400 LIFE JUNE 2019
All about men!
Father, kids share unique hobby Mayor excels in world of classic car restoration Guide to barbecue in Forsyth County Also: Cherry Street a favorite among locals • Find a cool aviation toy at Atlanta Hobby
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from the editor The tried and true method to get fathers and their children to bond is through shared activities. For my father and me, it was music. He played guitar (and flute, piano and saxophone), and so I wanted to too. When he bought me my first one — a three-quarter-size Ovation acoustic — it unlocked a new dimension for our relationship. He taught me the fundamentals of technique and music theory, and as my skills gradually reached equal footing, our connection and respect for one another deepened. It went even further when we decided to try to make the instrument ourselves. The primary guitar I now play is the fourth one ever made by my father more than 10 years ago. Parents are under no obligation to force their own passions onto their children; indeed, it often does more harm than good. And there’s a wonderful satisfaction that comes with watching a child find their passion and pursue it, even if it’s not a shared one. But when the child, on their own, takes a genuine interest in a parent’s career or hobby, there is a certain magic. That seems to be underscored by the stories in this month’s issue of 400 Life magazine. Local pilot Tim Thompson is passing on his love for aviation to his two children, who seem to be more than willing recipients. Atlanta Hobby owner Cliff Whitney’s own interest in aviation can be linked to his father, who introduced Whitney to model airplanes. Cherry Street Brewing’s Alisa and Nick Tanner have been adding on to the local restaurant legacy of their father, Rick. Even one of the restaurants in our guide to Forsyth County barbecue gets its name from its father-son origins. For all, theirs is a bond that is unique and magical. I treasure mine with every strum. — Brian Paglia
inside
contributors Publisher Stephanie Woody Editor BRIAN PAGLIA Production Manager TRACIE PIKE Staff Writers Alexander popp KELLY WHITMIRE Advertising director nathan schutter
Passion for cars Troy Brumbalow restores the classics. PAGE 10
COVER STORY Hobby has father, kids up in the air. PAGE 4 400 SPACES Cherry Street celebrates a milestone. PAGE 16 400 FACES Atlanta Hobby owner’s love of aviation. PAGE 22 COMMON BOND Son follows father’s footsteps in career. PAGE 24 400 EATS Find the best barbecue restaurant in town. PAGE 26
Advertising deborah darnell STEPHANIE MCCABE Photographer BEN HENDREN Special contributor JENNIFER COLOSIMO
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A family affair in the air Local dad, pilot teaches kids to fly... Story by Jennifer Colosimo | Photos by Ben Hendren
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...model airplanes that is.
B
efore Tim Thompson could walk, he loved aviation. He spent his toddler years tagging along with his dad to the airport. By 7, he got his first model airplane. As a teenager, he took his first flying lesson at Peachtree Dekalb Airport and — with help from his grandfather — got his first license from Mathis Airport. By young adulthood, he was in the military working on airplanes. His passion never waned. In 2008, he quit his day job to get back in the pilot’s seat and refocus his career to its early foundation. “I called up the instructor at the flight school and asked him how quickly I could get my first student and start making income,” said Thompson. “What usually takes about six months, I did in about 90 d a y s . Wi t h i n t h a t t i m e f r a m e , I h a d a l l o f m y advanced ratings and was teaching other people to fly.” H e n ow f l i e s c o m m e r c i a l f l i g h t s f o r S p i r i t A i r l i n e s , bu t t h a t i s n ’t h i s b i g g e s t j o b. N ow, Thompson is dad to Tyler, 5, and Andrea, 10. And you can bet, this father-daughter-son team spends a lot of their time at the airfield. “I wouldn’t say I forced this hobby on my kids, but by them observing me, they struck up their own interest in it,” said Thompson. “I’d be tinkering in my garage, in my workshop and they started to pick it up, too, because that’s what we did when we were hanging out. The next thing you know, they
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“My daughter, [Andrea], took a flight with me on a real airplane and she didn’t realize that you could fly through a cloud. She sees that and wants to know more. It’s important for her to get into modeling because it plants that seed for her future.” Tim Thompson, father and pilot 6 | 400 LIFE | June 2019
“The basics of modeling can take you all the way through getting your full-scale license. In fact, a lot of the things I had to learn to be a pilot, I already knew as a modeler — the way that a plane flies, the way that it balances — things like that.” Tim Thompson, on becoming a pilot
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were asking me to get them new models and parts. It’s so cool that they’re interested in something that I’m passionate about.” They’re also the youngest modelers around. Andrea started flying when she was just 5 years old. Tyler was on the airfield the day after he was born. They build and fly model airplanes, mostly, but were excited to get their hands on a drone when they hit the market. “I’ve been an RC (radio-controlled) modeler for about 35 years now,” said Thompson. “And drones and model airplanes go hand-in-hand.” “ T h e r e ’s a c e r t a i n r o m a n c e t o f l y i n g ,” a d d e d Thompson. “My daughter took a flight with me on a real airplane and she didn’t realize that you could fly through a cloud. She sees that and wants to know more. It’s important for her to get into modeling because it plants that seed for her future.” Flying offers fathers and kids a way to play together, whether building and modeling airplanes or flying hobby drones. Both can instill a certain kind of passion, set of skills and knowledge that might lead to a career in the growing field of piloting real airplanes, helicopters or u n m a n n e d a e r i a l ve h i c l e s ( UAV ) , w h a t w e k n ow a s drones. “The basics of modeling can take you all the way through getting your full-scale license,” said Thompson. “In fact, a lot of the things I had to learn to be a pilot, I already knew as a modeler — the way that a plane flies, the way that it balances — things like that.” That’s a huge reason Thompson gets excited about har-
boring his own kids’ interest in this hobby. Drones are becoming more and more popular with the average consumer, but they’re also being used by corporations and even the military. The FAA already has legal limitations and restrictions to who can fly them and where, and as that airspace becomes more and more valuable, new careers can’t help but emerge (think: the future of delivery services, aiding in military ops and speeding up medical transfers). People with that aerospace engineering experience are going to be at the forefront of forging this new industry. And that starts with a passion for flying. The benefits of the Thompson family hobby are numerous. Model aviation has allowed his family to spend hours and days of enjoyment flying together and traveling to events. It gets them outside. It’s intellectual and mentally challenging. It’s a way to interact with their elders, building character and respect for others through play. And because most of their fellow fliers are elders in their 60s and 70s, it’s a rare opportunity to interact with that older generation on a level playing field — something that doesn’t exist in many other hobbies. “Above anything else, I want them to have the joy that I know comes with flying,” said Thompson. “I enjoy it so much and it keeps me grounded. Life’s so crazy sometimes, and I know that we can just go pick up an airplane and go to the flying field with nothing more than our model, a transmitter and some water bottles. We’ll be good for hours. It just takes me away. I want my kids to have that, too.” We’d say they’re all clear for takeoff.
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The Mopar Mayor
Troy Brumbalow details passion for restoring classic cars Story by Kelly Whitmire | Photos by Ben Hendren
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n most days, city of Cumming Mayor Troy Brumbalow can be seen around town performing his elected duties: attending city council meetings, speaking to local groups and tending to city business. To those used to seeing him in his official roles, the sight of the mayor caked in oil and grease restoring classic cars might be a shock, but the mayor has his own separate reputation in the world of classic car restorations. Brumbalow’s most recent project is a recreation of the iconic Pontiac Firebird Trans Am made famous by Burt Reynolds in “Smokey and the Bandit,” which had parts of the film shot in Forsyth County on Buford Dam Road and Ga. 400. “It’s a ’78 Trans Am. I bought the car kind of like it is paint and body wise, but we updated all the running gear: it got a new-model Camaro engine and transmission that’s been bumped up to about 600 horsepower, made a Positraction rear-end, wheels, tires, brakes,” he said. “We went with a modern wheel that is a re-creation of the original but
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Troy Brumbalow’s most recent project is a recreation of the iconic Pontiac Firebird Trans Am made famous by Burt Reynolds in “Smokey and the Bandit.”
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“It’s a ’78 Trans Am. I bought the car kind of like it is paint and body wise, but we updated all the running gear: it got a new-model Camaro engine and transmission that’s been bumped up to about 600 horsepower, made a Positraction rear-end, wheels, tires, brakes,” he said. “We went with a modern wheel that is a re-creation of the original but gives it more of that modern look.” Troy Brumbalow, City of Cumming mayor and car enthusiast
Troy Brumbalow added modern features like air conditioning to his rebuilt ’78 Trans Am.
gives it more of that modern look.” Brumbalow said while the exterior of the car looks like it would have in the ’70s, he added air-conditioning, a new motor and other modern touches. “That’s called a resto-mod, where you take an original looking car, but then you update all the running gear and brakes and all that and make it perform much better,” Brumbalow said. “Like this car originally was 225 horsepower, now its 600 horsepower, it has much better brakes, a six-speed automatic. It gives it the modern technology, but you make that into an old car that has
those classic lines.” When running for the mayoral seat in 2017, Brumbalow’s 1962 Dodge Town Wagon was a common sight around town, and, like the Trans Am, featured some new amenities in a classic car. “It was the same thing: we put a new-model engine and transmission in it, brakes and all that kind of stuff,” Brumbalow said. “So we had updated it, but left the outward appearance … even the roof had rust and that kind of stuff. That’s kind of an in-thing now. It used to be everything had to be perfect and shiny and
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Above, Frankencuda, a custom 1971 Plymouth Barracuda, was featured in Fast 5, the fifth movie in the Fast and the Furious franchise. Opposite page, a Vipercuda Troy Brumbalow restored with a reverse opening hood and Lamborghini doors.
everything like that. Now, it’s cool to have one that has old, rusty paint and all that kind of stuff.” While Brumbalow is finishing a car known for its role in the movies, it should be noted that one of his own creations has made its way to the big screen. Frankencuda, a custom 1971 Plymouth Barracuda, was featured in Fast 5, the fifth movie in the Fast and the Furious franchise, including two of the film’s three trailers. Brumbalow was able to meet stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker. Diesel and Walker even shot a scene talking about the car that didn’t make the film but didn’t wind up on the cutting room floor either. “I hung out down there for a week, and then had to go back later,” Brumbalow said. “When they left Atlanta, they had all the motion picture film wrapped up and warning tape ‘Motion Picture Film: Do not X-Ray.’ Well, when they went through the Atlanta airport, a TSA agent insisted on X-raying one of them. That was a million dollar roll of film … then I get a call about a month later, ‘We need your car back.’” Brumbalow joked that the car is still featured in the movie “but don’t blink ’cause it’s gone.” Two films later, he came to help a friend who was working with cars on the movie and had a chance to catch up with Walker just days before his untimely passing. “We talked for like 30 minutes. He remembered me, my car from two movies ago and asked me what I was working on now. The guy was just the salt of the earth, no bodyguards or anything. He was just a super guy,” Brumbalow said. “Then, he died in that
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car wreck like two or three days later.” Frankencuda is likely Brumbalow’s best-known work and hits several of the checkmarks for his creations: it’s unique, it’s Mopar — such as a Dodge or a Plymouth — and it’s very fast. “It’s weird, a lot of the stuff I’ve done is custom, one-off, like Frankencuda and I did a Vipercuda that had air ride and a reverse opening hood and Lamborghini doors and all that stuff and made it a Viper engine and interior into a 1970-model car,” he said. “The fun stuff is kind of dreaming it up and building it and showing it off for a while. It’s almost like you get a little bored with it and you get some new idea in your head that you want to go create, so I’ve never really kept them a long, long time.” All in all, Brumbalow estimated he has built somewhere between 15 and 20 cars from the ground up. “A lot of them, it’s been every nut and bolt, you completely disassemble the car to just the bare body, there’s nothing bolted together,” he said. “Then you sandblast it and do all the bodywork, replace any rust, then you assemble it, literally every piece of the car, it’s new or it’s been reconditioned. You basically build the car back from scratch.” Brumbalow said he has a particular interest with Mopar, a stance he said he has had since he started driving. “The first car I ever fell in love with, I had a Richard Petty blue, ’73 [Plymouth] Barracuda, and they’re so different,” he said. “In the South, it’s mainly Chevrolets and some Fords, Mopars were not as common back in the day, so when you saw a really nice one, you were really seeing something, and back in the muscle car era, they had some of the fastest cars around, so I
just liked them because they looked different. I loved the looks of them.” Though Brumbalow said he never had any formal training as a mechanic, he’s learned from working on cars “just out of necessity” with his dad as a kid. Since then, the hobby has taken him all around the country, including his next stop, the Hot Road Power Tour, hosted by Hot Rod magazine, which he will take part in this summer. In previous years, the tour has taken him from Texas to Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin one year and from Florida to New Jersey in another. “You’ll have about 10,000 old cars that are going from an event to the next event,” Brumbalow said. “You’ll get up early in the morning, clean your car, then you’ll drive and it’s just this caravan for a couple of miles of old cars. They’ll have a predetermined route that you’ll take, and you go through little towns. People are sitting out in the lawn chairs. They know it’s coming so they’ll sit out there and wave and hoop and holler.” From small towns to movie stars, Brumbalow said there is a certain camaraderie and passion in all classic car fans. “Something about riding around driving classic cars, it’s a cool feeling,” he said. “Classic cars, they’re cool no matter how cool you are. You take teenagers today, and I was no different, you look back at cars built before you were born, but they’re cool. The lines of the cars, they’re really almost legendary.”
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400 spaces
Cherry Street Brewing Co-op Rick, Nick and Alisa Tanner
One for the family
How Cherry Street’s Tanners balance family, beer and growth Story by Kelly Whitmire | Photos by Ben Hendren
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ooking back on their first 10 years in Forsyth County, Rick Tanner said he is still blown away by the local support. “It’ll be a 10-year anniversary of [opening in] Forsyth County, which has been unbelievably gracious and great to us in more ways than you can possibly imagine,” he said. “The people out here, the community and everything has been beyond our wildest dreams.” When talking to the Tanners, a common theme is family, which should be expected in a family-owned business, but that has also extended to the regular customers who feel this is “their bar,” including those who have gone from dating to starting families. Beer lovers in Forsyth County should be keenly aware of Cherry Street Brewing Co-op, which for years has served as the only local brew and whose founders even had to change local rules to make it a reality. Since opening, the co-op’s restaurant and taproom have become popular gathering spots in Forsyth County, and owners of the company said it brings in so many customers that just about
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From left, Alisa, Nick and Rick Tanner at Cherry Street Brewing Co-op. “It’ll be a 10 year anniversary of [opening in] Forsyth County, which has been unbelievably gracious and great to us in more ways than you can possibly imagine,” says Rick.
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The Cherry Street Brewing Co-op’s restaurant and taproom are popular gathering spots in Forsyth County.
every night is a little different. “Honestly, some nights it tends to be date night and other nights it tends to be here hanging out with your friends,” said Alisa Tanner, with Cherry Street. “It also becomes a destination, so when families and friends are in town, this is a place where people like to bring them and it ends up being a destination, they get to show off their favorite place and we kind of pride in being that ‘Cheers’ atmosphere that the bartenders know the guests that walk in.” “You know when you’ve made it when the people here in the community consider this their brewery,” added Mike “CT” Chartrand, a partner with the company. “This is the community’s brewery.” In 2009, at the then-recently opened Vickery Village, restauranteur Rick Tanner opened up Rick Tanner’s Grille and Bar, the 20th eatery under the name with CT since 1986, but since then, the restaurant has pivoted into something unlike any of its predecessors in term of name, product and the fact that he his running it with his son and daughter, Nick and Alisa. Tanner proudly refers to them as “the kids.” “My daughter … she started working here while she was at Georgia State [University]
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“We have all the Tanners’ food that everybody loves from all the years since 1986 here, but the menu going toward Halcyon will have some of that and will have the mainstay items, then they’ll be developing the approachable food,” Rick Tanner said.
As the beer, with distribution, started spreading across the city of Atlanta over 2013 and 2014, the restaurant itself started getting a little, more or less, cramped with the influx of people coming for the beer as well as the food, said Nick Tanner, so the family decided to expand next door.
and graduated from college for hospitality from the Mack School of business, then she comes and takes over operations, Nick’s got the brewery and Mike and I are hanging out here having fun,” the elder Tanner said. Before opening the local restaurant, the family’s first plan was to purchase a brewery in Colorado, where Nick had fallen in love with home brewing beer while attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins. When that didn’t work out, Rick decided on the current space and offered Nick a deal, “Double our sales, and we’ll build you a brewery.” Before brewing his own beer, Nick first wanted to make the restaurant a destination for already popular beers. “He knew he was going to start making beer, but he wanted to
get a beer program going here,” Rick said. “He would contact breweries across the country and he would find out only six kegs or eight kegs or 10 kegs of the coveted beers in the country were coming to Georgia. He would pre-buy, then let the distributor know that he has the beer coming in, which created a beer program here beyond belief. People were now driving 40 and 50 miles to come to get this beer because they could not get it anywhere else.” Though requiring changes to state and local rules, Cherry Street opened on Dec. 12, 2012, or 12/12/12. “In December of 2012, we opened with four beers on tap,” Nick said. “By the next summer, June of ’13, we had 12 different beers on tap that we were brewing. As the beer, with distribution,
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June 2019 | 400 LIFE | 19
started spreading across the d r ive n a s a b r ew p u b , city of Atlanta over 2013 and which we are, and that’s 2014, the restaurant itself why the front of the started getting a little, more building is highlighted or less, cramped with the with ‘Home of Rick influx of people coming for Tanner’s,’” Rick said. the beer as well as the food.” “ S o , w e h ave a l l t h e The restaurant was soon Tanners’ food that everypopular enough that the fambody loves from all the ily decided to expand next years since 1986 here, door, which operated under but the menu going the Cherry Street name and toward Halcyon will was exclusively for adults. have some of that and “ T h e Ta p r o o m i t s e l f will have the mainstay allowed for a few things,” items, then they’ll be Nick said. “It allowed for us developing the approachto be able to increase the able food.” selection of our beer, so we While the original went from serving 12 Cherry isn’t going anywhere, Street beers in the restau- In December of 2012, we opened with four beers on tap,” Nick Cherry Street will soon rant to now serving 26 beers Tanner said. “By the next summer, June of ’13, we had 12 differ- open a second location fulltime in the Taproom. ent beers on tap that we were brewing.” at Halcyon Forsyth, the “ The Taproom really u p c o m i n g m i xe d -use allowed us to brew more d eve l o p m e n t i n s o u t h styles of beer and serve at Forsyth. Nick said when he one time. The Taproom also first started brewing beer, he allowed us to start events and never envisioned coming private parties and things for back to Georgia, but now, the community that we never can’t imagine a better place used to be able to do.” for the company t han Though Forsyth County Forsyth County. and Vickery Village are each “When I moved back known for their family activhome to Georgia many ities, a common complaint is years ago and we got the the lack of nightlife and location brewing beer at adults spots around town. Vickery Village, I thought The Taproom has changed for sure that the next locasome of that perception. tion we opened up would be “The Taproom took on a closer to Atlanta,” Nick life of its own being a space said. “When the opportunity where adults could get away came a couple of years ago from the kids that our restauto stay here in Forsyth at rant has been known for. Tanner’s restaurants are The taproom allowed for the business to be able to increase the this new development, it felt k n o w n t o b e f a m i l y - selection of beer, so they went from serving 12 Cherry Street right to us. Staying here in this county is important to friendly and very family- beers in the restaurant to now serving 26 beers fulltime. us. friendly for 33 years now. “The people that we have So, the Taproom added a built relationships with and gotten to know and the children new piece to the feel of Tanner’s because now there’s an and seeing them grow up, oh my word. We have [famiadult space.” In 2017, a third expansion opened the barrel room, which lies] that she was pregnant and they had the kid and now gave Cherry Street both more capacity for brewing and to see him that he’s almost 10 years old, is just unbelievable. more space for events. Similarly, Rick says it’s been a blessing to see young “It allowed us to increase are barrel-aged section of beer. We went from having 25 whiskey barrels filled with beer to employees go from having first jobs to moving on to colabout 100 barrels now. It also allowed us to have more pri- lege, professional careers and families and, of course, seevate parties and events. Now we can host all kinds of things ing his kids step up into their roles. “What better way can it be to stay in touch with them, and they from birthday parties and office luncheons to rehearsal dinall come back,” Rick said. “A lot of them come back and they ners.” With all the expansions and Cherry Street’s growing pop- work the beer fest, and they have professional jobs, but they come ularity in the craft beer world, the family decided to focus back and volunteer. When they leave, I say, ‘You’ll be back.’ more on that name than Tanner’s to lessen confusion. “But the most gratifying thing for me as a father is I get to “We decided, as a group, we would change the name of work with my two kids and to see them develop and mature and the location to be Cherry Street, so it would be one concept grow into the business people that they are now.” 20 | 400 LIFE
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400 faces
Cliff Whitney Atlanta Hobby
Cliff Whitney has always been a fan of stuff that flies. The longtime Forsyth County resident first learned to fly control-line model airplanes as a kid. A story in his dad’s Popular Mechanics magazine inspired Whitney to get his sailplane pilot’s license at 14. He went on to get his licenses to fly gliders and then regular airplanes. Throughout a successful 23-year career at Wolf Camera, the former Atlanta-based photo empire, Whitney stayed active in the aviation field, even running a hang gliding shop in Tennessee called Sequatchie Valley Soaring Supply. When Wolf Camera went bankrupt, Whitney lost his job in 2001, but he quickly developed a knack for selling model airplanes out of the hangar at his home on Stoney Point Airfield in Forsyth County. Eventually, the business grew so big he needed more space. Enter Atlanta Hobby. Whitney’s hobby shop has morphed over the years as the industry has changed, from emphasizing electric model airplanes and later to recreational drones. Today, Whitney’s business is still a go-to source for model airplanes, boats, cars and more, but it also focuses on commercial drones, offering customers a one-stop shop to purchase equipment, learn how to use it, get certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and also provide technical support. Some of the biggest players in media have come to Atlanta Hobby to outfit their organizations with drones: Fox News, ABC, National Geographic, Tyler Perry Studios. “This is not a typical hobby shop,” Whitney said. How did you meet Tyler Perry? He came in here, and I didn’t know who he was, so I treated him like everybody else. I walked around with him for awhile and then I left him alone. He just started piling stuff on the counter — a lot of stuff. When he left, everybody was standing around with their eyes about this big. They said, ‘Do you know who that was?’ I said, ‘No, but he had a lot of money.’ They said, ‘That’s Tyler Perry!’ So that’s how I met Tyler Perry. Where’s your favorite vacation spot? Lake Tahoe. It’s the most spectacular place that I have repeatedly visited. Probably the most scenic place was a motorcycle trip with my son from San Francisco up to Oregon along the coast. You can get so absorbed in it because every single turn is breathtakingly spectacular, and you look down and you’ve driven 300 miles. What’s your favorite kind of food? 22 | 400 LIFE
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We go to Rick Tanner’s Grille & Bar a lot. Rick’s a good friend of ours. One of my model airplanes is hanging in his restaurant. What’s your favorite genre of music? I am a prog rock fan — Yes, Pink Floyd. We would travel anywhere in the world to see Pink Floyd or Yes concerts. How do you unwind from a busy day at the business? A couple ways. One, we’ll sit out of the hangar [at Stoney Point Airfield] and watch the sunset. We’re very blessed to be in a beautiful place to live. Or two, if it’s a nice evening, I’ll go fly the airplane. It’s called a Citabria. Where did you get your interest in the hobby industry? My dad was into model airplanes as a kid. His dad taught him. My dad was a prolific builder. He could build anything from anything. He also wanted to dabble in general aviation. He built a gyrocopter when I was 15. How are hobbies still relevant to today’s younger generations? If you look at how our industry effects other industries, it’s very powerful. I just saw the movie “Apollo 11.” Neil Armstrong learned to fly model airplanes, as did Buzz Aldrin. It teaches you how to build, how to use glues, about different materials. And then the electronic side of it. I learned computer programming. What a powerful thing to learn computer code. And all of the racers that the kids really like, they have to programs those things. But they’ve built a skill set at that point. I really like turning kids on to aircraft. I like giving them their first rides in a real airplane. — Story, photo by Brian Paglia
Sam Roberts, right, followed in his father, James, footsteps and became a sheriff’s deputy. “I actually counted down the days until I was 21, which is the age limit to be a cop,” Sam said.
‘The day was going to come’ Father and son deputies reflect on the bond of family and partners Story and main photo by Alexander Popp
E
ven as a young kid living with his family in Oklahoma, Forsyth County Deputy Sam Roberts knew that he wanted to be a law enforcement officer, just like his dad. “Ever since I was a kid, I would ride out with him,” Roberts said. “I was probably 13 and I would start riding out on Friday nights, hanging out with the cops and I just learned to like it. Seeing the good days and the bad days, and just fell in love with what they do.” At first Roberts just loved the lights, sirens and being with different officers while they chased and stopped people, but as he got older and joined different law enforcement Explorer groups, he said he began to learn what cops really 24 | 400 LIFE
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do and understand how much of a difference law enforcement officers made in people’s lives. “I’d say since I was about 12 years old I pretty much knew I was going to do this,” he said. “I actually counted down the days until I was 21, which is the age limit to be a cop.” So after their family moved to Georgia in 2013 and Sam’s dad, James Roberts, got a job with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, it came as a surprise to no one that Sam followed along as soon as he possibly could. “We knew the day was going to come when we were going to work together,” said sheriff’s office deputy James Roberts. “As we were riding
“I know if I’m ever in trouble, I have someone to call to and I know what he’s going through. Like on a bad day, I’m probably the closest person who’s going to understand what actually a bad day means.” Sam Roberts, on sharing a sheriff’s deputy job with father James
around doing ride-alongs, we always said that someday he’d be in the uniform too and we’d be working together. That day has finally come and it’s awesome.” Sam Roberts first began working at the Hall County Jail when he turned 18 and after he turned 21 in 2019, he was sworn in as a deputy with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. “I feel like I was almost built to do this. I don’t think I would ever do anything else,” Roberts said. Today both James and Sam Roberts work day shift for the sheriff ’s office’s patrol division on different sides of the county with James at the North precinct and Sam at the South. On days off, the two deputies unwind together riding motorcycles and cooking out on the grill. Even though the two men rarely interact while they are working, both say that having such an intimate bond with a fellow officer is invaluable for dealing with and processing the daily stresses of being a law enforcement officer. Since his dad is a more experienced officer, Sam Roberts said he’s always been able to go to him for help and advice. “We’ve always talked at home about what goes on throughout his shift and my shift and things like that,” he said. “I know if I’m ever in trouble, I have someone to call to and I
know what he’s going through. Like on a bad day, I’m probably the closest person who’s going to understand what actually a bad day means.” In the rare instance that the two deputies are on scene together, you would hardly even know they were related, as they work hard to keep their interactions professional. “You probably wouldn’t know we are father and son until you see our nametags,” Sam Roberts said. “I don’t walk up and call him dad or anything like that; it’s a real professional relationship while we are at work, because we still have a job to do here.” Regardless of appearances, both deputies say that ultimately their bond has deepened considerably by working together, changing from a father and son dynamic, to a brother and partner one. “It’s a different bond with him, knowing that he’s out there doing the same thing we both understand,” James Roberts said. James said that sometimes it’s hard to put aside the fear that any father would feel for his son, but at the end of the day they are both trained and know how to do their jobs well. “I know firsthand that he’s trained and he’s been around it a long time,” he said. “He knows how to do the job. He does it well. But part of me hears his voice and you know, he’s my son.”
Photos courtesy James Roberts
James and Sam, right, work for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, one in the north part of the county and one in the south.
June 2019 | 400 LIFE | 25
400 eats
Barbecue spots Plenty to choose from in Forsyth County
Story and photos by Brian Paglia
I’ve heard it bemoaned in Forsyth County that there aren’t enough options for barbecue, and I suppose that’s true if the premise is that there’s no such thing as too much barbecue. The truth is that there is quality barbecue to be found in virtually every corner of the county, a variety of styles to choose from and a diverse group of players in the local scene.
‘Cue Their story: Paul Doster was co-owner and head chef of Swallow at the Hollow, the famous Roswell barbecue joint, when he decided to branch out in 2009. Doster opened the first ‘Cue in Milton that year. A year later, the Cumming location opened in 2010. There are now four ‘Cues in metro Atlanta after a new location recently opened in Lawrenceville. Their barbecue: ‘Cue takes pride in its “homemade, y’all” motto. That includes not just the smoked pork, beef brisket or chicken breasts but also the breaded pickles and the four sauces served on the side, each one influenced by one of the country’s major barbecue regions. “We don’t have a microwave in here,” says Brad Fyle, general manager at the Cumming location. If Fyle doesn’t know what to get for lunch, he finds himself gravitating toward ‘Cue’s smoked wings, served with either ranch or blue cheese dressing, or bologna and cheese sandwich. “It’s as good as it gets,” he says. Where: 1370 Buford Highway Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Sunday Contact: 770-888-1048, cuebarbecue.com
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Photo submitted
City Barbeque Their story: City Barbeque has its origins from a competition barbecue team in Columbus, Ohio before founder Rick Malir opened the first restaurant in 1999. The barbecue chain now has about 50 restaurants in six states, including this location that opened in 2018. Their barbecue: Honoring its roots, City Barbeque describes its barbecue as “competition quality.” And though Malir grew up in Kansas, City Barbeque’s menu borrows from a variety of regional styles — Malir says the pork resembles North Carolinastyle barbecue, the brisket is Texas-style and the ribs are the sweet-and-spicy style that is the staple of Malir’s hometown. One of City’s signature menu items is the More Cowbell Sandwich, pictured above — brisket topped with provolone cheese, peppers, crispy onions and horseradish on Texas toast. Where: 4210 Johns Creek Parkway Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday Contact: 770-284-3115, citybbq.com
June 2019 | 400 LIFE | 27
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Socks’ Love Barbecue Their story: Steven Hartsock gave up a successful job in construction to go after a passion for barbecue. First it was a seasoning business. Then he tried catering and opened a commissary kitchen in 2015 called The Catering Kitchen. In 2018, he experimented with opening to customers for lunch hours and changed the name to Socks’ Love Barbecue this past March. Their barbecue: Hartsock sums up Socks’ Love’s menu as Photo submitted “wood-fired honest barbecue and creative comfort sides,” and the restaurant’s method is simple, Hartsock says: “It just takes time.” Socks’ Love starts smoking its meats at 6 the night before and keeps going until just before the restaurant opens at 11 a.m. The other trick Hartsock says, is to portion and slice the meat to order. Where: 1050 Buford Highway, Suite 104 Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or until sold out), Monday-Saturday Contact: 470-302-8383, www.sockslovebrands.com
Big D’s BBQ Their story: The well-known Dawson County company actually got its start in Alpharetta in 2007. Owner Darin Muenchow moved that location to near the North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawson County in 2009, and added a second location in downtown Dawsonville in 2013. The Cumming location makes three Big D’s restaurants for Muenchow, a Forsyth County resident. Their barbecue: Big D’s is unique enough for serving breakfast until noon, but the restaurant is also known for its North Carolina-based barbecue, particularly its ribs and pork brownie sandwich made from the burnt ends of the meat, Muenchow said. Another distinguishing factor of Big D’s: they remove as much gristle — or fat — from their meat as possible. Where: 212 Atlanta Road Contact: 470-695-7444, bigdsbbq.com
Slope’s BBQ Their story: Founder Bob White was an insurance salesman and financial planner in Hickory Flat who loved to cook for neighborhood parties and church cookouts, according to the company’s website. He decided to serve barbecue one Saturday out of an old barbershop and quickly sold out. A year later, in 1991, he opened the first Slope’s BBQ in Roswell. There are now four locations in Georgia. Their barbecue: Of all the barbecue restaurants in Forsyth County, Slope’s is perhaps the most devoted to serving Georgiastyle fare. One of the more intriguing menu items: the rib sandwich with three ribs served on garlic toast. Where: 436 Canton Highway Hours: 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday Contact: 770-886-1678, slopesbbq.com 28 | 400 LIFE
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Ferguson’s Meat Market Their story: The family-owned and operated business has been a staple of the Coal Mountain community in north Forsyth County since 1992. Ownership is now on its third generation of the family. Their barbecue: While Ferguson’s offers a wide variety of fresh meats, those venturing in for a quicker bite to eat can go for their jumbo barbecue sandwich, a half pound of Hickorysmoked pulled pork topped with Ferguson’s special sauce and served with homemade coleslaw, baked beans, mac ‘n cheese with sweet tea. Where: 3360 Matt Highway Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Saturday Contact: 770-844-9517, fergusonsmeatmarket.com
Wood-Fired, Honest BBQ and Creative Comfort Sides Catering Available.
Tuesday - Saturday 11am to 2pm or Sold Out 470-302-8383 www.Sockslovebrands.com 1050 Buford Hwy. Suite 104, Cumming, GA 30041 Next to Ingles. Across from Lou Sobh Kia
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Jim N’ Nick’s Bar-B-Q
Wilkes Meat Market & Deli Their story: What started in Tucker in the early 1960s eventually made its way to Forsyth County in 2002 and has been serving the Silver City community, and beyond, ever since. Their barbecue: It’s a lot of work operating an old-fashioned, full-service meat market, so good thing Wilkes has “Old Hickory Pit,” its commercial smoker. “It’s the Cadillac of smokers,” owner Ray Lynn says. That’s what Wilkes uses to smoke Boston butts for their pork sandwiches, accentuated with two different rubs — Head Country, which won a Jack Daniels championship, and the Wilkes’ homemade product. Oh, venture in on the weekends for Wilkes’ signature smoked wings at $9.99 a dozen. Where: 5515 Bannister Road Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday Contact: 770-889-8839, wilkesmeatmarketanddeli.com
Their story: The company’s name comes from its founders – Jim and his son, Nick. The two turned an old pizza parlor in Birmingham, Ala., into the first Jim N’ Nick’s Bar-B-Q restaurant in 1985, according to the company’s website. Now, the company has 34 locations in seven states. Their barbecue: Where Jim N’ Nick’s Alabama roots can be found in its barbecue is its white sauces used to dress its smoked meats. The chain also incorporates an eastern-Carolina vinegar. And who could forget those signature cheese biscuits that are plopped down every time for a tantalizing appetizer. Where: 3130 Ronald Reagan Boulevard Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday Contact: 678-845-1565, jimnnicks.com
Photo submitted
Wilkes Meat Market & Deli
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Their story: The first location opened in Dallas in 1941 by Travis Dickey, a World War II veteran, according to the company’s website. Dickey’s sons took over the business in 1967 and started expanding it in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the 1970s. The company began franchising in 1994 and now has more than 500 locations in 44 states, including the one in the Country Folks Superstore complex in north Forsyth County. Their barbecue: Dickey’s holds on to its heritage by specializing in Texas-style barbecue, which is known for using a dry rub that’s heavy with black pepper and coarse-grain salt. But Country Folks Superstore co-owner Chase Wales says their location also makes their meats more moist to add a Georgia twist. Also, Dickey’s serves “finished weight meat,” Wales says. “If we’re saying you’re getting eight ounces of meat, you’re getting eight ounces of meat.” Where: 2730 Spot Road Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday Contact: 770-887-8884, dickeys.com 30 | 400 LIFE
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