Decatur Living Fall 2023

Best Chef in the Southeast

The Deer and the Dove’s Terry Koval tells all

Liz Von Hoene and Rebecca Weinberg are Back in the Neighborhood Fall Retreats for Peeping Leaves

There’s Something About Avondale

CAN YOU BELIEVE it’s autumn again? The summer went by in a flash, and while we love the warmer months and the extended daylight, I know I’m not alone in welcoming some cooler weather. This issue of Decatur Living celebrates what many people consider the best time of year — pleasant temperatures, plenty of fun things to do around town and harvesting what we’ve sown throughout the year so far.

The idea of harvest is woven throughout this issue just like it’s in the season. One of my personal favorite stories is Carol Badaracco Padgett’s interview with photographer Liz Von Hoene and stylist Rebecca Weinberg. These two creative icons chose to come back to Decatur after living glamorous, busy lives in New York, Miami and London — and they implemented their taste and style into their new home. I also love Vanessa Pascale’s feature interview with recent James Beard Award-winner Terry Koval of The Deer and the Dove — talk about harvesting

Autumn Harvest

something fantastic from your hard work and vision!

This issue is filled with great content, including a feature written by a new writer, Candice Dyer, about the event space located in a former chapel; fall road trips to enjoy in the mountains; what’s been happening at Avondale Estates; a beer festival to put on your calendar; and so much more.

Fall is a great time to get outside again, and we hope this issue inspires you to do some exploring around the neighborhoods and businesses that make Decatur an ideal place to call home.

On behalf of the entire editorial team, we wish you a season filled with color and light.

Sincerely,

Natalie Gregory Publisher, Decatur Living

DECATUR LIVING, LLC

P.O. BOX 2589

DECATUR, GA 30031

PUBLISHER Natalie Gregory

MARKETING MANAGER Bri Kids

EDITOR Denise K. James

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Bri Kids

CREATIVE DI RECTOR Brent Cashman

WRITERS Candice Dyer

Carol Badaracco Padgett

Vanessa Pascale Rust

Jenny Peterson

Decatur Living

Telephone: 404-373-0076

sales@decaturliving.com

Decatur Living is published quarterly by Natalie Gregory. Distribution is a minimum of 14,000 with up to 11,000 being mailed to households in Decatur, Druid Hills, Avondale Estates, Candler Park, Lake Claire and Oak Grove. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for content of all advertisements. The publisher does not necessarily share the editorial opinions expressed in Decatur Living Magazine. Personal decisions regarding health, finance, and other matters should be made after consultation with the reader’s professional advisors.

“What do you love most about the season of fall?”

CANDICE DYER

There’s an elegiac vibe in the winesap air that speaks.to me. I love the scents — freshly sharpened pencils and new erasers and decaying leaves.

VANESSA RUST

My favorite things about autumn are the fun activities (bonfires, pumpkin picking, football games), the cozy wardrobe, and abundance of comfort food (hello, apple cider donuts!) available.

JENNY PETERSON

My favorite thing about autumn is a chance to slow down from the bustle of the summer. I’m looking forward to taking long walks through the neighborhood in the cooler weather and enjoy the stillness of the season.

CAROL BADARACCO PADGETT

Autumn means less sweat on the tennis court. Less dust at the horse barn. Jeans become a pleasure to wear. Boots come out of the back of the closet (I love boots). Writing outdoors becomes pleasurable again. And the air and the world’s colors turn crisp. Fall is also my time for dragging out the big suitcase. So fall means friendship and adventure, too.

A Common Thread

Meet Liz Von Hoene and Rebecca Weinberg, world-class creatives living in Decatur

By Carol Badaracco Padgett

IZ VON HOENE and Rebecca Weinberg are world-class creatives — seasoned artists of high fashion photography and styling. Their lives and careers were spent circulating major cities around the world and making their homes in Miami, New York and Atlanta.

Simply put: The partners’ lives have been a high-octane rush of imaginative adrenalin.

Von Hoene, a shooter of ads for clients like Neiman Marcus, L’Oréal and Dove — and a creator of magical, high-fashion photographic moments for Harper’s Bazaar and countless others over the past 30 years — describes what she brings to her art.

“I have an underlying sensibility, or the ‘Liz wink,’ with a layer of optimism,” the photographer notes of her trademark. “It has kept me creatively alive and a healthy shooter for 30 years.”

For Weinberg’s part, she is an Emmywinning fashion stylist and costume designer with Sex and the City, among her other enviable credits.

Of the pair’s work, the stylist describes, “We want to bring alive the imagination— to bring it into context and unaffected.” It’s a cool description that clearly comes from someone who styled Carrie Bradshaw.

Together, the artists have mixed and married their work throughout the years. As Weinberg describes every carefully considered moment caught on frame: “A quiet face could lend a fine art appeal … a moment you can’t get somewhere else.”

But whatever aesthetic or vibe they choose, the stylist notes, “Mix in the wardrobe, the body language, the connection between the talent and the lens. It’s considered and intentional.”

A changing frame of reference

At this point in time, Weinberg and Von Hoene are shifting their artform and their lives to meet the expansive yet pared back spirit of the times—in a post-pandemic digital age that invites new ways of shooting and thriving.

Whereas the pair once worked out of Von Hoene’s photography studio, FIG in Atlanta’s King Plow Arts Center, with most of their work on location in New York or Miami, this year has offered a new creative freedom.

“Organic is how we roll,” Von Hoene says, smiling. Weinberg adds, “We don’t back ourselves too tightly into a corner. Photo, stylist, talent—it’s a triangle. Liz and I have an idea, but we might shift it if it doesn’t feel quite right.”

Today, the pair makes those shifts and slight adjustments in an environment that invites exploration.

Their new studio is in the Decatur townhome they renovated this past year—one of

three homes they’ve purchased to keep, not flip. “We took it from cookie-cutter to modern Victorian townhome,” Von Hoene says.

The fee simple townhome with no HOA allowed the partners to recreate their new home-studio with few restrictions—a situation that fit well within the workspace ethos of 2023.

“When we first got the house, we called it the Ugly Duckling,” Von Hoene muses. “But now we call it the Black Swan.”

Alongside top area professionals, the creative duo had a hand in the home’s renovation. No surprise, Von Hoene notes, “We’re really great at making a home beautiful.”

The Black Swan’s lawn was morphed into an elegant and slightly funky affair with the help of L.F. Saussy, a prized local landscape designer who’s been on board for each of Weinberg and Von Hoene’s home projects.

Of the three properties in their portfolio, the newcomer is the one they’re calling home—and studio. The new abode is reminiscent of homes in Brooklyn and London.

“It’s about reinventing ourselves, about not being afraid, and collaborating,” Weinberg says of the shift in their work space and lives. “It’s how we take control of our destiny.”

Curating Chapter 2

The dual functionality of the new property, now a re-envisioned standout with an eclectic red mahogany front door, is instantly apparent.

Step onto the tiger mat at the door, and walk inside to a tiny reception area. Turn left and behold the Window Box, space with a fabulous bay window and a disco ball fixture.

Originally a dining room, the Window Box Studio as it’s now called, has become a creative magnet for shoots . . . one the pair recognized as such at the very start when they first saw the property.

Standing in the Window Box, Von Hoene holds out her arms to showcase the closeness and intimacy of the space. As she does this, she describes how it comes alive with subjects on shoot days, a back light and fill light, different colored papers for use on the walls and strobe lighting gear.

“Sometimes I shoot from right here in the hallway,” the photographer comments.

Travel down the corridor, and there’s an open kitchen space that doubles as a station for hair and makeup, with a powder room

adjacent. Behind the kitchen counter hairand-makeup hub is Weinberg’s wardrobe station and space for jewelry.

“We have a whole level for props and furniture,” Weinberg adds.

Just steps from the wardrobe station is a modern-luxe couch for people and parents (the creative duo loves to work with kids) to hang out during shoots, which can take anywhere from 4.5 hours to an entire day, depending on clients’ needs.

“The whole experience is curated,” Von Hoene explains.

The experience, as it turns out today, is very important to the photographer-stylist team, because they are oftentimes working

with everyday subjects as well as wellknown talent.

“We find inspiration in being the creators and in having complete creative control,” notes Von Hoene. “After such strong, active careers for such a long time, this is a really nice shift for us.”

In their new setup, they no longer require a crew unless they’re on location. Self-supportively, they produce, light and shoot. And when their children come to visit (now adults who once went through the Decatur school system), they have a built-in crew of creatives to help.

At the time of this interview, Von Hoene’s daughter, a makeup artist, was visiting from London.

Reinventing fluidity

In her 30s’ when her career began, people told Von Hoene she couldn’t be a fashion shooter and live in Atlanta as part of her mix. But guess what?

“We did it,” Von Hoene declares, while Weinberg interjects, “Don’t listen to what people say you can or can’t do. We find our own space.”

The partners had babies in their previous lives (four for Von Hoene and one for Weinberg), worked throughout their pregnancies and now continue to thrive in a creative whirlpool that includes their home of Decatur.

“This is meant to be for us,” Von Hoene remarks. “And we’d like to continue to build more work and grow.”

Today, the couple is fulfilled by fielding each client’s individual requests – in a 2023, new world setting where they are in complete creative control, offering a thoughtful, signature approach. Ultimately, they create purposeful content that reverberates with a post-pandemic energy and relevance.

“We’re systematically collaborating, even in the moments when we’re not shooting,” Weinberg muses.

As the stylist eternally envisions street style, mixing it with a laid-back and cinematic Wes Anderson vibe, the photographer is concepting multiple images which relate to a theme: storytelling at its heart. And in the collaborative process, the duo continually crafts a common thread they pull through all their work.

“It could be wardrobe, color or lighting . . .” muses Von Hoene. But no matter the element, they’re willing to change course in the flicker of a shutter if it means capturing magic the day of the shoot.

Together, they are curating the next captivating chapter in a creative climate that, as always, includes Decatur.

Visit windowbox.studio

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There’s Something About Avondale

Local businesses on why they set up shop in this quaint town

By Vanessa Pascale

AVONDALE ESTATES, located east of Decatur, is a beautiful family-friendly city with that heartwarming, hometown feel that can only be attributed to a strong sense of community.

Founded in 1924 by George Francis Willis, Avondale Estates features Tudor-Revival style architecture reminiscent of William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Known as home to the first Waffle House restaurant — founded Labor Day, 1955 by Avondale Estates neighbors Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner — today, you can visit the original restaurant building at 2719 East College Avenue, which is now a museum featuring Waffle House memorabilia.

As the city has grown and developed over the years, Avondale Estates has established itself as a desirable place to live, work and play. For three years in a row, this quaint town has made the “10 Best SmallTown Beer Scene in this US” list, voted on by USA Today’s readers. We spoke to three local entrepreneurs about why they chose to establish their business in this charming community.

Pine Street Market

Rusty Bowers has been a resident of Avondale Estates for 15 years now, since 2008. The chef and founder of Pine Street Market, who grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, traveled all over the world before settling down in Georgia. He lived in Maui (where he learned fish butchery), traveled throughout eastern Europe and the Middle East (where he learned about farming and sausage-making), then went to The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

In 2005, Bowers’ love of the South took him to Atlanta. “I was working in a restaurant, but it wasn’t really hitting all my needs. I met the owners of Riverview Farms (2007). You could buy their products in a farmers market or on the menu in some really expensive restaurants, but no one was really celebrating this beautiful, Georgia-grown Heritage Pork. So, that led to the opening of Pine Street Market, the first whole-animal butcher shop in Atlanta,” says Bowers.

Today, Pine Street Market has five full-time butchers and sells their products at open-air farmers markets around Atlanta, shipping nationwide through their website. “What really sets us apart is the connection with Riverview Farms — the fact that Chop Shop (their meat-driven retail store with Riverview Farms) is female farmer owned is very unusual. Our line of artisan sausages, our Heritage Bacon, was featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno twice. It’s won a bunch of awards.”

Bowers decided to plant roots in Avondale Estates after many trips to the farmers markets and arts festivals here. He gravitated to its “punk-rock, do-it-yourself vibe” and sense of community. “Avondale Estates is all about the love of community and helping each other out. “I definitely would not have made it 15 years without the support of the community, and I am just really honored and thankful for that.”

Once a month, Bowers partners with The Lost Druid Brewery & Distillery for a butchering class, which includes drinks, lunch and take-home meat for $160. “We do a whole hog breakdown with different beers and have volunteers cooking on the Big Green Egg. It’s a lot of fun.”

Visit pinestreetmarket.com

The Lost Druid Brewery & Distillery

In June, The Lost Druid Brewery & Distillery celebrated their fouryear anniversary. Co-founded by Stacia Familo-Hopek and her husband, Rob, the brewery was “essentially an introduction into this business for both of us.” In their past lives, Stacia was an industrial and organizational psychologist for two decades, while Rob was a former technology entrepreneur who worked with breweries and restaurants and had been home brewing for 20+ years.

In 2017, when Senate Bill 85 passed, Rob and Stacia jumped at the opportunity to begin a new adventure. “My husband runs the brewery/ distillery operations and I run the taproom, kitchen, events and general operations. The Lost Druid is a 100% woman-owned brewery/distillery, and I believe is the only one in the Atlanta metro area that is solely owned by a woman,” says Stacia. The eco-conscious business is also Dekalb County’s first and only solar-powered brewery.

Rob and Stacia looked all over Atlanta before choosing Avondale Estates for their business’ home. “We found that Avondale Estates was about to go through a bit of a renaissance with many of their city plans, and we wanted to help make that happen. When we started construction, we were the first commercial construction, sans apartments, in over 12 years. Five years after breaking ground, look how much this city has grown!”

The founders set out to create a taproom-centric model that serves beer and delicious small plates in an environment that encourages customers to become regulars, and that’s exactly what they did. The innovative brewery is always trying to be one step ahead and was the first brewery to be built from the ground up in Georgia and feature a kitchen as part of the business model. “We like to think we helped pioneer that movement in Georgia, and we continue to grow that model, most recently with the addition of our distillery.” Recently, they released their new terpene-infused spirits, available both in cocktails, on the rocks, and in bottles to go, plus their first bourbon.

The host of myriad events throughout the year, the brewery has something for everyone: trivia on Wednesdays, live music weekly and meetups, as well as a murder mystery beer and dinner party the Thursday before Halloween and Santa and Mrs. Claus during Avondale’s Winter Wonderland. AvondALE Day is October 21, so readers can come celebrate Avondale Estates being named the “Best Small-Town Beer Scene” for a third year in a row and to pick up a collectible glass.

Stacia loves the strong sense of community she feels with her team and customers, whom she considers extended family. “They really helped us through some rough times these past few years,” she says. Visit

Olive & Pine

Olive & Pine is Avondale Estate’s newest community mixed-use development. Open for three months now, Olive & Pine features 10 businesses, including Akasa Salon, Leftie Lee’s (a pastry and sandwich shop), Wonderful World of Coffee and Tea, Brisk (a soft serve ice cream parlor), Office of Design and Little Gym. In the future, there will be food pop-ups with different chefs in the evenings, as well as NiteOwl Kitchen & Cocktail Bar, a tiki-style bar that serves pizza by the slice, which is slated to open this fall.

Andrew Rutledge, principal and founding partner at Decatur’s Office of Design, is the architect of the new development. “Olive & Pine is the adaptive reuse of a 1950s industrial warehouse, renovated and converted into a multi-use commercial space. We used the bones of the existing building to articulate the location of the new uses. There is a grand hall that cuts directly through the entire building from Olive to Pine Street. This acts as an interior pedestrian street, carrying visitors through and to the businesses. The grand hall also provides seating at tables that were designed by reusing salvaged steel from the building as the legs and supports and bowling alley lanes as the tabletops.”

Steven Chan, who is one-third of the development team behind Olive & Pine, discovered the old warehouse in 2019. He saw that Avondale Estates was lacking a retail epicenter, so he and his team set out to create a space that satiated this need. “The building offers a lot of mojo; it’s been around for 60 years. It has character — an old place that people feel comfortable in. Avondale Estates is the last stop before you get outside the [Atlanta] perimeter. I thought strategically, being on the eastern edge of the perimeter, we can capture visitors not just around Avondale, but also those coming from the east.”

Chan is no stranger to developing successful businesses and spaces. He is the founder and CEO of the Asian-inspired restaurant

chain Tin Drum Asian Kitchen and Ponce City Market’s Pancake Social. “I started these local restaurants 20 years ago. This October is our 20th anniversary! Throughout the years, there’ve been a lot of successes and failures. My education is in architecture. I’m from Hong Kong, so I grew up in a very urban setting. After college, I got into the restaurant business,” says Chan. However, he thrives on what he calls place-making and co-branding, and says he loves creating spaces that serve the community with amenities and programming. “I’m really excited about Olive & Pine as it’s a place for the community to take refuge. It belongs to them, especially during the week and on the weekend. Lots of young families are coming to enjoy this place.”

A family affair, Chan’s wife, Sylvia, opened her coffee shop, Wonderful World of Coffee and Tea, right in the development. “Expect really good coffee and tea. There are a variety of beverages with different personalities.” The shop boasts drinks from all over the world — London, Asia, Vietnam—and offers hot teas, matcha, coffee and refreshing drinks, like their strawberry fizz.

“Just seeing the business beginning to build is very satisfying. We’re here to serve the community. We see ourselves as the concierge of the community. Right in the corner of the development, Wonderful World would become the place where whatever ideas you have, we’ll try to make it happen for you.”

Chan foresees Olive & Pine being the backdrop for events, like concerts, the performing arts and book readings. “We have another vacant lot that is a quarter acre right next to Olive & Pine. When we stabilize Olive & Pine, I’m sure we will develop a vision for it… I’m looking forward to running into an opportunity where I can continue to work in Avondale Estates, as the city has been fantastic to work with.”

Visit olive-and-pine.com

Brooks Mackintosh, Estate Planning Attorney

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I live and work right here in our community. I know what the homes are like in the area. So I can offer advice you can trust to help you get the protection that fits your needs.

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I live and work right here in our community. I know what the homes are like in the area. So I can offer advice you can trust to help you get the protection that fits your needs.

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Winner, Winner, Venison Dinner

Chef Terry Koval talks about winning this year’s coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast

By Vanessa Pascale

IT’S AROUND NOON, and Chef Terry Koval and I are seated at the bar inside his Decatur restaurant, The Deer and the Dove. Koval is wearing a black TGK (The Giving Kitchen) tee, dark jeans and a baseball cap with his restaurant’s moniker. The moody dining room is empty (they open at 4 p.m.) aside from us and his daughter, Olivia, 20, who is hanging out at a nearby table; the two just got back from having breakfast. The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ familiar lyrics play from within the kitchen where his staff is hard at work. B-Side, his adjoining wood-fired bagel, coffee and sandwich shop, is abuzz with customers.

The owner of The Deer and the Dove and B-Side is admittedly emotional about winning the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast. “It feels like a lifetime achievement. Anyone who is in this business – we all work really hard. We sacrifice a lot out of our lives. My big thing is how I’ve grown as a chef, building relationships with local farmers, purveyors, ranchers and supporting local agriculture,” says Koval, who is also the recipient of the Slow Food Snail of Approval award for his commitment to the environment and local communities. He is quick to add that he couldn’t have done it alone. “It takes a village. It’s every farmer I’ve ever worked with, anybody who has ever worked for me. It’s bigger than me! We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our community.”

Born in Ohio, Koval set out on his own at age 15. “I left home if that explains anything. My brother was gone, in and out of prison. It was time for me to exit my situation,” he shares. Always a big dreamer, he pursued professional skateboarding. “I failed miserably.” He laughs. “But made a lot of good friends and partied too hard. I did that, then cooking fell in there; I don’t know how. It’s a snowball effect.” In his early years, he moved around a lot, honing his culinary skills in myriad restaurants in Colorado, Michigan, Florida and South Carolina.

This transient lifestyle ended when he met Jenn, his wife, at age 21. The two relocated to Decatur when Koval was 24, and this is when his mission became clear: to go from line cook to sous chef to chef. Koval

put in the work at the restaurants he worked in, learned to cook from scratch and helped open restaurants from the ground up. He absorbed everything he could. “Coming in every morning, staying late, working many, many hours for free. Lost her whole entire childhood.” He motions to Olivia. Finally, he landed at Wrecking Bar, where he was given free rein: developing dishes, as well as curing, aging and breaking down whole animals.

“Next step is the American dream: open your own business. Never really had any money, just a dreamer. My landlords, the Pichuliks, reached out one day — they used to go to Wrecking Bar. ‘Here’s this space.’ ‘I don’t have any money.’ ‘Let’s figure it out.’ So, we figured it out,” he laughs. “SBA loan. There you are. Now you’re a restaurant owner!”

Koval and Jenn opened The Deer and the Dove and B-Side in 2019, right before the pandemic. Jenn works the front of the house while he cooks in the back. “There are no other partners; it’s just us. Coming out of the pandemic, everyone was making fried chicken to go, BBQ. There was a pinnacle where we were like, ‘We need to go back to what we can do.’” They pivoted quickly, adding sweet breads, bone marrow and “those weird meats that we do” back to the menu. Their ever-changing menu, printed by Jenn daily, features “interesting food that excites” Chef Koval and his team of chefs, servers and bartenders. “The majority of our staff that works here have worked here since day one. We have a good culture here.” Their staples include venison (“on the menu since

day one”), pheasant and duck. What he’s most excited about is the beef tongue, a dish he’s been cooking throughout his career. In the fall, they do a lot of braised and slow-cooked dishes and a humongous lamb shank.

The restaurant’s focus is on open wood-fire cooking, something Koval has been doing at farm events for the last 10 years. “I’ve always kind of liked wild game, I grew up that way. My folks had a huge garden when I was younger.” His father’s taxidermy is peppered throughout the restaurant. You’d think

that this is the reason for the restaurant’s name, but you’d be wrong. Jenn named the restaurant after their spirit animals. “She’s the dove, and I’m the deer,” Koval explains. A deer head with a dove perched on it hangs above a u-shaped booth near the kitchen; Koval’s James Beard medal dangles from an antler. The walls are adorned with iconic skateboarder art, a nod to Koval’s other passion.

So, how has life changed after this major win? “The day after, we got off the plane [returning from the James Beard Award ceremony in Chicago],

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS?

“Chillin’ on a beach,” Koval laughs. He foresees opening another bagel shop and another restaurant concept when the timing is right. “I have this vision of another restaurant that I’d like to do that’s really fun and not fancy — high energy, good, local seafood. Right now, we’re not going to change anything; we’re going to keep on doing what we set to do: family neighborhood restaurant, period. I might add caviar to the menu, but that’s it. I have a couple of regulars who are like, ‘You gotta add caviar.’ We’ve done caviar, but they want the service.”

IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANYONE, WHO WOULD YOU PICK?

“I’ve always wanted to collaborate with Chris Consentino out of San Francisco. Always loved what he did. He’s an inspiration of a chef I’ve always looked up to. He’s an incredible old skateboarder,” says Koval.

and we were booked a month and a half out instantly . . . We’re doing numbers we never dreamed of, which is incredible!” He’s adjusting to his newfound celebrity status. “It’s a little awkward to go to Home Depot and have a couple of people walk up to you and be like, ‘Hey, congratulations!’ My son [Jackson, 10] is like, ‘Do you know them?’” He laughs. A huge upside is that business has been so good, Koval was able to pay off his SBA loan this year.

Being the recipient of a James Beard award has brought about more opportunities and fun events, including dinners and charities for underprivileged children. The chef is incredibly passionate about giving back to his community and has been doing this for years through myriad events. He is all about spreading good energy, especially at work. “We’re at work, but this is something that we enjoy and love to do. We play music during the shift. Everybody, be pumped and excited!” he says.

“Next year, I get to do Okefenokee with Andrew Zimmern and The Giving Kitchen. My brain is like,” — Koval makes an exploding sound — “what kind of weird stuff is he going to cook and what weird stuff am I going to cook? I can’t believe it!”

Koval is living the American dream and loving every second of it. “It’s everything I dreamed it would be, honestly,” he says. “I live seven minutes from here. We’ve lived here for 18 years in Decatur. It is the epitome of a neighborhood haunt. We want folks to come in here in flip-flops and shorts, sit at the bar and eat bone marrow and foie gras.”

Visit deerdove.com

Transporting Atmosphere

Former First United Methodist Church remains an aesthetic setting

by Candice Dyer

ASMALL CROWD SPRAWLS OUT and settles onto their yoga mats. Rebecca Turk strikes a quartz crystal bowl to make a sound you don’t so much hear as feel reverberating in your solar plexus. Then she plays the sea drum, which mimics the ocean, and the koshi chimes, each note lengthening in the shadows. The only other noise is your own deep breathing, in and out like the tide. The effect is a little like being inside a seashell.

“The sounds are aligned with your chakras and work on connecting your spirit with your body and mind,” says Turk, who owns SNDBATH. “This helps with stress, anxiety and sleep, and you may feel a little achy afterward because it breaks up inflammation. It requires great acoustics to do this.”

This “sound bath,” which lasts 50 minutes, is the latest way to drop in The Chapel on Sycamore for a breath of fresh prayer. The downtown landmark, once belonging to Decatur First United Methodist Church, was desanctified in 2020 and converted into a unique, privately owned venue space. So, it no longer hosts altar calls, but it still offers a rarefied, aesthetic setting for contemplation, and kibitzing. The structure, located at 318 Sycamore Street, is used for weddings, memorial services, bar and bat mitzvahs, yoga, corporate training, lunch-and-learn workshops, concerts and other events. It seats 240 and holds 400.

“The building is just so beautiful and so conveniently located to everything, just a few quick steps from MARTA,” says Kyle Williams, whose law firm, Williams and Teusink, bought the building in 2019. “We tried to honor its history while pushing it forward into the future. It had the blood-red carpeting all churches in the South have, so we pulled that up and discovered beautiful hardwood floors in perfect condition. But that’s really the only major change we made.”

The firm had outgrown its offices across the street. The church, which had relocated to the north side of Ponce de Leon in the 1960s, was using the chapel only for special occasions.

“After many years of discussion, Decatur

First UMC determined that the best course of action to preserve its historic chapel was to consider the sale of the chapel building and to focus its energy on ministry to the community, led from its main campus on Ponce,” says the Rev. Dalton T. Rushing, senior pastor. “The church is very fortunate in that Kyle Williams and Eric Teusink were interested in the purchase of the historic chapel building; these neighbors and their firm have a commitment to Decatur and the preservation of its buildings. We are grateful for their work.”

To serve as executive director, the attorneys tapped Lisa Milko, who previously operated The Trolley Barn at Inman Park, so she has experience with unusual historic venues. “We didn’t want more condos going up in its place,” she says. “We want to be a civic player, and we would like to play a role in the film industry. We have relationships with hundreds of vendors in Atlanta, to bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise [and] help you realize your vision, whether it’s music, meditation or meetings. Like our community, we strive to be inclusive.”

Among her favorite activities are the monthly candlelight concerts by jazz trios and string quartets. Decatur residents have enjoyed the music of Adele and Coldplay, and this Halloween will get a show of spooky movie scores. “I light thousands of battery-powered candles for each show,” Milko says. “It really creates a transporting atmosphere.”

The church building is believed to have started as a log cabin, erected in 1826, with the chapel constructed in 1899 from granite sourced at Stone Mountain. The architect of its Romanesque form was Gottfried. L. Norrman, and the chapel is now the single survivor of his church architecture. It has been written up in several publications as an outstanding example of his work. Gothic revival features include stone buttresses; a sturdy, square-plan bell tower; the curved front parlor; and a steep pitched-slate roof. It still has a functioning organ. The crown jewel of the harlequin-themed stained glass is a Tiffany window depicting an angel, given in memory of Eliza Ann Pearce.

“When you walk in, your first instinct is to look up,” Williams says. “It was designed with a floor that slightly slopes so that people in the back can see what is going on in front – there’s not a bad seat in the house — and it was designed to carry voices before there were microphones.”

The chapel’s magic derives from its architecture.

“The primary building materials are plaster, wood and stone, which plays a large part in carrying the sound around the space,” Milko says. “Stone walls allow for long reverberation that also gives a specific rich depth to the sound of instruments. Reflection off the arched ceilings allow for audiences of

over 400 to hear the same sound at once. Columns also aid in carrying sound gracefully through the air. While we don’t have stone columns like a lot of historic cathedrals, the tall ceilings and arched walls allow sounds to bounce from one surface to another, with the goal of the sound filling the entire space and lingering in the air.”

Inside, you can hear a pin drop or the sound of your own heartbeat.

“Because you can feel all of these pulsations so intensely, you can have a deeply personal journey at the chapel,” Turk concludes.

Visit sycamorechapel.com

A Half Century of Smiles

O’Shea Dentistry celebrates 50 years

A BELOVED Decatur dental practice is marking a major milestone—celebrating 50 years in the community. Dr. Tim O’Shea first opened the doors to O’Shea Dentistry in 1973, buying the office from another dentist.

Time flies when you’re not dreading going to the dentist, and longtime patients said they couldn’t believe it when they learned the practice was celebrating 50 years.

“I’ve been with them at least 40 years, if not 41 years,” said Lisa Speers, the second generation of a three-generation patient family.

After 47 years of dedication to the community, Dr. Tim retired in 2020, handing over the practice to his son, Dr. Matt O’Shea, who had been working with him side-by-side for over a decade.

Dr. Matt says patients comment weekly on the practice’s milestone anniversary.

“One patient recently said she thought we opened in 1976 because she thought she started coming here the very first year we opened,” Dr. Matt O’Shea said. “I hear a version of that from patients at least once a week.”

O’Shea Dentistry won over Decatur locals by offering the highest level of oral care while also placing an importance in patient relationships—Dr. Tim genuinely enjoyed getting to know patients on a personal level and remembering details about them and their families. Generations of families faithfully came in twice a year for a check-up and cleanings, even when they’ve moved away from Decatur.

By Jenny Peterson

“I’ll never forget the time he complimented me one day on my hair. My husband hadn’t even noticed my hair had changed!” said Speers.

The profession was the perfect fit for Dr. Tim, who recalled in his retirement letter that his time as a dentist, “was never really work, even when it was difficult.”

“I have truly loved the journey and appreciate each and every one of you who have allowed me to care for your health concerns,” Dr. Tim wrote.

In addition to the knowledgeable and personal doctors, a longtime staff of dental hygienists at O’Shea Family Dentistry remember patients’ names, and their kids’ names.

Speers notes that in her 40-plus years as a patient, she’s had four total dental hygienists, and knows each by name.

While the dentistry has moved into a larger space—now encompassing the entire sixth floor on Commerce Drive with big windows that overlook Decatur, midtown, downtown Atlanta and Buckhead—it still upholds the family-owned, family-friendly atmosphere that patients have come to know and love.

Everyone is greeted by a happy, smiling staff in a warm and welcoming environment and provided the highest level of care.

Dr. Matt said he realized his passion for dentistry when he attended college at the University of Georgia. “My sophomore year, I started to pay attention to what my dad did and remember thinking, ‘that’s a perfect fit,’” Dr. Matt said.

He learned from his dad that dentistry is not just about teeth and gums or cavities and crowns, but also about forming relationships with patients.

“My dad has taught me more than anything about how to treat people,” said Dr. Matt. “He just treated people right.”

The future of dentistry

Dr. Matt is continuing the close-knit feel of the practice while adding the latest dental technology that includes same-day crowns and dental procedures and clear aligners in lieu of traditional braces for orthodontic work.

“There’s not much outside of jaw surgery that we don’t provide,” Dr. Matt said. “Historically, we did general restorative and cosmetic dentistry, and now we are able to do implants, extractions, Botox and saliva testing.”

Dr. Matt is excited about the potential of Artificial Intelligence imaging to help create

a comprehensive wellness map for patients that can address sleep problems, diet and may even be able to detect neurological disease. The possibilities are endless.

“There is so much new stuff on the horizon, it’s so exciting,” Dr. Matt said. “Dentistry in the next five to 10 years is going to look so different in the best way.”

In addition to this cutting-edge technology, patients at O’Shea can look forward to a possible surprise visit from their beloved former practitioner.

“You can’t keep my dad away. He says, ‘Maybe I’ll be the greeter’ at the practice,” Dr. Matt said. “He hasn’t done it yet, but I think it would be awesome and patients would love it.”

The patients and the team—what Dr. Tim called the “heart and soul of the practice”— are what keep Dr. Matt motivated to come into work every day.

“We’re a family here,” Dr. Matt said. “It translates to the best possible care we can provide for patients who have been coming to us for so long. We’re so grateful that they have been so faithful and trusting us to be their providers. It really is a special thing.”

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Mountain Retreats

Captivating hillside getaways allure nearby

By Vanessa Pascale

THE SOUTH LURES in travelers with her fresh mountain air, spectacular views, gorgeous greenspace, mouth-watering food, wineries and unique attractions. Georgia and North Carolina are home to several charming bed-and-breakfasts, posh resorts, lovely towns and a list of fun-filled alfresco adventures.

We handpicked a list of nearby mountain towns that are rich in culture and history and are the perfect destinations to create lasting memories this summer. Choose between high-status mountain towns that make you feel as though you’re vacationing in Europe with their first-class accommodations and bevy of high-end amenities/activities or affordable, familyfriendly mountain escapes.

Lake Toxaway, North Carolina

Drive: 3 hours

Known as the “land of the waterfalls,” Lake Toxaway, North Carolina is home to over 250 waterfalls, including Whitewater Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains with a 400-foot drop. This pristine mountain resort community is also known as the “Switzerland of America” since it’s been a favorite vacation destination for wealthy travelers, including the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Firestones, for hundreds of years.

Rich in history and culture, the town has preserved historical buildings now listed on the National Register of Historic Places for Transylvania County, including Hillmont, E. M. Backus Lodge and Lake Toxaway Methodist Church. There are several shopping and dining options, from boutiques and sophisticated restaurants to casual cafes and gift shops. And the town is in a great location —not far from Brevard, the Highlands and Asheville.

Lake Toxaway’s premier resort is The Greystone Inn. Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains and on the exclusive shores of Lake Toxaway, the largest private lake in North Carolina, The Greystone Inn is surrounded by the infinite beauty of Nantahala and Pisgah National Forest and close to Rainbow Falls. The Greystone Inn was the vision of socialite Lucy Armstrong, who often vacationed here with her husband, George. She wanted a vacation home reminiscent of the Swiss mountain chalets she saw during her Europe trips, and George made this a reality. The original structure was built in 1915 and named Hillmont.

This luxurious waterfront golf resort features upscale rooms and suites housed in a 1915 mansion and two lakeside buildings appointed with exquisite vintage-inspired furnishings, fireplaces (in most rooms), wet bars, whirlpool tubs and balconies/patios with breathtaking views of the lake. The Restaurant at The Greystone serves exceptional seasonal fare for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, coupled with stunning views of the lake and mountains. The property also houses the Mansion Bar and a spa and offers a list of recreational activities.

Adairsville, Georgia

Drive: 1 hour

No need to cross the pond to experience a space that embodies English charm—simply travel to North Georgia’s historic high country. Adairsville is a charming town with a renewed downtown lined with beautiful historic homes, quaint antique shops and upscale dining. The area boasts hiking trails, museums and Cloudland Canyon State Park, which has stunning waterfalls, wildlife, tennis courts and a swimming pool. The mountain views, fresh air, water features, endless greenery and bountiful gardens will have you marveling at Mother Nature’s beauty.

Adairsville is also home to the renowned Barnsley Resort, a luxury resort situated on 3,000 scenic acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Barnsley Resort offers travelers a taste of the English countryside. Founded by Godfrey Barnsley, this Southern estate was a gift to his beloved wife, Julia, two centuries ago. Inspired by British architect Edwin Lutyens, who is known for designing English country homes at the turn of the 20th century, the grounds house a three-story inn, cottages and an English-inspired village, as well as Manor House Ruins and gardens.

Upon entering the inn, you are welcomed with hardwood floors, a grand staircase, exposed beams and a cozy fireplace. The private, exclusive cottages boast old-world charm seen in the fireplaces and clawfoot bathtubs. All cottage rooms and suites feature luxe comforts, including private porches. There are 55 guest rooms and suites in the inn (totaling 140 rooms), a spa, a farm, onsite restaurants, an 1,800-acre hunting preserve, an 18-hole Jim Fazio-designed golf course and a long list of coveted amenities and services.

The adventures to experience here are plentiful, and include horseback riding, archery, air rifles, ax-throwing and disc golf…to name a few. Barnsley Resort is a gorgeous sanctuary that has everything one could want –nature, history, and unrivaled beauty – and is the perfect escape for a romantic getaway, a golf trip, or a family vacation.

Barnsley Resort

Highlands, North Carolina

Drive: 2.5 hours

Highlands, North Carolina was named Travel + Leisure’s 2023 Best Small Mountain Town in America. Nestled in the magnificent Blue Ridge Mountains, this charming mountain town has infinite natural beauty –waterfalls, forests, rivers, and lots of hiking trails to take it all in. Beautiful every season, this area especially attracts visitors during the fall as the foliage is breathtaking this time of year. A popular spot with affluent travelers since it was established in 1875, downtown Highlands boasts luxurious accommodations, elevated dining, posh, small-town charm, and is pedestrian friendly. Throughout the year, Highlands hosts a list of events and festivals. This fall, there is the town’s outdoor concert series on Friday and Saturday nights (May-October) and Highlands Food & Wine Festival, “dedicated to the celebration of food, wine, music, and culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains” in November.

Old Edwards Inn and Spa, which encompasses several acres of downtown Highlands, is the preferred hotel in this area. Formerly Highlands’ first boardinghouse, today, this luxurious mountaintop resort is a breathtaking haven steeped in dreamy European style. Guest rooms, spa suites, cottages and cabin rentals are appointed with period-style furnishings, sumptuous Italian bedding, heated marble bathroom floors, fireplaces, private patios and more. The award-winning Relais & Chateaux property has everything one needs to feel well taken care of, including an extravagant spa (Condé Nast rated them the “Top Hotel Spa in North America”), a couple of restaurants that serve farm-fresh fare, a Tom Jackson-designed golf course, three pools, a lovely wine garden and quaint shops.

This serene property fosters rest and relaxation and is the perfect setting for either a ladies’ spa getaway or a romantic vacation.

Visit oldedwardshospitality.com/old-edwards-inn-spa

Old Edwards Inn and Spa

SUDS Beer Festival

Celebrating 25 years, this well-loved festival returns to Legacy Park

By Jenny Peterson

STARTED IN 1998, the Decatur Craft Beer Festival—now under the name and beer moniker S.U.D.S.—will be held at the sprawling Legacy Park this fall with more than 70 independent breweries, exclusive beer releases, prominent food vendors, live music and a cause that everyone can get behind: supporting Decatur nonprofits.

Over the past quarter century, the festival has drawn thousands of beer enthusiasts from in and around the Southeast with craft brewers coming from as far as Asheville, including brewery Sierra Nevada again on tap this year.

This year’s festival is slated for October 15 from noon until 4 p.m. and will feature live music from Blacktop Rockets, Penelope Road and Bogey and The Viceroy. Many special release beers were specifically created to debut at the festival.

“There have been years where 20 percent of the beer at the festival was brewed specifically for the festival—available only at the festival or in pubs in Decatur,” said Michael Gallagher, festival co-founder and founding partner of Brick Store Pub, partner at LEONs Full Service and Good Word Brewing & Public House.

“It’s the best of what’s available in brewing in the Southeast for fall 2023, and we will

have as many breweries as we can to commit to having a very special beer that’s launched and only at our festival.”

Decatur’s premier “backyard beer experience” was the brainchild of the founding partners of the beloved Brick Store Pub. They sought to bring craft beer appreciation and awareness to the masses in an engaging and accessible way, with a goal to use the festival proceeds to make a difference in the community.

“I can’t believe we started it when we were in our mid-20s and now we’re in our 50s!” said Gallagher.

The first several years of the festival were held on the square in downtown Decatur with craft brewers from around the world.

Gallagher said the original Decatur Craft Beer Festival was wholeheartedly supported by Lyn Menne, the longtime economic development staffer and economic development director for the City of Decatur who later served as the executive director of Legacy Park.

“We’ve always had an incredible relationship with Lyn. She’s the type of city official that every small business owner wants to work with. She’s pro community, she’s pro connection, she’s probusiness,” Gallagher said.

The annual craft beer festival has had many iterations over the years, including initially being held in the spring before moving to more reliable weather conditions in the fall and re-evaluating whether it would return after a years-long hiatus during the pandemic.

Menne supported the idea for the festival to serve as a fundraiser for the community and encouraged the move to create the nonprofit organization S.U.D.S., which stands for “Simply Us Doing Our Share,” to produce and host the lively and curated craft beer experience. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go towards Legacy Park

and Legacy Decatur’s mission to support local nonprofits.

“The idea was, ‘how do we create a craft beer experience, couple it with incredible food and couple it with the best bands available and bring people together for a good time and make sure all the money goes to nonprofits? It’s what we’ve always done,” said Gallagher. “To date, we’ve given just under $1.5 million to nonprofits in the Decatur community doing good work. We hang our hat on being involved in our community. It just feels right.”

Attendees at this year’s festival will receive a commemorative tasting glass and be able to sample popular — as well as never-beforetasted — beers, plus enjoy the opportunity to purchase a la carte worldly menu items from award-winning chefs from the Southeast. There will be fewer than 1,000 tickets sold for ample room to walk around, play yard games and enjoy the samples.

Gallagher said there will be special “beer tapping” throughout the day to get the crowd excited.

“It might be, ‘At 2 p.m., we’re tapping this beer from Good Word Brewing and Public House,’” Gallagher said. “Throughout the event, you’ll have a chance to queue up for special beer. You’ll be able to walk around and try beers that aren’t available in any other part of the world, other than in Decatur at our festival.”

The 77-acre Legacy Park is the ideal place to have the event, with picturesque green space and the location managed by Legacy Decatur, the nonprofit that will benefit from the festival proceeds.

“[Attendees] are going to have all the room in the world to walk around on grass in shade, listen to music, drink beer and talk to brew masters, brew champions, tap house owners, distributors and more,” Gallagher said.

The SUDS festival will be held on Saturday, October 28 from noon until 4 p.m. at Legacy Park at 500 S Columbia Drive. Tickets are only available for those 21 and over. No pets allowed. For tickets and more information, visit sudsdecatur.org.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

Beginning Monday September 15, works by Atlanta-based Latinx artists will be shown daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Decatur Visitors Center. A closing event will take place on Friday, October 13 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The show is in partnership with the Decatur Arts Alliance and the Carlos Museum at Emory University.

SEPTEMBER

Mark your calendars for Decatur BBQ & Bands at Harmony Park in Oakhurst!! Keller Williams Realty Metro Atlanta is the main sponsor for Decatur BBQ & Bands, hosted by Ford’s BBQ. The event is free, but VIP tent tickets are also for sale.

OCTOBER

One hundred percent resident owned and operated, Porchfest has been going and growing every year in neighborhoods all around the country, including the Oakhurst neighborhood in Decatur, which launched its own Porchfest in 2015. Now, on Saturday, October 14 from noon until 7 p.m., Oakhurst will do it all again — and, like previous years, the more folks who take ownership of it, the better it will showcase the best of the neighborhood.

OCTOBER

SUDS CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

Started in 1998, the Decatur Craft Beer Festival—now under the name and beer moniker S.U.D.S.—will be held at the sprawling Legacy Park this fall with more than 70 independent breweries, exclusive beer releases, prominent food vendors, live music and a cause that everyone can get behind: supporting Decatur nonprofits.

OCTOBER

This colorful parade is a collaboration between Placita Latina and Decatur’s beloved Halloween themed parade, “Haints and Saints.” The parade is planned to begin at the iconic Decatur Cemetery, (229 Bell Street) and end at Decatur Square.

Red, white, pink, or bubbly?

Enjoy an afternoon tasting wines from around the world outdoors on Decatur square.Get a taste of local restaurants; we’ll select a few to sell foodie-worthy dishes inside the festival to help you keep the good times rolling. A DJ keeps the tunes spinning and your toes tapping while you sample nearly 400 varieties of wine. And remember to check out the wall of wine to bring a bottle home with you.

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