complEAT: Lunch in our Village

In our village of Roswell, there is a wonderful cafe in a Victorian cottage built in the late 1800's. (Now this a good use for a historical building!) The Fickle Pickle offers old-fashioned Southern dishes with a modern twist. And you can enjoy all of these comfort foods in a down home atmosphere...(really, it was someone's home long ago).

You need to know that this is an extremely popular place for the "ladies who lunch" and unless you go early (11 am) or late (2 pm) you will wait in line for the counter service here. (Not to mention a parking place. Park at Founder's Hall and use an orange flag to cross the street...just like Ketchum, Idaho!) With that being said, the staff here handles a lunch rush effectively and cheerfully; besides it is definitely worth the wait. The menu pictured above is available all hours of the cafe. As for dinner, Fickle Pickle adds on gourmet burgers and mac-n-cheese bowls. (See below) Notice on the menu board the ratings for the burgers. They use napkins; I use slaps of the table!

And did I mention the homemade desserts?

Guy is torn between the Frosted Oatmeal cookie and the Red Velvet cupcake...while the Chocolate Ginger cookie (made with fresh ginger) is my favorite. But before dessert, you have to eat a good lunch! (At least, that's the rule for our grandsons.)

And believe me, this is a very good lunch. I enjoyed a Brie BLT - brie cheese, bacon, arugula, tomato jam, onion, arugula & basil mayo on grilled sourdough bread. Yes, indeed...with a Caesar salad on the side. Guy had the special sandwich of the month, a Philly Cheesesteak...which besides the thinly sliced beef included grilled peppers and onions with mayo and provolone cheese on a Hoagie roll. Of course, I had Sweet Peach Tea with my lunch. The signature dish at Fickle Pickle is Fried Cajun Pickles. You will not be able to eat just one...(if you like pickles, that is) and they are served with Creole Remoulade Sauce for dipping. (SLAP THE TABLE GOOD!)

We sat inside one of Fickle Pickle's cozy dining rooms. Most patrons prefer the charming patio (we're in Atlanta, after all) but we honestly don't get the fascination with outdoor dining. All the artwork in the cafe is on loan from local artists and for sale.

A note to parents: Fickle Pickle has a nice menu for the "Little Gherkins." (The owner, Andy Badgett and his wife have 5 kids!) And the kids eat dinner for free on Tuesday nights.

And The Barn at Fickle Pickle is available for special events. We hosted our Leap Year Anniversary Party here. The staff was incredible and turned the place into a "Sweet 16 Diner" for our themed party.