Foodie Journal A Taste of Home

A Taste of Home

A peek at Buckhead’s made-to-order Persian pastry business, Knead to Savor

Inspired by memories of baking with her mother, Niki Gavahi opened Knead to Savor last spring. Here, she gives us a glimpse of what to expect from her made-to-order Persian pastries, which also offers catering services for special events.

What inspired you to open Knead to Savor? My passion for baking started at a very young age while playing sous chef alongside my mom. We shared a great bond and created some of the sweetest memories together in the kitchen. My mom has a special gift and an innate knack for reinventing dishes with her own twist. I knew it was time to take a leap of faith and start my own company, sharing my mom’s recipes with food lovers everywhere.

Knead to Savor is made-to-order. What does that mean for customers and the quality of food? All pastries are made fresh from scratch using the highest quality ingredients. Every order placed is made at that time and delivered the next day, so our customers can savor the freshness in every bite.

What makes Knead to Savor unique? We offer traditional Persian pastries that you wouldn’t normally find in a restaurant or bakery, like Persian rosettes, baklava cupcakes, gooshe-fil (fried and glazed puffy dough) and gluten-free Persian walnut cookies. I want people to get a real taste of the delicious sweets and breads we have that are infused with fragrant ingredients such as cardamom and rosewater.

What's something people should know about Persian pastries? I think that Persian pastries and breads are completely underrated in comparison to other parts of the world, such as France or India. My vision is to introduce exotic ingredients, spices and rich flavors in hopes of familiarizing people with the traditions of my culture. Persian pastries and breads have an elegant yet simplistic depth of flavor that I believe is what makes them so exquisitely beautiful and palate-stirring. n

Knead to Savor kneadtosavor.com

FOOD NEWS

n Saint-Germain French Bakery & Café, which first opened at Ponce City Market in 2016, has brought its classic French pastries, chocolates, sandwiches, coffee and more to Buckhead Village and the westside’s Interlock development. Both locations also offer a selection of French wine and Champagne by the glass. @stgermainbakery

n Atlanta's Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q brought its award-winning Tex-Mex barbecue to the Upper Westside with a second location at The Works, which opened this summer. Plans are also in motion for a third location at Brookhaven Station, which will provide an open-air feel. foxbrosbbq.com

n Author and Chow Chow Club cofounder Amanda Plumb highlights Atlanta’s distinctive and diverse food scene in her new book Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta. The book tells the stories of restaurants across the city, from Buckhead’s Chai Yo Modern Thai to Chamblee’s 57th Fighter Group Restaurant, and is available now wherever books are sold. reedypress.com

PUMPKIN PERFECT

Pumpkin season has arrived, and Atlanta’s plant-based protein company, Tejari, brings back its organic Pumpkin Spice protein, made in collaboration with Scout the City. Find it, along with other Tejari flavors, locally at Stellar Bodies in Buckhead. At home, whip up these no-bake pumpkin spice latte protein balls, developed with celebrity pastry chef Heather Wong.

No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Balls

Makes 15-18 two-bite cookie balls

1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1/3 cup creamy almond butter 1/3 cup pumpkin puree 2 tablespoons honey or date syrup 1 teaspoon instant espresso + 2 tablespoons boiling water ¼ cup Tejari Pumpkin Protein Powder 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal 1 tablespoon chia seeds 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds 3 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, combine almond butter, pumpkin puree, honey, espresso, vanilla extract; stir together. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. Use a cookie scoop to portion out the mixture and roll into balls using your hands. Store in an airtight container.

Tejari tejariandco.com

FUN FACT

Mandy studied biology in college and planned to be a doctor.

Raising the Roof

Mandy and Kelvin Slater prepare to open Rooftop L.O.A. on top of the Interlock building in West Midtown

STORY: Carly Cooper

Slater Hospitality founders Mandy and Kelvin Slater operate Skyline Park and 9 Mile Station atop Ponce City Market and are launching Atlanta’s first non-hotel rooftop pool experience on the westside this fall.

In business together for more than 20 years, the couple met when Kelvin hired Mandy as a waitress at the Melbourne, Florida Chili’s he was managing. They married in 2003 and today have two children—Giana, 7, and Rocco, 9—and manage a 250-person company specializing in rooftop hospitality.

“We’re psycho about little details,” Mandy says. “We used to do everything [ourselves]. Now we have a whole team of people.”

After working in both mom-andpop and corporate restaurants— Mandy in service and Kelvin in the kitchen—the Slaters moved to Atlanta to get out of the business. They opened cell phone accessory kiosks in malls and reveled in the ability to set their own hours. But when the phone accessory market became saturated, they felt the restaurant world calling and opened Blue Moon Pizza in 2003. By the time they sold it in 2015, they’d grown the funky homespun chain to five locations.

“Food is very important in an Italian family [like mine],” Mandy says. “It’s about bringing everyone together at the table and talking for hours.”

After traveling, the Slaters realized Atlanta lacked a unique rooftop restaurant and beer garden. They pitched the idea to Jamestown, operator of Ponce City Market, and opened The Roof, the kitschy boardwalk, restaurant and (later) event space, in 2016. Now the Slaters are preparing to launch their most ambitious project yet: a high-in-thesky, adults-only resort-style pool, restaurant and bar dubbed Leave of Absence or L.O.A. Located on the roof of The Interlock building on the corner of 14th Street and Howell Mill Road, L.O.A. promises to bring a new level of hospitality to the area.

We spoke to Mandy to learn more about L.O.A., her working style and family life. What is your current role in the company? I lean more to the creative side and handle design. Kelvin is CEO. He’s the connection guy, taking calls and meetings about new projects. We both do business development and new ideas. We have an office downstairs at Ponce City Market.

How do you stay "on" when you're tired or not in the mood? [This job] gives me energy. As soon as I get to work, I’m fired up about everything. You don’t realize how tired you are until you get home. You’re running on adrenaline most of the time.

What's the most surprising part of your job? It’s hard to go from working in a business feeling useful every day to running it and not feeling as useful. I struggled with that transition for a while. You want to get to the step where you’re not there open to close six days a week, but when it happens, it’s not too much fun.

How do you and Kelvin handle disagreements given that you work and live together? We’ve gotten better at this, and now there are fewer and fewer disagreements. We used to only talk about work. Now, we have a weekly “staff meeting” of our household to talk about things that are bothering us.

What do you like to do outside of work? I spend a lot of time at the baseball fields with my kids. I play tennis and hang out with my girlfriends. We go to our house in North Georgia. Kelvin likes to play golf and chess, cook and drink Italian red wine. We love to get out of the city, try new things and travel with our team.

How did you come up with the concept for L.O.A.? We always talked about this idea of a pool and poolside service without having to stay in a $500-a-night hotel. We approach business as what is not out there—and what would we want to go to.

What are your plans for the future? We’re rooftop people now. We’re always looking for a new one. We like the downtown area near the stadium. n

ROOFTOP L.O.A.

1115 Howell Mill Road Atlanta 30318 rooftoploa.com

FEATURED RESTAURANTS

A sampling of great eats in and around Buckhead

BY: Wendell Brock, Rebecca Cha and Angela Hansberger PHOTOS: Sara Hanna, Joann Vitelli

ARNETTE’S CHOP SHOP

Arnette’s will dazzle you with its no-expense-spared interiors, cosmopolitan wine list and, of course, its meat. Chicago-sourced ribeyes, strips and tomahawk steaks are the main attraction supported by a top-notch cast of appetizers and sides, from decadent roasted marrow and wagyu beef tartare to classic wedge salad and Dauphinoise potatoes. (There are also oysters and caviar, if you don’t mind shelling out a few extra bucks.) Favorite items include the 50-day wetaged cowboy ribeye; the bliss-inducing lobster spaghetti; and the shaved prime rib sandwich, a real scenestealer. Don’t forget to ask about the members-only knife club. Appetizers, salads and sandwiches: $9-$25 Shrimp, oysters and caviar: $13-$150 Hearth-roasted shellfish, fish and steaks: $13-$140 Desserts: $8-$12 arnetteschopshop.com

BLUE RIDGE GRILL

For more than 20 years, Blue Ridge Grill has been a mecca for Buckhead power lunchers and chill evening diners alike. Whether for business or romance, BRG is a paragon of hospitality, and each guest is embraced like a VIP. Standard crowd-pleasers on the Euro-American menu include grilled Georgia trout, French-boned chicken with wild mushrooms and filet mignon with Vidalia onions. Small plates and sides of iron skillet mussels, Caesar salad with crisp Beeler bacon, custardlike corn soufflé and (off-menu item) fried pickles with buttermilk dipping sauce are absolute must-tries. If cost is an issue, call ahead, as menu prices are not advertised online. Lunch: $9-$42 Dinner: $13-$62 blueridgegrill.com

BONE GARDEN CANTINA

Beyond the colorful Día de Muertos dining room decor, the well-curated mezcal and tequila selections and the uber-friendly service, Bone Garden Cantina offers some of the most authentic Mexican cooking in Atlanta. Tastier guacamole and hot dipping queso you will not find, and we’ve tried! The tender-tothe-bone Mexican pork ribs are meaty, miraculous bites of earthy richness, and the tomatillo-rich pozole verde soup is pure south-of-the-border goodness. Garlic-sautéed shrimp enchiladas and adobo steak quesadilla seasoned with guajillo chile are among many fine familiar classics. Smaller plates include exemplary tamales and tacos. Appetizers: $2.50-$9.50 Soups and salads: $4.50-$9.00 Tamales, tacos and empanadas: $3.50-$5.00 Mains: $7.50-$12.75 bonegardencantina.com

F&B’s menu is filled with simple yet luminous dishes, such as this starter of crab claws.

THE CAPITAL GRILLE BUCKHEAD

Despite the clubby decor (think leather oxblood booths, mounted animal heads, mahogany paneling), The Capital Grille is a blend of high-class aesthetic and Lowcountry hospitality. Your obliging waiter will walk you through the classic steakhouse menu heavy on in-house, dry-aged cuts. It’s a tough call. The juicy, 22-ounce, bone-in ribeye will make you swoon, but so will the sizzling, Kona-crusted New York strip. There’s top-notch fish and poultry, too, and gussied-up sides like lobster mac ’n’ cheese and soy-glazed Brussels sprouts. Salads run the gamut from the classic iceberg wedge to the continental burrata with heirloom tomatoes. Wine lovers will thrill over the world-class, 350-plus bottle wine list. Appetizers, salads: $10-$110 Mains: $33-$59 Sides: $11-$18 Desserts: $11 thecapitalgrille.com

F&B

Like its predecessor, the much-loved former Brasserie le Coze, F&B delivers timeless Provençal fare in a classic brasserie atmosphere. The menu is bolstered by comfort dishes portioned with hunger in mind, but it’s also fortified with lighter salads, sandwiches and soups. Classics such as steak frites

Go all out at Capital Grille with the sizzling, 22-ounce bone-in ribeye and a side of creamy lobster mac 'n' cheese. and skate wing with a brown butter sauce are deeply satisfying in their rustic charm. Mussels come piled high in a white wine and shallot broth, along with crusty French bread for sopping. The drink menu is built on interesting French wines and remarkable cocktails such as the well-balanced, bourbonbased Line of Destiny. Appetizers: $6-$18 Entrees: $11-$42 Desserts: $6-$8 fandbatl.net

GRINDHOUSE KILLER BURGERS

The Piedmont Avenue location of burger-preneur Alex Brounstein’s success story is where you go for a superbly flavorful, juice-dripping, napkin-soaking beef patty with all the trimmings. Though you can customize your sandwich, consider the signature “Cowboy” treatment: cheddar, bacon, barbecue sauce and a beer-battered onion ring—for a slim $7.99. To gild the lily, add an order of Frings (that’s fries and rings), and ask for a side of the chipotle ranch dipping sauce. Here you can quaff a draft brew, slurp down a boozy shake, like the banana-flavored Puddin’ Out, or sip a “Snooty” cocktail such as the mezcal-based El Guapo. Starters and sides: $2.50-$5.50 Burgers: $4.50-$7.99 grindhouseburgers.com

KALEIDOSCOPE BISTRO & PUB

Kaleidoscope is one of Brookhaven’s most popular watering holes. Fabulous small plates include pimento mac and cheese, roasted cauliflower seasoned with garlic and a touch of lime, and the smoked pork and pimento spring rolls. The steak frites with garlic-heavy chimichurri is exceptional, as is the poutine, a Canadian treat consisting of crisp, hand-cut fries smothered in gravy and mozzarella. Looking for somewhat lighter fare? Go for the fried chicken club salad tossed with sundried tomatoes, fresh avocado and golden chunks of bird. A table on the pet-friendly patio guarantees topnotch people-watching. Appetizers: $5-$12 Salads, pizzas and burgers: $7-$14 Mains: $13-$19 k-pub.com

THE ONE SUSHI +

This glam space wedged in the back corner of Brookhaven’s Town Village is a neighborhood hot spot for Japanese small plates. The freshest fish flown in from Japan’s Tsukiji Market will impress the discerning sushi eater, while colorful rolls with clever names please the occasional dabbler. Sharable offerings and inspired snacks of zesty, yellowtail jalapeño shots and crispy fried bang bang rock shrimp are as fun as they are tasty. The drinking experience is worth celebrating as well, with a large selection of sake, shochu and whisky. We recommend the smoked toro, tender slices of tuna served under a dome of hickory smoke and the bulgogi-like Gangnam-style roll. Dinner: $6-$37 theonesushiplus.com

PASTA VINO

You can surely find trendier pizza parlors or posher places to eat Italian in Atlanta. But if you’re looking for old-fashioned linguini with clam sauce or chicken Florentine in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere with a loyal following, this Buckhead favorite has got you covered. The restaurant is beloved by many for its home-style cooking, casual ambience, reasonable prices and a staff of servers who have acquired faithful customers of their own. Owner Nancy Powell treasures her crew, most of whom have been on the job for more than a decade. Given the refined state of Italian dining in America today, Pasta Vino is not likely to win any awards for innovation or

The poutine at Kaleidoscope comes piled high with fries, pork, cheese, bacon and more.

inspiration, but it remains a perfectly fine, frequently delicious trattoria. Starters and salads: $2-$10 Entrees: $10-$22 pastavinoatlanta.com

PRICCI

Opened in 1991, Pricci is the Italian jewel in Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s crown. This Buckhead institution still aspires to (and delivers) exceptional service, superlative Italian cooking and a vibe that’s both elegant and inclusive. Nothing says buon appetito like silky burrata Pugliese (cream filled mozzarella), tangy parmesan and anchovy-rich Caesar salad and aromatic steamed cozze (mussels in tomatogarlic sauce). Barbera-braised short rib ravioli, pecorino-sauced cacio e pepe and pizzas of all varieties are favorites, but if you’re extra peckish, order the Dutch-imported 16-ounce veal chop.

Nothing wraps up an evening at Pricci like their unforgettable tiramisu. Mangia bene, but don’t forget to try Pricci’s world-class tiramisu. Appetizers and salads: $8-$26 Pizza and pastas: $17-$27 Entrees: $24-$46 Desserts: $6-$15 buckheadrestaurants.com the New York strip au poivre. He also curates a mighty fine list of craft beers. Brunch: $8-$10 Appetizers: $3-$13 Burgers and sandwiches: $7-$10 Large plates: $17-$22 treehouseatlanta.com

TREEHOUSE

Occasionally, sitting at Treehouse feels more like a cookout. Neighbors and regulars have been coming here for the familiar comfort food and laid-back atmosphere for more than 20 years. Brunch is a big deal, with a large menu and generous portions of favorites such as the Georgia pecan waffle and Southern-style eggs Benedict covered with sausage gravy. It’s all about the patio here, and dogs are welcome guests. The chef works to enliven old favorites with as much attention to the all-American fried chicken sandwich as

ZAFRON

If you’re like us, the minute you hear Persian foodie buzzwords such as mirza ghasemi, hummus and kabob, your mouth starts watering, and you’ve got one foot out the door. If you’re smart, you’ll head directly to Zafron in Sandy Springs. Once seated, a beaming server will bring a complimentary sabzi plate and pita from the wood-burning oven. That extra-mile hospitality spills over into all areas, especially the food: world-class lamb kabob, fire-roasted salmon and the “Zafron special” made with chile, mango and eggplant. Plenty of classic small plates and rice dishes are joined with a few East-meets-West treats such as spicy Zafron chicken wings and tiramisu. Starters and salads: $5- $9 Wraps (lunch only): $12 Entrees: $12 - $32 Sides and rice: $3 - $7 Desserts: $5 - $7 persianrestaurantsandysprings.com

Note: Prices and menu items may have changed since original publication.

Hungry for more?

Visit the Simply Buckhead website to read all of our Restaurant Reviews!