Good Eats & Blessed Peeps

One of the things that adds to the charm of Douglasville and surrounding areas is the food. That makes sense. Food has been an integral part of human culture for millennia. The recipes we’ve come up with as a species over the many centuries have had a wide range of effects not just on human health, but on human psychology too. The meal table has become a place of gathering and conversation for people. Food can also be comforting, energizing, or even inspiring when made in the right ways. Some folks have even turned it into an art form! There are plenty of reasons why it influences my sense of place here in Douglasville, not excluding health thanks to local organic farms! There’s a wide variety of places to check out, but there are three I visited over the last couple weeks I’d like to tell you about. We’ll be focusing not just on the food though, but the community and psychological impacts too. Keep in mind, this post is subject to updates as I visit more fun places and decide I want to talk about.

Without further ado. Let’s begin.

The Mexican Fare

The first place I want to talk about is La Salsa. Yeah, there are a few of these around, but the one in Douglasville is pretty special to me and my family. You might be wondering why? For starters, let’s talk about the staff. I’ve got plenty of good things to say about the folks working here. They’re friendly, reliable, work hard, and do everything they can to make your stay a pleasant one. If they make any mistakes (which are rare), they’re honest, prompt about fixing things up, and even generous. The place is close by, and it’s got a colorful, cozy atmosphere that I find both entertaining and relaxing.

Of course, there’s still the food to discuss. YUM!

If you’re looking for a lot of delicious variety in the realm of Mexican cuisine, this is definitely one of the places to go, and I don’t just mean tacos. Fajitas, Carne Sada, Juevos Rancheros, plenty of options. I could go on forever, but I’ll just link their site, essentially a menu, right here and let you decide what sounds the most delicious. This is a place to go to recharge in my case. They have plenty of gluten free options, something sweet to follow up, even some of my favorite sodas. It’s a little taste of something pleasant after a long, hard day, whatever the challenges of that day brought.

The colorful atmosphere and delicious meals come together alongside friendly service and sometimes conversational staff to make the end of a hard day much more pleasant. In that sense, this place is not just a convenience, it’s sometimes both a psychological balm, and a good stop to hang with friends and family. For me, that’s the big takeaway. Everyone needs their place to unwind, and although La Salsa is one of many, this is the one freshest in my mind right now, and it feels right to talk about. It’s one of the places I go to just sit down and let the stress of the day melt away.

A Christian Café and Bistro

Cenacle Coffee and Bistro, four words that have recently starting putting a big smile on my face. I tend to have to head out towards, through, or around Austell for a number of reasons, be it business in Atlanta, classes at Kennesaw State, or perhaps a visit to one of the best functional health and chiropractic offices I’ve ever seen. Of course, the place itself is a perfectly good reason to head out there anyway. This is a very charming place. Again, the people are awesome, and not just because I think so. The staff here are very friendly, love a good conversation, and they even host fun events here, like game nights, something I’m eager to dig more into soon.

This isn’t just a rest stop for me, it’s a place to go when you want to meet people, good people, be it the staff or some friends and family. The place has a very Christian vibe and focus, and they make good on it in how they always strive to provide a comfortable and friendly atmosphere, and service in which you can feel comfortable, for everyone who walks through those doors. To that end, it’s a very community focused place, and it’s one where I am starting to feel a little more in tune with my spiritual side too.

Of course, I also have to talk about the food and coffee. If you’re looking for insanely delicious sips and nibbles, or a delicious hot cup of coffee, look no further than Cenacle. The day I went to get a little more to write about this place, I wound up enjoying a very delicious breakfast bowl. Hearty grits, cheese, a healthy helping of eggs, and your choice of four meats? I went with the beef sausage and chowed down. Honestly, all they’d have to do is add Pico de Gallo as an option to add to it and it would be a solid ten out of ten. It was a very comfortable and delicious meal, and one over which I was happily enjoying some pleasant conversation with my mother, and a very kind staff member called Towanda, who I will definitely talk more about in my People of Douglasville section. I’ll be going back to Cenacle again for the pleasant conversations and enjoyable community events. Making new friends is much easier at places like this!

The Fresh Farmer’s Market

There is one more place that really brings it all together in my opinion. It’s where we go to do a lot of shopping for local and fresh produce, stop in at the café for some coffee and lunch, and find a few quality gluten free sweets options. It even has a gift shop with some pretty unique art pieces in it to spruce up the home, and a spot where you can try different olive oils, vinegars, and spice blends to buy for cooking at home! I’m of course talking about Farmer’s Table. The smaller building is its own separate sweet shop, hence the sign. The larger one contains pretty much everything else.

The best part is that both places are hot spots to meet interesting people! For example, I met a Vietnam War veteran and art teacher here, with her support dog at her side! You read that right! She’ll be a major highlight in my People of Douglasville section too, so be sure to check that out! There aren’t many all-in-one, one-stop shops out there that I like to go to. Some feel too crowded or too cold in the emotional sense. Farmer’s Table feels much warmer though, with friendly staff who are always willing to have a chat. I’ve never gone wrong in going to talk to them at the olive oil and vinegar tasting section. I never just pick a new flavor and go. We always end up talking about cooking, swapping ideas and recipes. Whoever mans the station is different day by day, but as a whole, this one repeated experience alone has shown me just how enthusiastic people that work there really are. It’s the same whenever I go to check out too, be it after shopping for produce or maybe making a stop at the gift shop. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised that I met fellow cooking enthusiasts at a place called “Farmer’s Table,” but boy was it a pleasant surprise when I first visited the place to find a vibrant piece of our culturally rich community right there, waiting for me to explore it. It’s culinary delights abounds in the aftermath every time. I always leave this place with a warm feeling in my chest, and a swelling enthusiasm about my next project in the kitchen.

The major sense-of-place takeaway here is how enthusiastic I always am after a visit here. I find myself motivated to try new things in the kitchen, and explore other places I learn about through the people here. The folks I meet here help inspire me with new ideas and stories outside of the culinary realm too, making the options available to me for articles and stories to write all the more numerous. One way or another, Farmer’s Table always leaves me swimming in new thoughts and ideas, making it a very, mentally, stimulating experience.

Final Thoughts

The dining in Douglasville isn’t just about the food for me here. These places I listed, and others like them, offer another doorway into the community, and ways to recharge your batteries, meet new people, or find inspiration. Next time you step into a favorite coffee shop or a restaurant that’s popular among you and your friends, try taking a moment to stop and really think about what makes the place significant to you beyond the food. What history do you have there? What people have you encountered there? What experiences stood out to you? For me, dining in and around Douglasville with my family has turned into something beyond just a culinary experience. It’s often been a community experience too, one that’s rich with moments of self-discovery, inspiration, enlightenment, and reinvigoration. I’ve had plenty of moments like that in this town, enough to feel an even deeper connection to it. It’s just one more reason I love Douglasville.

Be sure to check out my focused little gallery below before you move on, and see which of my photos are part of this particular story. When you’re ready…

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