from 6 to 8 p.m. Then, there’s live music at the restaurant starting at 8:30 p.m. Not too loud to limit conversation; just right for a fun night out! They also have live music in the bar every Saturday afternoon from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Not only does Rosebud have live music at their bar but so does The Family Dog every Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy a meal at Rosebud, then move across the street to enjoy some live tunes and a cold drink!

Rosebud is offering a complimentary appetizer of fried green tomatoes or their perfect pimento cheese. Please comment below if you would like to receive the voucher from PrettySouthern.com to receive your free treat.

For more information, call 404.347.9747 or visit Rosebud’s website