Thank you for coming back to read Part 2!
If you missed part 1, featuring the inspiration behind my blog and how I implement Primary Food into my life, check it out here: http://heathersholistichealthcoaching.com/autumn-in-atlanta-part-1/
This post features:
- mouth-watering eateries in downtown Atlanta that you must try when you visit!
- an amazing local (Atlanta-based) soap and body-care shop, that uses awesome ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, herbs and essential oils to make their top-quality products
- easy, healthy, and unique Christmas gift ideas
We began our weekend with a trendy and delicious meal at True Food Kitchen in Lenox Square.
It was PHENOMENAL!! The entire menu features local, organic, non-GMO, all natural ingredients with absolutely no additives. Every dish pops with freshness and the preparation methods truly accentuate the quality of the natural ingredients. The menu has something to excite every palate – vegan to carnivore, vegetarian to pescetarian and dairy-free. My only regret: we didn’t take pictures of our food! We were so excited that we had to dig in as soon as it arrived to our table!
I may be bias, but we had some of the best hummus ever, topped with lightly marinated veggies. Anna and I split our entrees because we couldn’t pick just one! (Grilled salmon with pumpkin seed cilantro pesto, roasted beets, smoked onion farro, and arugula AND butternut squash pizza with almond ricotta, dried cranberries, organic kale, and smoked onion) The guys both enjoyed grass-fed steak tacos with Anasazi beans, avocado, pickled onion & cotija cheese.
I hope I perked your curiosity with these few dishes…. check out the rest of the menu here!!
Our next stop was the Krogg City Market, where we found Mama Bath + Body shop!
The gang had to DRAG me out of there after over an hour!! I was lured in by the aromatic soap display and after selecting two soaps for Christmas gifts I made my way to the interior of the store to shop for perfumes, lotions, roll-on essential oil sticks, room sprays, lip balms, essential oils, diffusers, deodorant, more soaps and so much more.
I left the store with a free sample of soap, a re-usable tote bag, half of my Christmas shopping complete, and the scent of peppermint and lemongrass on my arms and neck 🙂
I cannot wait to share my treasures with my family and friends at Christmas!
Our noses then led us to the chocolate aromas coming from XocolATL, a small-batch chocolate shop!
This was yet another jackpot for perfect Christmas gifts! This family-run “Small Batch Chocolate Micro-Factory,” also located in Krogg Street Market, uses cacao that is sustainably and ethically grown, harvested, fermented and sun-dried on small farms throughout the Americas and East Africa and combine it with only one ingredient: cane sugar. Their unique flavored bars are also made of two-ingredient chocolate, but have additional flavor ingredients like peppermint, coffee, coconut milk, and sea salt. They offer lots of free samples!!
Our family and friends will be well-fed with healthy chocolate bars and gourmet trail mixes this winter!
After all of these wonderful finds, my favorite part of the adventure was the time our gang spent walking the Atlanta BeltLine.
The Atlanta BeltLine is a planned loop of 22 miles of modern streetcar (an expansion of the Atlanta Streetcar), 33 miles of multi-use trail, and 2,000 acres of parks. It will open in phases through the anticipated completion in 2030. (https://beltline.org/about/the-atlanta-beltline-project/atlanta-beltline-overview/)
We spent a gorgeous, crisp Saturday morning walking along the BeltLine, surrounded by runners, bicyclists, families, kids, and outdoor-enthusiasts. There is so much scenery along the way, including murals, historical photos, soccer practice, fruit trees, wildflowers, sculptures, and abstract artwork. It truly felt like the entire Atlanta community came together to enjoy their city, soak up some sun, and get some exercise! It was a beautiful trail, connecting the main shopping stops in the city. You can rent bicycles by the hour and many people were playing their own music as they whizzed by! I will definitely be returning here next time I am in Atlanta!
If you can make it to Atlanta this fall, I would highly recommend checking out the True Food Kitchen, Mama Bath + Body, XocolATL, and the Atlanta BeltLine for a rejuvenating and fun weekend!
