Garlic Thai - Newnan

July 8, 2015

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Garlic Thai Newnan, GA Photo © Susan Crutchfield Photography

We adore a good patio dining experience, and Garlic Thai in downtown Newnan has a cute little sidewalk patio!

In addition to the charming atmosphere created by sunny yellow walls with an exposed brick wall on one side, Garlic Thai has amazing cuisine.

We started out our meal with cups of tea.

Both the jasmine tea and the Thai iced tea were delicious. One was light and flowery, while the other was thick, milky and syrupy sweet.

We arrived at the restaurant beyond the point of hunger, so we immediately ordered coconut soup to stave off a state of hangry.

We’ve never really met a cup of coconut soup we didn’t like, and this was no exception. The green onions floating on top really brought out the rich, salty flavor of the broth.

After we felt we had enough food in us to have a civil conversation with each other, we ordered a California roll to share.

The crab and avocado were very fresh, and the robust flavor of the sesame seeds on top was a nice addition.

Susan is a huge pad Thai fan, so she ordered the Garlic Thai version, which was loaded with shrimp and peanuts. She was very impressed with the delicious, chewy glass noodles and the buttery shrimp flavor that permeated the dish.

We also tried one of the specials, the curry puff, a flaky potato based pastry served with yellow curry sauce and a sweet cucumber salad. The green curry potato paste that filled the fried shell was just the right level of spice.

The heartiness of the dish made it extremely filling. We couldn’t resist ordering dessert to finish our meal.

The durian cheesecake was heavenly. The creaminess was cut by the fibrous durian fruit. It was not too sweet and almost had the flavor of a hard cheese. It was drizzled with a delicious fresh raspberry sauce and served with whipped cream and cherries.

The red bean ice cream was a nice summer treat. It was served in a triangular slice and topped with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and cherries.

It actually tasted pleasantly fruity and the creamy dessert was extra textured, almost grainy.

We left the restaurant full of delicious food with the well wishes of the extremely friendly staff. Garlic Thai is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. You can also order the food to be delivered to your home. Check out their Facebook page for changing menu items and specials. If you have ever dined at Garlic Thai, we would love to know what your favorite dish is!

Fabiano's - Newnan

February 4, 2015

Besides amazing food, one of the top things we look for in a restaurant is atmosphere. We have never liked the cookie cutter interior décor or the forced atmosphere of the national chain restaurants. We love going to Fabiano's and knowing it is one of a kind.

The individuality of Fabiano's is apparent as soon as you walk in the door. From the stamped tin tiles on the ceiling, to the concrete floors Fabiano’s embodies a hip casualness. The walls are filled with local art. Fabiano’s is adjacent to The Alamo, a fun downtown bar. Together, they once made up the town’s only movie theater. The space was later turned into a gift shop until 2004 when it was converted into a restaurant, bar and music venue.

We arrived at Fabiano’s with huge appetites. A sign at the entrance encourages you to seat yourself. We ordered two appetizers to take the edge off of our hunger. The caprese salad was fresh and incredibly delicious. Flavorful tomatoes and sliced mozzarella were laid on a bed of fresh, crisp greens. The salad was seasoned to perfection and topped with fresh herbs.

The garlic knots were doughy balls of bread drowning in a rich, buttery garlic sauce. They were served with a thin, tangy marinara sauce for dipping.

Fabiano’s has a very well rounded menu for a local pizza parlor. In addition to the traditional pizza and calzones, they offer several Italian dishes such as baked ziti and lasagna, as well as sandwiches, burgers and wings. Fabiano’s also offers an impressive beer and wine list and a number of specialty cocktails crafted by the Alamo’s bartenders.

We chose classic pizzeria fare for our appetizers. You can order an entire pizza or just a slice of your choice. We got a slice of pepperoni pizza. Fabiano’s serves their pies New York style. The giant slices come with generous toppings. There were two layers of spicy pepperoni on the lightly cheesed pizza.

Our calzone was huge. Cheese and olives were stuffed into a perfectly browned crispy crust. The calzones are served with a thick, hearty pizza sauce for dipping.

Even though we were so full from our meal, we couldn’t resist ordering some of the tasty looking desserts. The tiramisu was creamy with only a slight hint of coffee. We liked that it was not overly sweet.

We also got chocolate chip cannoli. The hard chocolate shell was filled with thick, rich and sweet mascarpone and chocolate chips. The dessert was served with two generous dollops of light, sweet whipped cream.

By the time we finished our desserts, we were stuffed to the brim. The plate portions are so generous that you could easily have a full meal with just an entree. We also love the prices. We got two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts for around thirty dollars.

Fabiano’s has frequent special events and drink specials. They have several big screen TVs that are perfect for viewing big sports games. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with upcoming events and promotions. We are frequent customers at Fabiano's, so if you see us, please be sure to say hi!

Leaf and Bean - Newnan

October 23, 2014

When it comes to coffee, we consume it with varying degrees of enthusiasm. One of us enjoys a nicely crafted espresso drink on rare occasions, and one of us believes that coffee is life-giving nectar of the gods.

Leaf & Bean, a coffee shop in downtown Newnan, has something for each of us.

In addition to the usual drip coffee, tea and espresso beverages of a coffee shop, they also serve an assortment of café foods and desserts. Those looking to unwind after a long day, can choose a beer or wine from the adult beverage menu.

We love the atmosphere of Leaf and Bean. It’s a small cozy shop with black and white tiled floors, tons of exposed brick and Edison bulb light fixtures.

The walls are liberally dotted with original artwork by local artists. Comfy stuffed chairs and sofas invite guests to relax while enjoying their beverages.

Leaf and Bean offers smart choices for the health conscious as well as decadent treats for those wishing to indulge.

Among the healthier foods available, is a daily selection of fresh pressed juice. We tried the carrot, celery and apple juice.

It was bright orange with a lightly sweet vegetable flavor. It was very good and so filling that it could serve as a meal replacement.

The chicken salad, served on a buttery, flaky croissant, came in generous portions. It was flavorful without being overly heavy on the mayonnaise, a huge plus for us.

We loved the hummus black bean wrap. It was a tasty way to get in several servings of vegetables. The pita wrap was spread with a spicy black bean hummus and stuffed with shredded carrots, greens and fresh tomatoes.

Each meal comes with a choice of chips or seasonal fruit. We were good and chose the fruit. We may have negated any healthy benefits of the fresh fruit by next trying a few of the handcrafted espresso drinks and fresh baked goods.

Nothing goes so well together as a great cup of coffee and a perfectly made pastry.

The vanilla cupcake was dense and moist with a strong vanilla bean flavor. The icing was thick and sweet.

This treat nicely complemented the caramel macchiato. It was creamy with a hint of vanilla flavor and a drizzle of caramel on top of the whipped cream. It could have been a dessert by itself.

The Danish is a traditional breakfast pastry, but we got crazy and had one in the late afternoon. We like that it is not overly sweet. The delicious cream cheese filling was accompanied by a sweet cherry jam with a light icing drizzled across the entire pastry.

We also got a plain latte. The simple nature of this drink brings out the espresso flavor. It was sweet and smoky with a slight hint of caramel, exactly the way espresso should taste.

Leaf and Bean is open seven days a week. They offer wine tastings, healthy cooking classes and monthly yoga sessions near the Newnan square.

Be sure to follow the Leaf and Bean Facebook page to be notified of upcoming events, special promotions and giveaways.

Fall Taste of Newnan 2014 © Susan Crutchfield Photography

Coweta Events - Taste of Newnan Fall 2014 - Newnan

October 8, 2014

In case regular readers haven’t noticed, we love Coweta’s local restaurants! The chain restaurants we have here tend to be the big box kind that serve microwaved frozen meals. In our experience, the local restaurants tend to serve dishes that use fresh, and many times local, ingredients prepared from scratch.

The Taste of Newnan is a biannual event that allows restaurants from all over the area to showcase the type of foods they offer.

The downtown Newnan Square is closed off for the night to allow tents to be set up on the sidewalk. It’s a fun street fair with tons of food, live music and even a few carnival rides for the kids.

Every corner of the square has a booth that sells the tickets that are used as the Taste of Newnan currency. Each ticket is one dollar, and most vendors charge one or two tickets for a generous portion of food.

It’s the perfect risk free way to try a new restaurant!

The Taste of Newnan always attracts fairly large crowds. We really love the festive atmosphere of the cooking food, milling crowds, happy people and playing children.

The day could not have been more perfect for an outdoor event! It was crisp autumn weather with lots of sunshine. We ate far too much of our favorite foods from local Newnan restaurants.

Pita by Beirut was serving delicious hummus, gyros and baklava.

At one point, we saw a man pushing a cart with candied and caramel apples. We followed him to the Goldens On The Square tent.

We were very happy with the results of our stalking! We had several people stop us to ask where they could get their own candy apple.

Meat 'N Greet, among our favorite restaurants in downtown Newnan, had one of the most popular tents on the block.

We managed to snag a pork slider before the lines got too long!

Fabiano’s was quite popular as well. They had huge stacks of cheese and pepperoni pizza.

Much to our delight, Leaf and Bean had a cart where they were serving freshly brewed coffee, tea and mini muffins!

Nothing goes better with a cup of Leaf and Bean coffee than doughnuts! Our favorite part of Main Street Newnan events are the doughnuts.

Your Chef To Go, a local catering company, makes these perfect little doughnuts from scratch right in their tent. They smother them in cinnamon and sugar and hand them to you hot off the fryer. They are absolutely amazing!

We have never been to Ten East Washington, but they had some very tasty cold salads.

By the time we got to Let Them Eat Toffee, we had just enough room for some chocolate and King of Pops!

We were sad that we missed out on eating one of Twisted Peelz’ tasty patties, but we had absolutely no more room!

No Newnan event is complete until Mr. Personality makes an appearance. We were excited to spot him with his rose and dressed in all his autumn finery.

We also spotted a zombie making his way through the crowd, though we didn’t see any restaurants serving brains.

As the night fell, the live music started to ramp up and more people showed up. We were excited to welcome some of our friends from Atlanta and LaGrange. We enjoyed introducing them to the Taste of Newnan.

People were gathered around the band enjoying their food and the beautiful night.

We had so much fun and can’t wait until the next one!

The Taste of Newnan is held twice every year in the spring and fall.

The next one will be in the spring of 2015. They are always looking for volunteers to help with the Taste of Newnan.

We hope to see you at the next one!

Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography

Classic Café - Newnan

July 16, 2014

Update: Unfortunately, Classic Café is now closed. Please support Coweta businesses to prevent the loss of great restaurants like Classic Cafe.

Because we were both born and raised in the Deep South, classic southern cuisine is our first choice for comfort food. We associate it with warm hospitality and relaxed family gatherings where everyone brings a covered dish.

Classic Café delivers the essence of southern cooking while drawing in contemporary elements. The restaurant is housed in a cozy two story historic home just off the square in downtown Newnan. The wraparound porch offers outdoor seating with a great view of other historic homes. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and sit outside

The chef uses organic, locally grown vegetables in his dishes, so the menu changes somewhat each season. We started our meal with two very different appetizers. The watermelon prosciutto salad was light and crisp with a drizzle of tangy citrus vinaigrette.

Watermelon Salad Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography — Watermelon Salad Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography

We found this salad the perfect appetizer for a hot summer day. The melon balls were cool and refreshing and harmonized quite nicely with the tart, fruity flavors of the dressing. Unfortunately, the chef was out of the prosciutto, so we did not get to experience the salad as it is normally served.

Our second appetizer was the old classic poutine, a traditional French Canadian dish. This is comfort food at its best. The crisp fries are smothered in hearty gravy and topped with a generous layer of melted cheddar cheese. The contrasting textures of the crispy French fries and the soft gravy soaked ones made this dish a huge hit with us.

Poutine Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography — Poutine Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography

Just as we finished our appetizers, the wind kicked up and a torrential rainstorm drove us inside. The distressed golden wood floors, polished French doors and the pumpkin colored walls create the intimacy you would expect in an 1800s house turned into a restaurant. The mac burger is a decadent southern creation of fried mac-n-cheese, apple cider smoked bacon and fresh vegetables all stacked between two beef patties and buns. It was every bit as delicious as it sounds. Their house chips are fresh and crispy with plenty of salt.

Mac n Cheese Burger Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography — Mac n Cheese Burger Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography

We also ordered the pimento-n-cheese croissant, but regrettably they were out of croissants. They were able to substitute wheat bread, which went nicely with the fresh taste of tomatoes and greens. The pimento cheese was perfect. The cheddar was sharp and perfectly seasoned. We chose the fried mac-n-cheese as a side. This was surprisingly delicious. The mac-n-cheese was mild and buttery, and the deep-frying process added a flaky golden crust. Can you get more southern than deep fried mac-n-cheese? It may seem like we went overboard on the cheese, but we have yet to meet a cheese based dish we don’t like.

Pimento Cheese Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography — Pimento Cheese Classic Cafe Newnan, GA © Susan Crutchfield Photography

The service at Classic Café is exceptional. Our server was very courteous in handling the few mistakes and ingredient outages that occurred throughout our meal. After we had paid and it was still pouring, she walked us out to the parking lot with an umbrella, getting soaked so she could help us to the car.

We spotted some tasty looking cinnamon rolls on the way in but were sadly too full to find out if they taste as good as they look. The average entrée is 12 dollars. They do a Sunday brunch and offer catering and special event options. Be sure to follow them on Facebook to keep up to date on new menu items and take advantage of their frequent specials.

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