Fast forward to 2010… The barbecue scene is picking up a bit in Alpharetta and Pig-N-Chik has become just ho-hum by my book. It’s just hard for me to get real excited about this place. I neither like it nor dislike it really. For stripmall Q it isn’t bad. They have one of these glorified ovens/smokers, not a pit. You can see it attached to the back of the building, visible from the CVS drive thru. Yet unlike a lot of other stripmall joints, they do a decent job with it. Their meat has some smokey flavor around the outside. It could use a lot more.

They serve a very thick pulled pork here. The strands are massive, several bites worth in some cases. The outside meat is done well with the right amount of chew. There is a faint smoke ring present. The inside meat is moist but lacks a lot of barbecue flavor. If you’re feeling up for it, I’d suggest ordering only outside meat, which I think they will do here.

My biggest complaint about their pulled pork is that it is almost always fatty. Every single time I’ve ordered it I find pretty big hunks of fat. Not good eats! They either need to trim their butts a little or pick that stuff out before serving.

I enjoyed my sides on my visit this week. The fried okra was fresh out of the fryer, golden brown and delicious. They disappeared quickly. The stew was also decent with big hunks of pork, a lot of veggies and a peppery kick.

Their location is a bit hard to find as it isn’t visible from Windward. You’ll have to drive back behind the CVS drugstore to find them. It really is a bad spot for a restaurant, similar to Maryland’s Crab House. Nevertheless, Pig-N-Chik has managed to survive here a few years.

Something else to note about this area… The east end of Windward is mostly office parks. The dozen or so restaurants that exist here do the vast majority of their business to cubicle dwellers like myself. Many places are closed at nights and weekends. Those that do stay open don’t do a lot of business. Pig-N-Chik stays open, but I would caution against going here at off-peak times. Barbecue is best enjoyed when the restaurant is serving a lot of it. If you’re serious about trying Pig-N-Chik, I suggest going during the week for lunch.

Check out his recent article on some road projects in the area. A few of these jumped out at me.

Windward and GA-400 Ramp to North Point – I’ve heard about this one before. There will be a new ramp/lane that will funnel traffic from GA-400 northbound onto North Point Parkway southbound. This should reduce a lot of congestion in this area. I tend to avoid this intersection anyway, using Webb Bridge or McGinnis Ferry/Morris to cross GA-400.

Windward Landscaping – The same Windward and GA-400 intersection will get a makeover with stone works, similar to Mansell Road.

Westside Parkway at Prospect Park – Also known as the rock pit. Bob thinks we’re one step closer to seeing this connecting road open up between Old Milton and Webb Bridge/Academy. I’ll believe it when I see it, but hope it happens soon.

4 and 2

The number of big box retailers in the city limits of Milton and Johns Creek, respectively.

Milton is widely regarded as a rural city of horse farms while Johns Creek has more of a retail feel. Yet as it turns out, because of the strange city boundary between Milton and Alpharetta, Milton has a disproportionate number of big stores. This is mainly due to Windward Parkway. Portions of the north side of Windward are in Milton while the south is Alpharetta. I don’t know why Alpharetta didn’t annex this stuff when it had the chance. Nevertheless, Milton inherited more big stores than one might think they have. And by “big box retailers” I mean Walmart, Target, Fry’s, Home Depot and Lowes.

This Sunday is the annual homemade ice cream event in Roswell. First let’s get the details out of the way…

What: 6th Annual Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’. A fundraiser to benefit The Drake House.

Where: The Roswell Square

When: Sunday August 29 from 2:00 to 4:00

Cost: $5 per person, $15 per family

I don’t normally post events and stuff to-do on my blog. But I really like this unique festival. Here’s a list of reasons why you need to go to this on Sunday…

The Ice Cream - The traditional ice cream shop is disappearing around here, replaced with trendy frozen yogurt. Yuck! And forget about finding homemade stuff. This event is just about your only chance to try real-deal, authentic homemade ice cream. You can sample a bunch of varieties too. You’ll find some truly outstanding ice cream here.

Only Five Bucks! – This is a terrific value. Getting a single scoop of premium stuff will cost you about this much. For the same price you can eat enough to give yourself a tummy ache.

Get There Early - My suggestion is to arrive early, before it starts. 1:45 would be a good idea. Get parked and purchase your ticket early. Based on my experience, the ice cream runs out quickly. In about an hour the good stuff is gone. Anything left after that is mostly melted.

The Drake House - I knew some folks involved with the early creation of the Drake House several years ago. They offer transitional housing for families in need in North Fulton. When I first learned of the Drake House, I doubted the need for such a facility in this affluent area. Boy was I wrong. They provide a much needed service, especially in this economy. This ice cream event is their main fund raising event. Your five bucks is going to a great cause. I’d consider giving more.

My wife and I have make ice cream for this event in the past and our church has a tent there every year. It is an awesome event, in a cool location and for a good cause.

A few caveats before I begin. When I say “Alpharetta” I really mean north Fulton. I’m going to cover Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton. Almost all on this list are in the city limits of Johns Creek or Milton. Second, some of these folks may not live here anymore, and some information may not be correct. Celebrities live here to remain somewhat anonymous which makes gathering information difficult.

On this list you’d expect to see a lot of professional athletes. What surprises me is the number of hip hop and R&B artists. Alpharetta isn’t exactly a mecca for this genre of music. But again, I think these musicians are moving here for the same reasons as the others, privacy. You’ll also see a ton of celebs living in the Country Club of the South in Johns Creek. This is perhaps one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the country. It is also relatively inexpensive compared to the company it keeps. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true.

So without further ado, here’s my Alpharetta celebrity list. Please feel free to add to my list if I’ve forgotten any.

Jeff Foxworthy – Comedian – Country Club of the South

Keith Sweat – R&B – Homes in Windward and Milton

Gary Rossington – Musician, Lynyrd Skynyrd – Milton. Made news in 2008 after being arrested for DUI by Milton PD.

John Smoltz – Baseball – Milton. Very active in the community and a big supporter of Kings Ridge Christian School.

Parvati Shallow – Winner of Survivor TV Show- Lived in the area for a time. Not sure if she’s still around.

Kim Zolciak – Real Housewives of Atlanta – Johns Creek

Tyler Perry – Producer – Recently bought the Dean Gardens in Johns Creek.

Chipper Jones – Baseball – Used to live in Windward, now in Roswell I think.

Tom Glavine – Baseball – Country Club of the South

Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston – Musicians – Used to be Alpharetta’s most famous and notorious residents. Starred in a reality show while living in the Country Club of the South. Split up and moved away several years ago.

Usher – R&B – Country Club of the South

Lil Jon – R&B – Milton

Brian Jordan – Baseball – Country Club of the South

Garrison Hearst – Football – Country Club of the South

Heath Slocum - Golf – Milton

Brian Littrell – Music/Backstreet Boys – Milton

Morris Day – R&B – Milton

Toni Braxton – R&B – Owns many homes including one in Alpharetta.

Keyshia Cole – R&B – Alpharetta

DeShawn & Eric Snow – Basketball and Real Housewives of Atlanta – They lived in Milton during the TV show. Since then they have filed for divorce. Not sure if either is still in the area.

Charlie Leibrandt – Baseball – Country Club of the South

Chris Childs – Basketball – Johns Creek

Allen Iverson – Basketball – Used to have a home in Country Club of the South.

There are a handful of younger celebs that grew up in Johns Creek and elsewhere, including some actors and athletes. Perhaps that’ll be another post.

I drew a lot of information from virtualglobetrotting.com and other sources on the internet. I’ve tried to be accurate without giving out too much information. It is quite possible there are errors.

I’m always on the prowl for new barbecue. You’ve gotta look beyond the stripmall to find the hidden gem. Case in point is this article I wrote about a church BBQ fundraiser a few months back. It is also how I discovered Q at this joint on McFarland, a place I didn’t plan to review this summer.

So I’m driving down McFarland one day and notice blue smoke billowing from smoker attached to a pickup truck. Next I see the signs. Dottie’s Delight? Barbecue? I was scratching my head. I tried this place once, years ago, for breakfast. I wasn’t impressed. It was basically a lunch counter for construction guys with marginal breakfast options. It was also next to a sketchy looking “massage parlor”. I didn’t go back… until yesterday.

It seems they are in the midst of a transformation, from Dottie’s to something called Bad Wolf BBQ and Pancake House. The to-go menu I swiped says the grand re-opening is in September sometime. But in the meantime, Q has already taken over the lunch menu. I found pulled pork, brisket, ribs and chicken. Humm, sounds like a KCBS barbecue contest. I settled in on a quarter rack of ribs and pulled pork combo. Went with stew as a side item, available at an up-charge (boo).

The pulled pork looked great. The size of the strands of meat was about right, not too thick and a perfect size for a sandwich. It had an impressive smoke ring and a tiny bit of bark. It was moist and somewhat smokey but not overpowering. It could have been more tender but still decent. It worked great with the slices of white bread.

The ribs are baby backs. I was told that my rack just came out of the smoker. They come without sauce but with just a dusting of extra dry rub. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they were dry rub ribs, just had a few shakes for extra flavor. Nevertheless I thought they were very good. They were the perfect in tenderness. Fall off the bone is too tender by my book. These were soft yet had enough body to cling to the ribs ever so slightly. They were smokey and delicious. Just be warned, if you want a glaze or caramelized crust on your ribs you won’t find it here.

They have four sauces on the table. That’s way too much in my opinion. As I remember they had a mustard style, western North Carolina style and two Kansas City sauces. I thought the pulled pork went well with the KC style sauce, especially on the bread. The ribs didn’t need any at all.

The Brunswick Stew is very thick with limas and potatoes I think. There are some pretty large hunks of meat in it, but had a tartness that I didn’t care for a lot. The Q easily outshines the stew here.

On my way out I chatted with the pitmaster on his way to the smoker. He’s just a good old boy from South Carolina cooking what he loves. He seemed genuinely interested in what I thought if his barbecue. We talked some about his smoker and fuel (hickory and oak logs). It was just refreshing to eat Q from and honest to goodness pit smoker and not a Southern Pride electric oven.

Dottie’s/Bad Wolf surprised me. Don’t expect anything fancy here. It still has that lunch counter feel with NASCAR pictures on the wall. Do expect barbecue using traditional cooking methods. You just don’t see this stuff anymore in the affluent burbs.

Dottie’s Delight is located at 765 McFarland Parkway near the intersection of Union Hill Road. It is across the street from BB’s Bagels.

And that house… There are times when being colorblind has its advantages. The pink color on the outside really didn’t jump out at me. But rest assured, it was very pink. The decor inside can only be described as over-the-top. We didn’t get to see a lot of rooms, and it was many years ago so I don’t remember a lot. What stood out the most to me was an impressive man cave decorated in the style of the 1950’s.

<cue the fog machine and harp music>

Fast forward to 2010… The AJC announced yesterday that producer Tyler Perry is the mystery buyer of Dean Gardens. He paid approx $14 million for the property and that amazing mansion. His plan for it? Maybe a new coat of paint? Nah. He’s gonna knock the thing down. Demolished. Thirty-two thousand square feet, four years to build and it’ll meet the wrecking ball.

I’m astounded by the display of opulence and wealth. Maybe I’m easy to please, but I’m fairly certain that any 32,000 square foot home would be adequate for my needs. But hey, the guy has money and this is a free country. As much as I scratch my head over this, I think the locals in Johns Creek are tickled pink (rim shot). They’re just breathing a sigh of relief that the buyer doesn’t want to put condos on the property. Everybody wins, right? I just hope they sell tickets on demolition day.

August’s numbers are the best so far with 355 positions advertised. HP added a lot of software jobs, as did McKesson. In other news, Coca-Cola announced this month that they are moving 400 call center jobs to a facility they have near Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. These jobs are not reflected in my report.

Alpharetta Jobs August 2010

I’m constantly trolling the interwebs and roads of Alpharetta looking for changes to our restaurant scene. From time to time as warranted I’ll post an update here on my blog. Here’s what I’ve found recently. If you know of any other new or recently closed restaurants, leave a comment or e-mail me at lee@rootsinalpharetta.com . I also love to review new restaurants. If you’re the owner or manager of a new joint and would like to be reviewed on my blog, drop me a note.

Logan Farms – Alpharetta – Closed

This was a hidden little restaurant on Windward that offered cajun food and a lot of other random stuff. I kinda liked these guys but others didn’t apparently. They are going out of business and have been running a clearance sale on all their frozen food stuffs.

Claw Daddy – Cumming

They opened up in the old Bad Bob’s BBQ space on Highway 9 near Bethelview/141. The menu is mostly fried seafood and cajun items like gumbo. They also have breakfast. I went one day this week for lunch and wasn’t impressed. Let’s just say they have a lot of new restaurant jitters to work through. To be fair I won’t ding them any more than that.

Rio Neuvo – Alpharetta

They are building out a space on North Point formally occupied by Famous Dave’s BBQ, formally occupied by Houlihans (seeing a trend here?). I don’t know anything about these guys. Not sure if it will be another ubiquitous Mexican joint (Speedy Gonzalez type menu) or something more fancy like Pure Taqueria. We’ll see once they open.

Tilted Kilt – Roswell

They’ve got a location in Johns Creek and a few other spots in metro Atlanta. Looks like they are building out in the old Lobster Trap location on Holcomb Bridge Road. If you like chain Irish pub food and the bare exposed midriff sections of attractive ladies, then this place might be for you.

Venus Cuisine – Johns Creek

They opened in the space formally occupied by Hachi Hachi Japanese on Johns Bridge. I don’t know much about them except they they offer Mediterranean food.

Joe’s Crab Shack – Alpharetta – Closed

I have nothing to say here!

I have a strong aversion to franchise barbecue. It is a prejudice I’ve created in my mind based on years of bad experiences. Right out of the gate a franchise Q joint has a high hurdle to overcome to please me. It took a few visits for me to come to this conclusion, but I think Jim ‘N Nicks is probably the best franchise barbecue in the northern burbs. Note that I said the best franchise joint. They keep some sorry company in this category.

Jim ‘N Nicks is has an outparcel location at The Avenue Forsyth. I’ve made fun of cheesy barbecue restaurant decor in my past reviews. Jim ‘N Nicks won’t be spared from my ridicule here. They’ve got their fair share of folksy pictures and other fake knick knacks all over the place. I started to doubt the cords of wood outside the restaurant. Are they for show as well?

Thankfully the answer is no. The barbecue here has a solid core of hickory smoke flavor. I tend to like heavy smoke in my pork. If you’re put off by that, Jim ‘N Nicks might not be for you. Their menu has pulled pork, brisket, ribs, chicken and probably some other Q I’m forgetting. The pulled pork is not really my favorite. It is often over-tender to the point of being mushy. They would do a lot better to cook it less. Otherwise it is beautiful with a nice smoke ring. They sauce it in the kitchen, which I don’t care for.

The baby back ribs are probably my favorite here. Again they have a solid smokey flavor with a decent rub and sauce that’s caramelized on the meat. It is flavorful, tender with texture. My only complaint here one of presentation. On my last two visits the ribs were up-side-down on the plate when they come out. I mean the membrane/convex side is up. It looks rather sorry given how tasty they are. Flip them over guys!

The non-barbecue side of the menu is very good at Jim ‘N Nicks. Many folks rave about the little biscuits they bring before the meal. I’m not a huge fan but they are decent. The chicken fingers are amazingly good, hand battered and worthy of trying as an entree. The fried cat fish is also delicious. Most of the side items are made from scratch. Brunswick stew is available as a side… at an upcharge. Boo!

All in all, Jim ‘N Nicks is decent stuff. The prices are expensive, on par with the boutique barbecue joints down in Alpharetta. I don’t think the quality of their food justifies the price though. Others must disagree with me because this place is always packed. It is worthy of a splurge from time to time though!