November 2021

NWGA'S PREMIER FEATURE MAGAZINE / NOVEMBER 2021

Welcome to

Flavortown Cartersville's East End District is home to Largos, a one-of-a-kind dining experience that is sure to delight the tastebuds of Northwest Georgians.

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Chances are, the birth of your baby will be a happy, healthy experience. Still, peace of mind is priceless, and it’s good to know that Floyd stands ready 24/7 with the advanced care necessary should your baby need intensive care following birth. As the area’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, our expert team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists provides high tech care with a compassionate touch for the tiniest newborns.

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NOVEMBER2021 COLUMNS 10

While on a weekend getaway, Tammy Barron explores more than the Tennessee wilderness.

Inspired by the women who brave a three-day backpacking trip, she finds there is significance in the ordinary things in life.

FEATURES 16 4

Carmen Shirey Wood of Wood Floral Design offers flowers that bring joy and beauty to the lives of her customers now and for years to come.

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FEATURES 24

Coach Wayne Kraska of the Rome Redbacks introduces Australian rules football to Rome and Floyd County.

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Contemporary Largos brings Napa inspired flavors to Cartersville’s East End. Executive Chef Ryan Doyle discusses passion, inspiration, and all things flavorful.

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Local rescue Floyd Felines and Friends works tirelessly to bring hope to cats in need and change the landscape of rescue in Northwest Georgia.

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Publisher's Note OWNER & CEO Ian Griffin MANAGING PARTNER Chris Forino CREATIVE DIRECTOR Elizabeth Childers WRITERS Jim Alred, Tammy Barron, DeMarcus Daniel, Ian Griffin, Nina Lovel, Paul Moses

O W N E R & C E O Ian Griffin Over the past few months I have been darting across the country a fair bit. For work and play I’ve traveled to Seattle, Denver, the Oregon coast and Las Vegas since mid-August. After a year of sitting still, to say I enjoyed myself immensely would be an understatement. I was a little nervous about flying and what that would be like during the pandemic, but other than a few testy cabin mates, it was actually as pleasant an experience as it ever was before. That’s not saying much, but I suppose my expectations were so low, they were easily exceeded. Regardless, getting to and fro was as tolerable as ever and to see a different landscape and way of life is always refreshing.

As a younger man my travels often made me desire change and on a few occasions did lead to relocating to try something new, but now when I see things cities offer or do differently I see opportunities for the city and region I call home. If only I had the means to achieve it all, I would certainly try, but over the now 15 years I’ve been back in Rome, I’ve seen how the sausage is made and while it may not happen as fast as I want it to, I’m excited for where we are headed.

If you get involved in organizations like the Rome Floyd Chamber, choose your non-profit and fill in the blank, Exchange Club, Rotary Club, etc. or go to a county or city commission meeting, you will hear the conversations happening all the time. Talk is one thing, while action is another, but when you look at the changes just over the past decade it’s hard to argue that action hasn’t been taken.

While some of the things you see in larger markets might be “pie in the sky” wish list items for a market such as ours, if we are to grow and attract younger professionals to our region it’s a must that we dream and imagine perhaps how those attractions and offerings could be scaled to work here. Big cities come with headaches. I hear people complain about traffic and its obvious to me they’ve never lived anywhere else or have been here long enough to forget.

It took me 20 minutes on a good day to make it to the nearest traffic light from my apartment in Charlotte, North Carolina…so waiting 5 minutes at the intersection of Broad Street and 2nd Avenue on a bad day isn’t that bad in comparison. It is possible to achieve a big city feel with small town appeal. Steal that if you want to. I just want to see us dream it and make it reality and that takes a group effort.

There were so many things I enjoyed during my travels that could work here if properly executed.

Its inspiring to say the least. As we continue to move back towards a more normal existence and hit the road, I encourage you all to take notice and ask the question, why not here?

Until next month!

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Rob Young AD DESIGN Elizabeth Childers PUBLISHER V3 Publications, LLC CONTACT 417 Broad Street Rome Ga, 30161 Office Phone 706.235.0748 hello@v3collective.com CREATOR Neal Howard

READV3.COM ReadV3.com: Where you can find all the print content from this issue, our archives and exclusive ReadV3 digital features.

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The Space Between opened doors

By Tammy Barron

“Ladies Backpacking Trip!”

I SAW HIGHER GROUND USA’S POST ON FACEBOOK AND KNEW THERE WAS NO WAY I’D MISS IT. Toting my bag and moderate buyers’ remorse for some new gear, I anxiously set out to meet the people I’ll be hanging out with for the next three days.

In our designated meeting spot, we stood in a circle making introductions. I see the pensive faces across from me and know that they are just as unsure as I am as to what we are getting ourselves into. A three-day hiatus off into the woods somewhere in Tennessee. This is all the information I really have, and truthfully, I couldn’t be more excited. From the moment I saw the all-call on social media for a backpacking trip I knew I was all in. It’s been years since I’ve done anything like this and a part of me 10

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wonders, “Am I really up for it?”

I have a little experience with Higher Ground USA, the outdoor adventure company, out of Rome, GA. Program Director, Kelli Duncan is organizing the trip and I know I couldn’t be in better hands, but there is a part of me that wants to over prepare and study our route in nitty gritty detail. “Hold off,” she said of googling our destination. It took all my self-control to do as I was told. Together we drove to the Cumberland Trailhead in Prentice Cooper State Park, Tennessee, and divvied our gear. Duncan analyzed our packs and their contents while the rest of us sloughed off any last-minute jitters before our adventure officially began.

I wonder what brought the other women here.

Do they share my need for adventure? Are they here to support a friend, or perhaps, are they searching for something in their lives? My mind wanders as we gather our packs and clumsily strap them on. I backpacked a lot when I lived out west, mainly in the high desert in Utah. I always found something poetically cruelling about exploring off the beaten path for days on end and embracing the experience

that naturally teaches you the difference between necessities versus comforts; but those trips were a lifetime ago.

We began our climb on the Cumberland Trail Spur. Obviously, it hadn’t been traveled much. A dozen fallen trees blocked our path with devastating resolve. Climbing over boughs, shedding and passing packs, and crawling beneath huge ancient trunks made our first two hours on the trail surprisingly technical. My confidence waned quickly when I noted we had traveled a meager half mile. The air was thick and humid. Sunset was a few hours off. Not knowing our destination and how much further we needed to go, pressed heavily on my mind. My need to analyze and control my situation was palpable.

However, Duncan seemed super chill- as she has a way of doing- so I tried my best to imitate her nonchalance.

A storm kept us company the first night, each of us wakeful in our respective tents in varying stages of dryness. In the morning, everyone appreciated that we could at last let go the pretenses of sleep.

After some hot coffee and an amazing carb loaded

breakfast, we sat down for a morning “thought” before hitting the trail. Duncan shared a reading from Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren which emphasized an importance in the mundane and repetitive activities of our daily lives.

Whether we are resting, working, playing, or caring for ourselves or our families, there is significance in the ways in which we dedicate our time. I thought of what this meant in the scope of a lifetime. If I were to mark my own as a timeline with ornamental pins labeling key events: Birth, childhood traumas and triumphs, teenage rebellions, first kisses, heartbreaks, graduations, new jobs, marriage, children, divorce, reconciliation, new career…this line will continue until the last mortal pin is fixed.

All day my mind kept drifting to the space between the metaphorical pins in our lives, and I consider they are weighted with meaning. It is the space between that our truths are measured. In our wanting, grieving, servitude and protection of others that we can see our relationships with others and ourselves in more tangible ways. A pin may mark my graduation from college; but challenges, growth,

and successes filled the space leading up to that time stamp. The day I lost a loved one is such a brief moment in the vast experience of living with grief.

I consider how the yearning and desire for a lover carries more power and significance than does the act of lovemaking for it is in those leading hours and days between, that our attachment and needs for that other person is burned into our psyche. Then, too, the fight for reconciliation in our strained relationships is more formative than an actual resolution. At work or at home- daily we find our needs at odds with others. What we choose to fight for speaks volumes.

Do you negotiate peace at all odds, quieting your discontent for the sake of the company or marriage?

Or do you fight for satisfaction at all costs even if the price is unemployment or divorce? We put far too much significance on the major events in our lives that we fail to acknowledge the importance of how we spent our time getting there.

I was on this hike with no idea where we were going or where we would camp at night, reluctantly I resigned to experience the trail one step at a time.

The landscape changed dramatically from moss

covered limestone paths that followed babbling creeks to mountain top views in full autumn regalia. With each foothold the group lived their moments. The miles stacked up, and our loads got heavier; some women grappled with physical exertion while others wrestled the guilt of leaving their families behind to spend time for themselves.

We climbed and descended 15 miles that weekend, but I can’t help but feel that there was a greater distance traveled in ourselves. Tears were shed, muscles and nerves pushed to their limits.

I recall the collective sigh of relief when we once again made it to our cars, and the echoes of doubt whether we had the stamina to make it back dissipated completely.

I always finish a hike feeling like I won a fight because I battle the trail to get to the end. I’m wrong to think this way. That day we left the woods, I felt like I won because somewhere between the trailhead and returning home under the euphoric influence of adrenaline and exhaustion I gave into the journey. *The views expressed in this column are those of the writer, and do not represent the opinions of V3 Magazine READV3.COM | NOVEMBER 2021 V3 MAGAZINE

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Forget Me u Not

b

There’s nothing artificial about the heart that goes into the work of Wood Floral Design.

Text: Paul Moses | Photos: Rob Young

T

HERE ARE TIMES, PERHAPS RARE,

when an old interest from childhood returns and becomes a new love, then a vocation. That’s what happened in the life of Carmen Shirey Wood, owner of Wood Floral Design, a new business in Rome, Georgia. Initially, floristry was not her intended career; using her master’s degree, she taught special education at Model High School for ten years. After she and her husband, Scott, a financial advisor, had their son, Huxley (the first of three boys), she left her teaching job and stayed home with him. But her love for floral design remained, waiting in the wings for her attention. Then, when the time was right, she was ready.

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Just like grandmother did it

In the age-old tradition of learning a trade from a senior family member, Wood got her first exposure to floristry through her maternal grandmother, Gaynell Tucker. “For twenty-five years, my grandmother did floral design from a little shop at her house,” Wood says, “and she did a lot of weddings. I was fascinated with everything about it.” Tucker, who was trained and certified by the American Floral Society, also taught floral design at some of the local colleges, like Floyd College (now Georgia Highlands College) and Dalton State. Her granddaughter would go with her after school when she taught night classes.

“That’s where I learned how to do this. She could do anything, and she was great teacher—still is!”

Before deciding to start her own business, Wood arranged the flowers for her own wedding.

She enjoyed it so much, she did the same for her sister’s wedding. A third wedding finally did the trick: her babysitter’s. “After I did the flowers for our babysitter’s wedding, I realized how much I loved it, and that was it. I had to start this business.” So, in the summer of 2021, she launched Wood Floral Design.

Gaynell Tucker, who at 91 years old still takes a walk every day, no longer works in the industry but continues to be an ongoing help to Wood. She’s always available to give advice and encouragement. “For instance, when I first started this business,” Wood says, “the one thing I was still unsure of is how to make beautiful bows.

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sometimes difficult to accomplish a client’s vision for their flowers if a certain type is out of season or only available in limited colors. Wood points out, “That’s not a problem with artificial flowers; I can give them whatever they want. There are loads of options.”

Perhaps the greatest advantage to what Wood Floral Design offers is permanence. Artificial flowers never wilt, shed their petals, or die. “One of the best things about artificial flowers,” says Wood, “is that brides can keep their bouquets forever, or I can take out a few pieces and arrange them in a shadowbox.”

“On someone’s special day I’m able to use my gifts and know-how to make it extra special,” Carmen Wood says.

“It’s rewarding to be part of a day someone will always remember.”

Bows are a big part of what I do, so I had to get it right, so I went to my grandmother, and she taught me what I needed to know.”

Beauty that lasts and lasts

Wood Floral Design focuses on artificial flowers.

There are several advantages to this. For one, they cost less than live flowers, which is especially important when budgets are tight. Then there’s 18

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variety. Artificial flowers come in an almost endless array of types (species of plants) and a wide range of fabrics, including silk, and even latex that has a soft, silky feel to it. Wood also works with dried naturals, that is, live flowers that have been professionally dried so they can be used in long-lasting arrangements.

Then there’s the benefit of ready availability.

For florists who only trade in live flowers, it’s

Learning the trade and passing it on

Like her grandmother, Wood loves to design the flowers for weddings. “I just love weddings, making them beautiful—decorating the church, doing bouquets for the bridal party, table arrangements and bows.” Weddings are especially important to Wood, both professionally and personally. “On someone’s special day I’m able to use my gifts and know-how to make it extra special. It’s rewarding to be part of a day someone will always remember.” Like Wood’s flowers, these memories last.

One thing Wood enjoys most about her business is leading her wreath-making classes.

It’s her way of sharing with others the skills her grandmother taught her. The students pay a fee, Wood brings all the supplies and walks the class step-by-step through the entire process, teaching them how to build their wreaths. Sometimes the classes focus on holiday or seasonal designs, other times they are about general, year-round themes.

Each student goes home with a beautiful wreath.

“When my customers have something beautiful on their front door it makes them feel good,” Wood says. “I love seeing the joy it brings them.”

Wood also teaches wreath-making classes for bachelorette parties, girls-night-out parties, and birthday parties. A popular item is the “Hello World” wreath, celebrating the arrival of a

Another service offered by Wood Floral Design is decorating homes for Christmas, both indoors and outdoors: porch garlands, holiday wreaths, mailbox swags, Christmas trees, and fireplace mantels. The holiday season can be a stressful time for many, so this is a great way to check a big item off the to-do list by delegating the work. Also, it’s nice to have a professional’s touch for the festive season. “Some people want

newborn. (The “Hello World” medallion can be removed and replaced with one that carries the baby’s name.) Wood says, “For the cost of the class, you couldn’t go to the store and buy a similar wreath for that price.” Recently, Wood arranged with local artist Siri Selle to teach wreath-making classes at her business, Studio Siri (those interested can sign up online at StudioSiri.com).

Photo: Andrew Rayn Photography READV3.COM | NOVEMBER 2021 V3 MAGAZINE

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someone else to come in and do all that,” Wood says, “and that would be me!” For her customers' convenience, Wood now sells her floral products at her own booth at River City Antique Mall in Rome.

An art or a craft?

Wood insists that her work is more than a craft, it’s an art form. She points out that florists use the same design principles as other types of artists: color, shape, texture, symmetry, asymmetry, and the arrangement of positive and negative space.

But it’s not as easy as it appears. “Anybody can buy a hot glue gun and some stuff from a craft store and start gluing things together,” she says,

“but you need to know how to start with the right foundation and build your piece up. That takes skill, training, and practice.” She adds, “For someone who really knows what they’re doing, this is an art; if they don’t, it’s more of a craft.”

“We all have gifts that God has given us, and we need to use them,” Wood says. “Some people can sing or paint, and even if they see it only as a hobby, it’s a gift. This (floristry) is my gift; using it to make something beautiful is my way of bringing glory to God.” That is an attitude and worldview she also picked up from her grandmother, as well as from others. “It’s not really about the money,”

she says. “I just love doing this and seeing how others respond to it—getting paid for it is a bonus!”

The process is the thing

When asked what she likes most about her work, Wood explains, “I enjoy every step of the process. I love sitting down with the customers, listening to their vision, and helping them make the decisions that are best for them. I want them to have what they want at a price they can afford, and I like helping them find a way to make that happen.

Every stage of the process is fun: the idea phase, shopping for the flowers, putting it all together, and then showing it to the customer. It’s all fun.”

One thing that makes it fun for her is the joy she gets from seeing how her work makes other people feel. “Knowing all the tricks of the trade I learned from my grandmother,” Wood says, “and making something nice for someone and having them recognize the quality of it makes it special.”

Family, faith, and flowers: that seems to be the melded-together theme of Carmen Shirey Wood’s life and, by extension, that of Wood Floral Design. The flowers may be artificial, but the heart behind the work is sure to last.

For more information, go to Instagram @wood_floral_design.

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a Sports

from Down Und Text: DeMarcus Daniel | Photos: Andy Calvert

The Rome Redbacks bring Australian rules football and good family fun to Northwest Georgia.

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der

Australian rules football.

Isn’t that rugby by another name?

ACCORDING TO WAYNE KRASKA, COACH OF THE ROME REDBACKS, the answer

is a decided “NO!” He describes it as far more fun and exciting than rugby.

“Yes, it has running,” he says. “Yes, it has kicking. Yes, it has bodies crashing into each other, without pads. But that still doesn’t make it rugby.” It’s Australian rules football, also referred to as Aussie rules football or footy.

It is the biggest sport in Australia, it has the fourth largest attendance of all major domestic sports in the world, and the playing field is larger than that of any other sport.

From Down Under to Northwest Georgia The Australian Rules Football Club has made its way to Rome, Georgia, as the Rome Redbacks. This happened thanks to the passion and drive of Coach Wayne Kraska, who moved to the United States from Australia about twenty years ago. “Because of the Australian Consulate in Atlanta,” Kraska says, “Aussies were always coming to or through Atlanta.” In America, he started with an Atlanta club, the Kookaburras, that had been established in the 1990s and was a part of a fifteen-team league that spanned the country.

He was with them for eighteen years. “Because of the consulate, it wasn’t hard to find Australians to play,” Kraska says, “and Americans joined in, too, so we were able to have a club.”

About five years ago, Kraska moved to Rome. “During my first couple of years here, I was still a part of the Kookaburras,” he says, “but I decided to leave that and start a club here in Rome.” He began recruiting players and founded the Rome Redbacks. The team was named after the notorious redback spider, also known as the Australian black widow, a venomous spider found in Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

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The Rome Redbacks, prior to the Three Rivers Cup games held recently in Rome, GA.

A growing league The Rome Redbacks are part of the United States Australian Football League (USAFL), a non-profit amateur sports organization founded in 1997. The USAFL is the sole representative of Australian football in the United States.

The league’s website presently lists 49 clubs; that number nearly doubles with the fact that many of those clubs have both a men’s team and a women’s team.

Like the Rome Redbacks and the Atlanta Kookaburras, some of these clubs chose for themselves distinctively Aussie names, such as the Birmingham Bushrangers, the Dallas Dingoes, the Nashville Kangaroos, the Wisconsin Wombats, and the New York Magpies.

The USAFL has until now followed a one-team-per-major-city or state growth plan, a plan of which Kraska is not a huge fan. “I don’t care for that.

We should have developed more regional clubs like the one here in Rome,” he says. “That’s what I’m working on now, developing regional clubs here in the Southeast. I want to introduce and develop clubs in places like Augusta, Greenville, Huntsville, Birmingham, and cities like that.”

A bird’s eye view Viewed from above, a USAFL playing field is shaped more or less like the game’s football: oval. That is by design, for the field is modeled after the cricket oval. The size of the playing fields can vary from venue to venue.

Though there is no exact standard for dimensions for the game field (also called ground or paddock), Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Grounds is widely considered the ideal at approximately 541 feet long by 442 feet wide.

The game ball, called a Sherrin, (imported from Australia) is made of Aussie cowhide, egg-shaped, and bounces in a different way from a rugby ball or an American football. Like other sports, the object of the game is to move the ball downfield and score. Players can move the ball in three different ways: they can run it, but it must bounce once every sixteen yards; they can punch it forward with their fist, which is called a handball; or they can kick it, which is the most common method.

The goals are two sets of posts (two tall, two smaller) erected at opposite ends of the oval. The taller goal posts are set seven yards apart and stand just over nineteen feet tall. The goal posts are often padded, in case of collisions.

The goal square (a rectangle, actually) is painted on the ground and extends some 10 yards from the goal line. If a ball passes between the goal posts— 26

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kicked without otherwise being touched—that earns six points. If the ball passes between the behind posts by any other means, it is called a behind and is worth one point. If, however, the ball hits a goal post—despite where it bounces afterward—that’s one point. This scoring system makes for an exciting game, as it often allows high scores. Like most sports (of course, excluding golf), the team with the highest score when the clock runs out is the winner.

The game is generally divided into four quarters of twenty minutes each, with halftime lasting for fifteen minutes. During the game, time can be stopped for four reasons: if a goal is scored, if a behind is scored, if a ball goes out of bounds, or if an umpire signals for time to be stopped due to injury.

As for uniforms, they are more along the lines of what Americans might expect to see soccer players wear. No padding is worn, despite the tackling.

Mouthguards, soft protective headgear, and shin guards are permitted. For safety reasons, wearing jewelry is prohibited.

Fitness by football A passion for Australian rules football was not Kraska’s only motivation for bringing the sport to Rome and Floyd County; he also wanted to help people become fitter and healthier, to make plenty of new friends, and have fun, too.

“Rome has very few Australian residents, so we try to get American players to join us, and then get them to recruit new players,” Kraska says. “We introduce the game to American people, and they like it. In America now, roughly 7580% of the participants are American. In Rome and Atlanta, it’s over 90% American players. It’s a fun sport to play, and people who give it a chance really fall in love with it.”

It’s all about the fun Kraska wants everyone to know that anyone can play this game. He explains, “Here in Rome we play the tackle game as well as a social version of the game, which consists of no tackling or contact. We play the social version on Sunday afternoons all year long, weather permitting.” The teams for the social version can also be co-ed. “For that, we supply the shirts and all the equipment,” Kraska says. “Everything is free. You can’t get much better than that for a free community sport.” He adds, “It’s a very safe way to participate for anyone ages 12-72. And yes, we’ve had 70-year-olds come and play, as

well as 12-year-olds. The social version is good fun, and it’s great exercise for one and all.”

Kraska points out that for those who want to play more seriously, they can move up to the travel games. “This is a community sport, and that’s the way it is played in Australia. There, it’s more of a community sport than a school sport, actually, as are most sports in Australia.” For an example, if there were more USAFL teams in Northwest Georgia, Rome would play Calhoun, or Lindale, or Cartersville as city or community teams, not as a high school or college teams.

Women tackle, too Nationwide, women are discovering that footy not only offers them participation in a fun, fast-paced, high scoring game, but it also gives them a chance to play a tackle sport. “Women do participate in the women’s tackle league,” Kraska explains. “While the numbers are still low, as there aren’t many participants in the Southeast, there are active clubs around the country.” He goes on to say, “I was once the coach of the women’s national team, the USA Freedom, from 2005-2011. I traveled with them around the world to places like Australia, Canada, and others. The women’s game is not as big as the men’s game at the moment, but the interest is growing.”

Don’t wait, go play!

At present, the Rome Redbacks' travel schedule is still affected by the ongoing pandemic issues. “We’re being impacted by COVID, so we have to make adjustments all the time,” Kraska explains. “Clubs generally make up their own schedules, as we’re not dictated by a schedule through the USAFL. We can go and play any team in the country that we’d like. With adequate advance notice, obviously.”

Despite that, there is still plenty of opportunity to have lots of good fun right here in Rome. Australian rules football is an equal-opportunity sport.

“In footy,” Kraska says, “everyone is a quarterback, as there are no differences in any player. To play, you have to learn everything. And anyone can score!”

To check out the Rome Redbacks and to get more information, visit romeredbacks.com or go see them in person by checking out practice and league games. In November the Redbacks are playing mini metro tackle games on Saturdays and Social family footy on Sundays, both 3:00pm at Riverside Baptist Church Park, Ash Street NE, Rome (just off Riverside Parkway near the Rome Braves Stadium). Go watch or even play!

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Largos: fall

into

Amazing

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Great California wines, excellent food, and a modern neighborhood vibe put Largos top of the list for perfect night out Text: Tammy Barron | Photos: Rob Young

Largos

IS THE NEW DESTINATION in Cartersville’s East End. Light and contemporary with an artsy flair, this new restaurant is everything we want and crave. Bold flavors and fresh modern atmosphere pair brilliantly to give everyone a truly memorable experience. Chef Ryan Doyle of Sussex County, New Jersey, works diligently to create more than a bite to eat, he creates an experience to behold where he plays with different flavor profiles to build something beyond the ordinary and create dishes uniquely exceptional. Largos is fresh, modern, and sophisticated; yet remains fun and casual for all to enjoy.

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simply to accentuate those incredible flavors and not to beat them too much or overly process it, which often is the case here in the South, we will see vegetables fried and smothered with sauce.

Owners Pat and David Holt knew they hit the jackpot when they discovered the creativity you infuse into your menus as well as your ability to transform any selection of meat into a flavorful masterpiece. If you were to select your favorite- the most perfect cut- what would it be and how would you prepare it?

CR: A ribeye is my go-to every time. I like a bone-in ribeye, and it doesn’t matter if it is a one inch cut or, you know, a big twenty-two ounce.

The big thing for me is fat is flavor. I teach my staff techniques to get the natural fats in the meat to melt in your mouth, to find that perfect temperature. Every steak can be cooked wrong, and every steak can be cooked to perfection. A medium-rare or medium cooked ribeye will give you everything you want in a steak. You get the meaty cut with a nice flavor and all that, but then you have the spinalis and all the fat that gives you so much flavor. I’ve spent many years working in steakhouses like Hal’s and STK. Everybody has their different methods- they have their own way.

Sometimes they want to put a thousand things on them and soak it in this or rub it with that. I say salt and pepper, some garlic and rosemary, and grill it to perfection. It doesn’t need to be overly processed. A good cut of meat will stand alone.

Q&A

with Chef Ryan Doyle

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Q: Largos is very reminiscent of the Napa region, with its bright contemporary décor and California focused wine selection.

How does this influence translate into ingredient choices and pairings on the plate?

Chef Ryan: When you think of cuisine in Napa and other areas of California, your mind immediately goes toward freshness: that farmto-table inspired scratch kitchen, which do everything from the ground up. Which is what we do, everything in our recipes and on our plates is from scratch. We build every flavor. Our goal is to serve locally sourced vegetables as much as possible to ensure its freshness. Our job, then, is

Opening a restaurant in the middle of the pandemic proved to be a little tricky. You were hired to be the executive chef of this new restaurant opening in Cartersville’s East End, and then everything halted. You no longer had a kitchen to jump into and found yourself trading your apron for a tool belt. Not every chef has the opportunity to build their own kitchen. What was your reaction to this shift in roles?

CR: (laughing) Yeah, it was interesting. It wasn’t a fight or flight moment, but I definitely had to ask myself if this was the right call. Is this opportunity lesser than me, considering where I am in my career, or -in fact- is this exactly where I need to be? In reality, being a part of the construction and design of the space helped me connect more fully. I learned a new appreciation for the restaurant, and I fell in love with it. Before, I was a chef coming into a new space to make some food, but I found myself not just a culinary creator but builder of the space. We built Largos together and made it what it is today. I look around and see these lights

and the creative wall details and think “I did that.”

There is not a square inch of this restaurant that I haven’t put my hands on, and I have a never-feltbefore feeling of pride for a restaurant. With Pat’s eye for design and David’s knowledge of structure and buildings we worked together like a family.

This is our baby. It’s not just fabricated, we built this together, hands-on, everyday.

Originally, Largos had a breakfast/lunch service concept, but all that seemed to change about three months before the original opening date. I was working menu ideas and giving Pat and David tastings when they said, “Well, breakfast and lunch is fun, but you could make an amazing dinner menu.” I am flexible, I was all- in for the business, so I said, “Let’s see where this goes.” So, our design shifted more upscale, and I revamped the kitchen to include more heating elements and better flow for a dinner service. That’s really how it came to be what it is today, and the people seem to really enjoy it.

When you settle into the kitchen and aim to create new dishes how do you prepare?

Do you have a specific routine or ritual?

What does it look like, are you listening to music and experimenting with a collection of ingredients or is it quiet and you begin structured with a pen and paper?

CR: My wife jokes that it is always the same picture. I have the television on my favorite program with Action Bronson, F*ck, That’s Delicious. His music plays on in the background.

I have my laptop in front of me, and then ten or more recipe books and magazines spread out in front of me. I look through all this material and look to get triggered by something. For example, if I am looking to create a new appetizer and see that shrimp is a popular trend right now, I will begin to research different methods and recipes.

I typically conceptualize a dish first. I will write three versions of a plate, changing sauces and ingredients. Then immediately jump into the kitchen and make it, breaking each version down.

In the end, I may keep elements from phase one or phase three, mixing them together to make the perfect creation. Allowing myself to get triggered during this process broadens my inspirations from social media and specific chefs’ feed, to traveling and dining experiences.

Who are your culinary heroes, and who do you follow?

CR: I would have to say my culinary hero is Anthony Bourdain. He was a family friend, and I read his books when I was young and followed his career closely. I spent time with him in my

early twenties, that I found very inspirational.

Every level of cuisine, no matter whether it is a mom n’ pop sandwich shop or fine dining, French gastronomy; food has the ability to be that one great dish, and it could be a hot dog.

Anthony could see the beauty of all of it. He appreciated that a good burger is a good burger, and a really fantastic filet is an amazing filet and there’s a thousand things in between. You could have parsnips a hundred different ways, but this way is fantastic, and this is why... He appreciated different culinary techniques and learned from everybody. I gained that from him. You can’t stop learning in this field. This industry develops so quickly: so many new ideas introduced every year, someone is out there always pushing the limits to do something different. There are a million

different elements to cooking and I appreciate the vision of being able to see the forest through the trees, if you will.

What would you consider was the most formative culinary experience you had as a young chef?

CR: I fell in love with the controlled chaos you can only find in a kitchen, really. A kitchen is really high energy, especially on those busy nights, Friday and Saturday. It’s a go, go, go. You show up and adapt and overcome. I started working summers in the restaurant business when I was pretty young, 12 or 13 years old, in my aunt and uncle’s restaurant Never Enough Thyme in Alpharetta, GA. I went to Sussex County Vocational High School for my READV3.COM | NOVEMBER 2021 V3 MAGAZINE

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preliminary chef training then jumped straight to the Academy of Culinary Arts in New Jersey.

I knew in my teens that this was for me for the rest of my life. I was young and hungry for more responsibilities; I had that kind of tunnel vision that was goal oriented and wanting to succeed and move forward. Similarly with Largos, there is this drive to create this fantastic experience, seek good press, win awards, you know, build a brand.

How would you describe the perfect meal?

CR: There was this little restaurant in Naples, Italy, which I will never forget. It was tiny, twelve- fifteen- seats maybe. The chef was a little woman in her seventies and the restaurant had been in her family for a hundred years before her. It was a really neat back story. Every dish was prepared and served by this old woman. She carried our plates to the table, and I was blown away at how personal the experience was. Our first course was a wine braised vegetable dish served with toast points, and you put it together yourself. I remember it being so simple and not over the top. It was elegant and personal and so far removed from anything you would see in the U.S. I mean, if you do see it in America, it is typically so pretentious and will cost hundreds of dollars.

The experience gets muddied in the cost. The lady cared about the food, and she cared about the people. This is exactly the kind of experience that the owners of the restaurant and me want to give to our guests.

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The world is a crazy place. No matter what field of work you are in, or what home life you have, whether you have kids or not, everyone likes to go someplace where they feel welcome.

Somewhere where they can almost disconnect for a moment from the business of the day and the hectic things going on in their lives, to have a moment to enjoy life. You don’t have to travel or seek out a crazy expensive event. Sometimes just that one night with a loved one or group of friends when you are greeted at the door and brought to a table and immediately enveloped into this group, collective environment. We will offer a cocktail to help you feel the mood and get into your evening out. Then out come the appetizers, and now you are enticed. Next arrives your entrée and you are nearly overwhelmed because of the beauty and the flavors. You are completely drawn into the experience, that you don’t want to leave, and we want you to stay and have dessert. Sit back in your chair and tell a friend an old story or disappear from the world entranced with your date. We want you to fall into an evening outside of the hustle and bustle and have a personal experience.

That is what a perfect meal is made of.

Visit Largos at 214 E Cherokee Ave, Cartersville, GA, check them out on Facebook @Largoscartersville or Instagram @Largos214, or make a reservation on OpenTable

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“PAIN IS A CENTRAL CAUSE OF KEEPING PEOPLE FROM LIVING THE LIVES THEY WANT TO LIVE.”

That’s the assessment of Dr. Christopher Alexander, physiatrist at Harbin Clinic’s Spine & Pain Management in Cartersville, Georgia.

One of the reasons Dr. Alexander decided to subspecialize in pain management was he found that a host of health problems revolved around pain. He says, “Patients tell me chronic pain hinders them from doing what’s important to them, whether that’s cleaning the house or playing golf or tennis, or whatever.”

Working in collaboration with other Harbin Clinic specialists, Dr. Alexander is helping to give these patients their lives back.

FROM PAIN TO PURPOSE

Dr. Alexander’s interest in medicine was piqued after he suffered a back injury as a teenager on a high school football field. He explains, “That experience of injury, treatment and recuperation is something that prompted me to take a closer look at medicine as a career.”

This interest deepened over time. He became heavily involved in community service while a student at Howard University, volunteering at such organizations as Big Brothers Big Sisters. “It taught me how years of neglect of an underserved community can lead to chronic health conditions,” Dr. Alexander says. “I saw how it disproportionately plagues people.” Thanks to those real-world lessons, medicine evolved from an interest to a calling as he began imagining himself taking on the role of an advocate and caretaker for people with chronic medical conditions.

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These experiences in his youth and college years eventually helped attract him to Harbin Clinic. “Here, I get to serve patients that don’t have a lot of access to care,” Dr. Alexander says. “Harbin has afforded me the opportunity to help the people who need it the most.”

PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION

When asked to define the word physiatrist, Dr. Alexander explains, “We’re experts in treating any condition that is functionally debilitating. It has a very broad scope, anything from spinal cord injury to traumatic brain injury.” Working within that broad scope is what drew him into this field. “I’m not just looking at the heart or backs all day. The variety is fantastic, and it keeps the day from becoming monotonous.”

Dr. Christopher Alexander

He began focusing on this field in his third year of medical school, when he discovered he loved internal medicine. “I enjoyed neurology and the operative aspects of orthopedics,” he says. “I liked the clinical part, though not the surgical part.” He found that physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) was a marriage of all the specialties he liked; it allowed him to get the experience with neurology and internal medicine. He says, “I could be involved with a variety of specialties simultaneously. It was a great fit for me.”

PMR deals with both chronic and acute pain. According to Dr. Alexander, the difference between the two depends on how long the pain is present. In general, if the pain lasts longer than three months, it’s chronic; acute pain is more like an injury that happened recently. “An arthritic knee, for instance, is a chronic condition,” he says, “but if you strain your back moving your friend’s couch, that’s acute.”

PSYCHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY

A patient’s chronic pain can have roots in both the body and the mind. Dr. Alexander tells his patients that “there is their physiology— like an irritated nerve—but then there’s the psychosomatic issue, which is important to address, too.” He finds that people who have depression issues, for instance, may have emotional or psychological traumas, making them prone to chronic pain.

Because of the overlap in psychological and physiological causes for pain, Dr. Alexander is a proponent for a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to treatment. “One of the challenges

of this field is,” he says, “there’s often a mental health component that doesn’t show up on any X-ray. If we only focus on the anatomy, we’ll miss out on a lot of opportunities to help people.”

HELPING PATIENTS HELP THEMSELVES

“One thing I’ve come to learn and appreciate about the people of Northwest Georgia is they’re hard workers,” Dr. Alexander says, “They’re not afraid to use their hands to make a living. A lot of that causes a chronic physical wear and tear over decades of manual labor.”

In a long-standing Harbin Clinic tradition, Dr. Alexander educates his patients in how to take care of themselves between clinic visits. “A common message you hear from physicians is: ‘You’ve got to quite smoking and drinking. Continue to exercise.

Eat nutritious foods.’ Well, these things are all true,” he says.

“Unhealthy habits play significant roles in hindering people’s ability to heal. If your body is not optimized to take care of itself, things will break down. Lifestyle and a proper mindset go a long way toward not only prevention but also in managing chronic pain.”

To learn more about pain management and improving your quality of life, visit harbinclinic.com or contact your primary care doctor for a referral.

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Give where you live.

A small donation can make a big difference in your community. Through Project SHARE, Georgia Power will match $1.50 for every $1 you give to help people in your county facing a temporary crisis. You can even donate directly from your electric bill. Learn more or apply for assistance at georgiapower.com/projectSHARE.

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the

Company of Cats Cats throughout Northwest Georgia have hope of a better life, thanks to local rescue Floyd Felines and Friends

Text: Elizabeth Childers | Photos: Rob Young

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Director Kristy LaRue

From the moment that a cat enters the doors of Floyd Felines and Friends, a promise is made.

“You’ll never be hungry or cold again” IS A COMMON REFRAIN SPOKEN OVER A KENNEL OF NEW ARRIVALS. For some cats, the life they

knew before was a life of struggle: for food, for shelter, for warmth. For others, the home they once knew was taken away from them due to a death, a move, or countless other reasons outside of their control. Regardless of why they first arrived, from that moment forward, they are safe.

The Beginnings

For Director Kristy LaRue, this passion for rescue was sparked by reading the paper. After learning the euthanasia rate for cats at the local animal control, she was determined to step in and

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save lives. She began by volunteering to clean kennels at Petsense, a local pet store where cats are available for adoption. In 2015 she formed a licensed, 501c3 organization, and Floyd Felines and Friends was born.

Floyd Felines and Friends’ mission is to end euthanasia and cat homelessness by rescue, spaying and neutering, adoption, transport, and educating the public on responsible pet ownership.

At its core, Floyd Felines works to rescue cats that would not otherwise have a chance at a happy, healthy life. Often, after other rescues have pulled cats from local animal control facilities, they pull the leftovers, the ones no one has wanted. “This is

the place that takes the one eyed cats, the broken leg cats, the sick cats,” says LaRue. “We’ll try and take care of them and find them a home, and that’s what our main mission is, to give every cat we possibly can a chance.”

The impact that Floyd Felines has on saving lives cannot be overstated. In 2015, the Floyd County animal control, known as PAWS, had the 3rd highest intake rate in the state of Georgia, and sadly, proportionally high euthanasia rates. In 2021, PAWS now has a feline live outcome rate of 95%, with similar rates in surrounding counties.

Thanks to the hard work of every volunteer and donor at Floyd Felines, shelters in Floyd, Polk, Bartow, Walker and Haralson counties have essentially become no-kill shelters.

Longtime volunteer Mary Kate McCaffrey has worked in animal rescue for over 20 years, and speaks to the peace of mind this brings. “I never dreamed that Floyd County would have a real, licensed cat rescue. I can’t tell you what that feels like,” she says.

Louise Vansant

Teresa Mathis

of community that develops from working alongside others is a reward all its own. “When I first started, I thought it was all about the cats.

And it is about the cats, but the cats are the bonus.

These people are like my second family. I really think my best friends are from here, because we're such a bonded group. We've seen what we can do together, and the cats are the bonus,” she says.

Daily Operations

“We just don’t want anybody to die on our watch,” says LaRue.

Volunteers

Floyd Felines is entirely volunteer-run, with many volunteers devoting countless hours working in a myriad of areas. Some assist with cleaning kennels, some with administering medicines, some with washing food dishes, some keeping laundry machines running so the cats can snuggle up on a warm, clean blanket. Others stay up to date and organized with paperwork, others manage the social media platforms, and some volunteers make sure that donors receive a handwritten thank you note for their generosity. There truly is a role for any skill set and interest level, even some that are possible from the comfort of your own home.

For volunteers like Chrissy Davis, the sense

On a daily basis, the care and upkeep of the residents of Floyd Felines is a massive undertaking. Kennels are cleaned, litter boxes are emptied, linens are changed out, medicines are administered, and food and water are replenished for the 150+ cats in the shelter. Accomplishing a task of this scale to then rinse and repeat the following day can feel akin to building a sandcastle only to have it washed clean time and time again, but the drive to rescue fuels the hard work of the volunteers. And the kitty cuddles don’t hurt, either.

Fosters

Fosters also play an important role in the rescue process. Some cats need specialty care like bottlefeeding around the clock, and some cats will function best in a calmer setting or might need to be the only cat in a home. In a foster home, the cats are able to decompress and give their foster parent a better idea of exactly what type of home they would thrive in, which in turn helps when seeking out potential adopters, and frees up space within the rescue.

Rescue road trips

While overpopulation can be a prevalent issue in

any region, the warmer climate of the South lends itself to a long kitten season, with cats able to stay in heat nearly year-round. For other regions, particularly in the colder northern climates, the numbers of cats available for adoption can be much lower and there are a greater number of potential adopters looking to find their fuzzy best friend. Floyd Felines works with a number of rescues in states like Massachusetts, or Delaware, and frequently will transport cats northbound to their future homes. Volunteers within the organization specialize in these transports, setting off on their multi-day road trips, driving vans full of kennels with hearts full of love. These transports also serve to free up space to bring in new cats from surrounding areas, with some trips shuttling 100+ cats at a time.

Fixing the Felines

An additional aspect of rescue is the concept of TNR, or trap, neuter, release. For instances where a cat has a safe place to live outdoors and a regular source of food or is feral and would not be a suitable pet, TNR becomes a vital part in reducing overpopulation. Otherwise, an unneutered tomcat is capable of traveling a 20mile radius in search of a mate, impregnating countless cats as he travels. Similarly, an unspayed female cat can have up to 75 babies in a year, with each of those offspring creating a domino effect of overpopulation as well. Without intervention, many of these cats would be susceptible to disease, hunger, or injuries in their lives. In the year 2021 alone, Floyd Felines has orchestrated the trap, neuter, and release of 325 cats.

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neutering remains the most important method of reducing overpopulation in the region. “We love adoptions, but a spay and neuter is always going to have the biggest impact on the community,” says LaRue. To help members of the community who may not be able to afford to spay or neuter their cats, Floyd Felines will hold spay and neuter clinics, offering the service at a considerably lower cost. In the last two clinics held, 86 cats were fixed, making a considerable impact.

“Rescue is the band-aid and spay and neuter is the solution,” says volunteer Sarah Herndon, who coordinates the spay and neuter clinics. “Cats can’t fix themselves; they rely on us. It's not their fault that they're getting pregnant. It's our fault for not taking care of them.”

Adoptions

The ultimate goal for each cat that comes through the doors of Floyd Felines is for them to find their own forever home, where they will know love and comfort for their entire life. Once a cat is fully healthy, has received all of the necessary shots, is fixed and microchipped, they are ready for adoption. Some will join the adoption room within the shelter, a cat’s paradise with countless ledges for sunbathing or curling up for a nap surrounded by brightly colored murals painted

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by volunteers. Others will transfer to Petland and Petsense, local stores where they will be available for adoption. Floyd Felines uses their social media platforms to highlight the cats ready to be adopted, and the adoption fees go directly towards caring for other cats within the rescue.

One specific need that Floyd Felines has is adopters for cats with special needs. These are cats that might be initially overlooked, but have incredible stories, have endless love to give, and are in need of loving homes.

Donations

Fundraising remains a constant need, as Floyd Felines is run entirely on donations and receives no county funding. In a given month, food for all of the cats within the rescue will cost between $3,000 and $4,000. Medicine and veterinary care another $3,000 or $4,000, fresh litter around $500 each month. Annually, the cost amounts to $200,000 to keep the cats alive, healthy, and fed.

There are many avenues for anyone who wishes to donate. For monetary donations or to donate needed items like food, beds or toys, visit www. floydfelines.org/donate and look for the PayPal links and the Amazon wishlist. Additionally, Amazon users can use AmazonSmile to designate that a donation is made to Floyd Felines with all

eligible purchases. Many fundraising campaigns are conducted directly through the Facebook account, which can be found @FloydFelines

A Lasting Impact

The stories of each cat that passes through Floyd Felines can be equally heartwarming and heartgripping, as every animal is deserving of a loving home. The volunteers pouring their heart and soul into the organization, taking time out of their lives, are equally deserving of admiration. But even more, they are deserving of support. Every dollar matters, every hour matters, and anyone with a caring heart can make an impact.

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Great Bar • Great Food • Great Friends Beer • Cocktails • Wine • Hot & Cold Appetizers • Soups • Salads Entrees • Burgers • Sandwiches • Desserts • Coffee • Tea

Mon - Thurs 5-10pm Fri - Sat 5pm-1am For takeout, call 706-378-4837 bar ext. 407

Catering & Event Space Available

100 W. 2nd Avenue, Rome, Georgia • 706.378.4837 • hawthorn.com 46

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THE DISH MEDITERRANEAN

bistro

www.lascalaromega.com 413 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161

706-238-9000

www.mellowmushroom.com Hours: Mon - Sat: 6pm - 10pm 400 Block Bar & Lounge: 4pm-1:30am Live music each weekend.

La Scala offers both first-rate service and terrific Italian Cuisine in an upscale casual atmosphere.

50% off cafe menu from 4-6 p.m.

www.schroedersnewdeli.com 406 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161

706-234-4613

Hours: Mon-Thur: 11am-9pm Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm Sun: 11:30am-3pm

Schroeder’s menu includes sandwiches, calzones, soups, salads, potato skins, nachos, wings, and more. And don’t forget our pizza! It’s the best in town... and for a sweet treat, try our Cheesecake Calzone! (Draft and Bottled Beers & Wine also offered) Famous for: Their Roast Beef Relief!

www.hardees.com

1204 Turner McCall Blvd • Rome, GA 30161 2300 Shorter Ave • Rome, GA 30165 3110 Cedartown Hwy • Rome, GA 30161 104 S Tennessee St • Cartersville, GA 30120

We’re known as the place to go for juicy, delicious charbroiled burgers & made from scratch biscuits. Because if you’re gonna eat, you should Eat Like You Mean It!

429 Broad St Rome, GA 30161

706-295-5330

470-227-7049

Hours: Sun-Wed: 11am - 9pm Thursday: 11am - 9:30pm Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm

Funky, art-filled chain pizzeria featuring craft beer, calzones & creative stone-baked pizzas.

www.moesoriginalbbq.com/rome 101 West 1st Street Rome, GA 30161

706-622-2977

Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am - 10pm Fri- Sat: 11am - 2am

Moe’s Original BBQ is a Southern soul food revival where great food is served in an atmosphere that is relaxed, spontaneous, yet civilized….well, sometimes.

www.swheatmarketdeli.com Hours: Mon-Sat: 5am-10pm Sun: 6am-10pm

706.291.2021

www.elzaraperome.com

28 S Wall St Cartersville, GA 30120

5 E Main St Cartersville, GA 30120

Hours: Mon - Sun: 11am-3pm

770-607-0067 Casual counter serve offering sandwiches, salads & American comfort food

www.maineonmain.com Hours: Mon - Thu: 11am-9:30pm Fri - Sat: 11am-10:30pm Sunday: 11am-4pm

Colorful, casual outpost serving Mexican street tacos & fajitas, plus beers & tequila drinks. Join us every Sunday for Brunch from 11-4pm.

24 W Main St Cartersville, GA 30120

770-334-3813

Hours: Mon - Thurs: 11am - 9pm Fri - Sat: 11am - 10pm Sun: 11am - 8pm

At Maine Street Coastal Cuisine, in the heart of historic downtown Cartersville, we pride ourselves on sourcing seafood from sustainable fisheries. Our passion is to provide a restaurant free of artificial flavors and ingredients.

Make it a meal worth remembering. Where to eat in Northwest Georgia.

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CARING COMPLETELY FOR NWGA FOR

150 YEARS

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V3 MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM