Tucked away on a country  road where a lot of people might never think to look, there’s a tiny place called Sugar Pike Junction where everyone from millionaire land owners to day-laborers convene at a common table. Also noted for its breakfast biscuits and “fancy chicken salad,” Sugar Pike is revered by locals for having some of the best burgers around.  Space is limited at Sugar Pike, so on particularly busy days, customers choose  to either ”huddle up” at the two inside tables, venture outside to the umbrella-covered seating,  or my personal favorite,  lower their tailgates for a little parking-lot picnic.  When ordering their Deluxe Cheeseburger, make sure to tell owner Sylvia Chavez that you want it “All the Way,” which includes American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and pickles. No matter where you’re driving from, this little hidden gem is worth the trip.

Location: 2855 Lower Union Hill Road; Canton, GA; Telephone: 770-475-2324
Hours: Mondays-Fridays 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Saturdays 8 a.m -3 p.m.

Canyons Burger Company’s “Classic American Cheeseburger”

Canyons Burger Company  is the one exception to my anti-franchise rule. I am usually repelled by the environs of franchises in favor of the mom-and-pop places with mom-and-pop personality. Fortunately for downtown Woodstock dwellers, however, Canyons does fabulously well in burger and deed to defy the stereotypical chain restaurant mediocrity. Cooked to perfection with fresh angus beef and delivered however you want them, Canyons’ burgers have become a staple in the Main Street Woodstock lifestyle. Friday and Saturday nights reveal their outdoor patio overflowing with customers enjoying burgers, beers, and their tempting sides such as sweet potato fries. It’s also not uncommon to see entire little league teams gathered with their coaches  for a ”victory meal” after a game or families enjoying the casual atmosphere as they catch up on each other’s week.

Location: 335 Chambers Street; Woodstock, GA; Telephone: 678-494-8868
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. ; Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

The Right Wing Tavern’s “Taft”

Located in the historic train depot in downtown Woodstock, the Right Wing Tavern is usually lauded for its copious amounts of beer on tap. Their self-proclaimed “American Food, Politically Incorrect,” is equally praiseworthy, however, whether you’re in the mood for a light salad or a steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. Named for a sundry of conservative political entities, the dishes go above and beyond what one would consider regular “pub food.”  The Taft, Right Wing’s resident burger, is aptly named after our nation’s 27th president; weighing in at three hundred pounds, William Howard Taft was physically the largest president in American history.  Living up to its title, the Taft burger is an entire pound of beef with all the trimmings.  (I’m personally geared more toward the “half-Taft,” which is still a lot of burger.)  The Right Wing also gives you the option to choose toppings by “state.”   I usually opt to “add Minnesota,” which means “sauteed mushrooms and onions.”  Perhaps best of all, this is the only place I’ve tried that actually dares to ask that pertinent question, “How would you like your burger cooked?” And when they return, it’s always done right.

Location: 251 E. Main Street; Woodstock, GA; Telephone: 678-445-2099
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m - 11 p.m. (Kitchen closes at 10 p.m.) ; Closed Mondays

Disclaimer: This is in no way meant to be a comprehensive review, as I’ve not had the opportunity to try every single burger in Cherokee County. If you have a favorite that I’ve overlooked, please leave me a comment with any burger-related recommendations.

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A Restaurant Worth “Coming Home” To…

A peaceful sense of calm leans in to meet you as you step up onto that front porch of the Magnolia Thomas Restaurant. Maybe it comes from the evening breezes that are just starting to lessen the sweltering of another Georgia summer day and swaying those rocking chairs in invitation to sit down and stay a while. Perhaps it’s the smiling face that greets you, looking genuinely glad to see you there, as you walk through the front door. Or it could be the soothing glow of the oil lanterns flickering from atop every white-linen tablecloth, already set with water and wine glasses at the ready. I have my own theory about that familiar, easy feeling you get from a dining experience at the Magnolia Thomas: it’s a feeling greatly akin to coming home, a home where you know you’ll be always be well taken care of.

Relaxed and Leisurely: A Gracious Southern Dining Experience

With an elegance refined yet unpretentious,  the Magnolia Thomas owners Bill and Tom Nienburg have managed to redefine southern cuisine as we traditionally perceive it. Putting a more upscale spin on southern ”comfort food,” the menu reflects such locally-revered favorites as Georgia Coast Crabcakes, Magnolia’s Fried Buttermilk Chicken, and Blueberry Mountain Filet Mignon. Head chef Anthony Pickens, a culinary graduate of the prestigious Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, prides himself on inventing dishes for guests that leave an impression of both gastromic and visual decadence.   Coupled with an  inspired wine list and a list of stellar,  in-house prepared desserts, the superior fare of the Magnolia Thomas has put downtown Woodstock on the “foodie” map as a small town destination worthy of big city sustenance.  Perhaps best of all, the restaurant encourages their customers to enjoy their meals at the leisurely, unhurried pace reminiscent of the days when laughter and conversation still accompanied a fine dinner or brunch.  Not “table turners” by any means, the Magnolia Thomas entreats you to linger a while at their table, savoring both food and good friends in your own good time.

Magnolia Thomas Information
108 Arnold Mill Road
Woodstock, GA 30188

Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 5-10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m.
Sunday Brunch: 10:30 a.m - 3 p.m

For reservations or catering, call 678-445-5789 or book online at http://www.magnoliathomas.com

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In their own words…. “Estately was created with the belief that home buyers need context when they’re looking for a home. At Estately you can learn about the surrounding area, the nearby shops, the character of the neighborhood and the style, size and price of a property.”

Maxsell Real Estate agents are part of the Estately network

Estately matches people who are going to buy or sell a home with the best agents from dozens of local real estate brokerages based on their area, their needs, and feedback from previous clients. When consumers sign up to work with an agent, the Estately team matches them with the best local experts for their needs. A wide variety of great agents work with estately, but all share devotion to helping their clients.   When a client who comes from Estately completes a successful transaction, the agent is charged a 20% referral fee.

Atlanta Listings Added

Earlier this month, they announced the addition of their tenth metropolitan market as they bring Atlanta under their fold. Adding 127,000 listings from two Georgia MLS databases, it now brings the total number of properties for sale on Estately.com to over 459,000.

Joel Burslem, Future of Real Estate Marketing, recently had this to say… “Estately’s search tool is a very robust and impressive product, as I’ve noted a number of times in the past. It’s one of my favorite search destinations on the web. I especially like their transit search tool which calculates a property’s distance from a particular transit line. In Atlanta, you can now do these kind of searches in proximity to the MARTA line.”

Check out the results for Woodstock’s 30188 zip code:

Disclaimer:  Brad Nix is Estately’s licensed broker in the state of Georgia.

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Four Southern Breweries, Twelve Delicious Beers

The beer garden beckons this Saturday afternoon as the Right Wing Tavern in downtown Woodstock invites you to sample some of its impressive Southern brews. Three selections each from the Abita Beer Company, Atlanta Brewing Company, Sweetwater Brewing Company, and the Terrapin Beer Company will all be represented at the event, which will be held from 1-4 p.m. Tickets for the festival can be purchased in advance for $15 or $20 at the door. Come and join in the weekend revelry, and show your support for some great Southern beers and your favorite downtown watering hole!

Right Wing Tavern Information:

251 E. Main St.

Woodstock, GA  30188

For further information or for tickets to this event, please call 678-445-2099 or email info@rightwingtavern.com.

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“Just drove past 3 guys watering 1 plant. Your city of Woodstock tax dollars at work!”

My twitter account auto-posts to my Facebook account, so the same message appeared in both locations.  Well, after my meeting I get a call from one of our Maxsell agents.  She was a key player in getting the hanging baskets of flowers placed in downtown Woodstock in a citizen effort to beautify our town.  Apparently she has been getting little help in keeping these plants watered.  So, she asked the city to help.

Now here I am with an interesting situation on my hands…  I have potentially upset City Officials and possibly hurt the status of one or more of my agents with my recent comment.  You see, we are really involved in our local community… our agents volunteer all the time, lead committees, start non-profits for trail systems, highlight the local merchants, interview citizens of the town and we truly love the City of Woodstock as individuals and as a company.  Yet, I feel it my duty (and our company’s obligation) to be open and honest in everything we do or say.  I truly feel that 3 guys watering 1 plant is a waste of effort (and possibly tax dollars).

So, what do I do now?

I praise my agent for leading a beautification project with obvious and immediate impact.  I thank the city for the willingness to help keep the project maintained.  And I suggest ways to improve the system (because I hate people who just complain and never volunteer or suggest ways to make it better)… possible solution: send 1 person to water the plants, but equip him/her with a pole and hook to take the basket down - add water - and return to hanging position.  This could be accomplished with a simple garden rake if said pole and hook did not exist in the city’s closet.

Furthermore, I promise to keep our company focused on helping our communities improve (through beautification or efficiency or in any other way we are capable).  I have already shared Woodstock Farmer’s Market info directly with three local citizens who are sure to join in a coming event.  Heck, our Community Advocate (how many other local companies have Community Advocates anyways) just posted a great article on the new Woodstock Farmer’s Market.  We will continue to support our local merchants and spotlight the faces of our community.  I can only hope that our City Officials understand that we are here to help make our community a better place to live, work and play, but that doesn’t mean we can’t complain and suggest improvements as well.

Here is our slideshow/love affair with the City of Woodstock:

view photos from other local communities on our flickr page

UPDATE:

After more conversation with my agent, it seems my ‘pole with hook’ idea will not work.  It seems that using a ladder is the only way and there is truly a need to have someone support the ladder as the ground is very uneven.  So, I guess we really do need 2 guys watering 1 plant.   but 3?

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Locals Gather in Downtown Woodstock for Home-Grown Music and Veggies

An air of festive abundance emanated from Fowler Street this past Saturday as locals gathered to stock up on fresh greens, preserves, locally-produced specialty cooking oils, and hand-cut flowers. Before I could even see the Woodstock Farmers Market, I could hear it.  The acoustic guitar melodies of  local musician Shane Cunningham rose up into the early morning, leading the way to the lot appointed for the market next to the new Woodstock development. Upon my arrival, I was happy to amble through the line of vendors, sampling various jams and picking my family’s fresh produce for the week straight from farmers’ baskets. On site to represent the Canton farm Sweetwater Growers, James Dault was eager to discuss his hydroponically grown specialty greens, culinary herbs, and award-winning herb infused oils. Merrily McLaughlin’s signature line of sauces and jams, products of Woodstock’s own Merrilily Gardens, also graced the tables and the most discerning palates at the market. The Greenprints Alliance’s Brian Stockton was also on hand to distribute information and appeal for support for their worthy project of adding sixty miles of hiking and biking trails throughout the city.

Woodstock Farmers Market Information:

The Woodstock Farmers Market will be an on-going summer event scheduled every Saturday, June 13-August 29, from 8-12 a.m. The selection of produce will change depending on the season and vendors present. For more information, please contact farmersmarket@oldetownewoodstock.com Come on out and support your local growers!

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As always your trusted legal resource, Justin Daniels

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A Great Place to Gather with Friends–or Gather Your Thoughts

The Woodstock Coffeehouse has long been a gathering place for Cherokee County locals, whether meeting for a weekly Bible study or rocking out at Monday’s open-mic night.  The coffee itself is remarkable, and their food is highly superior to the coffeehouse fare that you would get at a franchised chain.  But I realize something greater is at work here than keeping the Woodstock masses caffeinated.  There’s something optimistic to be said about the driving force of  cultural independence, whether you’re talking music, films, spirits, businesses, or in this case, the indelible coffeehouse culture.  Whole communities can and should be judged by how well they support their local, independent businesses to preserve the  integrity that the term “indie” represents. The Woodstock Coffeehouse was certainly founded on such ideals.  Historically, coffeehouses have been a venue for intellectuals to have discourse, political dissidents to plan uprisings, merchants to do business, and artists and writers to meet with their muses.  Whole music careers have been launched (think Bob Dylan) from within the environs of coffeehouses everywhere.  And the more time I spend at the Woodstock Coffeehouse–the more I bear witness to Cherokee County residents reading, writing, working, gathering, and making music there–I become more aware of how integral the place has become in making this community such an inspiring place to live, work, and create.

And What They Do, They Do Well

With names like the Rolling Stone, the Marley, the Joplin, and the Hendrix, the cafe sandwiches and wraps remain loyal to the musical homage of the coffeehouse, and they also stay true to the tastebuds.  While the “greats” serenade you through the loud speaker, you can pair your meal with your favorite espresso drink (either hot or iced), smoothie, or shake.    In addition to serving up the perfect cup of joe,  owner Kate Johnson, with the help of her mother Barbara Grimm, does her highly-commendable best to support local artists and musicians. Regular Saturday night concerts are planned with live bands, and open-mic nights every Monday evening allow musicians and “spoken word” artists to perform in front of an ever-growing crowd.  Paintings and photography from local artists line the walls and are available for purchase.  And for those to like to mix their business with pleasure, free wireless internet is available.

Woodstock Coffeehouse Information

1428 Towne Lake Parkway
Woodstock, GA 30189
770-928-2901
www.woodstockcoffeehouse.com

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Did you know that your 1031 funds held by a 1031 exchange agent can be at risk to general creditors should the exchange agent become insolvent?

In order to safeguard your exchange funds and, hopefully, avoid such issues you should ensure that:

1) your exchange funds are deposited directly into one or more segregated accounts and never commingled with other funds of the exchange agent or the funds of other exchange clients in the general operating account or other accounts from which the 1031 exchange agent runs its business, funds other exchanges or holds other exchange funds;

2) the segregated accounts should be named “[name of 1031 agent] in trust for [name of exchange client]” (in this case the exchange client is you); and

3) the exchange agreement should contain specific language obligating the exchange agent to set up the accounts as outlined in paragraphs 1 and 2 above and clearly stating that your exchange funds are held in trust for your benefit.

If the funds are simply deposited into the exchange agent’s operating account without these safeguards and the agent becomes insolvent, your money may be at risk in any resulting bankruptcy proceeding. In a bankruptcy proceeding, there is a significant risk such funds may be held to be general funds of the exchange agent, subject to the claims of all creditors of the agent. In such circumstances, exchange clients are at risk of being treated as general creditors of the bankrupt exchange agent and may receive mere pennies on the dollar, instead of the full value of the funds held they thought were being held by the exchange agent for their benefit.

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I’ve always been a devoted fan of hidden places that don’t appear on any map, places that only the locals know are there, and I believe I’ve discovered just that kind of place in Two Brothers Barbecue in Ball Ground, Georgia. My interest in Two Brothers was initially sparked when the popular Georgia Public Broadcasting series Georgia Traveler happened upon the off-the-beaten-path restaurant when they were doing an episode highlighting the North Georgia foothills from Jasper to Cartersville. Running out of gas on a country back road, the show’s hosts Phil and David discovered the pit barbecue restaurant and decided to give its “legendary-among-the-locals” food a go.

Months went by after the show aired, and I repeatedly hinted to (okay, bugged) my husband to make the twenty-three mile drive over to Ball Ground and discover what all of the fuss was about. Of course, it wasn’t until the day that I, completely on a whim, declared that I was becoming a vegetarian that he decided it was time to try it. I had given my husband a long, decided speech about how I would no longer eat meat, and that from here on out, I was going to live only on fruits and vegetables. He found all this highly laughable, as he does most of my capricious whims, but I didn’t care. This time, I was committed. But when I asked him what he felt like for lunch that day, he didn’t hesitate in suggesting barbecue. “Are you up for a trip over to Ball Ground to finally try out that Two Brothers?” he asked smugly. “Of course!” I replied. “Every good vegetarian needs the proper send-off.”

A proper send-off it was. We stepped into the cool, dark dining room from the blaring early-summer sun, and a glass of the most perfect sweet tea ever made was delivered to me soon after. Its ancient hardwood floors and the rustic, wrought-iron artifacts from a bygone era reminded me that Two Brothers is a place with plenty of good stories to tell if I was willing to listen. During this first visit, however, I let the food do most of the talking. The ribs that we ordered were tender and flavorful, falling right off of the bone as we ate them. The Brunswick Stew was also delicious and had a distinctly smoother texture than any I’ve experienced before. For dessert, the server barraged us with at least four pie choices, and we decided finally upon the coconut meringue, a choice which a Cajun friend of mine would have called “slap-your-mama-good.”  I left the place with a keen satisfaction that I’d experienced something special.  Sure, there was the ‘cue good enough to revert me back to my carnivorous beginnings–but it was also about the small-town, backroads journey in search of something real, something with roots. It was a place we wouldn’t have ever found if we’d never ventured off the interstate in favor of the paths less traveled.  Those are indeed the destinations worth finding.

Contact Information for Two Brothers:
1695 Old Canton Road
Ball Ground, GA 30107
770-735-2900

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