As summer ever so slowly turns to fall, it's the perfect time to enjoy the flavors of the season.
They tend to be full, warm, savory and comforting – and sometimes also sweet.
The ever-present pumpkin is included, but there are also many other delicious fall flavors to enjoy, including the following:
Caramel and candy apples
Credit: Kilwins photo
Credit: Kilwins photo
Bite into a sweet, crisp taste of fall with a caramel apple.
Kilwins has a wide variety, but they all start with Granny Smith apples and homemade caramel as the base.
Try the turtle caramel apple, which is topped with pecans and drizzled with chocolate, or the apple pie caramel apple, which is dipped in white chocolate and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
For candy apples, pay a visit to Miss D's Pralines or The Southern Candy Company.
Sweet potato treats
Start your day with sweet potato pancakes served with warm caramelized brown sugar butter and toasted pecans at Highland Bakery. If you'd like another treat later in the day, order the sweet potato cupcake from Metrotainment Bakery, a seasonal treat that's only available from October to December. It's topped with cinnamon-brown sugar cream frosting, which adds even more seasonal flavors. Or indulge in a sweet potato cheesecake from Sweet Auburn Bakery.
Fall craft beers
Craft beers tend to move away from pale ales and into more stout selections when the weather gets cooler.
Festive Ale from SweetWater Brewing Company fits the bill, with a rich flavor and a hint of cinnamon and mace. So does Seven Bridges, an Oktoberfest-style beer from Jekyll Brewing. It's a true full-bodied lager that's dark copper in color and has a sweet and bready taste. Also try Hasenpfeffer Oktoberfest, which is brewed with German ingredients by Red Hare Brewing Company to create a toasty, caramelized, nutty flavor.
Apple cider
Credit: Urban Tree photo
Credit: Urban Tree photo
Enjoy original, classic or barrel-aged hard cider at Urban Tree, Atlanta's first cidery.
Tastings are held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays if you'd like to sample several and learn more about how they're made. For a different twist on cider, try the popular spiked apple cider float at Apres Diem. For a non-alcoholic version of cider, visit a north Georgia apple farm like Red Apple Barn or B.J. Reece Orchards.
Cranberries
Pick up a few Candler sandwiches at The Mercantile, and you'll have an early taste of Thanksgiving with roasted turkey, cranberries, pancetta and cream cheese inside sourdough, wheat or multi-grain bread. Or slather a biscuit from the Flying Biscuit Cafe with their famous homemade cranberry apple butter for a double dose of fall flavors.
Pumpkin
If you're craving pumpkin but don't want to completely let go of summer, try a pumpkin pie popsicle from King of Pops. For pumpkin in a more traditional form, Greenwood's Restaurant has organic pumpkin pie that's made with locally milled organic flour and prepared with an all-butter crust.
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