“Hug yourself,” the mirror commanded as I stood facing it. A few curious Whole Foods shoppers stopped rolling their buggies to observe. One man, who seemed to be there on official business, pulled out a professional video camera. I glowered at him, and he lowered it. Then I hugged myself.
The Whole Body Mirror purportedly captured a “burst” of my aura and recommended body lotion. “Rescue rough skin,” it advised, suggesting that only once I eradicated flaky dryness with ultra hydration would I find peace, or perhaps the checkout line.
So it goes at one of the “interactive shopping experiences” at the fancy new Whole Foods in fancy new Avalon — the mixed-use development that will open big in Alpharetta on Oct. 30.
Just imagine: Had King Arthur come to this Avalon instead of the other one after fighting Mordred, the mirror would have recommended an organic aloe and cocoa butter salve for his wounds, and he would have lived. Then, once healed, he’d have his choice of dining options to celebrate his victory. With no need to conceal Excalibur, he could walk into any of these restaurants on opening day:
Bantam + Biddy: Another roost for local owners Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere, who both left upscale dining to build this mini-chain of quick-service restaurants specializing in rotisserie chicken. Much of the meat and produce here comes from local and sustainable sources. bantamandbiddy.com.
Bantu: A pan-Asian noodle bar from local chef Ciarán Duffy. The menu jumps from ramen to pho to pad thai, so, yeah. The small plates — including something called Korean BBQ Twinkies — look like potential fun. bantunoodles.com.
Bocado Burger Bar: A spinoff of the Westside restaurant, specializing in its best-loved dish — the double stack burger. Look for a turkey burger, a fried chicken sandwich and many small bites. bocadoatlanta.com.
Cru Wine Bar: Wine bars are back and popping up everywhere. This one's a midsize chain, from the same Dallas company that brought us Midtown's Steel. Small plates, big plates, pizzas and a wine list with a big, shiny personality. cruwinebar.com.
Fuzziwig's Candy Factory: Bring the kids, and make sure you pay attention when they open the gravity flow canisters of jellybeans. A multi-unit franchise of sugar in all forms. fuzziwigscandyfactory.com.
Goldberg's Deli: Atlanta's favorite bagel shop opens its latest shop here. Look for big breakfasts, Reuben eggrolls and other deli specialties along with the bagels. goldbergbagel.com.
Kona Grill: Sushi, mojitos, chocolate cake, chopped salad, flatbreads, sliders, lobster mac and cheese and you get the picture, right? Every indulgence that shoppers might crave after a long day of hitting the dressing rooms. More than 20 locations nationwide. konagrill.com.
Oak Steakhouse: A second location for a well-liked Charleston, S.C., restaurant. The menu looks mid/high-range steakhouse standard, with Certified Angus Beef, some of it dry aged. Also on hand: full-meal salads, a signature burger, foie gras and side veggies pumped with lobster, truffle or bacon. oaksteakhouserestaurant.com.
Pinkberry: Frozen yogurt from the California franchiser that wrested the definition of frozen yogurt away from TCBY. Apparently people still eat frozen yogurt. pinkberry.com.
Ted's Montana Grill: Mr. Turner's bison burger and the Atlanta-based restaurant chain that exults it. It is the company's first LEED Registered location. tedsmontanagrill.com.
The El Felix: Native Texan Ford Fry opens his first Tex-Mex restaurant here, and then will soon follow with Superica, which he is calling "Mex-Tex," in Krog Street Market. Whichever side of the Rio Grande these restaurants land on, let's hope they do something to up the sorry representation of border cooking in Atlanta. theelfelix.com.
By the way, Avalon is one of those places that broadcasts Sinatra and jazz standards throughout the open air and even in the parking lots. In keeping with the name, a little medieval castle music (or even a track or two from the Roxy Music album “Avalon”) might be nice.
About the Author
