Fusco's via Roma

In the midst of historic Main Street Acworth sits Fusco's via Roma, an authentic Italian restaurant that adds a decidedly romantic curve to this traditional southern railroad town. While in the dining room, the sound of the train going by does not conjure up thoughts of an Atlanta railyard, rather those of traveling through Tuscany, Sicily or the Italian Alps. A quick glance around confirms those daydreams, and I refuse to look to the front door, for fear the bubble will burst.

Using the freshest of seafood and organic beef, the chef ensnares me with the aromas of an Italian kitchen with roots that are generations deep. The dining room, dark and romantic with lighting in just the right places, uses the gutted out historic building to enhance the mood.

The wait staff quickly moves throughout the room, relatively unnoticed. My food arrives and my expectations are justified. I have ordered Spaghetti Bolognese, a favorite. My wife has ordered Lasagna. Both meals are outstanding. They are the basic, simple Italian meals, but in spite of that, Mike and his team have transported us away from our basic, ordinary life to one of romance and fine dining.

Needless to say, I will return.

Prezzano's Pizzeria

Downtown Acworth has a lot to offer, food-wise. There are a wide variety of choices, where once there were but a few.

Just as you enter Acworth on Main Street, coming out of Kennesaw, you will come upon Kennworth Park, and immediately across from the park sits Main Street Station, where you find Prezzano's Pizzeria Italian Restaurant.

My daughter is a student at North Cobb High School, and we passed the new shopping center almost every day. Soon, the pizzeria sign went up. Beth and I decided that at first opportunity, we were going to give this new place a try. We had quite a wait, but we finally got our chance just a few weeks ago.

Originally opened as Paisano's, the name Prezzano's seems more fitting, as Dallas Prezzano is the owner and Italian food chef. Jerry, from Jersey, and Brian from Chicago, join Dallas as chefs in this well rounded crew. Forty five years of experience from three of the greatest places to get a pizza are represented at the oven of Prezzano's.

On my visit, I ordered the Prezzano's Favorito pizza (pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted peppers and onions). A medium was plenty for Beth and me, and not a bad deal at $14.50. The toppings were plentiful and tasty, but in my opinion, the sauce makes the pie. They use all fresh ingredients, make their own dough, and hand mill the tomatoes to make a wonderfully consistent sauce.
The high booths made a small dining room seem less crowded and more intimate on a busy Friday night. The service was very good. We never felt rushed, and my glass did not go empty. We will return, although my daughter says I have to let her order pasta, and my wife says not without her!

Papi's Cuban & Caribbean Grill

I finally got a chance to try Papi's today! I have been trying to fit it in for a while now.

As I entered, I noticed the small diner atmosphere with a Cuban accent. I heard the island music playing as I decided where to sit. There were three choices, the main dining room which shared space with an open kitchen, the patio, or the bar area. I sat in the main dining room.

Aside from one server, everyone working there spoke Spanish as their first language. That was good, because it added to the authenticity. Once I sat down, I was taken care of by multiple servers. I had no wait. My food was on my table within five minutes.

If you like Cuban/Caribbean food, this is the place. I ordered the Jerk Chicken special. It came with a very small salad, bread, white rice and black beans. The jerk chicken was extremely spicy. My sinuses were clear after just a few bites. I felt the sweat bead up on my forehead. Like spicy food? Give that dish a shot. By the way, Coca~Cola just enhances the effect.

The food was good, the service was fantastic. I will go back, but I will also try a different dish.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Friday, I went to Buffalo Wild Wings at 125 Ernest Barrett Pkwy in Marietta. I showed up just after 2 pm.

This restaurant is your typical sports bar and grill, complete with the stale beer smell, tvs everywhere you look, and high, dark ceilings.

My server, Carrie, was the highlight of the visit. Her attention was consistent and sincere. Carrie was quick and helpful. The only thing she didn't do was protect me from my order.

I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger and fries. Note to self: when visiting a place with wings in their name, order wings. The cheeseburger was cold. When it was hot, it was probably tasty, but this one tasted as though it had been cooked for the lunch rush at 1pm, and held in a warmer until someone was unfortunate enough to order it.

I will return to make sure I got a true picture, but I won't order anything unless I know for sure it had to be cooked fresh.

Little Azio

Becca met me at the counter, just inside the door, smiled big, bright blue eyes wide open as she explained the menu to me. It was my first time here.

Little Azio is one of a handful of restaurants in The Village at Townpark, at 600 Chastain Rd in Kennesaw.

After some deliberation, I ordered a 12 inch pepperoni pizza. I took my number and found a seat. It was 1:00 on a Friday afternoon, but I had no trouble getting a table. That could be a bad sign.

Less than ten minutes later, my pizza came out of the brick oven. All of their pizzas are wafer thin. My pizza had more cheese than anything else. It tasted great, but I prefer thicker pizza.

The total cost of my pizza and a coke was just over $11. That's a little pricey for a work lunch, but to be fair there were other choices (salads, etc.). Becca was very pleasant and patient, and the service was good. If I go back, I will order something else, mainly because of the price.

Highlands Grill

I drove up Busbee to the Highlands Grill. The parking lot sits just across from Town Center Mall, with a traffic light at the entrance, and that was a good thing. Upon entering, I saw that this was a sports bar in the old sense. The dining area was wide open , with booths along the walls and tables encircling the centerpiece bar. The room was all dark wood, and had high ceilings, also dark. It was after two pm, so the place was quiet.

The sign said seat yourself, so I chose a booth away from everything, and started taking advantage of the free WiFi.

Brian, the manager on duty, brought me a menu. I quickly saw that most everything was $7.50 or less. I ordered a coke, and read the menu. When Brian returned, I ordered a steak and cheese with fries.

Going to a restaurant in the middle of the afternoon is great, because you get undivided attention. There were only two other patrons, so service was quick. Brian soon returned with my sandwich and fries (there were a ton of fries on the plate, and they were good). Brian never let my coke glass go empty. I'd like to see how quick the service is when the place is busy. Brian tells me it doesn't usually get very busy until late, after other restaurants close. I'm not much of a late eater, but I am sure that the late night business has less to do with the food than the bar.

Overall, the food was good, the service excellent, and the atmosphere a musty old school sports bar feel. I'll be giving Highlands another visit, next time during a busier shift.

The Gift is in the Giving

Early Christmas week, my daughter Bethany and I drove up the interstate to deliver presents to John (Jamie's son). About halfway there, we stopped to meet Donna, an old friend and wonderful person, who had baked cookies for us to take.

Beth and I drove the rest of the way talking about giving. We had seen some things this Christmas that reminded us of how we should act EVERY day. We hear so much about the few bad apples that the beauty of the season and the positive emotions that it brings to most people gets overshadowed.

I can tell you that my friends touched my heart. One co-worker slipped her cash in my hand when she saw me shopping for John. Another young cashier had heard what was going on as she was headed home. A half hour later she returned with a great present. A woman who saw the transaction asked what was going on, and offered up her prayers as she would not be able to get back to me before I left for Jamie's house. A local person who had read my blog contacted me to let me know that she too had a gift for us to deliver. And it goes on.

When we arrived, Jamie met us at the door. John was right behind him. Jamie invited us in, and as we handed him the gifts, John asked "Are those for us?!?" , and Jamie told him that we had brought him presents. We watched John put the presents under the tree while Jamie told us about their trip to Kentucky to visit his wife's parents. I can't begin to imagine how hard that was.

Jamie asked if we'd like to watch John open his gifts. I said no. We'd rather he opened them on Christmas morning. Jamie's eyes welled up as Beth and I headed out the door.

Years ago, my grandmother had taught me that the gift is in the giving.

If she could have seen the look on Jamie's face and the excitement and love that John expressed, she would have cried and said, "see?".

Thank you, Jamie, for allowing us to receive this gift. May your New Year be blessed with peace.