The Venue at Murphy Lane is the backdrop for a detail-filled wedding that's largely curated by Coweta vendors. By Jackie Kennedy 36 | From Catering to Consulting
Jennifer Hanna, whose Contemporary Catering operated in Newnan for years, talks switching gears. By Jennifer London 40 | Cookie Art
Birdie Black's award-winning cookies are tasty works of art. By Caroline Nicholson
43 | Meaty Decisions
Our Best of Coweta winners showcase the meats that make them top choice for hearty dining. By Caroline Nicholson 56 | Curing a Sweet Tooth
Local shops that specialize in sweets and treats make Coweta a destination for any serious sugar rush. By Frances Kidd
At Georgia Bone & Joint, our sports medicine doctors take a team approach in helping you return to your favorite sports and activities. Our sports medicine doctors are trained in the treatment and care of sports-related injuries and conditions, such as torn ligaments (ACL & MCL), torn cartilage (meniscus), joint instability, muscle weakness, sprains, and fractures. With this advanced training, our physicians have the experience and expertise to assess, diagnose, and treat your sports medicine injur y individually to your needs.
➤ Cover Photo by Clay Neely. Joanie Clepper, of Moreland, displays a plate of food prepared from our cookbook, "Coweta Cooks." See page 62.
No excuse for an empty stomach
The trouble with working on this edition of Newnan-Coweta Magazine, our Food Issue, was continuously being confronted with words about and images of delectable dinners and desserts –often on an empty stomach.
An empty stomach, especially while reading about the best food within miles, can lead to poor eating choices. While walking up the block for lunch at Meat ’N’ Greet, Goldens, Redneck Gourmet or any of the other awesome restaurants in downtown Newnan is routine for me in any given week, when deadlines are nipping at my heels, I’ll grab a quick tide-me-over snack from the bowl on my desk. When working on this issue, that meant leftover Halloween candy.
Chewing a trio of Milky Way minis while you’re working on a story about the best restaurants to enjoy burgers and steaks doesn’t cut it.
With this in mind, my New Year’s resolution is to keep better snacks on hand, preferably procured from nearby restaurants or sweet shops.
Speaking of sweets, this issue features the top spots to satisfy the sweetest tooth, whether your favorite treats are of the ice cream, cake or donut variety, see page 56.
For a comprehensive romp through our Best of Coweta readers’ picks on top restaurants for hearty meals, see “Meaty Decisions” on page 43.
On page 40, we share the art of creating cookies that not only taste great but tickle your funny bone, too. And on page 54, our freelance writer Caroline Nicholson shares interesting information about her “picky eating,” which recently was diagnosed as a disorder she’d never heard of before but now can work with.
Also in this issue, we feature a recent wedding (on page 22) that featured the work of several of Coweta’s most sought-after wedding vendors, including catering and cake professionals who ensured the event succeeded in filling any empty stomach at the nuptials.
This issue’s Coweta Cooks feature focuses on easy and quick meals to make using recipes from our cookbook, “Coweta Cooks: Sharing a Legacy of Our Favorite Recipes,” see page 62. These recipes are indicative of those found in the cookbook, published by The Newnan Times-Herald in late 2023, in that they're easy to make with few ingredients.
One of my personal favorites in this familyfriendly cookbook is Grandmother Clepper’s Easy Chicken & Dumplings. There’s no need for making, rolling out and cutting dough for the dumplings in this recipe; instead, they are quickly sliced from tortillas. And the taste? Light and delicious! Joanie Clepper, featured on our cover, submitted the recipe for our cookbook, and it’s become the gift that keeps on giving at my kitchen table.
Here’s hoping this new year brings the gift of good food and memories made around the dinner table for you and your family.
Jackie Kennedy, Editor magazine@newnan.com
Sharing a June birthday, Multimedia Sales Specialist Caroline Nelson, left, and Editor Jackie Kennedy display their favorite sweets – Chocolate Chocolate Cookies and Maple Bacon Iced Bundt Cake baked by NCM friend Ken Benson.
Photo by Misha Benson
The Depot is a historic, all-season wedding venue located in the heart of downtown Carrollton. With flexible seating plans, affordable packages and tons of rustic charm, The Depot is the perfect setting for your perfect day.
Caroline Nicholson loves disappearing behind a good book and falling into fictional worlds. She has a Master of Arts in English from the University of West Georgia. In time, she hopes to publish her own young-adult novel.
Joan Doggrell is retired from two professions: college English instructor and technical writer. She lives in Newnan with her husband and two hairy dogs.
Jennifer London lives in Newnan with her daughter. The two use their travels as inspiration for stories they create with Jennifer writing and her daughter illustrating. Jennifer believes that everyone has a story to tell, and she loves being a freelance writer and meeting new people.
Frances Kidd is a Newnan native who spent most of her adult years working as a nonprofit and marketing consultant. Although she’s an avid traveler, she never lost her Southern accent. If she’s not in Georgia, you can find her out in the country in Italy.
Sara Moore’s warm and welcoming nature influences her photography. She lives the quiet country life in Newnan on a farm with horses, dogs, chickens and ducks.
Have a story idea?
Share your ideas with us by writing to magazine@newnan.com.
Our Readers Write:
The story of a Champ
I have received many calls and texts about the Newnan-Coweta Magazine article on Wreaths Across America (“Wreaths Across Coweta: Honoring Fallen Soldiers” in the Nov/Dec 2024 issue) and the personal story about my dad, Champ Coggin (“Remembering a Champ on the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge,” also in the Nov/Dec 2024 issue). I was blown away when I opened the magazine and saw the beautiful spread, as were so many others.
You and your staff do a wonderful job for our community and – through a wide range of balanced content – make each one of us feel our stories are important and worth preserving.
I can’t thank you enough for showcasing Newnan and Coweta County!
-Cheryl Coggin Glisson
Big kudos from the Bigfoot writer
(Editor’s Note: Tamra Anne Bolles’s story, “Bigfoot, Are You There? North Georgia Museum Tries to Answer the Question,” appeared in our Sept/Oct 2024 issue.)
I received the complimentary copies you sent to me in the mail today. I want to thank you so very much for doing that. The layout is so well done, and I am most impressed with the quality of your magazine.
In my 20s, I was a copy editor and weekly editor for the Greenville Piedmont in South Carolina where I learned to appreciate publication and design. Prior to that, I worked my first job out of college as a reporter/writer for the Marietta Daily Journal. I owe a great deal to those early administrators for their patience, feedback and training.
I know what it takes to produce a magazine like you just delivered to me. It’s beautiful. And again, I am very grateful for the opportunity to be included in it. Take care, best wishes!
-Tamra
Anne Bolles
The 40-pound Epic Lasagna
Iam incapable of cooking for two to four people. If the conditions were right, I could maybe pull off six.
Oddly enough, I can cook for one. But slide one extra person into the mix, and suddenly I’m the school lunch lady – husking corn for hundreds.
Granted, I’m a people pleaser, so I tend to overdo it. But who exactly are these invisible crowds I’m imagining to cook for? A wandering marching band knocking on my door? A broken down busload of casino gamblers who found their jackpot in jambalaya?
I think I can attribute a small portion of my cooking overcompensation to my mom. She was the ultimate host and loved to make sure people were well-fed when visiting. Her magic spatula could transform a bare table into a pop-up taco bar in minutes, convincing me of her wizardry and time-warping talents.
My mom is renowned in my circle for many gastronomic marvels – her toffee candy, Thanksgiving stuffing and Easter ham remain fan favorites.
And though we’re not Italian, her Epic Christmas Eve Lasagna (accompanied with crusty garlic bread and loads of napkins) tops the culinary charts.
The slow cooker would chug away all day with sauce bubbling like a garlic-infused volcano waiting to erupt. The house would be enveloped in a thick oregano haze as I watched my mom expertly layer the foundation for her 40-pound lasagna creation. She was an architect whose bricks were noodles and concrete was cheese. I’m convinced somewhere hides an actual construction blueprint as her noodle architectural wonder never caved in.
In the last decade, I have begun making lasagna alongside her with my beloved lasagna notebook nearby (to be frank, it’s just some sheets of paper, but there are years of notes scribbled everywhere). I’ve often made the lasagna on my own, but without fail, I must call my mom with questions.
I’ve noticed a pattern starting to emerge over the years. She might casually mention something as simple as “the fennel.”
Wait! What fennel?
Out comes the lasagna ledger.
Feta cheese? Huh? When did that happen?
Noted. (I forgot to mention there’s a minimum of five pounds of cheese and four pounds of meat in the recipe).
What’s this about turkey sausage and green pepper?
I couldn’t keep up. I needed a new notebook.
Months ago, Mom was visiting and we made the Epic Lasagna. The shopping expedition was exhausting; the weight of the ingredients alone loaded down my car. (Note: Add barbell training somewhere in the recipe). It’s a two-person job backloading that pan into the oven.
I love that Mom’s recipe is ever evolving. It reinforces that as we grow we are open to change. Perhaps our past was sweeter, but now our future speaks spice.
Despite these new “not so secret” ingredients being snuck in, the lasagna retains its core flavor, ever so slightly enhanced by my mom’s subtle commitment to change and her pursuit to perfect something that was already perfection – a lasagna so heavy it will lighten your load. NCM
faithfarrellart.com.
Minnesota made yet Newnan Strong, Faith Farrell is involved with Newnan Theatre Company and Backstreet Arts. Her artwork can be viewed at
Written by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, “My Stroke of Insight” and “Whole Brain Living” together tell the inside story of what this brain doctor discovered about strokes while experiencing one herself.
A Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and brain doctor, Taylor suffered a stroke in 1996 when she was 37. In her first book, “My Stroke of Insight,” she tells the true and amazing story of what happened and how she survived. It’s nothing short of fascinating.
The source of her research and information was not only from her academic training but also from her keen awareness of what was going on as her brain began shutting down as she experienced a massive and rare middle cerebral artery stroke.
The day of the stroke, Taylor was at her home alone when she began to feel odd. She quickly recognized what was happening to her. She experienced her brain deteriorating over a four-hour period. In the early moments, she began writing down what she was feeling, what she could do and could not do, anything that might be of help to medical science if she did not survive.
By the end of the four-hour period, she was unable to walk, talk, read, write or remember anything about her life, including who she was or where she was. Of critical importance, when she realized the gravity of her situation,
‘My Stroke of Insight’ and ‘Whole Brain Living’
Reviewed
by GLENDA
HARRIS
she called 911 for help. If she had not done this, she likely would not have survived.
It would take eight years for Taylor to completely recover from the stroke, and 10 years after the stroke, she published her debut book. The first-person information she shares proved to be evidence that either confirmed or disproved current hypotheses about the human brain and advanced the body of research by giant steps.
Both of Taylor’s books should be of great interest to those having suffered a stroke and for family and friends of stroke victims. Each volume is filled with clear explanations that will help clarify for many people what a stroke is and how our brains function and heal.
Her second book, “Whole Brain Living,” goes further with practical advice on the type of lifestyle that can minimize your chance of a stroke. Taylor talks about being aware of our brain, knowing what it needs to be healthy, how the brain’s two hemispheres complement each other, and how we can learn to actually control our brain in some ways. NCM
“My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey” was published in 2006 by Viking. In 2021, “Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life” was published by HayHouse. ★★★★★
Read a good book lately?
Share your favorite new read with Newnan-Coweta Magazine by writing a book review for possible publication in an upcoming issue. Keep your review at 200-300 words and please include the author’s name, page count and date of publication.
Send your review with your contact information to magazine@newnan.com or mail to Newnan-Coweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263.
At Lillian Gardens our attention to detail, professional team members and trained culinary staff create a memorable event for you and your loved ones. From an intimate gathering to a more robust guest list up to 150 people, we curate a unique experience for the modern bride.
Lillian Gardens is a full-service boutique event venue located just 25 miles south of the Atlanta airport in the historic downtown district of Newnan, Georgia. Built in 1859, Lillian Gardens blends historical grandeur with elegant, timeless sophistication.
Feeding the hungry
ONE ROOF AND COWETA COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY
Written and Photographed by JOAN DOGGRELL
Walk into any supermarket in Coweta County, and you’ll see an array of delicious food that a Roman emperor would envy. And it's all available to Coweta County residents – as long as they have money.
But what if you’re receiving a welfare check and food stamps and working two or three jobs, and after you’ve paid your other expenses, there isn’t enough money left to feed your family?
According to the Coweta County website, as of 2023,
the county’s population was estimated at 155,892, and 7.5% of these – or 11,691 people – lived in poverty.
Fortunately for Coweta, at least 10 nonprofit agencies here offer food pantries, staffed by caring people, to help meet this need. One of these is One Roof.
One Roof was established in 2007 when several churches combined their resources to provide a centralized place where people could go for help. This group joined forces with the Coweta Community Food Pantry and aptly named their new partnership One Roof.
One Roof Executive Director Ann Kerlin, center, spreads Thanksgiving love with clients Midorys Migueles, left, and Glenda Tucker who received turkeys for the holiday.
Board Member Gina Watkiss remembers hearing how the food pantry was started at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church over 30 years ago.
“In those days, it was a closet at St. Paul’s,” she recalls. “Then it was moved into the old Beavers Packing Company on Greenville Street. In 2007, St Paul’s food pantry joined One Roof, which was housed in the office of the old Playtex plant on Temple Avenue. In 2014, we all moved into larger quarters at 255 Temple Avenue, where we are today.”
“Helping my community was something I really, really wanted to do.”
organization. This year, The Heritage School raised over $11,000 for the food pantry at One Roof by holding a Homecoming competition to elect school royalty; parents, grandparents and the community were generous in their support, according to Watkiss who adds, “Coweta County people are very generous.”
- Dr. Ann Kerlin, One Roof’s executive director
Watkiss teaches at The Heritage School and is proud of her students’ efforts to assist One Roof. She advises the Heritage Key Club, a Kiwanis-sponsored service
Dr. Ann Kerlin, One Roof’s executive director, has a master’s degree in divinity and a doctorate in counseling; however, she says she always felt called outside of the Church.
“Helping my community was something I really, really wanted to do,” says Kerlin. She does this full-steam-ahead at One Roof where those who need assistance can apply; they'll qualify if
From left, One Roof employees Katherine Cleveland, her brother Woodrow Geter and Desiree Boyd stock the pantry. The Geter family has volunteered and worked with One Roof since its creation in 2007.
they live in Coweta County and don’t earn more than twice the poverty limit. Qualified clients receive a box of dry goods twice a month plus bread and pastries donated regularly by the bakery at Publix.
One Roof supplies fresh fruit, vegetables and meat when they can, and they routinely feed more than 500 people each month.
The amount of food each client receives is determined by the size of their family.
For Thanksgiving, clients get a box of dry goods with holiday fixings and a turkey.
“That’s always a big event, and we enjoy it,” says Kerlin.
Where does the food come from?
“We get half of our food from volunteer church groups, schools and businesses who collect it from their members all year long,” says Kerlin. “The Newnan Junior Service League’s Can-A-Thon is the biggest fundraiser we have, and we draw from Atlanta Community Food Bank and Midwest Food Bank as well.”
Sometimes Kerlin gets a call from a trucker whose load of fresh food was rejected by a customer. The dispatcher may direct them to take the food to One Roof.
“I don’t think anything we’ve given out is being wasted,” says Kerlin. “Every week, I get to do something tangible where I see the difference we’re making. Yep, we are doing something that matters.”
Kerlin says it’s also part of the One Roof mission to give people opportunities to serve the Lord. Since One Roof relies on volunteers, this mission goal is met as well. Kerlin encourages anyone interested in volunteering to drop by One Roof Thrift Store. She’ll put you on the volunteer work schedule! NCM
Tassell Cleveland, Katherine Cleveland’s daughter, holds two turkeys destined for a One Roof client’s dinner table.
RIGHT
One Roof employee Desiree Boyd poses in front of empty shelves as if to say, “Donations needed!”
From the first water supply in Newnan from Bolton Spring in 1893, to the first flicker of electricity that lit a downtown Newnan street corner, Newnan Utilities has been committed to delivering the services that enhance the quality of life throughout Coweta County.
J. Andrew's Bridal
In the heart of Peachtree City, Georgia, J. Andrew’s Bridal has flourished as more than just a bridal boutique—it’s a place where dreams begin, cherished memories are made, and lasting relationships are formed. Since opening its doors in 2005, J. Andrew’s Bridal has been a proud member of the community, celebrating 20 years of being part of one of life’s most joyful milestones.
The success of J. Andrew’s Bridal is deeply rooted in the support and trust of the local community. Over the years, thousands of brides, bridesmaids, and mothers have turned to the boutique to find the perfect attire for their special day. Each dress fitting, every appointment, and countless moments of laughter and joy have helped build the brand into what it is today: a trusted name synonymous with elegance and care.
Sarah, the owner of J. Andrew’s Bridal, embodies the boutique’s community-first spirit. For 15 years, she served as the Store Manager, earning a reputation for her warmth, dedication, and passion for helping brides find their dream dresses.
In 2023, Sarah fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming the owner of the boutique, a transition that symbolized her deep connection to the store and the people it serves.
“Our brides and their families
are the heart of J. Andrew’s Bridal,” Sarah shares. “It’s been incredible to watch this boutique grow alongside the community. Every bride we’ve served has left her mark on our story, and it’s a privilege to be part of so many lives in such a meaningful way.”
The boutique’s 20th anniversary is a celebration not only of its longevity but also of the relationships forged along the way. From brides who’ve returned years later as mothers of the bride to families who bring generations to shop together, J. Andrew’s Bridal is more than a business—it’s a beloved local tradition.
Looking ahead, Sarah and her team are excited to continue serving the community with the same passion and dedication that have defined J. Andrew’s Bridal from the beginning. The boutique is committed to evolving alongside the needs of today’s brides, curating a selection of gowns that blend timeless elegance with modern trends.
Plans are also underway to expand community engagement, partnering with local organizations to give back to the people who have supported the boutique for two decades.
As J. Andrew’s Bridal enters its next chapter, the future looks bright. The boutique is poised to continue creating unforgettable experiences for brides and their loved ones, fostering new relationships, and building upon the foundation laid by years of community trust and love.
To all who have been part of the J. Andrew’s Bridal story—thank you for helping us reach this incredible milestone. Here’s to 20 years of celebrating love, and to the many beautiful memories still to come.
PHOTO BY ATHOMASPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
PHOTO BY KAYNICOLEPHOTO.COM
A Feast for the Eyes Coweta Wedding
Written by JACKIE KENNEDY | Photographed by CHASITY POSEY
The April 28, 2024 wedding of Olivia Chou to Jordan Robinson lit all the lights, hit all the heights and, truly, was a feast for the eyes.
“Talk about details! Olivia and Jordan’s wedding was full of the most beautiful details,” says Kara Lane of The Venue at Murphy Lane, the event venue for the Robinson nuptials.
The Lilburn couple chose to have their wedding in Coweta County because it’s between where their families live; she’s from Marietta, and his family lives in Eufaula, Ala. Olivia and Jordan met in 2018 while attending Auburn University.
“His roommate was friends with my roommate, and he had heard of me and wanted to get to know me,” Olivia recalls. “When we met, it was the day he had gotten his golden retriever puppy, Bailey. He was feeling shy and put Bailey in my arms, and it was the sweetest thing. We have always equated the length of our relationship to how old Bailey is,
and that is why we featured her on our wedding cake.”
The couple’s wedding presented the talents of several local vendors who helped make their wedding dreams come true.
“Our experience working with Coweta County vendors was excellent,” says Olivia. “From start to finish, everything went smoothly with no issues. The planning process was seamless, and our wedding day was nothing short of beautiful. Each vendor played an integral part in making our day stress-free, ensuring everything was taken care of and perfectly aligned with our vision. We couldn’t have asked for a more flawless experience, and we’re so grateful for the incredible team of professionals who made our wedding day truly unforgettable.”
On the following pages, Olivia shares the couple’s reasons for choosing area vendors and how things turned out on the Big Day.
Venue The Venue at Murphy Lane
- Newnan
“I found The Venue at Murphy Lane on The Knot at theknot.com, and it had excellent reviews. We toured the venue and were blown away by how beautiful the barn was, the 88 acres, the red clover that blooms in the fields in the springtime, and the exceptional reviews about the service, vendors, and owners Hank and Kara Lane. In the end, no other venue compared to Murphy Lane. It has a beautiful venue space with a renovated barn and beautiful cocktail area, additional patio space and beautiful landscaping. We loved how there are multiple ceremony sites, so you can pick which spot you like. Hank and Kara were wonderful to work with. We chose a wedding package, which included many trusted fivestar vendors, which made wedding planning less stressful and a much smoother process.”
The walk down the “aisle” to her soon-to-be-husband was a unique one for Olivia at The Venue at Murphy Lane.
The Venue at Murphy Lane offered plenty of space, inside and out, for special moments.
Southern Flair Weddings & Events
- Newnan
though we didn’t know
beforehand,
went above and beyond
make our
and truly special. He spoke with us multiple times before our wedding to create a wedding script that was customized to us, with inclusions of Auburn, our dog Bailey, and other special parts of our relationship. His warmth, professionalism and attention to detail made the experience seamless and personal, and we couldn’t be more grateful for his role in our big day.”
“Lea Ann Hurd from Southern Flair Weddings & Events is such a wonderful wedding planner. She checked in with me often in the year before our wedding to make sure that every task in our timeline/plan was being completed. Her bubbly personality, organization, and attention to every detail were unmatched. From the moment we started working with her, we knew we could place our full trust in her hands—and she exceeded
every expectation. She brought our vision to life in ways we couldn’t have imagined and ensured everything ran flawlessly from start to finish. Lea Ann’s warmth and expertise made the planning process so enjoyable, and we can’t recommend her enough for making any couple’s dream wedding a reality. Additionally, she was wellprepared for any potential bumps in the road and worked with Hank and Kara to create a weather back-up plan.”
The nuptials featured Jesse Dukes, of Senoia, as officiant for Olivia and Jordan Robinson. Says Olivia: “Even
him
Jesse Dukes
to
ceremony heartfelt
Photography
Chasi ty Posey Photography
- Newnan
“In addition to high recommendations, Jordan and I fell in love with Chasity Posey’s light and airy and romantic photography style. Ultimately, we chose her because of her incredible ability to capture the genuine emotions and special moments that make a wedding day unforgettable. Her portfolio stood out to us for its warmth, creativity, and timeless elegance. From the moment we connected, Chasity made us feel at ease with her professionalism and kind, down-toearth personality. We trusted her to bring our vision to life, and she exceeded every expectation by preserving our most cherished memories so beautifully. We first worked with her for our engagement photos, and her talent and care made it an easy decision to have her capture our wedding day as well. Since then, we’ve continued to trust her for other milestones, including a business branding photoshoot. She’s truly one of a kind, and we’re so grateful for her artistry.”
Tender moments like this were captured throughout the day by wedding photographer Chasity Posey.
The bride and her bridal party strike quite a pose for this photograph by Chasity Posey.
Olivia and Jordan were stunning subjects for their wedding photographer.
The Perfect Posey Floral Design
- Sharpsburg
WEDDING SECTION
Florals
“We chose Kelly Hillis from The Perfect Posey Floral Design because of her exceptional talent for creating stunning floral arrangements that feel both unique and timeless. Her ability to bring our vision to life with such creativity and precision was exactly what we were looking for. From our first meeting, her passion for her craft and attention to every detail reassured us that we were in the best hands. The flowers she designed for our wedding were beyond perfect – truly a dream come true. Florals were such an important part of our wedding, and Kelly’s ability to bring our vision to life with creativity and precision exceeded all our expectations.”
The bride’s goal of florals being an important part of the wedding was met, thanks to exquisite creations by The Perfect Posey.
Inside and outdoors, colorful floral arrangements spotlighted tremendously tasteful and intricate details of the Robinson wedding and reception.
Catering
Elegant Expressions Catering
- Newnan
“We chose Lori Corley at Elegant Expressions Catering because of her reputation for delivering delicious, high-quality, farm-to-table food with a personalized touch. From the start, Lori made sure to understand our vision for the menu, offering expert suggestions that aligned perfectly with our tastes and the overall feel of our wedding. Her attention to detail, along with her passion for creating memorable dining experiences, made her an easy choice. Our wedding menu consisted of a plated salad with organic spring mix, strawberries, toasted walnuts, feta, balsamic vinaigrette; homemade Southern chive biscuits; salmon with dijon and herb panko crust; grilled sirloin with roasted mushrooms and red wine sauce; buttermilk mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus with heirloom grape tomatoes. The food was beyond incredible, and we received countless compliments from our guests. Lori truly made our special day even more unforgettable with her outstanding service and culinary expertise.”
A plated salad featured a spring mix with strawberries, walnuts and feta.
Appetizers at the reception were stunning and scrumptious.
Wedding Cakes Sweet Creations by Candi
“Our wedding cake was a three-tiered, custom, almond vanilla wedding cake with buttercream frosting and berry medley preserves. The groom’s cake was chocolate cake with a hint of coffee filled with creamy chocolate buttercream. From the moment we saw her previous work, we knew Candi Pittman would be able to bring our vision to life in a way that was both beautiful and delicious. She listened to our ideas and created a stunning wedding cake that was not only a work of art but also tasted amazing. For the groom’s cake, she went above and beyond, designing an Auburn University-themed masterpiece with a tree and our beloved golden retriever, Bailey. We couldn’t have asked for a better cake designer to make our wedding even sweeter.”
- Chattahoochee Hills
ABOVE
The elegant wedding cake featured spring flowers and Bailey, the Robinsons’ faithful golden retriever.
LEFT
The groom’s cake highlighted Auburn University, where the couple met, and – again –their first dog and best buddy, Bailey.
China & Glassware
Plate I t Pret ty
-
Chattahoochee Hills
“We chose Plate It Pretty as a vendor for our colored glassware, gold flatware and vintage plate rentals because of their unique and stunning collection that perfectly complemented our wedding theme: Romantic Garden Party. Their attention to detail and high-quality pieces added an elegant and timeless touch to our tablescapes. From the first time we saw their inventory, we knew their curated selection would elevate the overall look of our reception. Working with Plate It Pretty was seamless, and their professional and friendly service made the entire experience enjoyable. They helped bring our vision to life and made our tablescapes unforgettable.”
Linens
Peachtree
City Party
Rentals
“We chose Peachtree City Party Rentals for our linens because of their wide selection and exceptional quality. When it came to choosing the perfect colors, we were drawn to their beautiful options in light pink and cream, which perfectly complemented our wedding theme and added a soft, romantic touch to the décor. The team at Peachtree City Party Rentals made the entire process so easy, ensuring the linens were just as we envisioned –elegant, seamless and perfectly coordinated with our overall design.” NCM
- Peachtree City LEFT
Linens played a supporting role in highlighting all elements of the reception meal.
A wineglass pyramid featured elegant glassware from Plate It Pretty.
The Women's Specialists of Fayette comprise a healthcare team that understands that women have special healthcare needs throughout their lives.
Our specialists are trained in the field of women's medicine which includes obstetrical and gynecological services such as pregnancy care, family planning needs and counseling, annual examinations, and minor office surgical procedures.
In addition, specialized care is available in areas such as high risk pregnancy and gynecological/ urogynecological surgery.
William T. Cook, M.D. Marlo Carter, M.D. Matthew Ralsten, M.D.
Nicole E. Quinn, M.D. Nykia Burke-Bray, M.D.
Sarah G. White, D.O.
What’s Trending in Weddings
Content creators make shorter videos in raw, authentic ways
Written by JENNIFER LONDON
Candid videoshoots of weddings offer a different level of keepsake recordings for the couple to enjoy in years to come. Here, Veronica Mayes shares prenuptial time with her bridesmaids Lacey Bierly, Maddie Smith, Sahalie Levine and Hope Nakata prior to her Oct. 6 wedding to Carter Mayes in Roswell.
Photo from
video by Journey Guillory
Content Creator Journey Guillory moved from Louisiana to Coweta County at age 5. Now 22, she is building an impressive resumé with her business, EverWander Studios.
Guillory says she picked the name because she is a wanderer.
“I am curious at heart, and I want to learn all the things that I can do,” she says.
Founding her business last March gave her just enough time to realize that she loves what she does and wants to keep doing it; that is, making curated reels and TikToks, short-form videos that highlight the day or capture events as they happen. Clients take these videos and post them to their social media accounts or save them for their own collection.
Guillory specializes in weddings and events, grand openings, parties and bridal and baby showers. She has collaborated on several weddings with Hailey High Photography.
“I think people are hiring content creators because they are wanting a more candid take on their wedding day, they want a quicker turnaround time, and they want to see the day as it unfolds,” says Guillory. “I deliver completely raw videos as well as curated reels that highlight the day.”
She shoots off an iPhone 16 Promax and has a backup 15 Promax.
“If you want a professional film video, I recommend going that route because I do shoot on an iPhone and it’s not going to be as professional as what a videographer can provide; however, what I provide is clips of your day as it unfolds from start to finish,” she says. “When I get there, I
take anywhere from 150 up to sometimes 300 videos of the day, and you get all of those raw candid videos back.”
Her turnaround time is 24-48 hours.
“Photos do tell a thousand words, but it’s fun to watch a video and put yourself back in the shoes of that day and that moment,” Guillory says. “I capture a lot of videos, a lot of moments. I capture funny, sweet, sad ones. I get ’em all. It’s great to be able to have that documentation of your wedding day, the most special day ever.”
For wedding clients, Guillory sends a pre-wedding questionnaire before the day to help her get to know the couple and understand their vision for the day. They tell her when and where they want her to arrive and share their timeline and special moments or people they want to be sure she captures on video.
“I never want to overstep,” says Guillory. “I want you to know I’m there, but I also want to be respectful about it.”
The content creator did content creating and branding sessions for esthetician Rachel Bates, who recently opened The Skin Addikt Esthetics Studio in the Sola Salon Studios inside Ashley Park in Newnan, partnering again with her friend and mentor, wedding photographer Hailey High. Bates is also in the bridal industry, working with brides by offering skin care treatments that begin about six months before the wedding.
For branding sessions, similar to wedding shoots when they hire a photographer, Guillory follows what the photographer does and records behind the scene clips of the entire shoot.
She loves working with other supportive women business owners.
“It’s so uplifting knowing that you’ve got an entire group of women all striving to make themselves better and grow their business, and they’re there to help you every step of the way,” she says. “Whatever you don’t know, I guarantee one of the women in your community does, and it’s the same for them; if they don’t know, they’ll ask one of us and we’re all there to lend a helping hand and boost each other up. Honestly it’s just amazing to have such a strong community of women.” NCM
Journey Guillory works to create videos that include behindthe-scenes footage at weddings and other events.
Journey Guillory unobtrusively shoots video at weddings, like this one of the wedding party of Adam Audet and Jenna Reid. Jenna and Adam were married Nov. 2, 2024, in Marietta.
Photo from video by Journey Guillory
Photo by Hailey High Photography
From catering to consulting
JENNIFER HANNA SWITCHES
GEARS
Written by JENNIFER LONDON | Photographed by SARA MOORE
Jennifer Hanna knows firsthand how food is relationship building. She ran Contemporary Catering Inc. with her brother John Hanna as equal partners for 31 years before retiring last April.
The brother and sister team established the business in 1992, inspired by their Lebanese culinary lineage.
“I was always at my mother’s side when she was in the kitchen cooking for our family of seven,” says Jennifer. “She was well rounded in her ability to produce meals that were robust and flavorful, producing meals that kept our family not only well fed but looking forward to the next meal. From a small girl, it interested me. It was something that captivated me, and I wanted to do the same.”
It should come as no surprise that her first badge as a girl scout was in cooking.
“As I grew older and I began to entertain on my own, people would always say to me, ’You should be a caterer,’ and I thought, ‘What? I just like to cook.’”
Then in 1992, after catering for her brother George Hanna’s 35th birthday, her cousin Jill McKnight
approached her about catering for her parents’ 40th anniversary party of 140 people. After that party, Jennifer says she was propelled to entering the catering business.
After choosing a company name, their team created a menu and sent out letters of introduction to a procured list of 300, according to Jennifer. Within three days, Contemporary Catering’s phone began to ring, and it didn’t stop for the next three decades.
“Food makes people happy,” says Jennifer. “Whether it’s the slightest of appetizers or some grand feast, food makes people happy. And no matter what the situation is, there’s always going to be interest in what is being served. Food absolutely pulls every event together.”
Contemporary Catering evolved over the years as clients’ tastes and dietary needs changed, according to Jennifer, who recalls, “We did every type of event that you could ever think of, and what we based our knowledge on and our learning curve was trying to successfully produce different types of cuisines from different countries.”
Wedding receptions became an opportunity to cater
Jennifer Hanna consults on the phone with one of her clients.
foods that represented the different cultures uniting in matrimony, connecting and honoring their families. The Contemporary Catering team held tastings with their clients ahead of time.
“We would prepare it and have them come in and do a tasting to make sure that we were getting it right,” says Jennifer. “We wanted their critique and their feedback, so they could be sure that at their wedding we did it exactly the way their grandmother would have done it.”
Ellis and Effie Mansour, grandparents to John Hanna and Jennifer Hanna, arrived in Newnan from Lebanon in 1905. This photo appears in The Newnan Times-Herald’s 2002 publication, “Coweta County: A Pictorial History.” From left are, front, Ellis Mansour, Susie Mansour Hanna (mother of John and Jennifer), Effie Mansour holding James Mansour, and Taft Mansour Sr. Back: Regina Mansour, Michael Mansour and Maybelle Mansour Skikany.
Jennifer considered her staff as “the greatest in the industry.” A management team that was with them for years included their chef Caroline Carr, baker Walter Bellisle, and executive director Teri Hill. Jennifer credits her brother John and this dedicated staff in creating the many successful events they catered over the years.
“We were very diverse in our talents,” she recalls. “John is a great business mind and I have a sales and marketing mind, and we had the ability to bring the two gifts together and form a successful partnership. It’s the reason that we could be successful for three decades, because we brought our respective talents together.”
Contemporary Catering survived the challenges of COVID-19 with their meals-to-go menu.
“People were lined up in our parking lot to get curbside meals to go, no touch service,” Jennifer says.
During that difficult time, having pre-packaged food that was freshly prepared with high nutrition content comforted their customers who sought healthier meal options and also filled a niche that kept their customers coming back.
Having worked all across Georgia and out of state, Jennifer says nothing has meant more to her than serving their hometown of Newnan, the place her and John’s grandparents, Ellis and Effie Mansour, moved to in 1905 from Zahle, Lebanon, bringing with them generations of culinary expertise.
“One of the greatest examples of being able to service our community was the opportunity presented to us in June of 2021 to cater 45 VIP tents for the Alan Jackson ’Where I Come From’ concert benefiting those affected by the tornado,” Jennifer says. “While it was the hardest and most challenging undertaking of our career, it was by far the most rewarding thing we had ever done.”
After closing Contemporary Catering and semi-retiring, Jennifer has shifted gears, now working from home as a private event manager and coordinator. She says her goal is to work with people who want to entertain at home without the stress, so she provides a team to manage these occasions so the entertainer can simply enjoy the event.
“We present the food that they either prepare themselves or procure, present it well, maintain it, do their other services they might need for the evening, and help them clean it all up, which is a huge part of it because most people
don’t want to clean up at 11 o’clock at night after 50 people just left their home,” says Jennifer.
She’s also been managing and coordinating weddings and corporate events along with consulting.
“I feel very fortunate and honored that there are people in the food industry who called upon me to guide them through different parts of the industry, and it’s my pleasure to do that,” says Jennifer. “You can’t be in this business for more than three decades and not accumulate a good bit of knowledge, so I’m honored when that happens.”
From advising on a single recipe to accomplishing a 250-person catered luncheon, she can help with it all. And she has some advice for those thinking of starting a career in the industry.
“Food is such a gift to people, and I can understand individuals who want to have a talent and who want to propel that talent into a business,” says Jennifer, advising: “Research the competition, business location, and crunch the numbers with a financial advisor before setting off. The biggest thing about being in the food industry is consistency.”
Her keywords are: strategy, planning, management and execution.
“It’s never a good idea to diversify too much,” she says. “Stick with what you know, hone those skills, and get really good at it.”
For Jennifer Hanna, food is an exciting and beautiful thing.
“It’s obviously something that we have to have to live, but it contributes so much to scenarios, to situations, to celebrations,” she says. “And we have had a lifetime of being honored to produce good food for people on their very happy occasions. Catering is not a business for the faint of heart as it certainly comes with its ups and downs, but for us, it has been the gift of doing what God paved the way for us to do.”
NCM
Siblings Jonn Hanna and Jennifer Hanna hold four photos that span 90 years of their family’s history of businesses based in Newnan. Several other members of the Mansour family were involved in these businesses as well, according to Jennifer.
Photo courtesy of The Newnan Times-Herald
Never Miss a Magazine!
Painting cookies
... that taste good, too!
Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON
Photographed by SARA MOORE
Birdie Black grew up in the kitchen alongside her grandmother. But it was no ordinary home kitchen. Her grandma, Margie Dean, owned a restaurant called Woody’s Hot Stew in Indianapolis, Ind., Black’s hometown.
It was in this restaurant, under the caring supervision of her grandmother, that Black discovered her love of baking.
Even though the restaurant was famous for its stew, Black’s grandmother hand made all the restaurant’s desserts using fresh ingredients from a local farmer’s market. Each Christmas, Black and her grandmother baked gingerbread and shortbread cookies, some of which they would donate to people in their community as a way of spreading holiday cheer. Baking was a way for Margie Dean to express her love, a quality she passed on to her granddaughter.
Birdie Black’s gingerbread cookies depicting scenes from “Christmas Vacation” took first place in the Decorated Cookies category in last year’s NCM
In 2010, decades after learning to bake with her grandma, Black experienced severe medical issues centered around lupus and diabetes that forced her to retire prematurely. The sudden loss of income led her to search for other
sources of revenue, and, for a while, she dabbled in catering and baking until her health declined.
For the next 12 years, Black battled with health issues; ultimately, a move to Senoia provided much-needed relief for her illnesses and allowed her to develop the talents she picked up in the kitchen with her grandma so many years before.
In the summer of 2022, Black’s husband Mark was relocated through his job to Senoia, over 500 miles away from their hometown. Thanks to medical specialists in the metro Atlanta area and the mild Georgia climate, Black began to recover from her illnesses and reconnect with the things that brought her joy.
She revived her love of baking and decorating by creating cookie sets for those closest to her in her new city – her church friends and her neighbors. From there, word spread through Coweta about her delicious cookies.
In 2023, a customer encouraged her to enter NewnanCoweta Magazine’s annual Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest. For the contest, Black made Scottish shortbread cookies from her grandma’s recipe and decorated them like Santa Claus and other traditional
Birdie Black sources the freshest ingredients she can find to make her delectable gingerbread cookies.
Christmas Cookie Contest.
Christmas figures by “painting” them with various colored icings.
Her festive cookies won second place in the decorated category. This win catapulted her confidence, and she began receiving orders for her edible artwork. For the next year, she honed her talent and continued to grow her skills.
When the 2024 NCM Bake Your Best Christmas Cookie Contest came around last fall, Black submitted her delicious gingerbread cookies decorated as cheerful and zany images from the “Christmas Vacation” movie. Her improvement was recognized and celebrated when she won first place in the decorated cookies category.
It’s not only Black’s focus on refinement and dedication to her artistic craft that make her cookies among the best in the county. She also values using the freshest ingredients possible, ensuring an authentic and tasty cookie like her grandma used to make.
To make her cookies, Black uses Madagascar vanilla bean extract that she makes herself over a six-
month period. For her flavored cookies, she grows and dehydrates her own strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.
She makes her cookies with fresh duck eggs from ducks she raises and cares for on her property in Senoia. According to Black, duck eggs are the best type of eggs to use when baking because they contain more fat, which makes baked goods richer and fluffier.
As evidenced by the care she puts into curating her ingredients, this process is a way to continue her grandmother’s legacy and a labor of love for Black, who sources her ingredients, artfully combines them, and creates masterful designs in icing to top off her artistic cookies.
In the future, the home baker hopes to continue to grow her cookie sales and spread the word about the delicacies she creates.
For the recipe for Birdie Black’s gingerbread cookies, see page 58 in the Nov.-Dec. 2024 issue of NewnanCoweta Magazine. NCM
A trio of cookies fresh off the cutting board display Black’s skills.
Birdie Black’s home doubles as an art studio when it comes to making intricately decorated cookies.
Precision and creativity are put to work as Birdie Black decorates her homemade cookies.
A dedicated baker can never have too many cookie cutters, as evidenced by this collection displayed in Black’s kitchen.
Birdie Black, right, poses with her grandmother, Margie Dean, who taught her the cookie making skills she uses today.
WHERE’S THEMeat Meat? ?
Making Meaty Decisions in Coweta County
Written
by CAROLINE NICHOLSON
Photographed by SARA MOORE and JACKIE KENNEDY
Supremely Southern Staples
"We work hard, and we are grateful for each and every one of our customers."
- Maridee Wise, Goldens on the Square
In any true Southern town, fellowship and social gatherings happen in the pews of churches and the booths of a local homestyle restaurant. The same can be said about Newnan where Goldens on the Square has been feeding Coweta and nearby counties since 1994.
Randall and Diane Golden opened the business to share old-fashioned Southern cooking with Newnan. In 1996, Maridee Wise and her family took over Goldens and have been serving Newnan and surrounding cities for almost three decades.
In all her years in the service industry, Wise says her favorite part of owning Goldens is the people, from her customers to her employees.
“I have great employees,” says Wise. “I even have people who have been there longer than me.”
1st Goldens on the Square NEWNAN
Shirley’s Country Kitchen NEWNAN
Fried Tomato Buffet NEWNAN
Her daughter Marceil works with her, which makes the experience even better, says Wise.
Goldens’ cafeteria-style buffet has a rotating menu of Southern favorites from recipes handed down for generations. The food is made from scratch daily, ensuring customers always enjoy the freshest ingredients, says the owner, noting that of all the menu items, her favorites are chicken legs and lima beans.
Goldens on the Square has won first place in the Best of Coweta Southern Food category for six years in a row and placed at the top for Best Fried Chicken when that category was included in 2019.
“It is such a high honor that our sweet customers think so highly of us,” says Wise. “We work hard, and we are grateful for each and every one of our customers. It is truly a blessing, and I never take it for granted.”
Country fried steak with gravy is the centerpiece of this delicious and filling meal at Goldens.
Navigating the food counter at Goldens on the Square takes an eye –and stomach – trained to make quick food choices.
Shirley’s Country Kitchen, which has consecutively won second place in this category for three years, is another buffet restaurant in Newnan serving homemade Southern food to the community. With a menu including staples like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and catfish, Shirley’s boasts a myriad of wonderful customer reviews that highlight not only their appetizing food but also their friendly customer service.
Fried Tomato Buffet also offers a flavorful selection
of food, buffet-style. Similar to Goldens, they have a rotating menu with different daily specials. Familyowned and operated for 10 years, Fried Tomato Buffet serves all the great Southern comfort food and specializes in fresh fried green tomatoes, a Southern delicacy you can’t find at just any restaurant.
All three of these classic country-style buffets are sure to satisfy your craving for Grandma's cooking – and leave you wanting more.
Shirley’s Country Kitchen
Fried Tomato Buffet
The Beauty of a Good Burger
High West Burger
1st Meat ’N’ Greet NEWNAN
2nd Redneck Gourmet NEWNAN
3rd Nic & Norman’s SENOIA
Nothing screams welcome to the United States the way a juicy, satisfying, all-American hamburger does.
Available at nearly every fast food restaurant, burgers are considered by some to be overdone and underwhelming. However, the three winners in this category have mastered the art of a perfect burger and shared it with Coweta County.
In 2014, sisters Margaret and Elisa Sanders, along with friend Amy Murphy, opened Meat ’N’ Greet in Newnan.
Murphy, the owner of Fabiano’s and the Alamo, combined her restaurant experience with her desire to bring more homegrown businesses to Newnan when opening Meat ’N’ Greet.
Thanks to Murphy’s experience and the Sanders sisters’ dedication to creating an authentic family-owned experience, Meat ’N’ Greet has thrived in the decade since opening. For five years in a row, Meat ’N’ Greet has won first place in three different categories in the Best
The High West Burger at Meat ’N’ Greet features a premium beef patty, fried onion tangles, bacon, white cheddar, smoked tomato jam and barbecue sauce. Served with fries here, yum!
Lunchtime at Meat 'N' Greet is always busy.
of Coweta contest: Best Burger, Best Cocktail, and Best Overall Restaurant.
When asked about their favorite part of owning Meat ’N’ Greet, the trio of Newnan natives says, “[It’s] definitely the relationships we have built with our team and the members of the community that support us. Newnan has grown so much in the past few decades, but when you are at Meat ’N’ Greet, it still feels like the small town we grew up in.”
Although they have created a nostalgic atmosphere within their restaurant, their menu is the peak of innovation and creativity. They have a selection of craft burgers to choose from on their menu, each with a fun name based on the burger’s tasty toppings. Their patties are a blend of chuck, brisket, and short rib, which adds to their flavor. When combined with their variety of eccentric toppings like ghost pepper cheese, avocado, and sunnyside-up eggs, Meat ’N’ Greet’s burgers are sure to take you
on a one-of-a-kind flavor journey.
Up and across the street from Meat ’N' Greet is the second-place winner in this category, Redneck Gourmet. Over three decades ago, in 1991, Mike and Cile Smith opened Redneck Gourmet right in the heart of downtown Newnan.
In the years since, Redneck Gourmet has established itself as a landmark of Newnan and a must-visit spot for locals and guests alike. Whether you go for breakfast, lunch or dinner, their wide selection of traditional all-American foods is sure to make you feel right at home.
Above all, their burgers are classic favorites in the community. Their Redneck Burger is topped with bacon, blue cheese dressing, lettuce, pickles, and the Southern delicacy, fried green tomatoes. For those pimento cheese lovers, Redneck Gourmet has you covered with their Pimento Cheese Burger, which is, as the name implies, a burger topped with a whopping scoop of their pimento cheese.
Like the second-place winner in this category, our thirdplace winner also has a renowned pimento burger on their menu. In 2016, famous zombie killer Norman Reedus stepped off the set of the popular TV show “The Walking Dead” and opened Nic and Norman’s in the city where so much filming from the show took place, Senoia.
Along with “The Walking Dead” special effects creator and co-executive producer Greg Nicotero, Reedus has been serving exceptional food to folks in Coweta County and tourists alike for the past eight years.
Their menu is a stellar curation of elevated Southerninspired cuisine that provides a plethora of unique flavors. They offer 11 gourmet burger options as well as five bison burgers, all equally mouthwatering and juicy. All of their ingredients are locally sourced and fresh.
Between these three restaurants, you are guaranteed to find a perfect burger to sink your teeth into with all of your favorite toppings.
Meat ’N’ Greet is especially known for their craft burgers.
Redneck Gourmet in downtown Newnan serves up a great burger.
Nic and Norman’s
A Satisfying Steak
All of their steaks are cooked on a grated surface and broiled from above to infuse flavor.
ABOVE
Located
Across the South, steak is a staple of fine dining. It is a delicacy that is all too easy to get wrong but is just as challenging to get right. The three restaurants in this category have mastered steak and become the community’s main spots for upscale dining.
Leonard Guillaume, owner of Grayson’s Steak and Seafood, is no stranger to the restaurant business. Before opening Grayson’s in Newnan in 2020, Guillaume owned and operated the wildly successful Mama Lucia’s Italian restaurant that opened in 2003 in Coweta County.
Guillaume’s 20-plus years of cooking experience make Grayson’s a perfect place for fish and meat lovers alike. All of their ingredients are sourced from local farmer’s markets. All of their steaks are cooked on a grated surface and
1st Grayson’s Steak and Seafood NEWNAN
2nd Knife and Stone NEWNAN
3rd The Cellar NEWNAN
broiled from above to infuse flavor. This process results in a crispy crust on the steaks as well as a light charcoal smoke flavor, unique amongst other steaks.
The combination of their high-class staff, consisting of experienced chefs and managers, and their elegant ambiance have established Grayson’s as a treasured restaurant within the community and earned them first place in this category.
The second restaurant in this category, Knife and Stone, opened in Newnan in 2017. Owner and chef Jarrod Reeder draws inspiration from his favorite childhood meals as he creates his menus, which routinely feature new items. Of all the foods he curates, Reeder says his favorite would have to be the meatloaf, an opinion he says is widely
Grayson’s Steak and Seafood
at 91 Millard Farmer Industrial Blvd. in Newnan, Grayson’s specializes in upscale dining.
Grayson's Steak and Seafood Restaurant is known for its excellent steaks. Staff members shown are, from left, Jacob Harrison, Juliet Turlington, Grayson's owner Leonard Guillaume, Tavia Dillon, Madison Fisher and Scott Wetzstein.
shared amongst his customers. Their steak is also beloved in the community, earning the restaurant countless five-star reviews.
The quaint and cozy atmosphere of Knife and Stone makes it the perfect spot for date night or a small family get-together, and the food is sure to hit the spot.
Third place in this category has its own unique atmosphere that continues to draw in customers year after year. The Cellar was opened in 2014 by owner Linda Bridges Kee, and in the decade since opening, it has provided Coweta County with a perfect mix of casual and fine dining.
Between their main dining room and the Bays that open onto the streets of downtown Newnan, the Cellar is the perfect place for all types of gatherings.
Their menu is as versatile as their atmosphere. In addition to their awardwinning steak that is crusted with their signature spice blend, the Cellar also serves other top-rated chicken, fish and pasta dishes.
With these three renowned restaurants to choose from, steak lovers are certain to find their perfect temperature.
Knife and Stone, Newnan
The Cellar, Newnan
Karvelas
The Perfect Pizza
1st
Karvelas NEWNAN
2nd Fabiano’s NEWNAN
3rd Partners II Pizza NEWNAN
Pizza is the perfect meal to enjoy on your couch after a long day or at a restaurant watching sporting matches on the jumbo flat screens. While nearly every county in America can claim a chain pizza restaurant or two, Coweta County is fortunate enough to have multiple signature pizza restaurants to satisfy those Friday night cravings. Karvelas, the first-place winner in the Best Pizza category, first opened in 2014 in Hogansville. It wasn’t until 2020 that Karvelas made its way to the streets of downtown Newnan, following the opening of their second location in LaGrange just a year prior.
It is a family business through and through, with three
brothers at the helm of the ship. Joey, Manny and Charlie Karvelas embarked upon this journey together a decade ago and have grown closer through the ups and downs of the service industry.
When asked about his favorite part of owning Karvelas, Charlie Karvelas says, “Having such a close relationship with [my brothers] and getting to work with them is one of my favorite things about having Karvelas.”
But working with his brothers isn’t all Charlie loves about being a restaurant owner. He shares that they have always been food fanatics, so the opportunity to curate a unique menu with items of their choosing was very exciting.
Buffalo Ranch Pizza, ready to serve!
The lunch crowd at Karvelas, in downtown Newnan, is typically a big one.
“Being able to create this menu and create these pizzas with all these ingredients that we feel are the perfect combinations and then see how popular Karvelas has become is very rewarding,” Charlie says.
Karvelas is family and food-focused, with fresh ingredients and pizzas made in-house daily. Charlie describes their food as “grandma’s cooking.” The only difference? Karvelas has a bit more variety than you’d expect from your grandma’s kitchen.
With an assortment of toppings like applewood bacon, Chicago sausage, Vidalia onions, and different homemade sauces, there’s something for everyone at Karvelas. Just one glance at the menu and the quirky pizza names will show the love and creativity that went into opening the restaurant.
Of all the things on the menu, Charlie says his favorite pizza is the “Georgia Pie.” It is a blend of their threeday-aged dough, fresh oregano, shredded mozzarella, and roasted mushrooms. But the star of the pizza is their “grandma sauce,” which is made with olive oil, tomato sauce, and a lot of fresh garlic.
Customers love Karvelas so much that the brothers have opened three more Karvelas locations since opening in Newnan: one each in West Point, Peachtree City and Senoia.
Located on the square in Newnan is the second-place winner in this category, Fabiano’s, which was opened alongside its sister business, The Alamo, in 2004 by Amy Murphy and her business partner, Jeff Merback.
The idea of opening Fabiano’s started when Murphy recognized Newnan’s lack of nightlife. However, the city’s alcohol ordinance states that alcohol can only be served where food is also sold. And so, Fabiano’s and the Alamo were born.
In the 20 years since opening, Fabiano’s has grown into much more than simply a restaurant satisfying an ordinance. The restaurant is a favorite among locals for classic pizza and flavorful wings.
Families gather throughout the week to enjoy their variety of pizzas and the many different events hosted at Fabiano’s. On any given night, you can savor your food while playing general or music trivia, watching football
games on the flat screens, or even getting on stage yourself at one of their open mic nights.
Similar to Fabiano’s, the third-place winner in this category is also a hotspot for families and fun. Partners II Pizza was first opened in 1977 in Peachtree City by Jim Royal. After garnering such success in that location, Royal opened six other locations, including one in Newnan.
Their menu has an array of different pizzas and toppings to choose from, all cooked on their special dough developed by Royal himself. The crust is crunchy and chewy at the same time, always hand-tossed to order.
Over the nearly four decades in business, Partners II Pizza has blossomed into not just a pizza restaurant but also a gathering place for many families and children. They host weekly music trivia nights as well as local school spirit nights. The atmosphere is always up-beat and welcoming, making it a beloved restaurant within the community.
Whether you are looking for some family fun or just a tasty pizza, one of these pizzerias is sure to be the highlight of your week.
Partner's II Pizza
Fabiano's
Barbecue & Stew, WIll Do
1st Oink Joint NEWNAN
2nd Dunc’s BBQ NEWNAN
3rd Sprayberry’s Barbecue NEWNAN
At the heart of every Southern town is a lineup of mouthwatering barbecue restaurants. Most Southern counties boast several barbecue spots, ensuring there’s no shortage of options for fans of smoked and sauced meats. Coweta County is no different, with over 10 barbecue restaurants open within county lines. The abundance of these restaurants makes for stiff competition in this Best of Coweta category.
Matt Crawford decided to open Oink Joint in Newnan in 2016. Crawford shares that Oink Joint separates itself from other similar restaurants through their unique menu items. While items like chicken thighs and barbecue tacos
are not typical for other barbecue restaurants, they are award-winning favorites at Oink Joint.
But there’s another aspect to their special menu; Crawford says, “We really wanted to not just be a strictly barbecue restaurant. We wanted to provide really good barbecue, the best around, but we also wanted to have a menu that if you didn’t like barbecue, there’s other options.”
Of all the menu items to choose from, Crawford’s favorite is their Cadillac Chicken Sandwich, which is made with their flavorful chicken thighs and topped with bacon, pickles, melted monterey jack cheese, lettuce and ranch.
BBQ Sandwich and Tater Tots
Oink Joint
Lunch over barbecue plates and ribs is a mainstay at Oink Joint in downtown Newnan.
RIGHT
A barbecue pork sandwich with tots at Oink Joint is about as BBQ as you can get.
When reflecting on this sixth first-place win in a row, Crawford passes the recognition on to the employees of Oink Joint. Ultimately, he says, “[Winning] is a testament to how hard our employees work. The award is more for the employees because they are the ones serving customers every day and putting out great quality food that keeps everyone coming back.”
Great employees and customer service are things Oink Joint has in common with the second-and third-place winners. Dunc’s BBQ Kitchen opened its doors to Newnan in 2018 and has won second place in this category six years in a row.
Owner and founder Steve Duncan opened Dunc’s, utilizing his extensive experience in smoking meats to create mouthwatering staples for the restaurant. Dunc’s is renowned for its smoking process, which involves pecan wood, giving the meat a signature taste.
Dunc’s is also celebrated for their phenomenal customer service. As you sit and enjoy your food, it’s common for Steve Duncan himself to come around and ask how your food is or if he can get anything for you.
Conveniently located next to the University of West Georgia’s Newnan Campus, Dunc’s has become a regular haunt for college students and employees of UWG. The atmosphere is welcoming and leaves you planning your next visit.
The same can be said for this category’s third-place winner, who has won third place six years in a row. Sprayberry’s Barbecue is the granddaddy of barbecue in the area.
Sprayberry’s started as food sold out of the back of Houston Sprayberry’s gas station north of downtown Newnan. In 1926, they were selling more barbecue
sandwiches than gallons of gas, which led to the opening of a full-fledged restaurant.
Over the last almost century of being open, Sprayberry’s has served generations of Coweta County citizens, including some famous names. Before his career in country music, Alan Jackson waited tables at Sprayberry’s when he was in high school. Famous Southern writer and humorist Lewis Grizzard adored Sprayberry’s, so much so that he has a special named after him on their menu.
Sprayberry’s is famous not only for their barbecue but also for their Brunswick stew, a recipe of Mattie Lou Sprayberry’s who was married to Houston Sprayberry and helped open the original restaurant.
In the 99 years since opening, the restaurant has been passed through four generations of the Sprayberry family until being entrusted to the Rogers family in 2021.
It is a combination of the delicious, homemade food and welcoming, family-focused atmosphere that has established Sprayberry’s as a legend within the community.
No matter which barbecue restaurant you choose to visit in Coweta County, you are guaranteed exceptional food and classic Southern hospitality at its finest. NCM
Dunc’s Barbecue
Sprayberry’s Barbecue
Once a picky eater
Labeled a ‘picky eater’ since childhood, Caroline Nicholson recently discovered her disorder has a name
Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON
As humans, our lives revolve around food.
Food constitutes a substantial portion of our society. Food dictates our lives and connects us to those around us. Culture is largely defined by food.
Now, imagine food being your biggest enemy in a world that revolves around it.
That has been my reality for 24 years.
As a child, I was ferociously finicky with food, turning my nose up at any meat that wasn’t McDonald’s chicken nuggets and refusing all vegetables without question. Before long, I got stuck with the label “picky eater,” which followed me to cafeteria lunch tables, where I picked at my packed lunch, never venturing to try what the school was serving that day.
As I got older, I didn’t grow out of this label like I was supposed to. The designation accompanied me on dates as a young adult, where I ashamedly spelled out my eating habits after ordering from the kids’ menu.
“I’m a really picky eater,” I would say, cheeks hot with embarrassment.
“I don’t eat meat, and I don’t eat vegetables,” I would explain after further prodding, no longer surprised by the looks of curious astonishment on their faces.
This became the mantra of my life, one
I was forced to deliver regularly at dinner tables, work events, and even in foreign countries. It was the elephant in every room I was in, and slowly, I grew to hate the concept of food altogether.
I hated missing out on family dinners because the restaurant lacked a bread and cheese option. I despised the chore of deciding what to eat when my options were so limited and overused. And perhaps most of all, I dreaded the feeling of isolation and wrongness that accompanied my eating habits.
I was an enigma to myself and those closest to me, and I couldn’t escape the thought that even if I could overcome the mental struggles of my pickiness, in the end, my health would deteriorate because of the lack of nutritious food in my diet.
But this didn’t feel like the kind of thing I could seek help for. It wasn’t a traditional eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia, so I felt selfish for asking for help when others were struggling with what I considered “real issues.” After all, I was just a picky eater, or so I thought.
Earlier this year, I was scrolling through social media when I came across a video of a man discussing his peculiar eating habits, and it was like looking in a mirror. In the video, he shared that he was diagnosed with something called ARFID.
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a new name for what was previously known as Feeding Disorder of Infancy or Early Childhood. People suffering from ARFID limit their food consumption, but unlike
other eating disorders, this restriction stems from a lack of interest in food or sensory sensitivity rather than body image concerns.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, between 0.5% and 5% of the general population suffers from ARFID, and while it usually manifests in infancy or childhood, it can persist into adulthood.
I never expected the relief I would feel upon finding out I have a disorder, but learning about ARFID made me feel like I was no longer on an island of my own. This man on the phone and a small percentage of others understood the frustration and isolation I experienced daily. The picky eater label, overly worn from excessive use across two decades, could finally be replaced by something treatable and manageable.
Treatment for ARFID mainly involves gradual exposure to fear foods as well as relaxation therapy to address the negative emotions that trying new foods can trigger. While
I’m not yet working with a professional, I’ve started the process of trying new foods myself.
On a recent trip abroad, I tried crème brulée, which I didn’t mind, and porridge, which I detested. I am working on understanding the disorder and its widespread effects on my life.
It’s hard not to regret that I’ve only just learned of this disorder, but I am grateful knowing that more children are now able to get the support they need, thanks to deeper research into the disorder and its treatments.
As awareness of ARFID grows, fewer kids will be mislabeled as picky eaters, and more children can get the help they need to enjoy food and all of the experiences that accompany it, like I’m doing now.
NCM
A.Gianni Ricci, DO
Dr. Gianni Ricci is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon specializing in disorders of the foot and ankle. He has expertise in a wide range of non-operative and operative treatments for all disorders of the foot and ankle. He has extensive training in treatments of ankle and foot arthritis including total ankle replacement, revision total ankle replacement and treatments for foot and ankle deformities including flatfoot reconstruction. He also has experience treating sports injuries about the foot and ankle including arthroscopic treatments of cartilage lesions, chronic ankle ligament instability, minimally invasive Achilles tendon repairs, and ankle and foot fractures. Dr. Ricci has extensive training in bunion surgery, great toe arthritis, and lesser toe deformities and utilizes minimally invasive surgical techniques, when appropriate, to help get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.
Justin Fernicola, MD | Gil Gomez, DO | Douglas Pahl, MD | Gianni Ricci, DO
Sweet Tooth
DESTINATION: SUGAR RUSH
Written by FRANCES KIDD | Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY
Iknow, I know. Talk about a sweet tooth should stop at the end of the year, not continue into January as folks vow to get back in shape after the holidays. But for those of us with a sweet tooth, we know that it will follow us into the new year.
The phrase “sweet tooth” (never “sweet teeth”) has been around for hundreds of years and, as with many things, there isn’t a true consensus on its origins. The Vocabulary.com traces it back to the late 14th century, stating it has evolved from “toothsome,” meaning “delicious” or “tasty.”
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest known use is in 1390, in the writing of poet John Gower. Another expert traces it to the writings of Chaucer in the 14th century.
Whatever the situation, sugar is good for most folks’ souls.
In Coweta, we’re lucky to have an abundance of sweet treats of all types. Three local businesses that cater to your sweet tooth won top spots for Best Sweets and Treats in Newnan-Coweta Magazine’s Best of Coweta Readers’ Choice Awards, which were announced in the July/August 2024 issue: Rock Salt Milk Bar, 1st place; Heirloom Donuts, 2nd; and Cakes by Debbie, 3rd. Heirloom Donuts closed its Newnan location in November, so we spotlight here Doba Cafe, which took 4th place in last year’s Best of Coweta Awards.
See what all the sugar fuss is about, and then rush out to get you some.
Rock Salt Milk Bar
Since 1927, when a song was published as a commercial slogan for the I-Scream bar (today’s Eskimo Pie), “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream” has been part of the American experience.
Tales swirl around the development of ice cream. It’s been credited to both Marco Polo and Catherine de Medici. What is known for sure is that the earliest forms of ice cream bear little resemblance to the creamy sweet stuff that may be in your freezer.
According to a PBS article titled “Explore the Delicious History of Ice Cream,” ever since the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), various types of frozen milk confections have been found in different parts of the world. It’s impossible to say how ice cream reached America, but it likely arrived with European settlers in the early 1700s. In 1790, the first ice cream parlor opened in New York.
Cindy Hendricks opened Rock Salt Milk Bar in downtown Newnan in 2019. A brief encounter reveals her passion for what she does and her love of ice cream.
“I do know that ice cream usually makes everything better,” Hendricks says. “Right now, my favorite is the seasonal caramel apple, but I’m a strawberry ice cream fiend.”
Her first ice cream shop was such a success that Hendricks now has stores in Peachtree City and LaGrange.
As part of her goal to make the best ice cream, she sources her products from local producers as much as possible. They use milk from grass-fed farms which has been a bit of a challenge because there’s not as much fat in the milk. The Waldroup Family Farm in LaGrange and Working Cows Dairy, an organic dairy in Southern Alabama, are two of Rock Salt Milk Bar’s suppliers.
At Rock Salt Milk Bar, there’s typically something for everyone, including at least one sorbet and one other nondairy item on hand. Responding to her customers is an important part of her work, according to Hendricks, who says, “We’re getting requests for more and more non-dairy.”
OPPOSITE PAGE
Cameron Kolvig mans the counter at Rock Salt Milk Bar, voted tops for Sweet Treats in Coweta County last year.
A dozen donuts at Doba Cafe includes everything from glazed donuts (their bestseller) to Cookie Monster Oreo and maple bacon donuts.
Newnan residents Deaundria Lawton and her son Mattox enjoy dropping by Rock Salt Milk Bar to grab ice cream to go.
Cakes by Debbie
Cake has been used to celebrate special events for thousands of years. It is almost impossible to think of a wedding without picturing a towering, white frosted cake – or a birthday party without a cake aflame with candles in the middle of the family table.
Best-selling author and baker Anne Byrn says, “Cake is an icon of American culture.” She adds that it has a special hold on the American palate, imagination and heart because it’s celebratory.
Debbie Barronton is the creative genius behind Cakes by Debbie. Her shop just off Newnan’s Court Square offers homemade cakes, cookies, sandwiches and casseroles.
“Peanut Butter Pie is my favorite right now because that’s what I’m making at the moment,” Barronton says. “My theme is always Eat Dessert First.”
Barronton particularly enjoys making cakes for special occasions.
“When people pick up their cakes and I see the smile on their face, or they send me pictures, that makes my day,” she says.
Barronton and her husband were in the restaurant business for 40 years. She and her cakes have been featured on a number of cooking shows, and she has created cakes for the movies and television shows that film in the Newnan-Coweta area. In fact, Barronton created the unique pake, a cake inside of a pie crust that was often featured in “Drop Dead Diva.” She actually opened a Pakery, which became part of some story lines.
Cakes are a mainstay at Cakes by Debbie in downtown Newnan.
Customer Javon Swint makes an early morning sugar transaction with Cindy Greene at Cakes By Debbie.
Cake truffle is a small treat for folks who want big cake taste.
Doba Cafe
Doba Cafe opened on Jefferson Street in downtown Newnan in 2020 and has become a smashing sugar success since then.
In the food business since 2011, Doba Cafe owner Mara Men is culinary-trained as well as proficient in French cooking and got his start in Los Angeles, Calif., where he ran a Japanese restaurant. He was introduced to American Southern cooking while working as a sous chef in Hollywood.
“I fell in love with Southern food and moved to Georgia in 2017,” says Men. “We were looking all over the place, and discovered that Georgia needed donuts.”
He and his wife Bolen, or “Bo,” wanted to bring something new to the South to share with those whose own cooking they’d come to love, so they opened Donut Palace in Barnesville. They eventually outgrew that location and moved to Newnan after selling their first donut shop, which remains in business.
“Newnan has the small-town feel with big-city excitement,” says Men, noting that he and Bo are happy to be raising their son Calvin in Newnan where he will start attending Coweta County Schools next year.
Truly a family-operated business, Doba employees
include Men’s wife, her sister and brother-in-law, their cousin, and the list goes on.
While the donut bonanza at Doba includes fan favorites like the Cookie Monster Oreo Donut, the shop’s best sellers are their old-fashioned glazed donuts and oldfashioned sour cream donuts, according to Men.
It’s not easy to find people who say they don’t have a sweet tooth. Even those who say they don’t crave sweets still manage to sneak in a few bites along the way.
Coweta native Clifton Stephens is one of these. Ironically, he spent his career as a specialty food and confection broker, representing a number of companies like Ghirardelli Chocolate. He also worked at Rich’s Department Store, where he had access to the candy kitchen. He didn’t eat, he recalls – just watched. “I never had much of a sweet tooth,” he says. “When
I go to the grocery store, for example, I never go to the bakery. That was the first stop for my wife Barbara before she passed away, but I could go the rest of my life and not eat very many sweet things.”
But even he admits: “Sometimes, I want just a bite after a meal.”
On those rare occasions, his go-to sweet is dark chocolate bark with crushed almonds.
As we enter the new year, keep one of cooking icon Julia Child’s most meaningful quotes in mind: “A party without a cake is just a meeting.” NCM
Mara Men owns and operates Doba Cafe, on Jefferson Street, which specializes in donuts but also serves snacks, sandwiches and a variety of unique beverages.
A mighty (easy) meal, mighty
COWETA-STYLE
Written and Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY
As the holidays wind down and a new year begins, many moms (and dads who man the kitchen) make resolutions to prepare more healthy meals at home.
Some would-be cooks, however, say they stay away from the stove for one reason: The recipes they encounter are too complicated with too many ingredients. That can be a quick turnoff to the wannabe cook who simply wants to put a good, inexpensive homemade meal on the table in short time.
Sure, she (or he) can read a recipe, follow
But more often than not, that cook just needs a quick, somewhat-healthy meal to plop down on the kitchen table. Even if all the family doesn’t land in the kitchen at the same time, it’s on the way to their bedrooms, so they can grab a quick bite as they pass through.
When putting together recipes for The Newnan Times-Herald’s cookbook, “Coweta Cooks: Sharing a Legacy of Our Favorite Recipes,” our rule of thumb for including a recipe was that it a) have simple instructions, b) have ingredients you can find in one trip to one grocery store, and c) call for pots, pans and other cooking accessories already in our possession.
Fortunately for the Times-Herald, most of our readers who submitted recipes were of the same mind – and shared our appreciation for simplicity and good eating.
Here we offer up a meal that’s easy to make with simple recipes that eschew exotic ingredients in favor of old standards you can grab in a quick stop at your favorite grocery store. Hearty and healthy, it’s a mighty easy meal to make.
For more recipes like these, grab your copy of “Coweta Cooks” at The Newnan Times-Herald office at 16 Jefferson Street in downtown Newnan or email stacie@newnan.com to have one mailed. The full-color, 224-page, hardbound book is a bargain at $25.
Grandmother Clepper’s Easy Chicken & Dumplings
1 rotisserie chicken, pulled apart into bite-size pieces
2 small cans cream of celery soup
32 ounces chicken broth/stock
1 (10-count) package flour tortillas, cut into 1x2-inch strips
Heat chicken, soup and broth/stock to just below boiling, simmering until well mixed. Once well heated, drop in tortilla strips. Stir well. Lower heat, stirring often to keep tortillas from sticking together. Cook on low to medium about 30 minutes to create a fairly thick broth.
– Joanie Clepper, Moreland
ABOVE
Cucumber, Onion and Avocado Salad
¼ cup vinegar
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
Pepper, to taste
1 - 2 cucumbers (depending on size), peeled and sliced
1 large onion, sliced into rings
2 avocados
Mix first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. Place cucumber and onion in an airtight container and add liquid mixture. Mix well. Store in refrigerator for a couple hours or overnight. When ready to serve, slice fresh avocados and add to salad. Enjoy with family and friends.
– Brad Coggin, Newnan
This has been a family favorite of ours for years. We share it in loving memory of Anne McKoy Coggin. It was her recipe. We just carry it on.
Grandmother Clepper’s Easy Chicken & Dumplings
RIGHT
Cucumber, Onion and Avocado Salad
Grandma King’s Mayonnaise Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup milk
3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
Mix ingredients together. Pour mixture in greased 12-cup muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 17 to 19 minutes.
Variation: For a little extra, add about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese or a cup of sausage (chopped, cooked and drained) to the batter. This doubles the yield to 24 biscuits.
– Laura King-Wimer, Newnan
Pond Rice
1 can beef broth or beef consommé
1 can French onion soup
¼ cup butter
I small can sliced mushrooms, drained
1-1¼ cups uncooked white rice
Combine all ingredients in ovensafe casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
– Donna Moore, Newnan – Paige and Mark Wells, Newnan
ABOVE Grandma King’s Mayonnaise Biscuits
LEFT Pond Rice
Cold-Oven Orange Pound Cake
1½ cups butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons orange extract
Butter and flour 10-inch tube pan or use Baker’s Joy spray. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in flour. Add orange extract. Pour batter into pan and place in a cold oven. Set temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done.
Cold-Oven Orange Pound Cake
– Rebecca Leftwich, Carrollton
Reconcilable Differences
Written by CHUCK CLEVELAND
My brother Barry and I were both only children; that is, he came along almost 10 years after me and our worlds seldom touched. We were Exhibit A for the compliant firstborn and rebellious second child syndrome.
I’m married and a conservative Christian, while Barry is single, somewhat liberal and a writer/performer of alternative music. We disagreed on almost everything, and what was, at best, a strained relationship, deteriorated into 12 years of outright hostility.
From my perspective, the loving thing to do was to have no contact because just about every time we were together, it turned into an unpleasant confrontation. Of course, if you had asked me if I loved my brother during those years of alienation, I would have responded, “Sure.”
Meaning what? Meaning I was concerned about his eternal destiny, for I didn’t want him to perish in hell.
Even while continuing to insist the state of warfare was the fault of my non-Christian brother, I was beginning to come under conviction that I needed to become a more loving, less critical person. Barry and I began to speak cordially, though that was primarily over our mutual concern for our mother’s failing health. Several months later, that led to actual communication. Layers of distrust peeled away, and I realized the great significance of a statement by Bob George in “Classic Christianity.” George wrote of God’s attitude toward a person, but it is also true of horizontal relationships; he observed, “Love becomes practically meaningless apart from acceptance.”
What was true of me, I perceive, is true of many Christians. We are oftentimes superficial in our relationships, particularly with those outside the faith.
We say we love our non-believing family members and acquaintances, but the critical question is, do those people think they are loved? And if we don’t take an interest in their ideas and how they arrived at them, how could they possibly think we accept them?
When our mother passed away, we got together for the memorial service and we used that opportunity to deal with a number of personal issues. Clearly, the walls of hostility had come down. A month later, I made a tape of some songs (a common interest), two excerpts from Bible teacher Steve Brown sermons and the recounting of how I had experienced an attitudinal change.
Almost immediately, I got Barry’s response. In part, it said: “I also enjoyed the excerpts from that talk on friendship… The difference between preaching and sharing is sincerity, and sincerity is the honest attempt to communicate. I can certainly appreciate the effect these thoughts have had on you and how they inspired you to make positive change in your life. Aside from enjoying the music and the shared thought, Chuck, do you know what I really liked about your tape? The spirit in which it was made… You know, I feel like I have a brother for the first time in my life, and it feels really good. Love, Barry”
Thankful for the reconciliation with my brother, I further contemplated what it meant to love others. I asked at least 30 people, “When someone was a special friend to you, what did that person do on your behalf?”
Surprisingly, perhaps even stunningly, almost all of them said the same thing. When they were dealing with a sick child, a dying parent, the loss of a job, a broken relationship or some other calamity, the other person came alongside them.
I then asked if the friend explained how to resolve their issue, and the overwhelming majority said no. What I’ve found, and others confirm, is that the most meaningful acts of friendship consist of being there for one another in times of turmoil.
Steve Brown tells the story of a little girl who was late getting home one evening. Her mother asked why, and she said, “I stopped to help Susie… Susie hurt her doll. The head was broken off.”
“You stopped to help Susie fix her doll?” the mother inquired.
“Oh no,” replied the little girl. “We couldn’t fix the doll. I stopped to help Susie cry.”
The Four Spiritual Laws are great, but when you help people cry, they’re drawn to the throne.
Chuck Cleveland has written for magazines and has covered college basketball for The Newnan Times-Herald. He’s been married to Barbara for 48 years
Brothers Barry, left, and Chuck Cleveland
Miss Stephanie’s Smile
Written by BOB COMEANS
More days than not, I enter a federally controlled area by presenting a federally controlled ID. Security personnel maintain multiple access points, 24/7/365, in the cold and heat, rain or shine. They match a face to a picture and allow you to proceed. These are usually momentary anonymous meetings and typically a thank you is all that is exchanged.
Lately, I have been spending just a few more of those moments at my access point.
As I arrive, it is always dark, and this time of year – cold. The heat in my car allows me to arrive in shirt sleeves. I know it’s cold because the guard is bundled in a heavy jacket, gloves and stocking cap. As she exits the guard shack, she smiles at me.
In spite of the hour, and my mood, I smile back.
She verifies my ID and comments how I never complain about the cold. I moved here from Colorado. In another life, I loved the cold and winter.
I call her by her first name; she calls me by my last.
She said she was cold this morning as she wished me Happy Valentine’s Day. She asked how I was doing and said she liked the look of that fuzzy blanket that I happened to have lying on the front seat beside me.
We only have a few moments to share, but I know she works long hours during the week so she can spend weekends with who, and what, she loves. She is on her feet all day. I’m sure that can be hard.
She shares her smile freely and I’m sure to her, everyone is special. But, to me, it feels like I’m special. She is defined by her work, not by her job, and I think she may know that.
She is still outside. Still doing her work. Still smiling, and I hope, still wrapped up in her new fuzzy blanket. Happy Valentine’s Day, Miss Stephanie.
Bob Comeans is an artist and writer married to an Irish German redhead. He has two sons who think he’s old and a terrier mix who gets separation anxiety whenever he leaves the room. Family and shared experiences bring his art and writing to life.
Share Your Prose
Are you a closet poet? Or a creator of short fiction?
Share your best work with us and we may publish it in an upcoming issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine.
Submit your work along with your name, address, email address and daytime phone number to magazine@ newnan.com or mail to or drop by our office at NewnanCoweta Magazine, 16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263.
Blacktop
Photo by Tim Smith
“There’s a praying mantis on the deck!”
Photo by Beth Neely
The duck and Huck! Perry the Pekin introduces himself to Huckle the Border Collie.
Photo by Ron Schuck
Two Canada geese protect their goslings from human folk at a lake behind Central Newnan Library.
Photo by Gary Wilson
A handsome armadillo waddles across a trail at Chattahoochee Bend State Park.
Photo
Food brings friends, friends bring memories
There are very few things in life that I’d consider myself a subject matter expert on. But when I learned that this issue was dedicated to food, I broke out my lab coat and nerd glasses – because I know a thing or two about food.
I was lucky enough to be born to one of the best cooks the South has ever known. Then I followed that up with being married to one of the best cooks that Southeast Asia ever produced.
Food is a central part of any gathering of friends and family. And I like to gather with friends and family.
We start the year off right by cooking copious amounts of collard greens, black-eyed peas, cornbread and hog jowl. And for the past 20-something years, homemade egg rolls. I don’t remember any New Year’s Day feast that did not heavily feature all of the above along with plenty of sides.
Not long after we got married, my wife learned from my mother how to make cornbread.
“I’ll be honest with you ma’am, it ain’t like Mama fixed it.”
But it is pretty dang good, and no one can fault her for failing to unseat the Queen of Cornbread.
One of the most amazing things about my wife’s cooking is how her culinary skills know no border. I’d put her enchiladas up against the finest Mexican restaurants around.
And her crawfish etouffee? It is my opinion she could open a shop smackdab in the middle of Bourbon Street and make a killing. She just doesn’t have the personality to yell “BAM” as she adds seasoning.
Her egg rolls and fried rice have been a staple of every family function since she started attending. Nothing goes with cornbread and collards like egg rolls and fried rice, I tell you what. Had she known just how many egg rolls she’d roll over the course of her life, she might have never brought any to her first Nix gathering.
At a recent bonfire, she was challenged to make fried rice over an open flame. She went back into the house, came out with a cast iron skillet, a bag full of ingredients and commenced to simultaneously prove any doubters wrong and give us a nice side dish to whatever venison we may have had on the charcoal.
We don’t go out to eat very often. With few exceptions, the ride home from a restaurant is usually a discussion on how we could have made it better for cheaper. We do have favorite spots we hit from time to time, but you’re hard pressed to run into us at a restaurant.
Any cooking that we can do outside, we do outside. That’s just what we enjoy. Food brings friends. Friends bring memories. We make a lot of cherished memories standing outside by a fire, in a circle of friends, with food cooking on some form of fire or heat.
We had a disagreement not long ago. My wife thinks that the food should be ready when the company arrives. I believe that the cooking is part of the festivities. Most of my friends are none too shabby in the cooking department, and conversation over the cooking is where we solve most of the world’s problems.
We don’t have the kind of money it takes to travel the world. But we get to taste the world anytime we want, from our own backyard.
And when we’re really lucky, we have a yard full of friends and family to enjoy it with. NCM
Southern-born and Southern-bred, Toby Nix is a local writer who works in law enforcement.
TRUE LOVE = COMPROMISE
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