You would think that a restaurant tucked away in a small strip of shops near the old Fayette County High School would be more of a secret, a special place known only to regulars with a keen eye, but Baci is a favorite stop for Italian cuisine for many county residents.

By F.C. Foodie
Special to The Citizen

For years, Senoia was a nice sleepy, historic town in eastern Coweta County. Visitors would come and admire the historic homes and promptly leave and go have dinner in Peachtree City or Newnan.

The Peachtree City Tennis Center has been a unique local destination since it opened. Over the years it has seen world-class tennis players like Maria Sharapova take to the courts and has also been a top notch place to host local functions. In the past few years, there has also been a restaurant on the premises. The Courtside Cafe has quickly won quite the following with a delightful menu and welcoming atmosphere.

Steve Zombik, the head chef and co-owner of Sun Dried Tomato, never thought he would own, or want to own, a restaurant. Zombik had been an executive chef at hotels in New Hampshire, Boston, and Jamaica before moving to Peachtree City and serving as the executive chef at the Wyndham. His plan had been to keep moving up to bigger and bigger hotels but the desire to set down some roots proved stronger. After some time as the owner of Hangar 74, Zombik and his wife, Cindy, created Sun Dried Tomato and the rest, as they say is history.

By F.C. Foodie
Dining Critic

The students are out of school and the temperatures are starting to soar into the 90s. Although summer doesn’t officially start until tomorrow, many residents have already stopped firing up the oven for several-course meals, so here’s a few options to beat the heat until the cool winds of autumn usher in fall cooking season.

Young Chefs Academy announces its newest location in Peachtree City, Georgia opening June 23. A cooking school designed especially for kids, Young Chefs Academy offers weekly classes, summer camps, birthday parties, field trips and unique merchandise. This is the 12th Young Chefs Academy in the Atlanta area to help budding chefs learn the basics of cooking, while participating in the preparation of real recipes.

What better prize for a disastrous chef than a party at The Dinner A'Fare in Peachtree City? Cooking Queen Maggie and her court of five trusty girlfriends spent a fun afternoon of meal making under the tutelage of Dan and Jana Tillman, owners of The Dinner A'Fare. They were greeted with some wonderful treats from the April menu of Baja Paella, Finger Lick’n Chicken with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce and Cherry Pineapple Cobbler Cake and a how-to of the fun that was about to begin. Queen Maggie and her court were then set free to put together the meals of their choices from scratch to take home and freeze and then easily cook and serve at their own homes.

The Citizen newspapers and The Dinner A’Fare in Peachtree City co-hosted a cooking disaster contest last month, asking our readers to send us their scariest cooking or entertaining horror stories for a chance to be crowned “Queen of The Kitchen.”

Maggie Worth of Fayetteville was our Grand Prize winner with a cooking story filled with hen insides, potatoes in blenders and some sort of unidentified liquidous goo for pie filling. (See her winning entry in the following section).

Horror Story

Picture it: It's 1992 and I'm 19, living in my college apartment and preparing to celebrate my one-month wedding anniversary. I've finished my last class and my husband is working at the college bookstore. It's 5:30 and I have two and a half hours to prepare a romantic meal. I've been planning for days. I've consulted via phone with my out-of-state mother, a former professional chef, to develop an exciting menu for the evening. I've carefully listed all my ingredients and driven 30 miles to the nearest grocery store since the mini-mart in our small college town doesn't run to Cornish hens. I've splurged $50 of our wedding gift money on ingredients, fresh flowers and sparkling cider (the clerk knows me, knows I'm under age and won't let me buy wine.)

2nd place winner
Carrie Gray of Sharpsburg

It should have come as no surprise to me that cooking would not be one of my strong suits. I come from a long line of women who have had “cooking challenges.” My grandmother married very young in 1930 and during one of her first attempts at baking bread decided she was in too much of a hurry to wait for it to rise. Instead of using the one package of yeast that the recipe called for, she used three. After the bread had risen above the largest bowl she had, she tried to let it rise in her dishpan. That, too, was too small and the only thing she saw left to do was rid herself of the beast. She buried it in an out-of-the-way corner of the farmyard. She would rather be buried herself than have to own up to the horrible failure of her baking attempt. Of course, that was the day that my grandfather decided to take a stroll in that very section of yard. The hot, July afternoon had risen the bread even more causing it to bubble up from the ground. He came running into the house convinced that some subterranean monster was erupting from its abyss.

Amy Riesberg of Fayetteville

My story is not so much a horror story, but a stress story! I have 4 little boys, ages 1,2,5 and 9. Every night dinner is an adventure for us! If we go out to eat, we feel like a traveling circus and if we stay home, I am almost too tired after preparing dinner to even eat! Our meals are very simple and usually include macaroni or peanut butter. I would love to have the opportunity to actually cook a delicious dinner-or 12 dinners-with no little helpers and no stress! My husband would love to have a variety of dinners instead of the same old dinners!

You’ve heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That’s why at The Original Pancake House, if they’re open, they’re serving up breakfast in delicious and hearty portions. But don’t let the restaurant’s name fool you, there are more than pancakes rounding out this extensive menu.

By F.C. Foodie
Dining Critic

With weather forecasters predicting temperatures in the 70s later this week, many residents’ thoughts are turning towards warmer days.

Chefs from IACC properties in the US recently vied for the honor of representing the country in the fourth annual Copper Skillet competition at the 26th annual conference of the International Association of Conference Centers.

By F.C. Foodie
Dining Critic

For months, residents wondered when the former Hooters’ on Ga. Highway 85 in Fayetteville would be re-developed. Busy commuters drove by the site an saw a sign signaling that Onyxx restaurant would soon be open for business.

Even the biggest game day appetite can be filled with a "super" bowl of Brunswick stew that combines chicken, pork and beef. At-home chefs will score with party guests with this warm, memorable version of one of the most popular menu items from Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill, which operates casual dining restaurants in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S.

J. Christopher’s is Peachtree City’s newest breakfast, brunch and lunch hotspot. The restaurant chain, first founded ten years ago in Atlanta, is expanding to locations all across the city and has brought their menu of traditional and unique fare to our neighborhood.

Everyone has that one restaurant they love, that they’ll travel any number of miles to get back to. It might be a childhood favorite that brings back happy memories as well as serves up good food. It might be states away, a place you only get to visit on vacation. But that restaurant is always worth the time and effort it takes to get there.

By KRISTINE LOUGHMAN
kloughman@thecitizen.com

Delicious, fire grilled, American favorites are the heart and soul of the Smokey Bones restaurant menu. Whether you are there to enjoy watching your favorite team on any of the 35 TV's with interactive sound boxes, having a family night out, or having a "one hour mountain vacation", you will find many options from appetizers, salads, steaks or a slice of chocolate peanut butter pie to satisfy your craving. Large portions and great service adds value to this Rocky Mountain themed experience.

By F.C. Foodie
Dining Critic

Fall has arrived, and foodies are looking for something new and exciting to enjoy as the cool winds of the season start blowing into town. One of the favorite activities for many this season is tailgating. A great new option for folks who want to impress their friends is Buff’s at 116 Bethea Rd, Suite 112 in Fayetteville.

By Kristene Loughman
Special to The Citizen

As a kid, Jason Saleh loved chicken wings. When he was six, he wrote a book listing all his favorite things. Under the food category, sure enough, he wrote wings. So when Jason grew up, there was only one logical thing to do: open a wings restaurant.

By Kristene Loughman
kloughman@TheCitizen.com

There is a great debate in our country over who makes the best pizza. Some prefer New York style pizza, its flat slices so large they have to be folded in half. Others swear by the Chicago deep dish, so laden down with toppings you need a knife and fork to eat it. But here in Fayette County, the newest style of pizza comes with a Greek twist.

By F.C. Foodie
Special to The Citizen

For many years, one of the complaints about Fayette County was there was not a singular destination for young couples and folks who enjoy going out and enjoying a night out on the town.

Kids heading back to school means busy schedules for mom, often leaving little time to think about planning well-balanced meals. But if you ask “The Cheesiest Kids in America” for some advice, they’ll tell you that the famous blue box might be all you need for a delicious meal your kids – and the entire family – will enjoy.

(ARA) - Mushrooms, a popular topping, are a familiar sight at any pizzeria. Steakhouses offer sauteed mushrooms over steaks and, in a family restaurant, mushrooms might be an optional topper for baked potatoes. This kind of topper, plain and simple, couldn’t be nicer but it’s a far cry from the new jazzier toppers, which combine fresh mushrooms with cheese, seasonings and other flavorful ingredients in exciting ways.

(SPM Wire) With holidays, vacations, and family celebrations seemingly upon us all year long, eating healthfully can sometimes be a challenge.

(ARA) - After decades of being satisfied with mild foods, American consumers are now craving bold flavors that pack a punch - hot and spicy, sweet and heat, and other interesting combinations.

More than food and fun is served up in American kitchens.

Involving the whole family in mealtime preparations can be a rewarding experience for everyone. And with just a little planning and creativity, family mealtime can become one of the most enjoyable parts of the day. Following are some suggestions to help you get started:

Do you like the cool vibe, distinct menu, elegant atmosphere and great music that you find in downtown Atlanta restaurants, but hate the drive to get there? Now you can find it all right down the street in Peachtree City at the new restaurant The Red Room, formerly Martini’s in Westpark Walk.

By F.C. Foodie
Dining Critic

Fayette’s foodies have two more choices to satisfy their hunger as the dog days of summer approach.