Whether you want drinks, dinner  or dessert—need a table for two or 10—or are in the mood for authentic New Orleans cuisine or something more mainstream, Copeland’s is a perfect destination.

With a 24-year history of creating and refining palette-pleasing food and an ambiance that is upscale but comfortable and festive but not overwhelming, Copeland’s has honed its craft to an art. The menu features a selection of the Louisiana regional cuisine the restaurant is famous for, and with the addition of dozens of fine American entrées ranging from USDA Prime steaks to chicken parmesan, there is something for even the most discriminating dieter or finicky guest.

Fairly new to this area, Copeland’s is the signature restaurant of Al Copeland, founder of Popeye’s Famous Fried Chicken. When he started out in New Orleans years ago, he was committed to showcasing the culinary traditions and heritage of New Orleans, and that is evident today in the 38 restaurants nationwide.

On a recent visit, I was longing for a Crescent City feast, so I chose from Copeland’s classic entrées. Greeted by servers wearing Mardi-Gras beads and stirred by the subtle sounds of jazz in the background, my companion and I ordered a Hurricane and an Eye of the Storm, festive specialty drinks to get us started on our journey to the French Quarters.

Before long, we were, as the Canjuns like to say, “passing a good time” over a sampler  appetizer platter that features Cajun food with a Continental flair. Lightly seasoned and fried bow-tie pasta complements the traditional artichoke and spinach dip. The Cajun popcorn shrimp are spicy but not hot, and even everyday broccoli tastes extraordinary when fried with cheese and bacon and dipped in a tasty sauce.

Continuing with our night-in-New Orleans theme, we chose shrimp etouffée and Copeland’s pan-roasted chicken. The etouffée has a generous portion of Gulf shrimp in a roux-based sauce. Seasoned with garlic and green onions, the dark sauce is rich and balanced to complement the delicate flavor of the fresh shrimp.

The spice-encrusted chicken breast filet is also tender and tasty and comes topped with a full-flavored brown Bordelaise sauce. Red hot potatoes—red potatoes cooked in traditional seasoned seafood boil mix before mashing—add their own unique punch to the plate. Laissez les bons temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)

We’d been advised to save room for dessert, and I’m glad we did. Dessert is not an afterthought here. Copeland’s attracts a large dessert-hungry, afterdinner crowd with its specialty coffees and premier desserts. The cheesecake Napoleon and signature cheesecake are offered with an extensive selection of toppings, including several fruit toppings, caramel, kahlua, amaretto and fudge. The dessert menu also includes a chocolate signature cheesecake, carrot cake, fudge cake and several other traditional desserts.

Sipping on some very good café au lait, we mulled over our endless options, and using a sophisticated version of rock-paper-scissors, we selected the signature cheesecake and the more traditional white chocolate bread pudding. Copeland’s signature cheesecake, with a pecan crust and topped with fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream, is as good as it gets—it will make you want to dance in the streets. But the bread pudding floating in a creamy white chocolate sauce is my favorite. The time-honored, simple flavor and texture will make you want to throw a parade!

Copeland’s is located at 970 Northpoint Drive in Alpharetta. Banquet facilities and catering are also available. For additional information, visit www.copelandsatlanta.com or call 678-297-2000.

The space itself has a personality with warm colors, private dining spaces, smartly dressed staff and polished bottles of vino. Look around at your fellow diners and you’ll find families with young children, business colleagues, new couples and even a reunion of older folks breaking bread and passing plates of food around the table. There is that European touch here that invites folks to gather at the table and enjoy the food and each other’s company at a somewhat slower pace. Although it was our first visit, the staff made sure we were welcomed as if we’d been there fifty times or more.

Deliciously dense, chewy bread greets each table with a pairing of mixed olive tapenade, ripe with fruity olive oil. Our meal kicked off with Zola’s flash-fried calamari. Served with a red chili-laced Fra Diavolo sauce, it’s the kind of appetizer that only gets spicy if you stop eating it…so you don’t! Light and crunchy, it partners perfectly with a tall glass of ice-cold Peroni. A plate of crisp, Italian country bread Bruschetta is always a crowd pleaser with fresh tomatoes, olive oil and plenty of basil. If you’re looking for something a bit different, try the Arancini; fried risotto cakes stuffed with mozzarella and served with tangy marinara. On the salad front, there’s plenty to choose from including a classic Caesar, Caprese, Spinach, or Zola’s signature salad with organic greens, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and Kalamata olives with a tart Balsamic vinaigrette.

Zola’s thin crust pizzas will please even the most discriminating, New York connoisseur. Order a traditional Margherita for the table and see if you agree. With garlic, fresh mozzarella, basil and vine-ripe tomatoes, you simply cannot go wrong. The crust strikes that perfect combination of crisp and chewy that sets the perfect canvas for all of your favorite toppings. And if Italian means pasta to you, well-executed versions of all your favorites are here, from Capelini to Ravioli and all shapes and lengths in between. Try the Tortellini with Proscuitto ham, cremini mushrooms and bright green peas in a carbonara cream sauce, and then try and order something different the next time. Go on…I dare you!

While you may not think of steaks in the context of an Italian bistro, Zola’s dry-aged, bone-in ribeye will give any steakhouse a run for its money. Meltingly tender and served with asparagus, scalloped potatoes and braised red cabbage, it’s easy to see why its one of the restaurant’s best sellers. The slow-roasted, Niman ranch pork chops are another popular item, served with sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Many Italian restaurants tend to forget that Italy is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, but Zola’s menu shows a true respect for its seafood. Whether you choose the sea bass with lemon butter sauce or the tilapia with spinach and feta in a tomato-basil wine sauce, you’ll be happy with your catch.

And just when you’ve decided you couldn’t eat another bite, you look over and see the neighboring table crack the crust on a vanilla crème brulee with the back of their spoon or effortlessly glide their fork through a thick slice of ricotta cheesecake. Maybe I do have a bit more room for an espresso and a bite of something sweet, afterall…

Zola is located at 14155 Highway 9 in Alpharetta just a few miles north of Windward Parkway. For more information or to make reservations, call 770.360.5777.

Story by North Fulton Living Food Editor Hans Rueffert. Hans has spent his entire life with food and is currently producing a new cooking show for GPTV called “Hans Cooks the South.” In 2005, Hans was selected out of 10,000 applicants to be a finalist on the show “The Next Food Network Star” and finished third in that competition. He currently teaches classes in and around North Georgia. Find out more at www.hanscooks.com. Photography by Amy Rueffert.

If the dining space at Milton’s feels comfortable to you, that may be because you’re dining inside of what once was an old farm house. If you look closely you can actually spot some of the original house’s trim and storage spaces. Each dining space has its own distinct feel, but the overall effect is serenely welcoming. Milton’s also sports an impressive outdoor-dining space comprised of multi-tiered decks that overlook the well-kept ground, the perfect spot for a fair-weather meal under the stars.

Our meal began with the buttermilk-battered Seafood Trio. Tender shrimp, sweet scallops and a Maine lobster tail so fresh I had to look out the window to confirm I was indeed overlooking Crabapple and not the ocean. I had to look again when the crab cake arrived; 100 percent pure jumbo lump adorned with a light Creole mustard beurre blanc. The Portabella mushroom soup brought me back to dry land, perfectly earthy and kissed with Madeira. It’s the kind of soup that will have you curving your spoon in every possible direction to scrape the last mushroom-flecked bits from the bowl. Other starters include fried artichokes, Ahi tuna tartare and an aptly named Knife and Fork Shrimp Chowder.

How could you possibly improve a 12-ounce center-cut, oven-roasted pork chop? How about stuffing it with smoked Gouda, Andouille sausage and caramelized onions? Paired with mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and mustard beurre blanc, the stuffed pork chop is simply stunning. If you’re still thinking about the sea, try Milton’s shrimp and grits entrée. Gulf shrimp are sautéed in garlic oil, button mushrooms, applewood smoked bacon, onions and red peppers then paired with Logan’s Turnpike, smoked–cheddar grits. The menu offers a wide variety of entrées like almond-crusted mountain trout, chicken Romano, Cioppino and a large selection of steaks and pastas.

So instead of driving through the the little town of Crabapple, make your way over to Milton’s, order yourself a Crab-appletini, and enjoy a fantastic meal. You’ll be back.

Cream of Portabella Mushroom Soup

2½ pounds of Portabella mushrooms, sliced
¾ pounds unsalted butter
½ cup yellow onions, diced
1 cup Madeira (preferably rainwater)
1 quart heavy cream
1 cup flour
2 quarts chicken/veal stock
3 tablespoons basil, rough chopped
3 tablespoons tarragon, minced
1 tablespoons black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
¼ cup garlic, minced
First, remember to make the roux (½ pound butter and 1 cup flour).

In a large saucepan, sauté onions with 1 pound butter until clear. Add portabella mushrooms and continue to sauté, stirring constantly. Deglaze with Madeira. Add roux and continue to stir to create a paste. Add chicken stock. Bring soup up to a steady simmer and add heavy cream. Let simmer for 10 minutes and season with kosher salt to taste.

Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday with a special Brunch menu from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. It’s located at 780 Mayfield Rd. in the heart of Crabapple. For more information call 770.817.0161, or visit them online at www.miltons-atl.com.

Story by North Fulton Living Food Editor Hans Rueffert. Hans has spent his entire life with food and is now host of his own cooking show in north Georgia called “Hans Cooks the World.” He can be seen on GPTV this holiday season in a new show called “Hans Cooks the Holidays.” In 2005, Hans was selected out of 10,000 applicants to be a finalist on the show “The Next Food Network Star” and finished third in that competition. He currently teaches classes in and around North Georgia. Find out more at www.hanscooks.com.
Photography by Amy Rueffert.

The moment we walked in the door, we felt like we were at a well-attended party in someone’s gorgeous home rather than at a restaurant. We were promptly greeted by a most gracious maitre-d and escorted to our table in the center of the dining room—yet due to the large, overstuffed booth, it felt private. Our server, David (whom we later found out was also a chef trained in Italy) was most pleasant and seemed genuinely glad to host us at his table for the next hour and a half. He shared with us the specials of the evening that Chef Daniel Frier had created, and seafood lover that I am, I quickly decided on the sea bass and crab cake. I knew this was a perfect choice, but little did I know just how perfect it was going to be. In addition to my entrée, I ordered some of chef’s crab bisque. It was amazing, but knowing the rich entrée that was coming, I only enjoyed about half of this cup of soup, and fought the urge to finish the whole thing. I loved the flavor of the crab as well as the hint of sherry.

My entrée was gorgeous—the healthy portion of sea bass was pan-seared and sat on top of a mound of smashed potatoes accompanied by the crab cake and small ramekin of a mixture of sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced cloves of garlic and fresh basil tossed in olive oil. The cherry tomato side was such a simple pairing that really enhanced the dish both in color and flavor. I’ve since tried to recreate the dish in my kitchen, but it just doesn’t have the flair that Chef Frier’s creation had. The crab cake was delightful and full of lump crab…something that you don’t often find. I could barely detect any filler and each buttery bite went too fast.

My husband, Jeff, a Midwesterner and true lover of good steaks, is the perfect person to critique the steak at Ray’s Killer Creek. And trust me, he will be coming back for more. His steak was cooked to perfection—a true medium rare. Upon putting the first bite into his mouth, he recognized that the steak was not only cooked perfectly, it was also a fine cut of meat. Jeff enjoyed the steak…all of it.

Next, both of us happened upon a most unique side that had us smitten from the first bite! Ray’s Killer Creek creamed corn is literally to die for. We later found out from David (chef David as we casually named him) that in preparing this scrumptious dish, Chef Frier starts with a rue then adds the fresh creamed corn and doesn’t stop there, he actually adds smoked gouda and gruyere chesses that really set off the flavor. Needless to say we cleared the plate of any remnant of the creamed corn.

Dessert was next, and was a treat in itself. My favorite was the praline bowl filled with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with seasonal berries and pecans. The praline bowl was hand-made at the restaurant and had a latticed appearance that with each bite actually tasted of pralines and went perfectly with the smooth and creamy vanilla bean ice cream. This was a perfect finish to a stunning meal.

I’m thrilled that a great such a great steakhouse with fantastic food, warm, friendly and approachable service and upscale atmosphere that has comfort at its heart is just a quick dash up or down Georgia 400. I know Jeff and I will be dashing back there soon!

For more information, visit www.raysrestaurants.com.

There are so many little details that go into creating a successful restaurant. Of course you need a solid menu and a kitchen crew capable of consistently producing plate after plate of exceptional food. But there’s so much more than that. From the lighting to the music and even down to the flooring, a restaurant’s soul is the sum of a thousand parts, each one’s potential subtle, yet absolutely critical to the success of the place. You may not be able to verbalize it in terms of its individual components, but when you’ve dined at a place that’s done things right, you’ll remember it for a long time. Lucky for folks in North Fulton, the Slice Café in downtown Alpharetta has done things right.

There is a comfort level at Slice that inherently comes from its location, an older home right off of Main Street. Of course the building hasn’t been lived in for some time and its innards have been totally rearranged, but that home spirit still lives on. The old porch has been cleverly enclosed with all-weather windows. The upstairs seating area is lofty and open with a private meeting space that’s perfect for your next family or business get together. No matter where you sit, you’ll feel right at home.

Chef Marshall Rogers has created a menu that will pique your palate without pushing things too far from comfort food. Our meal began with one of Slice’s flatbread pizzas, this one studded with rare seared Ahi tuna paired with caramelized onions atop a roasted garlic and herbed goat cheese spread. The appetizer paired perfectly with the Asian Pear Salad studded with praline walnuts, thinly sliced pears and goat cheese. If you’re a crab cake fan, try Slice’s Maryland style crab cake with crispy capers, the briny crunch of the capers working to further enhance the natural sweetness of the jumbo lump crabmeat.

You could easily fill up on Slice’s salads and appetizers, but with an impressive selection of entrees, why would you? Speaking of homey comfort, try the Georgia grassfed-beef meat loaf, wrapped in bacon and served with roasted-garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli, chili ketchup, and portabella gravy. Or try the chicken-fried chicken with blue-cheese mashed spuds, spinach and pancetta gravy. We fell in love with the sliced duck breast with a pomegranate reduction and sunflower seed praline, served with a parcel of roasted butternut squash wrapped in Swiss chard. The dish walks the tightrope of savory and sweet without falling headlong into either. And there are plenty of seafood and steak options, plus daily specials to make each visit unique.

And while other mom & pop restaurants are struggling to keep afloat in these tough economic waters, the folks at Slice are already planning sister restaurants in the Alpharetta area. So head on over to Slice and introduce yourself. I have a feeling you’ll become a regular.

by Hans Rueffert

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Slice Café is located at 52 B, North Main Street just north of downtown Alpharetta.

For more information, visit them online at www.slicecafe.com or call 770.569.7511. For the recipe for Sunflower Seed Pralines, go to our Web site at www.northfultonliving.com

Hans Rueffert is the food editor for North Fulton Living, and a local food writer and TV host. Photography is by Amy Rueffert.

Comfort Food UK Style

In England there are pubs that are mainstays of community life. Gastro pubs came from a foodie twist on comfort food served in pubs across the UK—tasty elevated fare for customers enjoying beer and good times. Red Salt Pub in Historic Downtown Roswell is now serving up gastro pub food at the coolest spot ever to open in the area. It’s sort of Bon Appetite meets an old English, Jack-the-Ripper feel with exposed brick walls, great staff, extensive beer selection and, best of all, comfort fare to get you through the long cold winter. This is #2 for the owners of the very successful Little Alley Tapas in Roswell. Go snuggle with your sweetie, have a pint and try the menu samplings such as chicken pot pie and pork tostadas.

Get House Savvy in the New Year

Now that the tree is down, a lot of us are sort of at a loss to see the stripped down version of our homes. Savvy Snoot’s second location in Alpharetta is a consignment store that serves up a fresh inventory of designer furniture and accessories in a very hip, inspirational setting. They have more than 500 local consigners representing a spectrum of styles, featuring vignettes that are inventive. This is the Rx for rooms that need that special something. The store is an urban-eclectic mix with found objects from shopping trips, so you never know what’s in store. Savvy Snoot features enough of a choice to suit any design whim!

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Toren Anderson owns a media relations boutique firm specializing in upscale lifestyle.

Contact her at info@intheloopatlanta.com

Smokejack proprietor Dave “Flip” Filipowicz is serious when it comes to food. He’s the kind of hands-on owner that’ll make you wonder why you ever bothered with one of those oversized, over-corporate, impersonal chain restaurants. Every detail has been carefully considered and perfectly executed at Smokejack, from the décor to the side items. Dave and Chef John Umberger have managed to create a solid Southern grill with a menu that goes way beyond barbecue without straying from its rebel roots.

Huge fried pickles with a hot pink dipping sauce kicked off our meal. Crunchy both outside and in, these are an instant classic that you’ll find yourself craving long after you’ve left the restaurant. And who makes homemade pimento cheese anymore? Served with pita and saltines (of course), it’s a crowd pleaser. The Gone Fish’n Tacos were my favorite among favorites, blackened catfish cradled in a crisp wonton wrapper and studded with mango mayo and slaw. Delicious.

So let’s go to the pit. The MojoSmoke Combo let’s you sample some of Smokejack’s signature barbecue without having to commit to just one. Loaded with pulled pork, beef brisket, smoke roasted cider-marinated chicken, and burnt ends (a must!), the combo really challenges you to pick a favorite, each bite better than the last. The Pork-Zilla sandwich is massive, an entire pork plate on a bun. The barbecue sauces are good enough to drink, and I seriously considered smuggling some away in my wife’s purse. And don’t forget the ribs…seriously…don’t forget the ribs!

If you decide to stray from barbecue, the menu has plenty of options from steaks to seafood, each with their own Smokejack twist. The North Georgia Rainbow Trout is excellent, served atop lighter-than-air corn pudding and crowned with pecan butter. All of the side items are center-plate worthy; cheese grits, baked beans, mashed potatoes (my wife’s favorite), greens with homemade Habenero pepper vinegar (which I also considered stealing), mac and cheese, ‘maters and cukes, and more.

If your mouth isn’t watering by now, you obviously have salivary gland issues. Put down the magazine and head over to Smokejack for a meal your entire family will brag about. Be sure to ask for Dave…he’s your new best friend.

Pimento Cheese

3 roasted pimentos or red peppers if unavailable
¼ pound softened cream cheese
1 pound grated yellow cheddar
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
dash of hot sauce

Toss peppers in 2 tablespoons of canola oil and roast over open flame (substituting canned peppers is fine). Peel peppers, seed, and dice them. Mix the remaining ingredients with the peppers, and mash everything together until you achieve a completely mixed spread. Enjoy with celery, saltines, or in a sandwich.

Open for lunch and dinner every day, Smokejack is located just across the street from City Hall in downtown Alpharetta at 29 South Main St. Catering and private party space available. For more information call 770.410.7611, or visit them online at www.smokejackbbq.com.

Story by North Fulton Living Food Editor Hans Rueffert, a self-proclaimed Restaurant Boy. Raised upstairs above the Woodbridge Inn Restaurant in downtown Jasper, Ga., he has spent his entire life with food—more than a dozen years as the Inn’s chef and now host of his own cooking show in north Georgia called “Hans Cooks the World.” In 2005, Hans was selected out of 10,000 applicants to be a finalist on the show “The Next Food Network Star” and finished third in that competition. He currently teaches classes at Whole Foods. Find out more at www.hanscooks.com. Photography by Amy Rueffert.

To be quite honest, when I walked inside di Paolo, the Alpharetta restaurant recently rated number one in Italian cuisine by Zagat, I felt as if I was walking into a family’s holiday dinner. The warm, welcoming ambience offering a very simple décor with rich colors and an open kitchen set-up made me feel right at home.

I began my culinary journey into di Paolo’s Italy with an insalata caprese, which I had heard was a must considering that the restaurant makes its mozzarella fresh each day. Actually, “fresh” doesn’t even begin to describe the relationship between di Paolo and its cheese. Here, the mozzarella has a firm juiciness paired with an addictive fl avor that made me battle it out with my husband for the last bite.

Next we tried the pizza con salsiccia e funghi, a wood oven pizza made with Italian sausage, spinach, portobello mushrooms and asiago cheese. The main difference between this pizza and nearly every other pizza claiming to be of Italian descent is the sauce—or, should I say, lack of it. Di Paulo doesn’t try to mask its fl avors under a layer of sauce, and I admit, I didn’t even miss it! The intense flavor of the asiago crust, the rich, Italian sausage with herbs, and the succulent mushrooms made this pizza a truly unique and satisfying experience.

While each dish I sampled was wonderful, the most exciting was the freshly made pappardelle con frutti di mare. Rumored to be a customer favorite, this handmade pasta topped with fresh seafood in a light, white wine butter sauce was one of the most delicious dishes I have had in a long time. It featured plump, sautéed shrimp, well-cooked scallops and herb-infused, buttery lobster—(nearly a sensory overload!)—served over widely-sliced, paper-thin pasta.

Another favorite we tried was the bistecca di manzo, which translates to ovenroasted beef strip steak over truffl e-infused mashed potatoes, caramelized Vidalia onions and asparagus topped with a rosemary pan au jus sauce. This dish was the icing on the icing of the cake. Not only were the Vidalia onions causing me to second guess whether I was eating apples or onions, but the steak was perfectly cooked, and the truffl e-infused potatoes were, in one word, heaven.

The zabaglione con frutta di bosco, which included white chocolate and dark chocolate cream layered with marsala marinated berries served in a chocolate cup, is a classic dessert choice, also a specialty of the house. The creaminess of the dish was as enticing as it was delectable. Both the tiramisu and torte di caffe, an expresso cupcake filled with strawberry cream, chocolate gelato and a strawberry coulis, looked very tempting.

I have spent time traveling through Rome, Naples, the Isle of Capri, Florence and Sicily, and I can say it’s rare that a restaurant at home offers an authentic taste of Italy. Di Paolo offers an Italian dining experience that many restaurants boast of, but few can actually pull off. This is one place you must experience for yourself.

Di Paolo is located at 8650 Holcomb Bridge Road in Alpharetta. Dinner is served nightly Tuesday-Sunday beginning at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Call 770-587-1051 or visit www.dipaolorestaurant.com.  Allison Overmon is a local freelance writer.